Israel Active

Israel’s Innovation Authority has announced the launch of a NIS 61 million, two-year pilot program to study the viability of using autonomous public buses. In Stage 1, four groups of bus companies will test the technology before (in Stage 2) operating self-driving buses on public roads.

Israel’s Watergen is to install its water-from-the-air generators at Israel’s Reichman University. All visitors, lecturers, and students will be able to drink the cleanest and healthiest water, eliminating high-carbon supply chains and plastic waste.

Israeli organizations presenting at last month’s International Conference on Food from the Sea and the Desert in Eilat (see previously) included Colors Farm (bio-friendly aquaponics); algaenite (nitrogen-fixing microalgae); Brevel (protein-rich microalgae); V-Corals (reefs) and Aquacultech (network).

Israeli startups , , , , , , and others, starred in the recent Demo Day held by Israeli food-tech incubator Fresh Start. Alteco.ai (energy efficiency) and Sweet Balance (natural sugar substitute) are new to this newsletter.

Israel’s Emnotion analyzes tiny, highly localized variations in temperature, wind, humidity and more to forecast extreme weather events up to three months before they happen. Emnotion uses technology including Big Data analysis and machine learning to provide alerts to companies and the IDF.

Israel’s Airovation (see previously) and Phoenicia, Israel’s sole glass manufacturer are to transform the country’s glass production process into a carbon-friendly operation. Airovation Technologies’ patented Superoxide Radical converts CO2 into minerals for the glass industry.

Israeli sandal maker Shoresh is the first Israeli manufacturing company to go off grid and use only its own solar energy. It saves the company buying a million kwh of electricity, 8,000 gallons of gasoline a year, and cuts pollution. Shoresh employs 300 people at its Tirat Carmel factory.

Millions of Israelis use 1950s tech rooftop solar devices for their hot water. Israel’s Tigi Solar (see previously) has developed cellulose triacetate insulation that can heat the water to 100 degrees Centigrade, even in freezing winter conditions. It has installed 40 international commercial systems.

Here are two Israeli startups that won a share of Startup Nation’s $2 million Climate Solutions Prize fund to encourage innovation (see previously). Marine Edge optimizes fuel consumption and carbon emissions for ships, and SolOr develops solar energy-absorbing paint.

In addition to startup winners of the Climate Solutions Prize, three Israeli scientists won awards. They were Technion’s Prof Avner Rothchild (green hydrogen), BGU’s Prof. Itzhak Mizrahi (reducing methane from animals), and Bar-Ilan’s Prof. Malachi Noked (sodium ion batteries).