Israel Active

Five of the companies on CNBC’s eighth annual Disruptor 50 list are Israeli. They are , , , and . “Disruptive” companies are those whose breakthroughs are influencing business and market competition at an accelerated pace.

In 2016, Israel committed to 17% renewable energy production by 2030. Plans have changed - Israel has just raised the target to 30%. It is investing massively in solar energy, reducing pollution and greenhouse gases.

Tel Aviv University researchers have successfully produced hydrogen from plants. They injected chlorophyll cells with the enzyme hydrogenase that, with sunshine, produced a tiny but constant supply of hydrogen. This is a breakthrough, as hydrogen produces no pollutants when used as a fuel.

The groundbreaking quantum electron microscope at Israel’s Technion Institute gives the clearest images ever produced of light moving inside materials. At a million billion frames per second, it shows light and electricity flowing. It will initiate major advances in nanotechnology.

Israeli startup Matter beat 52 teams from 19 countries in Skoda’s ‘COVID Mobility Race’ hackathon.  Matter used 3D technology to create an interactive digital virtual showroom concept. Skoda will help Matter develop the concept and investigate putting the project into practice.

The Israel Securities Authority (ISA) selected five companies for their "Data Sandbox" project to help modernize Israel’s stock market. They are (AI risk factors), Scanovate, (Identity provider), Correlate Capital (liquidity engine), FINTICA and WizSoft (data-mining tools).

One of the most important resources that farmers in Israel’s Negev desert have is the Ramat haNegev Desert AgroResearch Center (RNDARC). It helps them solve problems of water conservation, irrigation, soil erosion, seed selection, crop rotation, harvesting and more.

Israel’s TuneFork creates a personal audio profile for an individual. A 5-minute test with the app using earphones produces a unique “earprint” for integrating and optimizing all audio content. It is designed to improve the listening experience, overcome hearing impairments and prevent further damage.

Lipifai is one of Israel’s “AI for Good” accelerator startups.  Lipifai translates speech into text by automatically using deep learning technology. Text is generated and displayed in real time to help the deaf and hard of hearing. It even works in noisy environments.

Microsoft and Israeli NGO “Tech for Good” have launched a new accelerator “AI for Good”.  It has selected 14 Israeli startups for its first cycle considered to be the most interesting cases combining artificial intelligence and social impact. Each will receive expert training alongside an average of $500,000 in funding.