Israel Active

Israel’s Freshub has already developed a voice-activated smart kitchen device that allows you to order groceries, search recipes, setup cooking timers and play music. Freshub has now partnered with China’s TCL to integrate Freshub’s software into TCL’s Xess mini tablet kitchen assistant.

I’ve previously reported on Israeli companies that try to reduce the numbers of customers who abandon on-line purchases at the checkout.  Now Israeli startup Datacrushers uses algorithms, data and analytics to help Internet vendors correct problems with their site and boost sales by up to 40%.

Israel’s experimental Deep-Sea Research Station (Deeplev) has now been made permanent. The station is moored in the Mediterranean Sea, 50km west of Haifa.  Its team of scientists are from Bar-Ilan University and the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute.

The Israeli Air Force and Navy have announced that the missile defense system Iron Dome had been declared operational for use at sea, following 18 months of testing. The ship-based system will be used to protect marine targets, such as Israel’s natural gas rigs in the Mediterranean.

The Hessian Israeli Partnership Accelerator for Cybersecurity program will unite teams of cybersecurity experts from Israel and Germany in projects that will “trigger the creation of innovation and businesses in cybersecurity” in the two countries.

Israel’s Medigate develops a platform that protects medical devices such as patient monitors, MRIs and CAT scanners from cyber-attacks once the devices are connected to a healthcare provider network. Medigate has just raised $5.35 million of funding.

The first Zuckerman U.S.-Israel symposium was held at Tel Aviv University, promoting academic exchange between the two countries. Zuckerman STEM Scholars presented their research, including 3D color microscopes and echolocation used by bats to find food in the dark.

Israel’s Innoviz Technologies has won the CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree recognition in the Vehicle Intelligence and Self-Driving Technology category for its groundbreaking InnovizPro™ High Definition Solid State LiDAR (Light Imaging, Detection, And Ranging).

Israel’s NRGene, in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan, has successfully sequenced two wild lentil genomes - the largest legume genomes ever assembled. The research is expected to empower future breeding efforts aimed at enhancing yield and quality of this vital protein source.

The Israeli government has privatized electricity production, enabling home consumers, local authorities, and businesses to produce solar electricity. The project aims to produce 1,600 megawatts, helping Israel reach its 2020 target of 10% of its electricity from renewables.