Israel Active

US car manufacturer Ford is holding its own hackathon, the Ford AppLink Challenge, for Israel’s tech community to develop new technologies for Ford Sync Systems in the company’s new models. Winners get cash or a new Ford Fiesta. Toyota and Hyundai ran similar recent events. Ford is also to install Israel’s HearMeOut in its vehicles. HearMeOut posts audio clips on social networks.

Good analysis of why Israeli financial technology is growing so impressively. Chief reasons include quality technology, previous successes, international knowhow, multinational R&D, global investment and encouragement for start-ups.  

In a few weeks, San Diego will open the Carlsbad desalination plant, piping around 50 million gallons of water a day to households across the San Diego area. It was designed by Israel’s IDE and one of 400 desalination facilities it has designed in 40 countries.

Just the ticket! The iPhone dash-cam app from Israel’s Nexar records and reports traffic violations and reckless driving. Israeli drivers, please join the Nexar community to make the roads safer.

Israel’s IDE Americas is to refurbish, operate and maintain the recommissioned Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant in Santa Barbara, California. IDE was chosen for its proven experience, modular approach, and ability to meet the city’s short timeframe.

US giant General Electric (GE) is to start an accelerator in Israel. It will focus on cloud computing and big data, with an emphasis on industrial Internet. The first group of four software startups will begin in July, and a second cycle in December. GE has already invested in a series of Israeli firms.

First it was Microsoft, which rolled out its Israeli accelerator model to seven other locations around the world. In 3 years, Microsoft accelerators have graduated 410 startups. Now IBM plan to export its Haifa Alphazone Accelerator where startups make use of IBM’s Watson supercomputer.

West Point Military Academy and numerous NBA teams in the US are turning to Israeli start-up PhysiMax, which, using 3D cameras, provides cloud-based analytics of how players are performing. One of the main aims of the system is to prevent injuries from inefficient movement.

Foreign government ministers from dozens of countries will attend Israel’s International water conference WATEC 2015 starting Oct 13. There are joint sessions with California, China, Europe and the OECD. The event is preceded by Cleanvest - a full day investors’ summit.

This article complements technical one about Israel’s StoreDot – developers of fast-charging batteries. StoreDot employs 20 PhDs - organic chemists. quantum physicists, electrical engineers and device engineers – all working together to build new molecules.