Israel Active

Israeli start-up RideOn has developed augmented reality goggles that superimpose a computer-generated image into the user’s view.  Direct-to-eye display technology positions the transparent display directly over the eye, eliminating the need to look away or refocus in order to read the data.

The MIT-Israel-BGU Seed Fund recently approved five joint research proposals involving scientists at MIT and at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.  They cover water technology, spinal cord treatment, tomato seeds, online student training and photocurrent spectroscopy.

Growing crops on water used to be only available to big industry.  Now Israel’s Flux has developed a device that lets individuals and small businesses install hydroponics on rooftops, in school gardens, basements and even in restaurants.  Flux’s product was demo’d at Israel’s Cann Tech conference.  

(Thanks to Michelle) Depending on which report you read, Israeli innovation is rated 3rd in the world by the World Economic Forum and 5th by Bloomberg.

The NaNose cancer breathalyzer technology developed by Professor Hossam Haick of Israel’s Technion will soon be installed in a mobile phone - to be called, appropriately, the SniffPhone. Using a tiny smell-sensitive sensor, the phone will be able to detect cancer on a users’ breath.

Whilst the new 2 million-square-foot Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island is being constructed, its 2nd semester is underway in temporary offices provided by Google. Graduates from the two-year program will receive dual degrees from the New York and Israeli schools.

Israelis invented the first instant messaging system ICQ.  Now the Israeli startup Music Messenger allows friends to send music to each other.  Recent investors include some major players and celebrities from the music industry, some who have never before worked with an Israeli company.

Frost & Sullivan have awarded their prestigious Global Technology Innovation Leader Award to Israel’s Windward.  The award reflects Windward's unique technology, which is bringing cutting edge innovation to one of the last 'wild west' frontiers: ships navigating the world's oceans.

Ben Gurion University’s Dr. Natalie Elia and Dr. Eyal Arbely were awarded a European Horizon 2020 ERC Starting Grant for their project, “Quantitative Nanoscale Visualization of Macromolecular Complexes in Live Cells using Genetic Code Expansion and High-Resolution Imaging”.  (Don’t ask!)

(Thanks to Michelle) Teradata – the US giant data analytics company, has bought Appoxee - an Israeli startup aimed at publishers and developers that want to send out messages to increase user engagement in their apps.  Appoxee will become Teradata’s research and development center.