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In the 9th March edition of Israel’s good news:
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
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Israel’s cyber industry. Israel National Cyber Bureau (INCB) has estimated exports by Israeli companies in the cyber field at $3 billion in 2013 – three times greater than those of the United Kingdom. Also, Israeli cyber companies raised $165 million last year – approximately 11 percent of total funds raised worldwide.
Who’s using your website? Israeli start-up SimilarWeb performs in-depth analyses of website traffic. It has thousands of customers, including Adidas, eBay and Hewlett Packard. It has just raised finance to expand into Germany and the US.
Frutarom gets more fruitful. Israeli flavors and ingredients giant Frutarom is still growing. It has now bought Florida-based CitraSource, which specializes in developing, manufacturing, marketing and selling of unique solutions in citrus specialty ingredients.
Managing 3000 vehicles in Brazil. Israel’s Pointer Telocation has been awarded a $3 million contract for systems to manage a fleet of 3000 vehicles in Brazil. Pointer’s telemetry solution can track and manage fuel consumption, prevent fuel waste, unauthorized use of the vehicle, improve productivity and reduce accidents.
What went right in the State of Israel? Please read this great article by Professor Michael Curtis. It describes some of the major International companies that have come to the Jewish State to share in its success.
Building the US border fence. The US subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems has won a $145 million contract to help secure the US Mexican border fence. Arizona Senator John McCain said the technology would help “give our agents the ability to detect, evaluate, and respond to all illegal entries crossing our border.”
Twice as many low-cost flights. This summer, Israel will operate 89 low-cost flights per week from Ben Gurion airport’s Terminal 1. This is double the number for summer 2013 and 33 more than the current figure.
Healthier gluten-free sweets. Israel’s Carmit Candy Industries has launched gluten-free chocolate clusters. Those with Celiac Disease / Gluten Intolerance and those following a gluten-free lifestyle can enjoy a wide range of combinations of gluten-free cereals and dried fruits or nuts, covered in either chocolate or yogurt.
US roadshow for Israeli clean-techs. A delegation of 15 Israeli energy and water companies is headed to the U.S. for meetings with investors in San Francisco and Chicago. The companies include Hydrospin Monitoring Solutions, NewCo2Fuels, G.P.M. and Greenlet.
Wireless to Latin America. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s FriskyDSP Technology has licensed its LTE Layer 1 Small-Cell Extended Range solution to one of Latin America’s foremost communication institutions. The government of the unnamed country demands rural areas 30km from cities to be covered by wireless by 2017.
Alcoholic drinks at 5 shekels each. The coffee chain Cofix, which sells everything on its menu at 5 shekels an item, is opening up in the evenings to sell alcoholic beverages also at 5 shekels (under $1.50) a glass. Even at those prices, Cofix expects to make a gross profit of 100 per cent on each drink.
Academic center for Arab girls. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has inaugurated the “Center for Excellence You-niversity” in Beit Hanina, an Arab neighborhood in the eastern part of the city. The Center was established in cooperation with the Jerusalem Municipality and the World ORT Kadima Mada.
Princeton partners with IDC Herzliya. Juniors from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs will enroll in the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at IDC Herzliya. The IDC is Wilson School’s only partner in the Middle East.
LAPD get tour of Israeli hi-tech. Eight top brass of the Los Angeles Police Department spent 9 days in Israel seeing Israeli crime-fighting technology. Of most interest was the HoverMast from Israel’s Sky Sapience.
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22 ways Israel has helped Africa in last 3 years. A great summary by Israel21c of Israel’s recent technological, humanitarian, medical, ecological and agricultural aid to developing African nations.
Cheap roaming for smartphones abroad. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s Simgo has launched a low-cost roaming service for Samsung and iPhone. Attach a virtual SIM-enabled protective cover to access high-speed data services, enjoy excellent quality, whilst retaining your own mobile number for all calls.
Two Israelis win Oscars. Israel’s Niv Adiri picked up an Oscar to add to the BAFTA he’d won previously for his team’s work on the sound of the multi-award winning film “Gravity.” Also celebrating was Israel’s Arnon Milchan who co-produced “12 Years a Slave” which won the top prize of Best Picture.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
US approval for Leukemia treatment. The US FDA has approved SYNRIBO from Israel’s Teva for the treatment of patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia who failed therapy using tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Positive results in Leukemia trials. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s BioLineRX announced that its BL-8040 treatment for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) stopped growth of cancer cells in-vitro and caused them to self-destruct. It also reversed any protection given to the CML cancer cells from a bone marrow transplant.
Promoting bone cancer research. Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have received a $62, 500 grant for promising research into osteosarcoma metastasis – a bone cancer commonly found in children and young adults. Dr Rami Aqeilan and his team will explore microRNA biomarkers and responsiveness to therapy.
Stroke treatment shows promise. Israel’s D-Pharm has announced successful interim results in the Phase IIa clinical trial of its drug THR-18 taken in conjunction with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for the treatment of cerebral stroke. D-Pharm’s share price rose 117%, despite the trials taking place in the Ukraine.
Elderly and infirm can stay at home. Israeli life-science company Essence has launched Care@Home – an in-home care monitoring solution for the elderly and chronic disease sufferers. The system learns a person’s everyday routine and detects any deviations, such as skipped meals, reduced activity or unusual events.
Israeli Arabs live longer than Americans. As the book “Liberal Oasis: The Truth About Israel” by Joshua Muravchik states, “Israel has done better in evening out the differences between its Jewish and Arab citizens than most countries encompassing sharply diverse nationalities.” Available on Kindle.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Thinner, stronger and greener packaging. Israeli start-up Valentis is developing a packaging material that is has a strength-to-weight ratio 8 times greater than stainless steel. The material is based on nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC), a biodegradable, transparent material made from plant pulp waste.
Toys help develop children develop skills. Israel’s TinyLove makes innovative toys for babies. Check out this video, showing only one of their many products. It’s on the anti-Israel boycott list, so please support them.
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Israel’s Moon shot is already a winner. Israel’s SpaceIL says its 140kg LunarX satellite is one of the top contenders for Google’s $30 million prize for landing on the moon. It is the smallest, smartest spacecraft, plus the first to rely on optic navigation. And the project has already won the hearts of a whole generation of Israelis.
New program for tech entrepreneurs. The Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute (JTCII) is launching a new one-year postdoctoral “Runway program” for technology entrepreneurs. Professors provide academic guidance whilst off-campus consultants supply legal, industrial and financial advice.
Multinationals work together in Israel. Only in Israel can Citi, Ebay, General Electric, General Motors, Microsoft, Red Hat, and 3M develop new ideas together. The seven companies will send 3-5 software engineers to a “Weekathon” in Ra’anana where they will work in groups to develop futuristic products.
Hi-tech internships in Israel. The Israel Tech Challenge, a new initiative by The Jewish Agency, will offer young gifted Jewish students in computer science from around the world – among them Ivy League students and employees of companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google – an insider’s look at the Startup Nation.
Identifying malicious operations. Israel’s Cybereason has launched its service that spots hackers once they have breached the security defenses of an organization.
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