Israel Innovation 2.0

During the week of June 21, 2009, Microsoft confirmed acquiring the motion sensing technology company, 3DV and its connection to Project Natal. Ad optimization platform, TodaCell raised $1 million and networking and business continued at TheMarker conference in New York. For these stories and more, check out this week’s 11 Israel-related headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Renault’s EV Features A Swappable Battery

2. Water, Water, Everywhere. And Not a Drop to Drink?? Part I

3. Converting Air into Water In Israel

Investments
4. Where Tel Aviv meets New York / Schmoozing business at TheMarker conference

5. Tel Aviv Stock Exchange

Information Technology
6. Exclusive: TodaCell Raises $1 Million for Mobile Ad Optimization Platform (Interview with CEO Moshe Vaknin)

7. Conduit’s Browser Toolbars Serve Up Web Sites To Go

8. Magic Delivers Stronger .NET Client with uniPaaS 1.8

Miscellaneous
9. Microsoft confirms 3DV acquisition, Project Natal connection

10. StePac introduces degradable packaging

11. British teens get a taste of Orthodox Israeli life on reality TV

During the week of May 10, 2009, solar power received significant attention between Aora’s solar panel technology and BrightSource striking the largest ever solar power deal in the United States. Better Place demonstrated its battery swap technology and Hacktics, an applications security company, raised 2.2 million Euro. OpTier, Correlix, and Promisec, along with 13 other Israeli companies were listed on Red Herring’s 100 and the social streaming video provider, Boxee’s plans to make its software available to the Windows market was discussed. For more on these stories and the rest of this week’s 14 Israel-related headlines, check below.

Cleantech

1. Aora Makes The Desert Bloom With Sunshine Flower Power

2. PG&E expands solar power plans

3. Better Place demonstrates battery swap technology in Japan

Investments

4. Mo’Minis Finds Mo Money For Mo Games

5. Applications security co Hacktics raises €2.2m

Information Technology

6. Intel Israel: Don’t just think fast, think ahead

7. Start-up Testuff Selected as One of the Best and Most Promising Start-ups by IGT

8. OpTier, Correlix, PromiSec Red Herring 100 finalists

9. ClickSoftware releases the integration between ClickSchedule 7.1 and mySAP CRM 3.1

10. WeFi Launches on Android, Enabling Automatic Connection To Best Available Wi-Fi Hotspot

Miscellaneous

11. Microsoft’s gesture-based game control to debut in 2010

12. Boxee Battles Big Media

13. Decline in demand for hi-tech jobs slows in April

14. Taylor Swift’s Music Is Safe To Drive To

The week of February 22, 2009, was a fairly quiet one for Israel’s technology and business sectors… but there was still plenty that happened. News about Microsoft’s interests in purchasing 3DV Systems, a motion-sensing company, continued, as did layoff announcements. Tufin Technologies announced the general availability of its SecureChange Workflow software and IT Structures, an on-demand virtual enterprise software evaluation service, demonstrated its technology during VMworld Europe last week. For these stories and more, check out the rest of this week’s 13 Israel-related headlines below. 

Cleantech
1. DOE & Israel Update Energy Cooperation Agreement 

2. Ancient Jordanian wells radioactive, study finds

Investments, Economy and M&A
3. Stormy day for high-tech as layoffs, pay cuts announced 

4. Microsoft Set to Bring 3D Motion Control to Xbox & PC Games

5. Venture capital investments rise in China, India, and Israel 

6. A viable economy

Information Technology
7. Tufin Technologies Announces General Availability of SecureChange(TM) Workflow

8. Red Hat Targets VMware, Microsoft With Virtualization Line (Qumranet)

9. IT Structures Emerges to Take Center Stage at VMworld Europe

Miscellaneous
10. Financial crisis gives universities a chance to reverse brain drain

11. The Mobile Industry Meets Hollywood

12. Israeli ‘Spiderman’ attacks commuters

13. Nanotech activity in Israel jumps 150%

Last week the Internet was abuzz with Microsoft’s intentions to buy Israeli motion and depth sensor company, 3DV Systems. Microsoft’s offer of $35 million is below the $38.6 million invested in the company and seems to come out of desperation on the part of Kleiner Perkins. If the deal goes through, Microsoft will integrate the technology into its Xbox gaming system, making the need for any type of controller unnecessary and posing the biggest threat to Nintendo Wii yet. 

A little over a year ago in January 2008, 3DV stole the spotlight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with its new release at the time, the ZCam. The camera, which detects motion and depth, was on display for conference attendees to try out and drew a lot of good feedback. After reading about 3DV’s performance and its competitor, another Israeli company, Prime Sense’s presence at CES 2008, I predicted in a post about them that they could take gaming to the next level, including one of them becoming the next big gaming console.

Though that certainly doesn’t look like it will be the case for 3DV as an independent entity, should the deal go through with Microsoft and it is succesfully integrated into the Xbox, it looks like it will take gaming to the next level.  This story will be interesting to watch as it develops and long after.

During the week of February 15, 2009, Greylock Israel was revealed to be the most active Israeli venture capital fund in 2008. The Internet was abuzz with both Hulu’s plan to discontinue distributing its content via Boxee and Microsoft’s intention to further its Xbox technology by buying 3DV, a motion and depth sensor company that has technology that can turn a 2D gaming experience into a more interactive 3D one without having to use a controller. In the cleantech sector, news broke that Arison Holdings Ltd. subsidiary Housing and Construction Holding Co. Ltd. plans to build the largest private solar thermal power plant in the Negev. For these stories and more, check below for the 13 Israel-related headlines from the week of February 15, 2009. 

Cleantech
1. Lab-on-a-Chip the Latest Weapon Against Pollution

2. Arison plans private solar thermal power plant in Negev

Investments and M&A
3. 3DV buy could give Xbox a stronger punch

4. Greylock Israel the most active Israeli venture capital fund of 2008

Information Technology
5. LG Electronics Selects Intrinsyc to Provide Software for Navigation and Location-Based Services 

6. NSC Announces Multimedia Search Server for Enterprise Applications

7. Mellanox Builds Bridges for Data Center Connectivity

Telecom/Mobile
8. iSkoot Kalaida(TM) Platform Brings New Capability to Consumer Handsets

9. WeFi Joins Forces With free-hotspot.com To Expand Global Wi-Fi Network

Miscellaneous
10. Inshore in Nazareth 

11. Hulu Withdraws its Content from TV.com, Boxee

12. C-nario, TruMedia integrate audience measurement with digital signage software

13. Rapid Manufacturing Goes Hollywood

According to a news release from Amazon.com, the Nintendo Wii topped the 2007 Video Games list of “bestselling products,” “most positively reviewed,” and “most-wished-for.” This domination isn’t surprising as the game console’s innovative remote sensor provides users with the most realistic gaming experience on the market by giving users the opportunity to just “wave, point, rumble and listen”.

While it is likely that in 2008, the Nintendo Wii will continue to hold its ground and gain more, two Israeli companies, Prime Sense and 3DV Systems are at the forefront of the next revolution in motion sensing and gaming and intend to challenge the success of the Wii in the next few years.

Both companies have developed motion and depth sensors that can turn a 2D gaming experience into a more interactive 3D one, without having to use a controller. They were also both present at the CES conference that unveils the latest consumer electronic technology last week and have been competing for deals with major gaming console companies, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to use their technology.

Before the CES conference, VC Cafe blogger, Eze Vidra predicted that 3DV Systems would be a company that would garner a lot of media coverage at the event. He was right. At the CES show, 3DV Systems had an interactive booth that showcased its relatively inexpensive and recently released, ZCam. Anyone passing by the booth at the event, including media members, had the opportunity to interact with it or watch others do so.

Aside from gaming, 3DV Systems and Prime Sense have plans to apply their technologies to other fields that can benefit from advanced real-time sensor technologies, such as automotive-safety, security and robotics. In the next few years, look for the 3DV Systems or Prime Sense brand to be part of your virtual reality experience in gaming and any of these other fields.

The week of December 9, 2007, was good for Israel’s cleantech sector with the announcements of the Oasis Investment Fund being a new VC fund investing in the Negev and the creation of a new energy tower by Technion researchers that could provide enough energy for entire regions. Also, HP announced its plans to buy NUR Macroprinters and Wall Street Journalist Technology Columnist, Walt Mossberg admitted his surprise at how technologically advanced Israel has become. Israelis abandonment of the U.S. dollar for rent and other purposes continued to prevail. Check out these and the rest of this week’s 26 Israel-related technology headlines below.

Cleantech:
Hebrew U. tech transfer co focuses on cleantech projects

New proposals for competitive energy market

Energy Tower: Power for 15 Earths?

Oasis Investment Fund — new VC investing in the Negev

MK tries to advance major environmental law reform

Investments and M&A:
HP to buy Israel’s NUR Macroprinters

Wound management co Polyheal raises $1m

OptimalTest raises $16m.

Chief Scientist to fund 8 new companies

Tactical UAV co Bluebird Aero Systems raises $7m

International:
India next goal for free-trade agreement

Yahoo! to start Internet Program for Technology Investors

Clyde Prestowitz: Israel should join the EU

Walt Mossberg: I’m amazed how Israel has changed

UN adopts Israeli-sponsored resolution on “Agricultural Technology for Development”

Telecommunications:
Breaking News: Kwiry launches viral platform, connects offline world with online

WiMAX Woes Weaken Alvarion

012 Smile.Communications: Competition in Israeli Telecom

Miscellaneous:
Social networks in Israel?

Aternity to collaborate with Oracle

Oracle and Israel’s Chief Scientist form joint venture with Aternity

Dan Dankner: Israel can be an investor’s paradise

Israelis start to abandon dollar linkage

ISRAEL – N-trig makes an online presentation of DuoSense next generation technology

New 3D Camera Makes a Hand a Joystick

Hi-tech output slides for fourth straight quarter