Israel Innovation 2.0

A new venture set up by General Electric (GE), ConocoPhillips, and NRG Energy has plans to potentially invest part of its $300 million in early-stage technology firms from Israel. Gesture control company Omek Interactive has raised an undisclosed sum from investors and Iway and Cellcom have launched the first full entertainment and Internet system for the car. See below for these stories and more.

Cleantech
1. Israel to train Indians in modern harvesting methods
“The year of 2010 wasn’t outstanding when it came to venture capital and the funding of start-ups, but it ended on a positive note, with 32 fourth quarter IPOs of venture capital-backed start-ups on Nasdaq, double the third quarter’s figures…”

2. 72% Efficient ZenithSolar Gets Demo Down Under
“ZenithSolar’s first 16-unit project has been up and running successfully in Israel for a year at Kibbutz Yavne, making electricity to sell the grid, and hot water for its 230 residents, producing at peak production 250 KW Combined Heat and Power on a relatively small footprint of only 352 square meters (3,789 square feet). Now the breakthrough Israeli firm is about to bring a high profile demo to Australia, where Greenearth Energy Australia plans to show a combined heat and power solar technology that could revolutionize solar energy…”

Investment
3. 3 giants launch venture to fund energy tech startups
“GE, Conoco­Phillips and NRG Energy have partnered to create a venture to invest $300 million in early-stage energy technology firms. The partnership, Energy Technology Ventures, will help fund 30 companies over the next four years, focusing on investments in North America, Europe and Israel…”

4. Omek Expands Management Team, Closes Series B Funding Round
“Omek Interactive, the leading provider of software for gesture recognition and full body tracking, today announced the appointments of gaming and technology industry executives Jonathan Epstein as president and Jon Grande as executive vice president, publishing. The company also announced the closing of a series B round of funding from an international group of private investors…”

5. Cloud gaming co Playcast raises $10m
“Cloud gaming start-up Playcast Ltd. has raised $10 million in its second financing round led by Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) and MK Capital of the US. Current investors Xenia Venture Capital Ltd. (TASE:XENA) and C. Mer Industries Ltd. (TASE: CMER) also participated in the round…”

6. Nothing ventured
“The role of venture capital, as is well known, is to invest capital in risky start-up companies. However, what happens when the venture capital funds don’t have capital, and aren’t prepared to take risks?…”

Information Technology
7. Cellcom and Iway launch Internet system for cars
“Start-up Iway Mobile and Cellcom, Israel’s largest mobile phone operator, launched on Sunday a communications, Internet and entertainment system for the automobile…”

8. SURF Communication Solutions Selected by Texas Instruments as Third Party Provider of Mobile Video Enabling Technology
“SURF Communication Solutions (SURF) (http://www.surfsolutions.com/), a leading provider of high-capacity multimedia (data, voice and video) enabling technologies and end-to-end communication solutions, today announced that Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) has selected SURF to provide their H.223 module affording mobile video content delivery with TI’s TMS320CC64x+ and TMS320CC66x digital signal processors (DSPs)…”

Miscellaneous
9. Israel Turning to Technology Prowess to Enhance Global Economic Role
“Israel is weighing steps to leverage its place in the global economy by acting as technology mentor to the rising powers like China, India and Brazil, according to Eugene Kandel, chief economic adviser to Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu…”

10. Media love Tel Aviv
“2010 was a record-breaking year for media coverage of Tel Aviv, with over 100 television crews and 200 print journalists from over 30 countries descending on the city that never sleeps, a study released this week found…”

11. Can airports be better protected?
“To those of us with a watching brief or professional association with the aviation world, a grim inevitability surrounded the events that unfolded at Domodedovo airport on Monday afternoon…”

Investment in Israeli biofuel and energy efficiency companies is expected to rise in 2011. Groupon entered the Israeli market with its purchase of group coupon savings site Grouper and more details about the Stuxnet worm and the role Israel and America probably played in its creation continue to unfold. For these stories and more, see the rest of this week’s headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Israeli sewage treatment technology – effective, cheap
Mapal Green Energy has seen its business surge over the past several months as kibbutzim and local authorities start figuring out how to meet new sewage treatment regulations set down by the Inbar Committee…

2. Investment in Israeli biofuel, energy efficiency to rise in 2011
This year will see a steady rise in investment in biofuel and energy efficiency companies in Israel, a government-sponsored investor based in the state has revealed to NewNet…

Investment
3. PrimeSense raises round for motion-control chips
PrimeSense has raised a round of private equity funding as part of its plan to expand its motion-control chips beyond Microsoft’s Kinect game console product…

4. Groupon buys into Israeli market
American grouped purchases giant Groupon has acquired the Israeli coupon website, Grouper, in a multi-million dollar deal. Local media reports estimated the deal at $8- 15 million…

5. Viola Private Equity Pumps $7 Million into Zend
Viola Private Equity, an Israeli PE fund with $164 million under management for technology buyouts, has announced a $7 million investment in Zend, the leading provider of open-source and commercial solutions based on PHP web applications…

Information Technology
6. Israel Tests on Worm Called Crucial in Iran Nuclear Delay
Over the past two years, according to intelligence and military experts familiar with its operations, Dimona has taken on a new, equally secret role — as a critical testing ground in a joint American and Israeli effort to undermine Iran’s efforts to make a bomb of its own…

7. Peer39 Is Now Semantically Plowing Through 47 Billion Pages A Month
Back in the day, and by that I mean six months ago, a ‘Pivot’ was simply known as ‘a change in strategic directions’. Call it what you may today, Peer39 made one of these eighteen months ago, and hasn’t looked back…

8. NDS enters connected TV market
NDS is premiering a ready-made software solution designed to provide a framework for over-the-top services. It has developed a platform based around the dual ARM Cortex-A9 processor and ARM Mali-400 MP GPU and its NDS InfiniteTV product…

Miscellaneous
9. IBM Haifa lab receives most US patents in Israel
IBM inventors received a record 5,896 US patents in 2010, marking the 18th consecutive year the company has topped the list of the world’s most inventive companies. Samsung was second, with 4,551 US patents, and Microsoft was third with 3,094…

10. Motion-control startup Omek is bringing gesture controls to the PC (video)
After the smashing success of Microsoft’s Kinect motion-control system for the Xbox 360, a bunch of companies are getting excited about taking the technology to PCs and other devices. We profiled Sixense earlier today, and here’s a snapshot of motion-sensing software firm Omek Interactive, which was founded in 2006…

11. MasterPad prototype marries Windows 7 to 11.6-inch IPS screen (video)
Check out this 14mm-thin contender: built by Pegatron and still at the prototype stage, the MasterPad looks to be the embodiment of Steve Ballmer’s incoming armada of desirable Windows 7 tablets…

12. Modu expected to close its doors after raising $123M
A few years back, Modu was considered a hot Israeli company. Headed by Dov Moran (pictured), the company created what it called the world’s lightest phone and made modular designs that could change the phone’s functions by replacing its outer shell, or jacket…

During the past week, alternative investment marketplace, SecondMarket announced its launch of operations in Israel. The site offers Israeli companies an alternative to VC funding. BrightSource Energy broke ground on the Ivanpah solar plant in California and the US Chamber of Commerce launched the first American-Israeli business council. For these stories and more, see this week’s headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Israel’s Solar Power Wars

2. BrightSource Energy Breaks Ground on Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System

Investment
3. The first Israeli Super-Angel Seed Fund Launches with $25 Million

4. 1st Israel-US business council launched

Information Technology
5. SecondMarket First Expansion Into Israel

6. SecondMarket Offers Israeli Companies New Alternative to VC Funding

7. Telmap Introduces Location-Aware Twitter Widget

8. Provigent picked as most promising start-up

9. Google strengthens Israel connection

Miscellaneous
10. New Israeli technology weighs trucks without stopping

11. Israeli technology puts Dallas cowboys in their place

SecondMarket, a centralized marketplace for the buying and selling of alternative investments, such as shares in private companies, announced earlier today the launch of its operations in Israel. An Israel-specific site that the company set up will provide Israeli companies with the ability to access capital and to facilitate secondary liquidity for shareholders.

According to Ranan Lachman, Vice President at SecondMarket who will oversee the company’s Israeli efforts, “SecondMarket’s private company market complements traditional financing methods and allows employees of Israeli start-ups to realize some of the value they’ve helped to create in their companies.”

The announcement points out some fascinating figures about Israel’s technology industry and SecondMarket’s network. According to it,

“There are approximately 300,000 technology employees in Israel, many of whom have worked for multiple companies for which they hold stock options. SecondMarket’s introduction into the Israeli market allows these employees to sell shares in a company-controlled environment prior to an IPO or M&A transaction.

SecondMarket has built a global network of over 20,000 market participants, and has completed more than $350 million in transactions in some of the world’s leading venture-backed private companies, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. SecondMarket’s private company model also provides Israeli venture-backed private companies with an opportunity to access capital through a cost-effective and efficient auction platform.”

This move is unlikely to change the Israeli tech scene much though. The third quarter saw an overall increase in VC funding in the Israeli companies that SecondMarket is interested in attracting, the already established ones. In addition, 2011 is expected to see a revival in Israeli companies going public, other companies that SecondMarket tries to attract.

That said, the SecondMarket concept does offer another exit solution for VC-funded companies, which Israel’s struggling VC funds could push for. It also wouldn’t be surprising if employees who have been at a few companies and have shares in them use SecondMarket to sell those shares, especially entrepreneurs who will use that money to build startups.

::BusinessWire

During the week of May 30, 2010, Israel’s business ties with Turkey and China were explored and analyzed. Trusteer‘s Amit Klein was named CTO of the Year and SimilarGroup raised $1 million. For these stories and more see this week’s headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Investigating the Business and Cultural Ties that Bind Israel to China

2. New Solar Window Technology Generates 4 Times the Current

3. SolarEdge Disrupts Solar Tech

Investment and Economy
4. SimilarWeb Changes Name To SimilarGroup, Raises More Funding

5. ‘Commerce is stronger than politics’

6. Major reduction in Chief Scientist’s Office budget

Information Technology
7. Trusteer’s Amit Klein Named CTO of the Year by InfoWorld Magazine

8. Software Helps Banks Track Terror Funding (Actimize)

9. Too tired to tell if you’re stressed? Ask the computer

10. NDS looks to China

Miscellaneous
11. What’s Next for the Start-up Nation?

12. Palestinian Development Investment Forum Yields $655 Million

During the week of March 21, 2010, a plan for Eilat to have Israel’s largest wind farm was revealed. LucidLogix raised $8 million to boost game graphics chips and Wanova’s desktop virtualization software was released. For these stories and more, see this week’s 14 Israel-related headlines below.

Cleantech
1. South Korea Looks to Collaborate With Israel on Renewable Energy

2. Experts to discuss Israel’s leadership in water resource management and conservation

3. Eilat to have Israel’s largest wind farm

Investment
4. LucidLogix raises $8M for boosting game graphics chips

5. Mentor Graphics Acquires Valor Computerized Systems, Ltd.

6. S&P affirms Israel’s A rating, outlook stable

Information Technology
7. uTest Finds 908 Bugs In Web And Mobile Apps Of Major U.S. TV Networks

8. Wanova’s desktop virtualization software now available

9. AnyClip Launches: Aggregates and Syndicates Clips from Films

10. Commtouch Goes On Attack With Outbound Spam Protection

Miscellaneous
11. CCTV to cover Israeli towns

12. A first look at the Simpsons’ upcoming visit to Israel

13. Israel Steps Up Efforts to Bring Back Expat Scientists

14. The World’s Oldest Man (lives in Israel)

During the week of March 7, 2010, SolarEdge was named a Top 10 energy innovator by Fast Company. Digital advertising company Eyeblaster filed for a $115 million IPO and Apple rejected an app for the iPhone that detects radiation from the phone. For these stories and more, see this week’s 10 Israel-related headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Fast names SolarEdge top 10 innovator

2. Investing In Electric Cars

Investment
3. Todacell scores $1 million

4. Battery Ventures raises 1st new fund since ’07

5. Eyeblaster Files for $115 Million IPO

Information Technology
6. Voltaire brings InfiniBand switch to the masses

7. Redbeacon Fine Tunes Service, Goes Social, Continues To Be Awesome

Miscellaneous
8. App Detects iPhone Radiation; Apple Nukes

9. Survey: More women than ever hold managerial posts

10. ‘High-tech managers prefer to work with their army buddies’

(Catch Media interview from 2007)

During the week of February 14, 2010, the Eilat-Eilot International Renewable Energy Conference took place and included the announcement of potential plans for joint solar energy projects between Israel, Egypt and Jordan. News broke that Google is in early talks to acquire Israel’s Catch Media to better compete with iTunes and Tawkon announced its solution for avoiding radiation from mobile phones. For these stories and more, check out this week’s Israel-related technology headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Israel’s Solar Industry Aims to Regain its Edge

2. Israel, Egypt Considering Joint Solar Energy Project in Sinai

Investment and M&A
3. Google Wants To Buy Catch Media To Make Android Better

4. JVP’s Erel Margalit Tells Startups: “We Do Early Stage Now!”

Information Technology
5. Augmented Reality Gets a Major Face.com Lift

6. Tawkon enables mobile users to avoid mobile phone radiation without affecting phone usage

7. Comverse enables visual voicemail services on Sony Ericsson handsets for Norway’s NetCom

Miscellaneous
8. Unleavened Media: 10 Israeli mobile companies to watch in 2010

9. IPad Launch Has Halo Effect On Apple Products, Laptops

10. Aniboom and Sesame Street Partner on Animation Contest

During the week of January 3, 2010, Dot Hill bought storage company Cloverleaf for $12.5 million. China’s Sanhua invested in Israeli solar firm, HelioFocus and new vulnerabilities were discovered in Twitter and Google Calendar. For these stories and more, check below for this week’s 9 Israel-related headlines.

Cleantech
1. Are Energy Advances in Israel in Parallel With Those Abroad?

2. China’s Sanhua invests in Israeli solar firm

Investments
3. Dot Hill confirms storage virtualization acquisition

4. Clean tech gets big piece of venture-capital funding

Information Technology
5. 3D sensor co PrimeSense attracts Vegas attention

6. Vulnerabilities Discovered In Twitter, Google Calendar

Miscellaneous
7. Researcher: Computers in schools do not improve students’ results

8. One third of high-tech incubator companies succeeded

9. Animating the Na’vi with an Israeli swagger

During the week of December 27, 2009, Israel’s airport security method was looked upon as a better solution to the current system used at airports in the States. Viewfinity announced that it had raised $8.6 million in funding and 5min was selected Best Startup at the TechAviv Peer Awards. For these stories and more, see this week’s 8 headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Shimon Tal: Facts and Personal Opinions on Water from Israel’s Former Water Commissioner

2. Sunshine year for cleantech

Investment
3. Viewfinity raises $8.6 million in Series B round of funding

4. Can Public-Funded Entrepreneurship Work? A Q&A With the Author of Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Information Technology
5. 5min Wins Top Spot in TechAviv’s Peer Awards

6. Web content under the microscope

Miscellaneous
7. What Israel can teach us about security

8. Israel set to become major golf destination