Author: OurCrowd

[Consumer Physics in IEEE Spectrum] What happened when we took the SCiO food analyzer grocery shopping

I’m at a Whole Foods in Palo Alto with Dror Sharon, cofounder and CEO of Consumer Physics, based in San Francisco and Israel. Sharon is holding his smartphone and a tiny handheld device he calls SCiO, which is about the size of a TicTac box. We are browsing around the produce department, checking out the Brix level of various items. The Brix number represents the sugar content of a solution and, for fruits, is an indicator of whether or not a particular fruit has much flavor. The tomatoes, according to the SCiO’s accompanying smartphone app, are horrible; not a big surprise in March. The apples are mixed, there is only one variety Sharon would buy right now. The mangos, he proclaims, are just perfect, and contemplates filling a bag before we go. Read more on IEEE Spectrum...

Read More

[Argus in Bloomberg] Intel’s Mobileye deal marks Israel as autonomous tech hub

Argus Cyber Security, based in Tel Aviv, in January announced a partnership with Qualcomm Technologies to protect cars from hackers. Otonomo Technologies Inc., a data platform that tells users when to stop driving due to a malfunction and can call emergency services when there is an accident, is working with nine car manufacturers, including Daimler. Aquarius Engines, which has designed and developed an engine to generate electric power, is working with Peugeot SA and three other automobile companies. Read more on Bloomberg...

Read More

[OurCrowd in The Times of Israel] Pricey Mobileye buy puts Intel in fast lane of competitive industry

“They identified a huge market opportunity: that of using computer vision and applying it to assisted driving,” said Elan Zivotofsky, a general partner and head of investments at the Jerusalem-based VC fund OurCrowd. “They did this long before there was even talk of autonomous driving vehicles. So they identified the market and developed deep, core technology for that market. They didn’t build cars, but created a core technology that was critical — and is becoming even more critical — to the industry.” Read more on The Times of Israel...

Read More

[Engie in TechCrunch] Engie, the car diagnostics app and mechanic marketplace, launches in UK

Engie, the Israeli startup that offers a car diagnostics device and app to enable you to better understand the health of your car, and is tied to a marketplace for local mechanics, sees its full U.K. launch today. Priced at £14.99 for Android users or £19.99 for iOS, Engie’s Bluetooth device plugs into you car’s on-board computer and via the accompanying Engie app tells you what might be wrong with your vehicle, or what repairs might be required in the near future. Read more on TechCrunch...

Read More