Author: OurCrowd

[OurCrowd in Bloomberg] Intel’s Mobileye Deal Marks Israel as Autonomous Tech Hub

Mar 14, 2017 | ,

Israel’s emergence as a center for automotive technology got a vote of confidence on Monday when Intel Corp. said it would pay $15 billion for Mobileye NV, a Jerusalem-based maker of chips and software for driverless cars. It will be the largest takeover of an Israeli tech firm and follows a series of deals and partnerships inked in recent years by major tech and auto companies. “The deal proves in a dramatic manner that our vision is coming true. Israel is becoming a global technology center, not only in cyber, but also in the automotive area,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a text message. Israel had already singled out the automotive technology sector as a possible economic boon, allotting it 250 million shekels ($68 million) for the next five years. Read more on Bloomberg Technology...

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

Mar 14, 2017 |

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...

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

Mar 14, 2017 |

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...

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

Mar 14, 2017 |

“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...

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