Author: wp_archive_user

Let it get to your head: In 2017, Israel’s on the brain tech scene

After decades of being at the forefront of life sciences, specifically in medical technology innovation, Israel is now leading the way in another area of health care and advancement: brain science. Already well known for research and developments in the areas of robotics, optics, immunology, pharma, early disease detection, and surgery, Israeli start-ups are now making significant strides in neurology. 2015, in fact, saw the launch of Israel’s first braintech accelerator, Brainnovations, operating out of Tel Aviv. Disruptions in the detection and treatment of brain-related disease and functionality are sorely needed, and companies around the world are emerging with solutions related to Alzheimer’s, Stem Cell Therapy, central nervous system diseases, psychiatric disorders and more. We’re excited about what we’re seeing in Israeli brain innovation, in particular. Here are a few companies developing solutions that address significant neurological issues: ElMindA was founded in 2006 with the vision of revolutionizing the management of brain disorders and injuries. They’ve developed the world’s first FDA-cleared neuronal functional assessment tool. EIMindA’s solution uniquely measures how different parts of the brain communicate by uploading measured...

Read More

Israel secures top-10 ranking in 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index & more [OurCrowd Newsletter]

VC fundraising hits record, Jerusalem becomes a hi-tech hub, Israel makes it to Bloomberg’s top 10 Innovation Index, and more from the Startup Nation, below. Start getting this weekly newsletter via email: Subscribe now Israel secures top-10 ranking in 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index Moving up one spot from last year, Israel has been named the 10th most innovative economy in the world in the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index. Read more. OurCrowd & Portfolio Companies in the News Influitive featured in PR Newswire MissBeez featured in Management Today Zebra featured in Business Wire IVC: Israeli VC fundraising strengthens The expected final total of $1.6 billion will be a record for the past decade, IVC Research Center reports. Read more. Oracle sets up Tel Aviv startup accelerator for cloud edge US software giant to provide support, services and mentorship to Israeli startups in multi-million dollar global plan. Read more. Jerusalem of tech: How the capital has given Tel Aviv a run for its start-up money The sleepy capital is becoming a hi-tech hub to be reckoned with. Read more.   News Nuggets Mobile ad analytics company AppsFlyer raises...

Read More

6 trends that will shape the tech industry in 2017

This is a featured post by OurCrowd Partner and Head of Investments Elan Zivotofsky.  Is 2017 just another year to watch for tech innovation? The answer is, of course, yes. But there are specific sectors we are watching more closely as entrepreneurs leverage the power of new computing paradigms and the advent of true artificial intelligence. Reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the year ahead, here are some thoughts about the trends that will shape the technology industry, and by extension, the world in 2017. 1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are going mainstream In 2016, you probably heard Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) as buzz words. The New York Times recently featured “the great A. I. awakening”. Until recently, the practical uses of AI and ML have been quite specialized and limited, due to the need for large amounts of expensive computing power, storage and large sets of unique data. Now, AI – driven by a unique way of “teaching” computers called Deep Learning – will be much more broadly utilized across a...

Read More

What do you think about this Startup Nation newsletter? [OurCrowd Newsletter]

Let us know what you have to say about our newsletter by taking the survey below, and read on for this week’s latest on the Startup Nation. Start getting this weekly newsletter via email: Subscribe now We want to hear from you! Do you have two minutes or less? We’d love to hear what you think about this weekly newsletter. Click below to answer a few questions (anonymously). Take the survey. OurCrowd & Portfolio Companies in the News Consumer Physics featured in Forbes Global Kinetics featured in Digital Health Corephotonics featured in Reuters Zoomcar featured in ETtech Highcon featured in Printing Impressions VocalZoom featured in Times of Israel OurCrowd’s Qure Fund leads investment in DarioHealth Corp Investment crowdfunding platform OurCrowd was the lead investor in a $5.1 million funding round for DarioHealth Corp. Read more. Google and Wix help periphery businesses build their online presence “In the 21st century, there is no reason and no justification for small and medium businesses in the periphery not to be updated for commercialization online.” Read more. 4 big things to expect from artificial intelligence and machine learning in 2017 2016 surprised a number of people in terms...

Read More

Watch: A day in the life of an OurCrowd investor

What’s it like for an investor to engage with startup investing – including diligence material, conversations with peers, and Q&A with company execs – throughout her day-to-day? With her smartphone, she receives a push notification when a new pre-vetted investment opportunity is announced. she invites personal contacts to join her private ‘deal room’ and discuss diligence material. she enters a live ‘Ask Me Anything’ session with a funding company’s CEO for firsthand details about growth projections, competitive landscape, team background, and more. she has the opportunity to connect with her global peers and industry experts to further discuss investment opportunities. she makes investment decisions and acts on them at her pace. That’s just a glimpse into the experience and tools investors access with the OurCrowd App. Ready to give it a try? We’re hosting our next live “Ask Me Anything” event on the app this Thursday, January 12th, featuring OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved answering questions about the new OC50 Portfolio Index Fund. Learn more about the OurCrowd App; if you’re an investor, download the app for iOS or Android.  ...

Read More