Author: wp_archive_user

A pinch of salt and a dash of innovation: 6 great food tech startups from Israel

A pinch of salt and a dash of innovation: 6 great food tech startups from Israel

May 26, 2015 | , , ,

Not for nothing is Israel named the ‘Startup Nation’ — there are more high-tech startups and a larger venture capital industry per capita than any other country, ranking as the #2 startup ecosystem in the world, right after the Silicon Valley. The country’s thriving entrepreneur community is constantly thinking-up and producing innovative ideas, cutting-edge technologies, and business opportunities in a wide variety of industries. Investors worldwide look to Israel to find that next top trend that will turn heads and smash records. So what if that next big thing in tech… actually lands on your plate? Israelis are passionate about technology, but they are even more passionate about food, and when gastronomy meets technology, anything is possible. The rapidly growing foodtech sector is changing the way we find, order, ship, prepare, and consume food and drinks, and although Israel may have entered the industry after the US, thousands of food-related technologies are already being developed in the country. It’s no surprise that the Startup Nation is set to soon become a powerhouse for foodtech startups. Israel recently witnessed the launch of it’s 1st foodtech accelerator – alpha Strauss. The program,  part...

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Impact Investing 101: How to generate social and environmental impact alongside financial return

Impact Investing 101: How to generate social and environmental impact alongside financial return

May 17, 2015 | , ,

What is impact investing, anyway? It is becoming increasingly apparent that private enterprise can play an important role in solving critical social and environmental challenges. Investors realize that these companies can have a meaningful impact on the world while delivering financial returns at the same time, enabling investors to “do good while doing well.” This has given rise to a large, growing movement known as impact investing. Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. Impact investments provide capital to support companies aiming to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. Typical sector targets for impact investment are: sustainable agriculture and development, affordable housing, affordable and accessible healthcare, education, microfinance and financial inclusion, and clean technology. My interest in impact investing stems from a variety of personal and professional experiences over the past couple of years. The initial spark was lit when I heard Sir Ronald Cohen speak about the subject around two years ago at an event in Israel (he believes social impact investing will be the...

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The State of BioMed in Israel: Startup Nation celebrates life sciences at IATI’s BioMed 2015

The State of BioMed in Israel: Startup Nation celebrates life sciences at IATI’s BioMed 2015

May 13, 2015 | , ,

Israel’s biomed industry is in full bloom; Don’t believe us? Let the numbers speak for themselves! Here are some stats that paint a quick picture of the industry growth: 1,380: the number of active biomed companies in the Startup Nation, an all-time high. 280: the number of R&D centers operating in Israel for foreign companies, including healthcare, for example: Johnson & Johnson, Philips, General Electric, Merck Serono, Abbott. $801 million: the amount raised from venture capital firms in 2014, which was 24% of all VC investments, showing recovery since the 2008/9 financial crisis. $2.9B: total sum of Israeli life science company acquisitions in 2013-14. Earlier this week, IATI released the 2015 Israel Life Sciences Industry Report that, in addition to the above-mentioned data, outlines the state of the biomed industry in the Startup Nation, including the investment landscape. OurCrowd is rated the “second most active life sciences investor in 2014,” right after VC firm OrbiMedIsrael Partners. With medtech encompassing 21% of OurCrowd’s investment portfolio, it would seem we are in line with the greater VC ecosystem in Israel. This indeed calls for a celebration. Luckily, it just so...

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“Tear down this wall!” How crowdfunding is changing the world

“Tear down this wall!” How crowdfunding is changing the world

May 5, 2015 | , ,

One of the greatest benefits of the internet age has been the breaking down of barriers. Internet based real-time communication has broken down barriers of distance, social networks have eliminated the constraints of first degree relationships, online marketplaces have removed the layers of middlemen between vendors and consumers, cloud computing has lowered the cost hurdle of developing and deploying software, the blockchain promises to circumvent centralized intermediaries and the inherent global reach of the internet (2.8+ billion users) has made barriers to content distribution a thing of the past. Crowdfunding is one of the latest internet trends that follows in this spirit. Capital has historically been one of the most difficult things to access for large percentages of the population. Most individuals are repeatedly unsuccessful in their attempts to secure a loan to cover personal expenses, raise money to expand a small business, or bring in external funding to help get an innovative idea off the ground, running into walls at every turn. These walls come in many forms (geographic or demographic disadvantage, lack of influential relationships, cost, etc.),...

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What to wear? Here are 6 fitness wearable technologies to up your game

What to wear? Here are 6 fitness wearable technologies to up your game

Apr 30, 2015 |

Surely you’ve heard of Google Glass, Apple’s Smart Watch and of course, the Fitbit; there are lots of fitness wearables and it’s hard to keep up. What was once reserved for only pro athletes and tech bloggers is now available to the exercising masses. As technology goes more mainstream, so do wearables with over 70 million devices sold in 2014 alone. Here are 6 top fitness wearables that aim to up your game and be as vital to your daily existence as your smartphone: 1. Moov Can’t afford a personal trainer? No problem. The $69 Moov wearable may be the answer to your problems. Stay on track with this all-in-one device that acts as a personal fitness coach, whenever, wherever. Its disc-like shape easily attaches to almost anything, and allows for the accompanying apps to record your every move in real-time. Apart from the standard tracking features: calories burned, steps taken, speed, distance, and time, Moov precisely measures your movements, form, cadence, landing impact, stride, and intensity with surprising accuracy. This sleek, crowd-funded device (which by the way, raised over...

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