Author: Zack Miller

8 Israeli Tech Trends for 8 Crazy Nights: Security, virtual and physical (3/8)

8 Israeli Tech Trends for 8 Crazy Nights: Security, virtual and physical (3/8)

Dec 11, 2012 |

We’re celebrating Hanukah in Israel right now and given all the fun and festivities going on, we thought it would be a good time to look back over the past few months and highlight some of the tech trends we’re seeing in startup land in the Startup Nation. As a caveat, these trends are based upon our deal flow – what we’re seeing on the ground. So, Happy Hanukah and enjoy. >>Read about all the top Israel technology trends this holiday season<< :::::::::Security, physical and virtual:::::::::: The Problem: there are still a huge amount of online hackers, viruses, thieves, and terrorists that provide threats to people all over the world. The war on terror continues. The Solution: Israel is known for its excellence in security- physical and digital. With all of Israel’s surrounding enemies, there wouldn’t be a country without this excellence. It has paid off too: the Iron Dome potentially saved many lives while internet security inventions made many people rich. SiteBlackBox: this Tel Aviv based company identifies genuine users from abusers who cause losses and business disruptions. SBB enhances...

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8 Israeli Tech Trends for 8 Crazy Nights: Quantified Self (2/8)

8 Israeli Tech Trends for 8 Crazy Nights: Quantified Self (2/8)

Dec 10, 2012 |

We’re celebrating Hanukah in Israel right now and given all the fun and festivities going on, we thought it would be a good time to look back over the past few months and highlight some of the tech trends we’re seeing in startup land in the Startup Nation. As a caveat, these trends are based upon our deal flow – what we’re seeing on the ground. >>Read about the first trend we highlighted: social driving. So, Happy Hanukah and enjoy. Trend 2/8: The Quantified Self The problem: Our bodies are imperfect. We spend a lot of time, energy, and money reading self-help books and going to doctors in an effort to change that. People want to improve physical and mental performance and mood states, but many times don’t know where to start. The solutions: As personal electronics and big data converge, we’re seeing a growing movement to track what we do with our time and bodies. Once we quantify ourselves and track inputs (what we eat), our various states (oxygen levels) and performance (mental and physical), we can begin to optimize...

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8 Israeli Tech Trends for 8 Crazy Nights: Social Driving (1/8)

8 Israeli Tech Trends for 8 Crazy Nights: Social Driving (1/8)

Dec 9, 2012 |

We’re celebrating Hanukah in Israel right now and given all the fun and festivities going on, we thought it would be a good time to look back over the past few months and highlight some of the tech trends we’re seeing in startup land in the Startup Nation. As a caveat, these trends are based upon our deal flow – what we’re seeing on the ground. So, Happy Hanukah and enjoy. Trend 1/8: Social Driving The problem: We’re seeing a lot of Israeli entrepreneurs attack the driving problem. Navigating, driving, and parking are all really inefficient processes that most of us spend a lot of time doing. We spend money, time, and frustration driving. Tel Aviv, like many other big cities globally, suffers from congestion and lack of available parking. The solutions: Interestingly, many of the most popular driving apps have been developed in Israel. The solutions tend to cluster around overlaying social with driving data to aid navigation and parking. Waze: Waze has emerged as the leading driving app, combining GPS/directions with the social component. Users report on...

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The Crowdfunding Revolution: Interview with crowdfunding expert, Dan Marom

The Crowdfunding Revolution: Interview with crowdfunding expert, Dan Marom

Dec 3, 2012 | ,

We recently had the chance to sit down with Dan Marom, an expert and leading author in the crowdfunding space. We asked about the current market dynamics for investing in startups and how crowdfunding is impacting efficient flows of capital and (hopefully) will lead to better returns for investors. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Why do you think there needs to be a revolution in raising capital? Our current system is outdated and entrepreneurs are faced with a difficult economic climate, hindering their ability to raise capital. Many of the laws governing fundraising were created during the Great Depression. Unfortunately, the current economic state and status of the financial services industry does not make that easy for an entrepreneur any longer. Policymakers and regulators around the world are beginning to recognize the benefits for crowdfunding in supporting both innovation and job creation. Recently, we published A Framework for European Crowdfunding, a call-to-action for European policymakers to legalize equity crowdfunding. It’s a great resource for the scope of the current state of the economy and the way crowdfunding will be impactful in a positive way....

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Israel: one of the best places in the world to start a company

Israel: one of the best places in the world to start a company

Dec 2, 2012 |

The Wall Street Journal recently wrote that London is hosting 15 Israeli tech companies in hopes of changing public opinion: that London is not just a stop on the way to Silicon Valley. Israel has branded itself as “The Startup Nation,” a name that has been thrown around in all four corners of the earth. But with all of this talent and ingenuity, there is a lot of competition for Israeli entrepreneurs. In order to get ahead, many entrepreneurs travel abroad and obtain foreign experience before coming back and making it big. London is geographically closer to Israel than the states and is only a two hour time difference. That is a big plus. When Israeli’s travel to California, they are burdened by the time difference and the 16 hour flight. London seems like a logical place for Israeli’s to expand. London is in competition with many other countries trying to accumulate these Israeli entrepreneurs searching for business experience abroad. And it seems that London is doing a pretty darn good job. But is London a better place to...

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