Microsoft buys Israeli digital pen, world’s 10 most innovative Israeli companies & Startup Nation’s future [OurCrowd Newsletter]

Digital pen company is the latest Israeli acquisition. The world’s 10 most innovative Israeli companies in the world – according to Fast Company. An interview with one of Israel’s greatest gurus. Read on in this week’s newsletter.

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Microsoft buys digital pen company N-trig for $200M

Microsoft is acquiring Israeli digital pen company N-trig, which developed a chip for a digital pen and computer screen interface, for a reported $200M. N-trig is led by CEO Dan Inbar who took over from Amichai Ben-David 18 months ago, and includes 170 employees. Founded in 1999, N-trig changed its business model in 2011 to focus on digital pens. Learn more.

OurCrowd in the News

• OurCrowd’s Zack Miller highlights top crowdfunding sites for athletes on Crowdfund Insider
• OurCrowd’s portfolio company Consumer Physics was featured in The Jerusalem Post
• OurCrowd and ReWalk are listed as Israeli tech ideas that changed the world by Times of Israel
• OurCrowd’s portfolio company ReWalk was featured in NoCamels
• OurCrowd’s portfolio company Highcon was featured in Packaging South Asia
• OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved comments on the pace of Israeli investments on Israel21c
• OurCrowd’s portfolio company Consumer Physics was featured in Crowdfund Insider
• OurCrowd’s portfolio company Freightos’s CEO was hosted on BFM 89.9 Radio

The world’s top 10 most innovative Israeli companies of 2015 by Fast Company

Each year, award-winning magazine Fast Company spends months gathering and analyzing data in order to generate its annual report on the world’s most innovative companies. The list is a guide to the state of innovation in economy, featuring the businesses whose innovations are having the greatest impacts across their industries and our culture as a whole. Therefore, it’s not surprising that several Israeli companies fresh out of the Startup Nation, the world’s #2 startup ecosystem, were included. See the full list.

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February 25, 2015

Tel Aviv

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One-on-one with Yossi Vardi, Israel’s high-tech investor-guru

High-tech guru Yossi Vardi is considered one of Israel’s most seasoned and successful entrepreneurs, the indefatigable Israeli tech innovator, angel investor, and conference organiser. In an exclusive video interview, he shares his thoughts on Israel and future trends in tech. In the video interview, Yossi explains how he became the chairman of the 4YFN conference, and discusses the Israeli startup ecosystem with all its (mainly recent) positives and what he refers to as its ‘main negative’. Meet Yossi.

Tim Cook inaugurates Apple’s new Herzliya offices

Last week, the local high-tech industry witnessed Apple’s great event at the company’s offices in Herzliya. Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived in Israel  to inaugurate Apple’s Herzliya offices, where 800 people will work. The offices include a restaurant, a fish pond, and greenery everywhere. Learn more.

Russia’s venture capitalists find their place in the Startup Nation

Their economy is in trouble back home, but that hasn’t deterred Moscow-based investors from putting their money in Israeli high-tech. Israeli startups have a more promising route to exit than the Russian companies that make up the vast majority of the Russian VC portfolios.Learn more.

OurCrowd’s News Nuggets

• BriefCam’s video surveillance helps to quickly catch terrorists (NoCamels)
• Gastronomy meets technology at foodtech startups competition (Times of Israel)
• Sol Chip wins most innovative Israeli startup at INNOVEX 2015 (JBN)
• Israel’s Panaya acquired by India’s Infosys for $200M (Geektime)
• Israel’s high-tech boom is far from over (Tech Cocktail)

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See this week’s original newsletter here.