Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home
Israel Pride – Week of Feb 20, 2015
3 million united with Israel. United With Israel (UWI), the world’s largest grassroots pro-Israel community, is celebrating 3 million supporters. The occasion was due to be marked in Jerusalem on Feb. 18 and broadcast around the world. Founder Michael Gerbitz said, “We’ve been able to connect with millions of people — many in some of the most anti-Semitic countries — who are proud to stand united with Israel.”
Preventing hospital infections. Another Israeli company is countering the risk of contracting infections in hospitals. Nahariya-based Nano Textile coats hospital bed linens and clothing with nano particles of zinc and copper oxides that kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Nano Textile plans to raise $3 million on Wall Street.
Accurate injections. Rehovot-based biotech company SteadyMed has developed a disposable patch pump delivery system to administer medicines safely and accurately into the body. SteadyMed plans to raise $55 million on Nasdaq.
Crowdfunding helps solve disease mystery. Crowdfunding — money raised from a large number of people over the Internet — has enabled researchers at Tel Aviv University to conduct whole exome sequencing and identify the genetic mutation responsible for mental retardation and severe developmental delays in children.
Ethiopian orphan fulfills IDF dream. Worku Abiy arrived in Israel as an orphan at the age of 15 and appeared in the documentary “Take Us Home.” Exempt from the Israel Defense Forces because of medical issues, he volunteered and got exceptional basic training scores. Abiy later applied for and completed an officer’s course.
Israel hosts international seminar for judges. A four-day international seminar for judges took place in Haifa recently. It focused on the central role of judges in combating human trafficking. Supporters included the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the International Organization for Migration.
Personal hydroponics. Growing crops on water used to be available only to big industry. Now Tel Aviv-based Flux has developed a device that lets individuals and small businesses install hydroponics on rooftops, in school gardens, in basements and even in restaurants. Flux demonstrated its product at Israel’s Cann Tech conference.
A truly Green Ride. Israel’s Green Ride has launched the INU, an electric scooter that makes commuting much easier. It folds automatically, recognizes its owner and has a range of 25 miles at speeds topping 15 mph.
Solar power day and night. Tel Aviv-based Brenmiller Energy will establish a 10-megawatt solar power station in Dimona that is capable of generating electricity from solar energy for an average of 20 hours a day on a typical summer’s day. Previous Israeli solar fields could manage no more than five hours a day.
Goggles that enhance reality. Israeli startup RideOn has developed augmented reality goggles that superimpose a computer-generated image into the user’s view. Direct-to-eye display technology positions the transparent display directly over the eye, eliminating the need to look away or refocus to read the data.
Speeding up the mobile Internet. The CODS Mobile Edge Computing platform from Israel’s Yokneam-based Saguna Networks increases mobile network speeds while reducing network congestion. Saguna has just received funds from Akamai Technologies and SoftBank Ventures Korea to help it expand in Asia, North America and Europe.
Developing alternate fuels with Italy. Through the Israel Fuel Choices Initiative (IFCI), Israel has signed a memorandum of understanding with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Iveco (a brand of CNH Industrial) and Magneti Marelli (FCA Group) for cooperation in the development of natural gas—based technologies.
Budget surplus. Israel’s Ministry of Finance announced a 5.3 billion-shekel budget surplus for January 2015. Tax revenues were 2.3 percent higher than for January 2014 and have grown 4 percent to 5 percent each month.
Reinforcing the rain in Spain. A delegation of 11 Israeli water companies visited Spain, presenting technology such as filtering and purification to infrastructure companies. The delegation impressed at least one Spanish multinational, Abengoa, which employs 26,000 people in 80 countries. Spain trails only Israel in water recycling.
Huge demand for Israeli high-tech jobs. Impressive success in Israel’s high-tech industry boosted demand for employees by 12% in 2014 from 2013. Salaries of mobile developers rose by 10 percent to 30%.
A billion-dollar Israeli company. Earnings for Ra’anana-based NICE Systems reached $1.0124 billion in 2014, up from $950 million the previous year. NICE specializes in data and voice security and analysis.
Tel Aviv encourages startups from abroad. Tel Aviv has 1,515 high-tech companies that employ 43,000 workers. Now Tel Aviv municipal subsidiary Global City is giving incentive packages to entrepreneurs from abroad to add knowledge and diversity and become global, thus strengthening the Israeli economy.
Use an Israeli app to hail a British taxi. Israeli taxi app GetTaxi will launch soon in seven British cities. GetTaxi has operated in London for three years and is expanding to Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester immediately. It will also launch in Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow in the next few months. GetTaxi has launched an app for smart watches running the Android Wear operating system.
SodaStream announces healthier beverages. Israel’s SodaStream, based in Airport City, is launching new lines of products made of all-natural flavors and ingredients, less sugar, and no preservatives. The reduced-calorie, zero-calorie, nutritional-supplement and lightly sweetened water series will launch this spring, initially in Israel.
Bringing shakshuka to Manhattan streets. Israeli friends Josh Sharon, Solomon Taraboulsi and Gabriel Israel have launched The Shuka Truck, serving shakshuka, the spicy Middle Eastern egg-and-tomatoes dish, on the streets of Manhattan. It contains free-range organic eggs and Israeli spices and is certified kosher.
Tel Aviv a top 10 oceanfront city. Tel Aviv was chosen by National Geographic as one of the top 10 oceanfront cities in the world. The magazine highlights plenty of room for beach bathing in this modern Israeli city and the vibrant gallery, cafe, and restaurant scenes at the historic port of Jaffa.
Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and other news sources.
comments