6 Israeli Companies Named Technology Pioneers 2020 By World Economic Forum

Six Israeli companies were among 100 firms from across the world named to the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Technology Pioneers list, honoring initiatives that are addressing global issues with cutting edge technology.

This year’s cohort includes companies pioneering technologies in Industry 4.0, alternative meat, healthcare, environmental tech, food security, financial access, as well as contributing to COVID-19 responses through testing, diagnostics, and more, according to the WEF.

Companies were listed by region and in a total of 18 categories including advanced manufacturing, AI, mobility, cybersecurity, and healthcare.

The Israeli companies recognized for their achievements on this year’s Pioneers List are: 3d Signals, which developed a solution to accelerate manufacturers’ digital transition into the Industry 4.0 era, improving productivity for machines and workforces; Aleph Farms,  a clean meat company that unveiled the world’s first lab-grown steak prototype grown from animal cells in December  2018; Morphisec, a cybersecurity company founded in 2014 that grew out of Ben Gurion University’s Cyber Research Labs and developed a patented Moving Target Defense to protect against evasive malware; Optibus, which developed a software platform for public transportation to make mass transit more efficient; Prospera, a developer of computer vision technologies to monitor and predict plant health and development; and Seebo, which developed AI-platform enables manufacturers to predict and prevent manufacturing disruptions.

“This year’s class of Technology Pioneers are improving society and advancing their industries around the world,” said Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum, in a statement. “These are the companies that think differently and stand out as potential game-changers. We’re looking forward to the role they’ll play in shaping the future of their industries.”

The Technology Pioneer community was launched in 2000 by the World Economic Forum and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Past recipients have included now-household names such as Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Spotify, Twitter, and Wikimedia.

The “pioneers” are selected by a committee of technology and innovation experts, academics, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs. The committee evaluates candidates against selection criteria before making recommendations to the World Economic Forum.

Companies selected take part in a two-year journey with the World Economic Forum, engaging in the Forum’s initiatives, activities, events, and bringing cutting-edge insights and fresh thinking to critical global discussions. In 2019, four Israeli companies were named to the Technology Pioneers list.