News Briefs

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot have created a new composite plastic that degrades easily using bacteria that is cheap, strong and simple to prepare. 

Seeking to create a composite plastic that would meet the needs of industry while also being environmentally friendly, the researchers decided to focus on commonplace, inexpensive source materials whose properties could be improved. 

They found that molecules of tyrosine – a prevalent amino acid that forms exceptionally strong nanocrystals – could be used as an effective component in a biodegradable composite plastic. 

And after examining how tyrosine combines with several types of polymers, they also chose hydroxyethyl cellulose, a cellulose derivative employed extensively in the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.

When hydroxyethyl cellulose and tyrosine are combined, they form an exceptionally strong composite plastic made of fiber-like tyrosine nanocrystals that grow and integrate into the hydroxyethyl cellulose. 

The study was led by Dr. Angelica Niazov-Elkan, Dr. Haim Weissman and Prof. Boris Rybtchinski of Weizmann’s Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science. 

As both cellulose and tyrosine are edible, the biodegradable composite plastic can actually be eaten. The researchers say, however, that as the conditions in the lab are not suitable for foodstuffs, they have yet to sample their new material.

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The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) has approved a second year of funding for a joint R&D project to develop CRISPR gene-editing technology for crustaceans that will improve key traits such as growth rate, disease resistance and environmental adaptation. 

The joint project by sustainable aquaculture company Watershed AC, computational biotech firm Evogene and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) focuses on giant freshwater prawn, white leg shrimp and red swamp crayfish.

CRISPR is a powerful gene-editing tool that allows for the modification of DNA with unprecedented precision and ease, making it a valuable tool in various fields of research and biotechnology.

The decision by the IIA – the government agency dedicated to supporting the national tech sector – came after the collaboration partners met their targeted goals in the first year of research. 

Using Evogene’s advanced GeneRator AI tech-engine and other tools, Watershed and BGU successfully produced the first edited giant freshwater prawn with selected gene modifications by using CRISPR.  

In the second year, the collaboration’s main target is to industrially scale-up CRISPR technology for giant freshwater prawn and expand the obtained application to other two crustacean species.  

The collaborators say the global shrimp market, which was worth $40.35 billion in 2023, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.09 percent and the global crayfish market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 31.5 percent during the next eight years, 

These growing markets increasingly emphasize the need to expand sustainable aquaculture, the team says, making the technology developed in the frame of the collaboration exceptionally relevant.

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Eco Wave Power, an Israeli company that uses waves to create energy, has signed an agreement to bring its technology to Taiwan.

According to the agreement, the Tel Aviv-based company will sell its first wave energy generation unit to I-Ke International Ocean Energy, a subsidiary of leading maritime engineering company Lian Tat.

I-Ke will provide the full financing for the 100KW pilot project, by buying a turnkey conversion unit from Eco Wave Power, the agreement states. The conversion unit includes all the hydraulic and electric conversion parts, coupled with the smart control and automation system.

This agreement is based on a memorandum of understanding signed between Lian Tat and Eco Wave Power in June 2023, and will leverage the latter’s technology to maximize energy extraction on the Taiwanese coastline.

“The construction of Eco Wave Power’s project is relatively easy, and I believe that it will be a significant stepping stone for the development of green electricity in Taiwan,” said Lian Tat Chairman CY Huang. 

“I also think that this will allow Taiwan to break away from existing renewable energy restrictions and develop in the direction of diversified renewable energy,” he said. 

“I am certain that Eco Wave Power’s official visit in Taiwan and the signing of this official collaboration agreement between our companies is the beginning of a true friendship and a productive business collaboration,” said Eco Wave Power founder and CEO Inna Braverman. 

“I believe that this new collaboration will not only be a win-win collaboration for both parties but will also serve as a pioneering step towards the implementation and adaptation of wave energy all over Asia, as this will be the first onshore wave energy array in the region. So let’s change the world together – One Wave at a Time!” 

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A new AI tool created by Microsoft, in association with a group documenting the events of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 of last year, facilitates the preservation of real-time testimonies from that day as part of a collective memory. 

Engineers from Microsoft Israel’s R&D department teamed up with Edut 710 to develop the unique tool, which allows anyone to create a personalized ceremony, event or learning session. 

The ceremony can include video testimonies, background materials, artwork and texts related to the October 7 attack,and creators end up with a customized PowerPoint presentation of their work.

Edut 710 was founded to preserve the memories of the victims of the mass terror attack in southern Israel, collecting testimonies of survivors in full detail. So far, more than 1,200 testimonies have been collected as part of a project to create a comprehensive national archive. This archive could then be used to teach and discuss the attack even when survivors cannot be physically present. 

Browsers of the collective digital memory bank do so with the help of advanced language-learning models (LLMs),which allow it to carry out sophisticated searches across hundreds of testimonies. 

“Collaborating with the amazing employees at Microsoft has allowed us to take another step forward in our commitment to the survivors, their stories, and society at large, ensuring that these testimonies reach a wide audience and are not just preserved in archives,” said Itay Ken-Tor, co-founder and Head of Partnerships and Resource Development at Edut 710. 

“We are excited by the collaboration and the amazing dedication of the Microsoft volunteers who created such an important and impactful platform in such a short time, and we thank them all,” he said. 

“Above all, we are deeply moved by the ability of users to send personal thanks to the survivors whose testimonies they heard. From our experience and consultations with experts, we know how significant this is for them.”

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Israeli water management pioneer LeakZon has announced the official release of what it says is the first and only dedicated platform designed to significantly reduce water loss rates and enhance the control and clarity of water networks. 

The WEAD (Water Efficiency, Anomaly Detection) platform contains an automated algorithm to identify, categorize and address any anomalies in a water system, monitoring the problem and its performance until resolution.

The  SaaS solution integrates with any Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) platform, and is the only platform available that supports simultaneous integration with multiple AMI platforms. 

The platform, which is available for water utilities, municipalities, smart meter manufacturers and multifamily property owners, also maintains high levels of cybersecurity to safeguard customer data. 

Its capabilities include reducing water loss by up to 66 percent; an intuitive dashboard that provides a clear snapshot of entire water networks; and a Virtual District Metered Area (VDMA) that presents a holistic view of water networks.

“We are thrilled to offer utilities the opportunity to enhance their water loss management,” said LeakZon CEO Dan Winter. 

“With numerous customers already benefiting from our solution, we are confident that WEAD will help utilities, municipalities, and multifamily property owners increase their revenue and significantly reduce water loss. In light of the global climate crisis, LeakZon has made sustainability one of our top priorities, and we are pleased to be able to make our humble contribution to creating a better and safer world.”

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The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) has announced the 20 Israeli climate tech companies that will be featured at the United Nations COP29 Climate Conference set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan in November. 

The 20 companies operate in a diverse range of sectors related to green tech – including renewable energy; water; advanced agriculture; and smart transportation – and each has its own innovative solution to combating the global climate crisis.

The various companies were chosen in order to showcase the impact of Israeli innovation in this ecosystem, and will be present at the Israeli pavilion inside the event’s main Blue Zone hub. 

COP29 will be the UN’s 29th climate conference, the largest event of its kind in the world. More than 100 heads of state and over 40,000 participants – including members of governments, the private sector, academia and financial institutions – 

are expected to attend this year’s conference, which will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change, with an emphasis on innovative and sustainable solutions.

The Israeli companies selected are: 

Airovation Tech: Developed a unique technology for capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the air, enabling industries such as fertilizers, cement and steel to significantly reduce carbon emissions

CarbonBlue: Removes carbon dioxide from ocean water, allowing it to absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere without requiring water pre-treatment

Rewind: Developed a carbon dioxide removal method involving the storage of biomass in the 2km deep, oxygen-depleted waters of the Black Sea

Momentick: Uses advanced sensors and artificial intelligence to provide precise and autonomous capabilities for detecting and quantifying methane and other greenhouse gas emissions worldwide

Senecio Robotics: Tackles the global mosquito epidemic by developing an AI-powered robotic platform that releases sterile males, dramatically reducing mosquito populations in vast areas

TextRe: Specializes in converting synthetic textile waste into sustainable recycled materials used in various applications in the plastics industry.

Treetoscope: Presents advanced irrigation optimization technology in agriculture, reducing water waste and promoting efficient use of renewable water sources

BlueGreen Water Technologies: Purifies polluted lakes by combining innovative materials and technologies to treat stagnant water sources and rivers

SolCold: Developed a unique nanotechnological coating that cools buildings under sunlight without the need for electricity, making it a perfect solution for extremely hot regions

EZPack: Provides off-grid water solutions for rural areas, with technologies that supply clean water for drinking and agriculture even in harsh conditions

NGV: Offers technology to reduce carbon emissions from polluting industries while creating sustainable products, enabling over an 80-percent reduction in emissions throughout the lifecycle

Envomed: Developed a solution for the treatment of hazardous medical waste, focusing on environmental preservation and reducing pollutant emissions

Reep Technologies: Removes ink from paper in a way that allows paper reuse, reducing pollution in the printing industry

H2OLL: Provides technology to extract drinking water directly from the air, a unique solution for areas with water shortages

Salicrop: Develops environmentally friendly fertilizer alternatives that help plants adapt to harsh climatic conditions

ANINA Culinary Art: Offers unique packaging solutions for healthy, eco-friendly meals that are ready to eat within minutes

CI Sensing: Developed a revolutionary solution for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions based on Optical Gas Imaging technology, which helps energy companies reduce emissions and enhance safety against leaks

Marine Edge: Provides optimization solutions for shipping companies, reducing fuel consumption and pollutant emissions

Terra: Developed technology for managing and monetizing carbon removal for farmers

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Israeli medical diagnostic company MeMed has announced the successful completion of the first randomized controlled trial in the US of its test to differentiate between bacterial and viral infections. 

The test could reduce the amount of use of antibiotics, which do not work on viral infections but whose prescription for them plays a part in the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

The company says the trial of the MeMed BV test successfully demonstrates its clinical utility in promoting appropriate antibiotic use, highlighting its potential to improve patient outcomes and healthcare decision making. It also called the trial a critical step toward making the test the standard for distinguishing bacterial and viral infections.  

The randomized controlled trial was conducted across 11 Emergency Departments (EDs) and Urgent Care Centers (UCCs) in the US and Israel, and included 260 adult patients with clinical suspicion of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). 

The first small-scale analysis of data from the trial showed a 62 percent relative reduction in unnecessary antibiotic prescription rates, while follow-up data indicated no significant increase in the rate of return ED/UCC visits within 7 days.

“The results of this trial build on a decade-long series of studies involving thousands of patients, demonstrating the high performance of the MeMed BV technology,” said MeMed co-founder and CEO Dr. Eran Eden. 

“This trial marks a significant step forward by generating interventional data and showcasing the test’s actual impact on patients. We are committed to further expanding on these findings, with several additional utility and real-world studies underway,” he said.  

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Tel Aviv University (TAU) has been ranked seventh worldwide and first outside the US in the 2024 Pitchbook Ranking for global entrepreneurship. 

The annual ranking, published by renowned business data research company Pitchbook, tracks startups raising capital in the US, using the number of entrepreneurs among an institution’s alumni to compile the top 50 universities.

TAU says the achievement was driven by 893 alumni with bachelor’s degrees who have founded 755 companies over the past decade, raising $29.8 billion in total capital. 

While TAU joins world-famous US universities such as Stanford, MIT and Harvard in the top 10, it places higher than Yale, Columbia and Princeton, who were ranked 11th, 13th and 14th respectively. 

Pitchbook singled out three companies founded by TAU alumni that have each raised over $1 billion: Generate ($4.3 billion); Lendbuzz ($1.2 billion); and Next Insurance ($1.1 billion).

“TAU continues to be Israel’s main entrepreneurial university and a global leader in producing alumni who become entrepreneurs, found companies, raise venture capital and drive economic progress,” said Prof. Moshe Zviran, the university’s Chief Entrepreneurship & Innovation Officer. 

“TAU’s 7th place in the Pitchbook ranking is another testament to the exceptional quality of our alumni and the impact of our entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus, which actively promotes this mindset,” he said. 

Three other Israeli universities made the list: the Technion – Israel School of Technology in Haifa, which was ranked 16th; the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which was ranked 30th; and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, which was ranked 47th.

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Lavie Bio, an Israeli agritech company that uses bacteria to help crops grow, says it has received a grant from the government’s Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to advance its development of a breakthrough technology. 

The patented technology, named MicroFermentor, is based on an innovative microbe formulation that enables the multiplication of beneficial bacteria directly on a plant, reducing application costs, extending shelf life and prolonging the bacteria’s viability after field application. 

The grant was awarded following positive initial experiments and will support the program’s next phase of development toward commercialization.

Rehovot-based Lavie, a subsidiary of leading Israeli computational biology company Evogene, says the novel technology offers a unique opportunity for new bacterial-based solutions, which had previously not met market requirements due to production cost and shelf life. 

“We are very pleased with the advancement in the development of our ‘MicroFermentor’ technology, and appreciate the support of the IIA,” said Lavie Bio CEO Amit Noam. 

“The ‘MicroFermentor’ technology will further enhance our competitive advantage and our ability to introduce ground-breaking products to the agriculture market.” 

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UBQ Materials, an Israeli greentech startup that transforms household waste into multifunctional bio-based replacements for plastic, says it has been awarded a €5 million grant from the European Commission’s Just Transition Fund (JTF).

The JTF grant is intended to alleviate socioeconomic costs triggered by the transition to climate neutrality, supporting economic diversification, creating new business opportunities and helping people to adapt to a changing labor market.

UBQ says it will use the grant to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its industrial scale facility in the Netherlands and support further product development to address additional market needs. 

The factory in Bergen op Zoom is capable of annually converting 104,600 tons of municipal solid waste into 80,000 tons of UBQ’s thermoplastic composite.

“UBQ’s innovative technology converts mixed municipal household waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills or incinerators into a new bio-based thermoplastic composite that replaces conventional plastics in durable and semi-durable applications,” said UBQ Materials Finance Manager Gerwin Drent, who led the JTF grant application. 

“This funding will enable us to accelerate the adoption of solutions that maintain or lower the facility’s energy usage while increasing output, a significant step forward for the company,” he said. 

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A new study by Israeli medtech startup Nitinotes shows that its fully automated endoscopic suturing system EndoZip is effective in achieving significant weight loss. 

Endoscopic suturing – placing medical stitches inside the gastrointestinal tract without invasive surgery – is used to reduce the size and capacity of the stomach (gastroplasty), thereby making a person feel satiated after less food and reducing their calorie intake.

Nitinotes says its automated, minimally invasive system simplifies and speeds up endoscopic gastroplasty procedures, offering a widely available and effective solution for hundreds of millions of patients living with obesity but for whom traditional bariatric surgery is not an option.

The study found that EndoZip can help a person reduce their body weight by 13 percent over a 12-month period, as well as boost other metabolic health indicators crucial to managing obesity-related comorbidities. 

According to the company, the findings show that EndoZip is a viable alternative to existing minimally invasive obesity treatments, expanding the options of patients who might not qualify or do not want to undergo traditional surgeries. 

The results of the study were published in the prestigious GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy journal.

“The acceptance of our study for publication in GIE validates the potential of EndoZip technology [and] aligns with our mission to enhance the accessibility and reduce the invasiveness of obesity treatments,” said Nitinotes CEO Lloyd Diamond. 

“We believe EndoZip could help more physicians incorporate this technology into their practices, providing an additional option for patients seeking alternatives to traditional medical and surgical interventions,” he said.

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Israeli startup Arbe Robotics, which makes radar technology for autonomous vehicles, is being used by HiRain Technologies, a Chinese manufacturer of automobile components, to accelerate the development of its advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS).

The ADAS system will include both camera and radar fusion, and is expected to enter serial production by the last quarter of 2025, pending final approval from HiRain.

“HiRain Technologies and Arbe are working together to transform global automotive safety by infusing radar technology with capabilities that were once unique to other sensors,” said Arbe CEO Kobi Marenko.

“This groundbreaking initiative will demonstrate how imaging radar can provide an alternative to other sensors on the market, providing a solution that enhances safety at a consumer-friendly price point.”

Arbe announced in January that HiRain was embarking on a new data collection phase, using a fleet of vehicles equipped with imaging radar developed from its chipset.

“Our LRR610 Imaging Radars, powered by the Arbe chipset, leverage the industry’s leading ultra-high resolution capabilities, offering performance never before seen in radar technology,” said HiRain CTO Chengjian Fan.

“Our recent data collection initiative has shown the optimization of both sensor fusion and perception, further enhancing the capabilities of imaging radar and making advanced ADAS systems more affordable while providing true safety and advanced functionality.”

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Israeli facial recognition developer Corsight AI has teamed up with American anti-shoplifting company RaptorVision in a global strategic partnership that will see the former’s technology integrated into the latter’s AI-driven platform for the retail industry. 

The partnership offers retailers a combination of leading facial recognition tech, video analytics and AI deep learning to both detect incidents of alleged theft and capture a suspect’s likeness in real-time. 

Corsight says its facial detection technology has the rare ability to reliably recognize individuals in a crowded store using existing CCTV cameras, enhancing security, operational efficiency and the user experience.

“Our partnership with RaptorVision represents a significant advance in the evolution of facial intelligence technology for Retail Operators,” said Corsight VP of Product Kai Mizrahi. 

“We are thrilled that RaptorVision has tightly integrated Corsight AI’s advanced recognition abilities to address some of the major pain points for retailers effectively,” he said. 

“The RaptorVision-Corsight partnership brings together powerful capabilities not found anywhere else,” said RaptorVision VP of Business Development Chris Olson. 

“Both Raptor and Corsight bring tremendous value to the Retail Market. By enhancing the retailer’s ability to swiftly and proactively identify and track a person-of-interest (POI) within a store or across a retailer’s network of locations, overall security and loss prevention initiatives are strengthened significantly.” 

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Israeli cyber security firm CyberArk, which protects sensitive information across businesses and cloud platforms, has marked the 10th anniversary of its initial public offering by ringing the opening bell at the Nasdaq Stock Market in New York. 

CyberArk CEO Matt Cohen and founder and Executive Chairman Udi Mokady were joined by members of the company’s executive leadership team, board of directors and invited guests, including long-standing customers and partners.

The company, which is headquartered both in Petah Tikva and Massachusetts, says that in the past decade it has increased its revenues from $103 million to more than $750 million; grown its customer base from 1,550 to 8,800; and expanded its number of employees from 400 to more than 3,200 in over 40 countries. 

“As we proudly celebrate CyberArk’s amazing journey since our IPO ten years ago, we want to thank our customers and partners for entrusting us with their identity security needs,” said Cohen. 

“We have always put security first in everything we do and consistently delivered cutting edge innovation. We are leading the way in establishing a new paradigm for identity security by delivering on our vision of securing every identity – human and machine – with the right level of privilege controls,” he said.  

“We are honored and humbled to be celebrating our 10th anniversary as a publicly traded company,” said Mokady. 

“Today, CyberArk is widely recognized as the leader in identity security and we have an unwavering commitment to our mission of securing the world against cyberthreats so, together, we can move fearlessly forward. We are incredibly enthusiastic about our future and are well positioned to continue delivering tremendous value to our customers, partners and shareholders.”

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Foodtech startup DairyX has announced the development of authentic milk proteins in the lab and without cows, using precision fermentation based on microorganisms – specifically yeast. 

The startup’s process creates casein proteins, which make up 80 percent of cow milk proteins, and forms them into the micelles that are the building blocks of dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. 

Yavne-headquartered DairyX says its caseins have amino acid sequences identical to those of their animal counterparts, which means that they are not genetically modified. The caseins also mean there is no need to add the hormones and antibiotics used by dairy farms.

Similarly, the micelles have no cholesterol or lactose, which allows food manufacturers to decide which fats and sugars they add to their formulations. 

The company has also developed technology that helps the gelation of the micelles, which it says is considered the holy grail of the food industry as it enables food manufacturers to produce firm, stretchy and creamy products using traditional dairy-making processes.

“Our biological design genetically manipulated yeast to produce functional caseins that we organized into micelles,” said Galit Kuznets, Head of Strain Development and Fermentation at DairyX. 

“Our machine-learning models simulated fermentation to determine optimal fermentation conditions. We have proven our ability to create a gel from reconstituted casein micelles. All these ingenuities have helped us work smarter and faster to create highly functional micelles,” she said. 

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