News Briefs

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center in nearby Petah Tikva have hypothesized that the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can have a positive impact on fertility in women in late reproductive age. 

The theory stems from the discovery that women aged between 30 and 40 during the summer produce more of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which is linked to ovarian function. 

The researchers examined the AMH levels in 2,235 women after UV exposure, and found that those in the 20-29 age bracket had unchanged levels, while the older age bracket saw a statistically significant rise in the hormone. 

The study was jointly led by Prof. Carmit Levy of the university’s Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry and Dr. Ruth Percik from the Institute of Endocrinology at Sheba, which is the largest hospital in both Israel and the entire Middle East. 

“Based on our prior studies, we can affirm that sun exposure increases metabolism, sexual appetite and behavior, and, at least in animal models, enlarges the ovaries and extends the estrus period,” said Levy. 

“This is a preliminary, pioneering human epidemiological study, and we need to be cautious about inferring a causal relationship between fertility in women and exposure to UV radiation. Humans are not the same as mice. However, we are also animals, our hairless nature makes us even more sensitive to solar radiation. Our research suggests that the female reproductive system is indeed more fertile in the summer, but we still have no information on the mechanism or actual success rates.”

The findings were recently published in the Steroids journal. 

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An Israeli government program to help early-stage startups during the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza has announced it will soon be accepting applications from companies. 

Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), the government branch dedicated to promoting the country’s high-tech sector, last November announced the scheme to help early-stage startups raise initial capital from private investors. 

Under the initiative, private investors both in Israel and abroad were invited to form groups known as angel investor clubs, in order to fund young Israeli startups. 

The IIA created a 9 million-shekel fund to support these angel investors, and it is this funding that companies will be eligible for. 

The funding is available in three categories: pre-seed companies, which are in the very earliest stage of funding; seed companies, which are still raising funds to develop their concept; and Series A companies, which are in the post-seed stage and beginning to sell shares to investors. 

Applications will be accepted from March 4, and applicants from each category will be invited to attend a separate webinar about the funding. 

The fund runs alongside the 400 million-shekel program set up last year to bolster the sector in wartime, after swathes of the industry’s workforce were called up to emergency military service and some foreign investors balked at the prospect of putting money into Israeli companies during the conflict.  

The sector is the largest contributor to Israel’s national GDP, and in 2022 accounted for 18 percent or 290 billion shekels ($78B) of it, according to the IIA.  

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Israeli cybersecurity company Cyberint, which shows organizations their external risk exposure, has unveiled its new tool to combat cyberattacks – a free web app that offers access to all the data on ransomware that the startup has ever gathered.

Ransomware is a form of cyberattack in which data owned by an individual or organization is blocked from them by hackers until a ransom is paid to release it.  

Access to the open source tool, dubbed Ransomania, will allow organizations and individuals from all sectors to combat ransomware efforts more easily and more efficiently.

The scale of ransomware attacks is growing, Cyberint said in a 2023 report, which found a 55 percent increase in victims of these attacks from the year before. 

According to a Verizon investigation, ransomware accounts for around 10 percent of all cybersecurity breaches, while more than one third of all companies around the world said they had been the victim of some kind of ransomware attack. 

“We are deeply committed to providing our customers, and the industry as a whole, up-to-date information regarding ransomware attacks, which is one of the common threats in today’s corporate environment,” said Yochai Corem, CEO of Cyberint. 

“Ransomania is an extremely useful free open-source research tool for accessing and analyzing ransomware data. Cyberint is empowering organizations to proactively defend against ransomware attacks, safeguarding their operations and partnerships. Ransomania offers a comprehensive repository of ransomware data spanning years, serving as a valuable resource for threat researchers seeking to delve into ransomware statistics.”

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The innovation center of Israel’s largest hospital has announced the launch of its own  accelerator program, based on Sheba Medical Center’s campus in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. 

The ARC Accelerator aims to provide advice, financial backing and a support network for early-stage startups in the medtech field. It has partnered with leading medical diagnostics company Ilex, which is investing $10 million in the initiative. 

The accelerator is focused on three avenues – senior health, women’s health and  mental health – and will be open to applications from both Israeli and foreign startups. Each program will run for 10 to 14 weeks and include 8 to 10 startups, and will comprise both face-to-face and online sessions. 

“The new accelerator will be a central part of implementing ARC’s vision of leading transformation processes in healthcare systems worldwide,” said Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, CEO of ARC Innovation and Chief Innovation and Chief Transformation Officer of Sheba Medical Center. 

“We aim to support the leading entrepreneurs in Israel and believe in our ability to guide entrepreneurs at various stages to realizing their potential. We believe this can significantly influence economic growth in Israel and within the global healthcare market.”

Sheba, which is also the largest hospital in the entire Middle East, is among the top 10 medical facilities in the world, according to Newsweek. 

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Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) has launched a new institute focused on climate change and creating new solutions to cope with the challenges it presents. 

The National Institution for Climate Policy Research aims to translate scientific understandings about climate change into evidence-based, policy solutions for business and government. 

The institute will be a part of the university’s School of Sustainability and Climate Change, and will be headed by former environmental protection minister Tamar Zandberg of the Meretz party. 

According to BGU, policy makers will be able to use the findings of the institute to help draft policies to deal with climate change. 

“Climate research and science in Israel and around the world are advancing rapidly, and we must design science derived policies that will affect reality in the most effective and shortest way possible,” said Zandberg. 

“The climate crisis is worse than we thought, and we have already reached the middle of the ‘decisive decade’ in which humanity must change direction. This means that we must act now but do it in the most appropriate way. In the near future, the Institute will emphasize the climate contexts of the renewed development of Israel and the region,” she said. 

“We saw a real need to translate scientific findings, the result of years of research, into specific policy measures, hence the decision to establish the institute. I am confident that we can maximize the environmental impact while ensuring scientific innovation tailored to the needs of society. Now, the goal is to inform decision makers about best practices,” said Prof. Yaron Ziv, head of BGU’s School of Sustainability and Climate Change.

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FreezeM, which breeds Black Soldier Flies (BSF) to be then processed into protein meals to feed livestock, has raised $14.2 million in a series A funding round to accelerate market expansion. 

FreezeM’s mission is to make insect farming simple and accessible using breeding solutions for the emerging BSF farming industry.

The startup takes the pain out of the process by breeding and supplying ready-to-use flies – in suspended animation, so they can easily be transported.

FreezeM aims to simplify BSF reproduction and increase protein yield through the supply of its PauseM product to BSF protein producers. PauseM is delivered in boxes of tiny, BSF larvae – each less than 0.5mm – in suspended animation and the farmer revives them simply by opening the package and placing them on organic waste.

FreezeM says it’s addressing a desperate need for sustainable alternatives to soy and fishmeal, the most widely-used proteins for animal feed.

With the decrease in food security around the world, FreezeM believes that its BSF breeding will play a role in reducing waste and increasing food production and protein for livestock. 

“The current funding round will enable FreezeM to embed our technology globally at scale and accelerate the growth of our breeding hubs in Europe and Israel, thereby driving successful commercial expansion,” FreezeM’s co-founder and CEO Dr. Yuval Gilad said in a press release. 

With the decrease in food security around the world, FreezeM believes that its BSF breeding will play a role in reducing waste and increasing food and protein for livestock. 

The funding round included the European Innovation Council Fund, which has previously given FreezeM €6.3 million, and other industrial investors

“Our technology unleashes the insect market from its shackles and will propel the insect protein market to fulfill its true potential,” Gilad said.

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Wix, the Israeli company that helps small businesses build websites, has launched an accelerator program to support Israeli businesses in pre-seed and seed stages thereby cultivating the next generation of technology leaders. 

The program called Wix Capital Accelerator Program aims to help companies with business platforms, tools, and management solutions. 

“With the launch of the Wix Accelerator Program, we are unlocking new levels of growth for Wix, our users, and the companies involved,” Wix CFO Lior Shemesh said in a press statement. 

The aim, according to Wix, is to provide better experiences for site visitors in eCommerce, bookings, restaurants, and hotels. 

The Wix Capital Accelerator Program will also aid businesses with large language models (LLMs – a type of AI that can recognize and generate text), deep learning (an AI method that teaches computers to process data like the human brain) and other AI abilities. 

The startups selected will receive mentorship support and access to office space in Wix Headquarters in Tel Aviv. 

Recruitment for the program has already begun and it is based on a preexisting investment fund called Wix Capital that was launched in 2019 for startups. The accelerator program is aiming to expand Wix Capital. 

“We are confident that these investments will deliver new tech innovations that allow these companies to flourish and in turn, benefit our business and our users as well. We look forward to kicking off this new endeavor and cultivating the next generation of technology leaders in Israel,” said Shemesh.

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Israel’s first private digital bank, One Zero Bank, already known for its high integration of AI technology into banking services, announced the launch of its GenAI service platform, dubbed Ella 2.0, which is meant to improve the customer experience by giving real-time assistance, cutting down on wait times for queries, and offering a more personalized interaction. 

One Zero Bank’s tech partner, AI21 Labs, is behind the generative AI used in Ella 2.0, a digital private banker showcasing advancements in understanding and responding to customer needs and open questions in multiple languages.

“We take pride in leading the global charge from experimental Generative AI to its practical implementation. ‘Ella’ 2.0’s capabilities transcend linguistic barriers, ensuring immediate, accurate, and personalized responses while continuously evolving to meet individual customer needs,” said One Zero Bank’s CEO Gal Bar Dea. 

According to One Zero, its new service chat responds to common questions 24/7 and provides personal account information upon request without the need to wait in line for service. 

After a pilot phase in June, the chat platform has been fully implemented into the banking services. 

Zero Bank, Israel’s first digital bank and the country’s first new bank in over 40 years, was founded by Amnon Shashua who also co-founded AI21 Labs, an Israeli company that develops advanced AI technologies to solve complex problems.

Banks have been incorporating more AI services in recent years based on their customers’ and bankers’ needs. Bank of America, for example, has added an AI assistant for checking account information. Other banks, like JPMorgan Chase (the largest bank in the US), have added AI that can analyze data, such as credit scores and financial history. 

One Zero Bank said it also aims to help its bankers focus on more tailored assistance, not needing to assist with mostly commonly asked questions. 

“One Zero’s new AI assistant, ‘Ella’, represents a shift in the digital banking industry towards a better customer experience that is faster, more reliable, and personalized to each user,” said co-founder and co-CEO of AI21 Ori Goshen.

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Papaya Global, the late-stage cloud-based workforce payment company, chose to launch its new AI-powered payroll platform with a high-profile Super Bowl commercial. The Super Bowl, known for its clever commercial breaks, draws top-dollar advertisements for the coveted air time during the most popular US telecast. 

To make its mark, Papaya brought a game of ping pong to the football extravaganza. In its 30-second “Small Balls” ad, a ping pong match is used to showcase how the company syncs data across tech stacks and guarantees accuracy with automated tools. 

“Payroll companies without embedded payments and AI technology will simply not survive,” Papaya Global’s CSO Zvika Liblich said in a press release.

“We believe that customers will demand solutions that cover them end-to-end, from payroll calculation to payment execution on one platform, and will support any employment model in any currency worldwide.”

Papaya’s AI-powered payroll validation engine enables management to pay workers in local currencies regardless of where they are based, providing connectivity with existing payroll systems. This technology allows global organizations to scale their workforce while remaining protected by Papaya’s compliance and liability.

The company said it hopes its Super Bowl 58 ad will change the way many workforces pay their workers. 

Papaya Global was the only Israeli company to feature in this year’s commercials lineup. In previous years, Israeli companies such as SodaStream, Wix, and Sabra have also launched new features or products with Super Bowl commercials. 

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Ra’anana-based Inspira Technologies today announced the signing of a non-binding Letter of Intent with Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), a step the company hopes will lead to providing better respiratory care both here in Israel and in the global community. 

“With the anticipated FDA approval on the horizon, I am confident that this prospective collaboration with Shamir Medical Center will enhance the efficacy of life-support care and establish a pathway for its adoption in both local and international markets,” president of Inspira Technologies Joe Hayo said in a press release.

The Letter of Intent (LOI) with Shamir will test the performance of the INSPIRA ART100, an innovative blood oxygenation technology that directly oxygenates blood and immediately elevates and stabilizes patient oxygen levels, in a real-world clinical environment. The LOI hinges on the approval by the Israeli Ministry of Health. 

For the 400 million people with respiratory insufficiency, having access to this innovative technology treatment could not only save their lives but also reduce the risks of medically-induced comas, intubation, and lung atrophy currently associated with on-the-market treatments. 

Inspira says its company mission is to enhance patient outcomes and streamline hospital operations to better respiratory care. The ART100 device was submitted for approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2023 and an approval is expected in the coming months. 

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Israeli mobile games company, Playtika, has again joined global initiative Plant a Tree Efforts by Dots.eco, in a global initiative aimed at restoring forests around the world, fighting climate change and combating biodiversity loss.

The partnership kicked off on January 5, and resulted in over 21,000 trees planted around the world, according to a Playtika announcement published on February 8. To put that into context, 21,000 trees is the equivalent of 15 football fields filled with a dense forest.

“Planting trees is one of the most effective ways to combat the connected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. We are grateful to Playtika and Best Fiends for joining us in this endeavor and inspiring millions of people to take action for the planet,” said co-founder and CGO of Dots.eco Daniel Madrid. 

Playtika called on its community of players for its popular game Best Fiends and asked them to play specially made levels that would give users in-game rewards that would amount to trees planted.

These levels ran for two weeks and led to trees being planted in various countries including Canada, Honduras and the US.

Best Fiends is a match-3 puzzle game that when different shapes are matched gives bug-like creatures the ability to defeat slug-like creatures. 

This is not the first time these two companies have joined together. In 2023, Playtika introduced in-game rewards in its House of Fun zone, and together with Dots.eco planted 300,000 trees.

“Best Fiends is about more than just collecting adorable characters and solving mind-bending puzzles – our game inspires players to enact positive change in the world, and it’s a remarkable opportunity to be able to see that positivity come to fruition in the real world with the help of our partners Plant a Tree Efforts and Dots.eco,” said general manager of Best Fiends Liran Paz. 

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Israeli identity validation startup Identiq, which helps companies overcome the online challenge of user verification, has won the 2024 Edison Award, a set of prizes handed out to top innovations and innovators, for top innovation for risk-based decisions in a fully private environment.

The Tel Aviv-based startup’s proprietary technology allows companies to jointly validate consumer identities in order to verify them without sharing or exposing any private data. Other solutions on the market today tend to rely on the need to reveal personal information or other sensitive data.

“Until now, companies have been unable to collaborate with peers to solve one of today’s most pressing issues: how can we trust that someone is who they say they are,” said Identiq’s CEO and co-founder Itay Levy.

“By creating a new standard in privacy with our fully anonymous identity resolution technology, we break down those barriers by keeping data fully private, while simultaneously ensuring that businesses and customers are safe from fraud and risk.”

The Edison Awards is an annual competition recognizing innovations across various sectors, including foodtech, security and healthcare, with companies from all over the world participating. Previous winners include industry giants such as Apple and Intel. 

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Cow-free dairy products made by Israeli startup Remilk, which produces real milk proteins from yeast, have received a “letter of no objection” from Health Canada for the sale of products in the country. 

This follows similar approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Singapore Food Agency and the Israeli health ministry in 2023. 

Remilk’s proprietary technology copies the gene responsible for producing milk protein and inserts it into yeast. The yeast is then instructed by the gene to create the milk protein, and it is placed in a bioreactor – a large specialist tank that mimics the environment the cells need to multiply rapidly.

The milk proteins can then be combined with vitamins, minerals, fat and sugar to make a variety of cow-free products such as milk, ice cream, yogurt and cream cheese. But unlike real dairy, it is free of lactose, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics.

According to Remilk, its products still maintain the taste of traditional milk and the production is more sustainable and eco-friendly, requiring less land, feedstock and water. 

“This is an important day for us at Remilk, and a historic one for Canada as it opens its doors to the new dairy revolution,” said Remilk’s Co-Founder and CEO Aviv Wolff. 

“We are now ready to partner with leading food companies in the country and offer consumers a whole new experience of guilt-free indulgence,” he said.

“Canada is the fourth separate health administration to conduct thorough examinations of our protein and each, individually, found it to be equivalent to its traditional counterpart,” said Co-Founder and CTO at Remilk Ori Cohavi.

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Israeli startup ProFuse Technology has launched its new cultivated meat made from cells from bovine (cow) muscle tissue called PROFUSE-B8. 

After two years of working on research and development, ProFuse has created cultivated meat without genetic modification, which according to the company, aligns with consumer preferences. 

Working with its already existing technology, the process is meant to take less production time. 

According to ProFuse, the cultivated meat can be mass produced and is cost competitive. 

Currently, the startup is working on developing cultivated meat from different animal muscle tissues including chicken, pork, lamb and fish. 

“We are thrilled to introduce PROFUSE-B8 as a transformative solution for the cultivated meat industry,” said Dr. Tamar Eigler-Hirsh, CTO and co-founder at ProFuse Technology. 

“Our dedication to innovation and productivity is evident in the development of this breakthrough cell line, and we are confident it will shape the future of cell-based protein production.”

The company is based in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, which in recent years has become a hub for foodtech startups. 

But the city, which is located just 2km from the border with Lebanon, was evacuated following the massive October 7 terror attack by Hamas in southern Israel and subsequent outbreak of war. 

The decision by the Israeli government to evacuate communities near the border came when the Lebanese-based terror group Hezbollah began targeting the area with missile strikes. 

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A study by GrayMatters Health, which develops digital training therapies to help the brain regulate mental health care, has shown that its FDA-approved Prism device is effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

The device, now available in selected clinics in the US, shows a patient’s brain activity in the amygdala, the small region of the brain associated with emotions and memory, while interacting with different scenarios.

This can help patients with PTSD control their symptoms by better understanding what triggers that heightened activity in that part of the brain. 

The study included 79 male and female patients, including combat veterans with chronic PTSD. It checked each patient’s Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5), a diagnostic interview that gives a patient a medical diagnosis and a symptom severity rating. 

According to the study, which was published in the Journal of Psychiatry Research, 32 percent of patients achieved remission after three months of using the device. 

“Millions of Americans struggling with PTSD must navigate medication side effects, revisit traumatic experiences with psychotherapy or choose not to seek treatment due to societal stigma,” said Oded Kraft, CEO and co-founder of Haifa-based GrayMatters Health. 

“These clinical results build on prior research and demonstrate that Prism offers patients living with PTSD an effective and safe pathway toward improved mental health,” he said. 

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