Israel Trade & Economic Office

Five of the developers of Facebook‘s ten largest social games in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) come from srael, and the company is now in Israel looking for more.

Roy Goldenberg of Globes covered Facebook’s growing interest in Israeli gaming companies:
Facebook is building on the Israeli gaming market: five of the developers of Facebook’s ten largest social games in the EMEA come from Israel. Herzliya-based Plarium  is one of the ten fastest growing games companies on Facebook worldwide.

These achievements today brought Facebook to Israel for the second time in six months to find the next game hit, and to send a clear message to Israeli gaming developers: We want you.

“Israel is a very advanced country for gaming on Facebook, Facebook head of European platform partnerships Julien Codorniou, who is heading the company’s gaming developers conference, Game On. “The last time we held this conference in Israel, 500 programmers came, making it our biggest event outside the US.”

Codorniou looks beyond gaming on Facebook, and points to Plarium as a company which symbolizes the industry’s future. “Casual games are a big hit, but we’ll see that the next thing will be hard core games, such as Plarium’s ‘Total Domination’ and ‘Stormfall’,” he says, adding that a game like “Stormfall”, which did not exist six months ago, is now one of the 20 fastest-growing games on Facebook worldwide.

Until one or two years ago, Zynga , the developer of Farmville and other games, was a byword for games of Facebook, but Codorniou says that it is now just one of the companies in the field. “The situation has changed. Today, 70% of growing gaming companies on Facebook come from Europe,” he says.

Facebook is definitely a gaming powerhouse, with more than 250 million players a month, 11% more than in 2012, making it a larger gaming platform than all games consoles combined. 130 Facebook games have more than one million active players a month, with the average gamer playing more than three games a month.

In view of the website’s success, Facebook current target is mobile. Codorniou says that for a social game to succeed it must first go through Facebook’s online platform, and then to its mobile platform, and only afterwards to Apple and Google app stores. But what might be perceived as competition against Apple and Google is actually cooperation.

“We want to be one of the biggest traffic creators for the app stores,” admits Codorniou in commenting on the possibility that mobile games developers should promote their wares on the Facebook app by a direct download key. “23% of the time people in world spend on mobile is on Facebook. There is no doubt that gaming companies want to be part of this share,” he says, adding that 80% of the top ten Android and iOS apps interface with Facebook accounts.

For the full Globes article click here.

Israel Trade & Economic Office

Tel Aviv awarded #2 most innovative city in the world

Tel Aviv has been ranked the world’s second “most innovative city” as part of the Wall Street Journal magazine and Citibank’s City of the Year contest, organized by the non-profit Urban Land Institute.

According to YnetNews, Tel Aviv was among the three cities which made it to the final out of 200. The winner was Medellin in Colombia. New York City came in third. The results were determined by online voters and Urban Land Institute judges.

Tel Aviv’s achievements in the fields of technology, high-tech and research were mentioned as the reasons for its inclusion in the competition.

According to Leslie Braunstein in Urban Land’s website, Israel’s seaside metropolis “has emerged as a global hub of technological innovation. Home to thousands of homegrown startups as well as outposts of American giants such as Google and Microsoft, Tel Aviv’s technology corridor, dubbed the ‘Silicon Wadi’ (employing the Arabic word for valley), is ranked just behind California’s Silicon Valley in worldwide importance.

The municipality is currently working on a unique strategic move, which will allow residents to choose their favored means of communication and receive municipal services in digital form. The project includes a free citywide Wi-Fi scheme, a mobile application, a geographic information system (GIS) on new infrastructure, an app development competition, online licensing, social networks, and more.

With more than 700 startup companies and research and development centers, Tel Aviv is considered Israel’s “startup city.” The Tel Aviv Municipality recently launched a strategic program to position the metropolis as an international center of innovation and creativity.

“We are working to create a startup visa for foreign entrepreneurs, increasing the number of international students in the metropolis, opening work spaces for technological entrepreneurs, and more,” says Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Asaf Zamir.

In transportation, the Tel-o-Fun bike share project is underway and the city will be the first in the world to host a pilot of the SkyTran podcar system, developed by NASA. An electric car rental system is also being considered.

The latest achievement joins a series of titles won by the city recently: The Capital of Mediterranean Cool (by the New York Times), one of the world’s top 50 global cities (Foreign Policy), one of the world’s fastest-growing cities (Forbes), one of the world’s best beach cities (National Geographic), and one of the world’s 10 best cities for architecture lovers (CondeNast).

Tel Aviv was also ranked fifth in Mastercard’s list of the 10 most toured cities in the Middle East and Africa. It was also voted the Best Gay City of 2011 in an international American Airlines competition.
For the full YnetNews article click here.

Israel Trade & Economic Office, Embassy of Israel

Israel Trade & Economic Office

Meet the Israel Technology Companies at SXSW Interactive

March 8-12th, 2013, Austin Texas

Click on a company name to learn more about them

Moolta - Moolta is a content creation platform where users raise money for charity and personal causes by doing challenges on video. By blending crowd funding together with content creation, we add a new dimension to the way people create content online.

Anyclip - Anyclip enables a unique online video experience, leveraging its proprietary discovery platform, its hyper distribution network, highly relevant metadata tagging, premier content and claimonetization services to unlock new monetization opportunities for its partners.

Conduit - Conduit is the leading provider of cloud-based solutions that empower web and mobile publishers to engage their users anytime, anywhere across multiple platforms. Founded in 2005, Conduit was recently ranked as one of the world’s most valuable private tech companies, worth close to $1.5B in its latest valuation.

DeckDAQ -DeckDAQ makes collectibles and memorabilia part of the digital age. We have a unique social media gaming platform built around the experience of ‘collecting’ and ‘trading’ branded virtual items, similar to trading cards. Brands use the platform to tap the virtual goods economy and create new revenue streams.

Gigya - Gigya’s integrated platform provides everything a website or application needs to become social. Gigya's technology enables seamless registration with Social Login and Registration-as-a-Service, increases traffic and time spent on site via Social Plugins and Gamification, strengthens customer relationships through SocialPrivacy™ Certification, and transforms marketing by leveraging permission-based social identity data.

Jifiti - Jifiti has taken a unique approach to the offline-online commerce tension by giving users the ability to capture tangible products in real stores and turn them into digitally transmittable gift cards.  Once received, a user may use the digital gift card to redeem the item in-store and select the appropriate size, color, and style.

Kenshoo - Kenshoo is a digital marketing technology company that engineers premium solutions for search marketing, social media and online advertising.

Singr.FM - Singr.FM is a live audition and music creation platform that takes the existing YouTube & The Voice/X-Factor talent discovery experience to the next level.

Takes - Takes provides a new way to capture and share your experiences. Unlike all other cameras, Takes instantly transforms a series of separate, still photos into a real moving video. Takes effectively provides a brand new way for everyone to share the stories of their lives by simply doing what they already love to do, capturing still images on their phones.

Tracx - Tracx has engineered the most powerful real-time social data analytics architecture that runs data mining and analysis technologies to simplify social analytics and help enterprises understand what it all means - and take action.Tracx social media management software platform gives enterprises a highly advanced set of business analytics solutions designed to grow revenue and deepen customer relationships through the social web.

Yevvo - YEVVO is the best way to let the world experience what you see, with you. Instantly push live video to your friends' pockets and follow their lives in real-time. We are a free mobile-to-mobile platform that lets you instantly share live HD video with an unlimited number of subscribers' mobiles.

Israel Trade & Economic Office

Israel NewTech is launching an exciting new tool to showcase Israeli companies’ projects in the cleantech arena throughout the world – the CleanTech Map. This Facebook application allows visitors to view Israeli cleantech projects and installations anywhere in the world. Visitors simply go into the map, and search by either category and subcategory (for example – water- desalination) or by browsing the map. Visitors may then read about each project, view photos or clips, and contact the company.

“We’re very excited about this new application,” says Adi Yefet-Beeri, who is responsible for the water sector at Israel NewTech. “Our objective is to open doors for Israeli companies around the world, and to inform about Israeli technology innovations, and this is a perfect vehicle for doing so. We believe it will be a strong marketing tool that all Israeli cleantech companies – from water, to alternative energy, agriculture and environment – can benefit from and use to advance themselves internationally.”

“Israel is already known as an innovation leader in water and renewable energy,” says Ophir Gore, who is responsible for renewable energy at Israel NewTech. “We are showing that, beyond technology breakthroughs, Israel’s water and alternative energy industries are mature. There are hundreds of installations, functioning projects by both young and mature companies, providing cleantech services around the world.”

Oded Distel, head of Israel NewTech, summarizes, “Israel’s cleantech industry is experiencing a tremendous momentum. When the Israel NewTech program began its activity in 2006 Israel’s exports in the water sector totaled $600 Million, in 2011 they already reached $2 Billion. Our program is dedicated to continuing to provide maximum international exposure to Israel’s cleantech companies, and this Cleantech Map is another important tool in our efforts.”

You are welcome to visit the Cleantech Map and see Israeli companies’ projects around the world by clicking here. Some of Israel’s largest companies, along with innovative start-ups already have projects on the map, including: Amiad, Tahal, Chromagen, Diffusaire, Emefcy, Solaris Energy, Power Sines, Mapal, and Takadu. The projects span the world from Australia, India, Nepal, Mongolia in the East, to the U.S. Brazil, Mexico, Equador in the Americas, as well as Europe and of course Israel.

Israel Trade & Economic Office

In addition to this blog, our Facebook page and our LinkedIn page, we now have a Twitter page.  If you tweet, we welcome you to follow us on twitter for breaking news updates on business development and trade between Israel and the U.S. South!

We cover all sectors particularly the energy, medical and IT sectors.  We’ll also announce unique Hashtags for the events we are participating in so you can follow the live updates from Israeli and American companies at our events.

Got a twitter page you want us to follow?  Leave your @username in the comment section of this post and we’ll check you out!

Israel Trade & Economic Office

Israel NewTech reported that IDE Technologies will take part in the building and maintaining of what will be the largest desalination plant in the U.S., using the company’s reverse osmosis technology, under a deal that totals $650 Million for IDE. As reported in Globes, IDE  has signed a $150 million contract with one of the largest desalination ventures in the US to plan and supply equipment for the plant, which will be built near the Encina power station in Carlsabad, in San Diego County, California. Reuters estimated the plant to be a nearly $1 Billion project and stated that its objective is to help alleviate the region’s water shortage.

The facility, expected to begin operations in 2016, will produce 54 million gallons (204,412 cubic meters) of potable water each day, making it the largest sea water desalination plant in the United States, IDE said in a statement on Thursday.

The company also reached a 30-year operation and maintenance agreement with Poseidon Resources, which last week said it had secured $922 million funding for the project. Poseidon Resources, a subsidiary of Poseidon Water, said the treated water will be delivered into San Diego County’s water system.

The plant will use IDE’s reverse osmosis technology, which requires less energy and is friendlier to the environment than thermal-based systems. It is part of a plan to have 7% of the region’s water supply come from desalinated sea water by 2020.

“The Carlsbad Desalination Project is a significant milestone for us, California and the U.S. at large, as we believe it will set the stage for the future of desalination in America,” said Avshalom Felber (in WaterWorld), CEO of IDE Technologies Ltd. “For decades, we’ve successfully completed similar projects in countries all over the world, and we’re excited to be a part of what will be the largest desalination plant in the U.S.”

Waterworld also quoted Mark Lambert, CEO of IDE Americas, “Our view is that the Carlsbad project that we’re about to embark upon will accelerate both the visibility of desalination in North America and the ability of potential clients, both public and private, to understand how creative project delivery, creative finance and innovative process design allow these types of projects to happen. The movement in the U.S. toward desalination has been a long time coming, and we’re ready to lead the charge.”

IDE is also helping to construct the largest reverse osmosis plant in the world in Israel. The company is jointly owned by Israeli conglomerate Delek Group and Israel Chemicals.

Israel Trade & Economic Office

The most promising Israeli startups for 2013

This year Tel Aviv was named the 2nd best high-tech center in the world . Orli Yakuel, writing for TNW, gives us the rundown on the coolest Israeli startups to keep an eye on in 2013. Startups that started their journey only earlier this year and for which, the future shines bright.

Bazaart - People are definitely going to use this. First, the process of creating a collage from your own pins offers one of a hell of an user-experience, and the outcome is superb! Secondly, it is the best way to showcase your pins, all together, in one visual element. You can still see pins individually when flipping through a collage (or like this on the web), repin individual elements, or restyle the whole thing. Next I gather, Bazaart should add the ability to buy items right from their app, but right now, it’s all about mixing and styling everything on the web – And, it is a pure fun.

Flayvr – The reason I’m a believer in Flayvr is because I’m a person who takes tons of pictures daily, and every time I visit Flayvr, all of these moments that I have captured are organized in a way that I can enjoy and remember them. It’s a magical App, also a very important one, as we, all, are so busy with our lives, it is great to have an App that can make it easier to locate any memory you choose to from hundreds and thousands of photos. So far, over 1.5M photos and videos have been viewed and shared via flayvr.

Stevie – The first thing to love about Stevie is that the service works across major platforms, which is always good. With Stevie, I actually liked that I can play its music stream on the iPad and place it next to my laptop while I’m working. Surprisingly, it played some great suggestions by my friends, and I got to see updates from time to time without the need to be on Facebook. I still have some issues with its design, which I will tell you openly, I’m not crazy about. It looks a bit old fashioned but in spite of this, I found myself using it again and again and that what’s important.

TinyTap – The reason why I started iPad4kids was to separate the good apps available for children from the bad ones. TinyTap is definitely a good one. This app is not just for kids but for their parents as well, and might be the only App at the App Store that allows people the ability to create their own games, and then sell them through the TinyTap marketplace and through the App Store itself. When selling a game, publishers get 70% or the profit, and they can either publish it on TinyTap market for free (Tinytap only needs to approve it) or publish it on the Appstore for $200.  In Nov. 2012, TinyTap raised $500,000 in seed funding from Micro-Venture Capital Inimiti.

24me – 24me, the Next Generation Personal Assistant, launched two months ago, on the AppStore. It automatically generates daily tasks for users, based on their lives. Each task has a “completion button” to help the user execute the task easily from within 24me. There are more than 56,000 users that have downloaded the app. Additionally, just in the last two months alone, 3.5 Million tasks have been added to 24me by its users.

EatWith – When I first heard the concept of EatWith, it blew my mind. It immediately makes one think why on earth hasn’t this been around for ages already? EatWith offers every user, a global community that lets one enjoy an authentic and intimate dining experience in someone’s home when traveling to a new (or familiar place). Anyone can host a meal at their own house, and cook their own food. I guess an easier way to explain how it works is like Airbnb: you can either be a host, or a person that wants to be invited to dinner. The beauty is in the exploration of all the different cultures at hand. Let’s say you want to travel to Italy and eat a homemade cooked meal at someone’s house, like a local, now you can.

PowToon – It’s been awhile since we saw a new player in the presentation area. Ever since Prezi (which I adore), no application has swept me of my feet, nor have I seen any innovation in regards of presentations from other online services that have been around for awhile either. PowToon actually makes a difference with its unusual animation concept and very good execution. You don’t need to be a designer to create a presentation that will wow your friends or colleagues.

HeyStack  - HeyStack hasn’t launched just yet, but it has already won Techono.me for it’s innovative dating idea. The App will help people discover friends of friends and offer a great of toolset to enjoy time together with new friends. The reason why I choose HeyStack for this list, regardless of its Techono.me winning title, is first, its awesome UI, and secondly, the innovative features within the App, are features I haven’t seen in a dating app before, such as: VOIP, Text Messaging, Music video sharing, and more.

EventWith – I am a big fan of event-related services and can’t wait for someone to change something in this arena, so obviously, I was very happy to hear about EventWith. The service allows users to create events and assign their friends (from Facebook, or contact list) the tasks within the event.

Sentinel – Sentinel is a cyber-defense startup founded by 3 ex-checkpoint employees, aimed to build the next generation of antivirus software, that would help organisations and individuals to be protected from advanced, targeted and even unknown threats on their PCs and mobile devices. The technology uses real time detection mechanisms to detect any suspicious behavior on your device, preventing malicious code from running on it and cause damage.The start up is a part of the next class of Upwest Labs, and I would suggest to keep an eye on this one.

For the full TNW article click here.

Israel Trade & Economic Office, Embassy of Israel

Israel Trade & Economic Office