Laser Weapons Enter the Battlefield, Making History with Drone Interception

Israel has made history by becoming the first country to successfully intercept enemy drones using laser weapons in combat, said a report by NDTV citing tweets with videos of combat. The Israeli Air Force deployed prototype laser defense systems during the ongoing Swords of Iron War, marking a significant milestone in modern warfare.

This is amazing

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During the last war, Israel conducted operational testing of the Magen Or laser interception system, mainly in the northern region, and the system recorded operational successes in the field of interception. pic.twitter.com/elJcaNkXNQ

— Adi 🎗 (@Adi13) May 28, 2025

Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, these high-powered lasers direct intense beams of light at targets, using heat to disable or destroy them. Video footage released by Israel’s Ministry of Defense shows the system in action, igniting drone wingtips and causing them to crash. The technology is expected to complement Israel’s Iron Beam system, which is designed to provide cost-effective defense against drones and short-range projectiles.

 

This breakthrough could reshape air defense strategies worldwide, offering a cheaper alternative to traditional missile interceptors. However, laser-based systems still face challenges, such as reduced effectiveness in cloudy weather.

Laser weapons are rapidly reshaping global military strategies, offering speed-of-light interception, cost-effective defense, and precision targeting.

Israel’s Iron Beam system is designed to complement the Iron Dome, providing a cheaper alternative to missile interceptors. The system can neutralize drones, rockets, and mortar shells at a fraction of the cost.

BREAKING - During recent operations, the Israeli Defense Forces deployed the “Magen Or” (Shield of Light) laser interception system in the northern sector for testing.

The system successfully neutralized multiple hostile UAVs, including four Hezbollah drones, proving its… pic.twitter.com/EhCdbAsFeB

— Vanguard Intel Group 🛡 (@vanguardintel) May 28, 2025

The U.S. military has deployed Precision-High Energy Laser (P-HEL) systems to protect overseas forces. The HELIOS system, mounted on naval ships, is designed to intercept drones and incoming missiles.

China has reportedly tested Silent Hunter, a vehicle-mounted laser system capable of disabling drones and lightly armored vehicles. Recent sightings suggest its deployment on Type 071 amphibious ships, expanding naval applications.

India’s DRDO labs are working on laser weapons, aiming to integrate them into air defense systems. While still in development, India’s efforts signal growing interest in directed-energy solutions.

Traditional missile defense systems can cost millions per shot, while laser weapons operate at a fraction of that price.

Unlike missiles, lasers don’t require reloads, making them ideal for sustained defense. However, cloud cover and atmospheric interference can reduce effectiveness, requiring hybrid defense strategies.

Lenovo to Acquire Israel's Moshe Yanai-founded Infinidat

Lenovo has announced its plan to acquire Infinidat, an Israel-based provider of high-end enterprise storage solutions. This acquisition is part of Lenovo's strategy to expand its storage portfolio and enhance its capabilities in high-performance data storage.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, and the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

Infinidat's high-performance storage solutions, including the InfiniBox and InfiniBox SSA lines, will complement Lenovo's existing storage offerings. This will help Lenovo provide more comprehensive and differentiated solutions to its customers.

Infinidat's technology is designed to make data readily available for AI workloads, which aligns with Lenovo's focus on supporting modern data center needs.

This acquisition is expected to drive innovation and growth for Lenovo, providing new opportunities in the enterprise storage market.

Further, the acquisition will strengthen Lenovo's position in the high-end enterprise storage market, allowing it to compete more effectively with other major players like Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Dell.

Moshe Yanai

Moshe Yanai

Infinidat was founded by Moshe Yanai in 2011. Yanai is a well-known figure in the data storage industry, having previously co-founded EMC and led its development of the Symmetrix storage systems. In 2003, Yanai founded a startup called XIV Ltd., where he developed the first truly scalable grid storage system. IBM acquired XIV in 2007, for an estimated $300 million, recognizing the potential of the grid storage system. The technology was integrated into IBM's storage product lineup.

It must be noted that Yanai's innovative architectures and technologies have fundamentally changed how the world stores and uses data, making him one of the most influential leaders in the data storage industry.

As mentioned that Yanai is best known for leading the development of the EMC Symmetrix, a flagship product of EMC Corporation in the 1990s. Symmetrix was the first scalable network storage system in the market, which laid the foundation for modern cloud storage. It enabled large relational databases and became essential for enterprises, including banks and stock exchanges.

Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) feature of EMC Symmetrix played a crucial role in preventing financial chaos after the September 11 attacks by providing remote replication of data for critical financial institutions.

Moreover Yanai is an inventor or co-inventor of about 40 US patents in the field of electronic data storage.

In 2011, Yanai founded Infinidat with the mission of storing the world's ever-expanding volume of information. Infinidat's platform-native storage architecture is designed to deliver comprehensive data services and ultra-high performance for intense workloads.

Israel Launches ~$2 Mn Initiative to Recruit 200 AI Experts for Israeli Startups

Israel has launched a $1.96 million (NIS 7 Mn) initiative to recruit 200 AI experts for Israeli startups. This initiative is part of Israel's National AI Program and aims to address the global shortage of AI professionals. The program will target highly skilled talent, including foreign professionals, returning Israeli citizens, and individuals eligible under the Law of Return.

Organizations like Nish Hitech, which works with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Gvahim in partnership with The Jewish Agency, and ScienceAbroad in collaboration with Nefesh B’Nefesh will manage the recruitment, placement, and integration processes.

Israel, which ranks among the top 10 ecosystems for AI, has earmarked NIS 7 million ($1.96 million) to bring in at least 200 foreign experts over the next three years to help the country keep pace with the fast development and adoption of AI models around the globe.

It's a significant step towards bolstering Israel's position as a global leader in AI innovation.

Israel's initiative to recruit AI experts has garnered attention from various organizations and authorities. The Israel Innovation Authority, which is leading the initiative, has highlighted the critical need to expand Israel's AI talent pool to maintain its leadership in the field. The program is part of a broader strategy to address the shortage of skilled AI professionals in the country.

Several organizations are involved in managing the recruitment, placement, and integration processes. These include Nish Hitech, Gvahim in partnership with The Jewish Agency, and ScienceAbroad in collaboration with Nefesh B’Nefesh. The initiative aims to attract top-tier talent from around the world, including foreign professionals, returning Israeli citizens, and individuals eligible under the Law of Return.

The Israel Innovation Authority has also launched a tender worth NIS 10 million to attract foreign AI experts with advanced degrees and substantial industry experience. This move is designed to enhance the capabilities of Israeli high-tech companies and ensure long-term growth and innovation in the sector.

Israel Expressed Support for Adani Group Despite the Bribery Allegations Against Its Founder

Israel has expressed its support for the Adani Group despite the bribery allegations against its founder in the United States. Reuven Azar, Israel's envoy to India, stated that Israel wants Adani and other Indian companies to continue investing in the country. He emphasized that the allegations by U.S. authorities are "not something that's problematic" from Israel's perspective.

This support comes as the Adani Group faces scrutiny over allegations of bribery to secure solar power contracts. Despite these allegations, the group continues to receive backing from various international partners, including Israel.

The Adani Group has made several significant investments in Israel, including Haifa Port, the Adani Group holds a 70% stake in Haifa port, which is one of Israel's largest Ports. This investment is part of Adani's strategy to expand its global port operations.

Adani is also involved in the production of military drones in Israel, leveraging the country's advanced technology and innovation in defense systems.

The group has plans to manufacture commercial semiconductors in Israel, tapping into the country's expertise in semiconductor technology.

Cloudera Acquiring Israel-based Octopai's Data Lineage and Catalog Platform

Cloudera has announced its plans to acquire Octopai, an Israel-based company specializing in data lineage and catalog platforms. This acquisition aims to enhance Cloudera's metadata management capabilities, providing enterprises with improved data discoverability, quality, and governance.

Founded in 2016, by Amnon Drori, Gal Ziton, and Itai Kahalani, Octopai is an Israel-based startup company founded in 2016 that specializes in automated metadata management. Octopai - Data Lineage and Catalog Platform Business is a unit of Octopai.

The acquisition will bolster Cloudera's ability to manage metadata across hybrid environments, ensuring that enterprises have a unified view of their data.

Octopai's platform enables quick and efficient data discovery within complex, hybrid environments. The integration will help trace data origins and transformations, improving data quality and governance.

The combined capabilities will support AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics initiatives by providing trusted data.

Octopai's automated solutions help enterprises comply with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA through comprehensive data mapping.

The founders of Octopai, Amnon Drori, Gal Ziton, and Itai Kahaani, founded the company in 2016 out of frustration with the challenges organizations faced in understanding and managing large data systems. Their vision was to create an advanced automated data lineage platform to provide unprecedented visibility into data landscapes.

With this acquisition, Cloudera bolsters its rich metadata management with Octopai’s market leading data discovery and data lineage capabilities, enabling customers to understand and trust their data across not just the Cloudera platform but the entire enterprise ecosystem. Together, Cloudera and Octopai will help reinvent how customers manage their metadata and track lineage across all their data sources

This acquisition is expected to close before the end of November 2024 and will significantly enhance Cloudera's data management, governance, and AI capabilities.

Besides the recent acquisition of Octopai, Cloudera has been actively expanding its capabilities through strategic acquisitions. In 2021, Cloudera acquired Cask, a data engineering platform that helps organizations build and manage data pipelines more efficiently.

In 2019, Cloudera acquired Arcadia Data, a provider of a unified self-service data visualization and analytics platform.

In 2017, Cloudera acquired StreamSets, a data integration platform that simplifies the process of building and managing data pipelines.

Adani in Advance Talks with Two Large Israeli Tech Firms for Setting Up JVs for Its Semiconductor Business

The Adani Group has earlier announced its plans to enter the semiconductor manufacturing business and now, according to a latest report by the Mint, the conglomerate is planning an initial investment of $3 billion (approximately Rs 83,947 crore) for Its Semiconductor business, for over two to three years.

More importantly, the Adani Group is in advanced stages of discussion with two large Israel-based niche technology firms to form separate joint ventures (JVs) and get the technology transfer from these two Israeli companies, for its Semiconductor initiative.

As announced earlier, this ambitious project will be a joint venture with Israel's Tower Semiconductor and will be set up in Maharashtra's Taloja region.

The first semiconductor facility is likely to be ready by 2027, said the report citing the two persons. Besides Maharashtra, multiple semiconductor manufacturing sites in different states are also being explored.

To recall, on 6 September, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had mentioned in an address that the Adani Group plans to invest ₹83,947 crore (about $10 billion) in setting up a chip manufacturing plant in Maharashtra.

The facility will have an initial capacity of 40,000 wafer starts per month, expanding to 80,000 wafer starts per month in the second phase.

The facility was expected to produce a range of semiconductor components to meet the growing demand for advanced technology.

This move is part of a broader strategy to address the local talent shortage and boost India's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. The Adani Group aims to contribute to the country's self-reliance in semiconductor production and support the growing demand for advanced technology. 

Bharat Electronics and Israel's Aerospace Major Forms New JV Company for Lifecycle Support of India's MRSAM Air-Defence Systems

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have formed a joint venture company named BEL IAI AeroSystems Private Ltd. 

This new company, with its registered office in Delhi, will serve as the single point of contact for providing long-term product support to the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) systems used by India's defense forces.

The MRSAM system includes an advanced phased array radar, command and control shelter, mobile launchers, and interceptors with an advanced RF seeker. This system is used by the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, and also the Israeli defense forces.

This partnership marks a significant step in strengthening the relationship between the two companies, which have a long history of collaboration on strategic programs. The joint venture aims to provide life cycle support, both technical and maintenance-related, for the MRSAM air-defense systems.

BEL and IAI have a long history of collaboration on strategic programs for India's defense forces.

Last year in September, the two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities in the Short Range Air Defence Systems domain.

Moreover, BEL and IAI have also collaborated on developing tactical missile systems for India's defense forces.

Adani Partners Israel's Tower Semiconductor for $10 Bn Chip Manufacturing Plant in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has approved a joint venture between Adani Group and Israel's Tower Semiconductor to set up a $10 billion semiconductor manufacturing plant in the Navi Mumbai suburbs, specifically in the Taloja area of Panvel.

The project will be developed in two phases:

Phase 1: An initial investment of approximately ₹58,763 crore (around $7 billion) to establish a capacity of 40,000 wafer starts per month (WSPM).

Phase 2: An additional investment of ₹25,184 crore (around $3 billion) to expand the capacity to 80,000 WSPM.

This plant is expected to generate over 5,000 direct jobs and significantly boost India's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. However, the project still awaits approval from the Union government's India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).

Besides this, there are several other significant semiconductor and high-tech projects in Maharashtra.

RRP Electronics is setting up a semiconductor manufacturing project focused on Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) and chip production. This project is expected to significantly boost the state’s semiconductor ecosystem.

In addition, the Maharashtra government has approved multiple EV manufacturing projects across Marathwada, Vidarbha, Pune, and Panvel. These projects, with a combined investment of ₹1.17 lakh crore, are expected to create around 29,000 jobs.

Google in Talks to Acquire Cloud Security Company Wiz for $23 Billion

Google's parent company, Alphabet, is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire the cloud security company Wiz for approximately $23 billion. If this deal goes through, it would be Google's largest acquisition ever.

Previously, it was reported that Alphabet was in talks to acquire HubSpot, which too was said to be Google's biggest acquisition ever, if happened. However, the deal was eventually shelved by Alphabet Inc.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Alphabet is in advanced talks to acquire Wiz for around $23 billion. While the deal isn't finalized, the WSJ says it could come together soon.

Wiz offers an all-in-one approach to cloud security, scanning data from major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud for security risk factors. The move could strengthen Google's cloud business, which saw a 28% growth to $9.57 billion in Q1 2024. Wiz, founded by former Microsoft employees, had recently raised $1 billion in a Series E funding round at a $12 billion valuation.

Wiz provides a single cloud security command center for full control. It covers various security domains, including: Container & Kubernetes, Continuous Workload Protection (CWPP), Compliance, Vulnerability Management, Cloud Entitlements Analysis (CIEM), Misconfiguration Detection (CSPM), Sensitive Data Protection (DSPM) and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Scanning.

Wiz connects to every cloud environment (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.) and scans every layer, even elements that typically require installing agents.

Originally established in Israel and now headquartered in New York, Wiz specializes in cloud-based cybersecurity services. Its offerings include artificial intelligence-driven real-time threat detection and response systems. In 2023, Wiz generated approximately $350 million in revenue, and its clientele reportedly includes 40% of Fortune 100 companies.

Wiz recently secured $1 billion in a funding round, which brought its valuation to $12 billion. Investors included Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Thrive Capital.

Wiz's operations span across various cloud platforms, including services from Microsoft and Amazon. Its diverse customer base includes companies like Morgan Stanley and DocuSign.

This potential acquisition aligns with Alphabet's strategic moves in the tech sector, especially as regulatory scrutiny on Big Tech mergers continues under the current US administration.

Deloitte Acquires Israel-based OpTeamizer That Specializes in NVIDIA-powered AI Solutions

Deloitte Acquires OpTeamizer to Enhance Generative AI Capabilities for NVIDIA AI Solutions

With acquisition of OpTeamizer, Deloitte expands analytics practice to help clients transform their business with deep learning models and next-generation AI solutions

Deloitte, on Monday, announced it has acquired the operations of OpTeamizer, an AI, Generative AI and accelerated computing company specializing in the development and implementation of AI solutions running on NVIDIA accelerated computing. With the acquisition, Deloitte expands its high-performance computing engineering capabilities, helping clients harness the power of Generative AI, supercomputers, and Edge AI to increase automation, optimize business processes and realize greater business value.

"As Generative AI transforms the way we work, Deloitte has continued to invest intentionally and strategically to help our clients innovate at speed. OpTeamizer broadens that value further by bringing deep high-performance computing experience to Deloitte's full stack AI capabilities and alliance ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to unlock new opportunities with AI and scaling our capabilities to help solve our clients' most complex business and AI challenges with the addition of the OpTeamizer team to our business," said Jim Rowan, AI Market Activation Leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP.

“The addition of OpTeamizer’s business to Deloitte’s analytics practice serves as a natural next step in Deloitte’s ever-expanding Generative AI and data portfolio and solutions suite. Combining OpTeamizer’s deep experience with NVIDIA technology and Deloitte’s existing AI talent will help our clients access market-leading accelerated computing power and create deep learning models that can deliver new capabilities, value, and a competitive advantage,” said Deborshi Dutt, principal and AI leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP.

A member of the NVIDIA Partner Network, OpTeamizer brings extensive experience in NVIDIA training workshops, NVIDIA-accelerated high-performance computing (HPC) technology, the NVIDIA Jetson platform and development on NVIDIA CUDA to Deloitte. The OpTeamizer team of AI engineers and data scientists will join Deloitte to focus on expanding NVIDIA technology applications and areas of device-based AI and sensing for client applications across several industries, including life science and health care, security, aerial systems and autonomous vehicles. Building on Deloitte’s recent acquisitions of SFL Scientific, National TeleConsultants LLC, Giant Machines, HashedIn Technologies, Dextra Technologies, and Optimal Design, OpTeamizer enhances the entire AI stack for Deloitte clients, helping them to maximize the impact of their compute and infrastructure investments at scale.

“We are excited to join the world’s largest consulting organization, and together we will leverage OpTeamizer’s research and development capabilities to seize opportunities and enter new sectors. We are in a pivotal moment for AI and accelerated computing — a time when NVIDIA accelerated computing is an engine that drives a wide range of AI-based applications. Together, we will expand and deepen the value we provide to clients,” said Tomer Gal, founder, OpTeamizer.

Acquiring OpTeamizer’s business underscores Deloitte’s commitment to investing in the capabilities clients need to transform their businesses and builds on Deloitte and NVIDIA’s alliance relationship. The acquisition follows Deloitte’s recent expansion of its strategic alliance with NVIDIA to unlock the value of Generative AI across enterprise software platforms and the launch of Quartz Atlas AI, a life sciences and healthcare Generative AI solution built on NVIDIA technology. Deloitte is also working with NVIDIA to establish an Ambassador AI program to help clients advance their AI journeys using NVIDIA AI Foundation Models and the NVIDIA NeMo framework for building and customizing Generative AI models, which is part of NVIDIA AI Enterprise software.

Deloitte continues to scale its AI capabilities, alliances and offerings following the introduction of its Generative AI practice in 2023. With a full spectrum of tailored AI services and its deep industry and domain knowledge, Deloitte supports clients at every stage of their transformational journey, from developing AI strategies to building and implementing GenAI solutions that enhance productivity and deliver greater client impact. Deloitte is infusing Generative AI capabilities across its own enterprise rolling out purpose-specific Large Language Models (LLMs) and chatbots to support specialized teams across its business. These tools are applied with Deloitte’s Trustworthy AI™ framework to manage AI risks and improve user confidence and trust. Additionally, Deloitte is increasing AI fluency, training more than 120,000 professionals via the Deloitte AI Academy™ and investing more than $2 billion in global technology learning and development initiatives to boost skills in AI and other areas.

Israeli Business Conglomerate Halman-Aldubi Group Partners CEF Group India to Convert Slaughterhouse Waste into Fish Food for India

The efforts will revolutionize the Indian meat/poultry industry through effective slaughterhouse waste management

Being the 3rd largest fish-producing country, India accounts for 8% of global fish production, making this step an important endeavour in boosting the fish industry.

With technology and innovation as the key, both the companies from India and Israel are focusing on using a waste-to-value approach and driving new economic opportunities

CEF Group, a leading Indian organization dedicated to waste management, has partnered with Halman-Aldubi Group, a renowned Israeli company with expertise in finance, energy, climate, and technology management solutions, to convert slaughterhouse waste into protein-rich food for fish. Aiming to revolutionize waste management practices in the slaughterhouse industry, this partnership between CEF Group and Halman-Aldubi Group will ensure slaughterhouse waste management implementation in India in alignment with the commitment of India and Israel towards sustainability and innovation. By converting slaughterhouse waste into fish food, the collaboration addresses key environmental challenges while promoting a circular economy and waste management innovation.

Maninder Singh Nayyar CEF Group , Mr Rony Halman, Chairman, Halman- Aldubi Group and Juliane Schubert

The primary objective of this collaboration is to provide a valuable and eco-friendly solution for the utilization of slaughterhouse waste. Instead of being discarded or having negative environmental impacts, the waste will be harnessed to produce nutrient-dense food for fish.

"The collaboration between CEF Group and Halman-Aldubi Group signifies our joint commitment to addressing global challenges in waste management, environmental sustainability, and the production of high-quality fish feed," said Mr Maninder Singh, Founder & CEO, CEF Group. "India plays a vital role in global meat exports as it has significant livestock resources. The poultry, livestock, and fisheries sectors contribute to over 6% of India's GDP, highlighting their economic importance. As the demand for nutritious food continues to rise, both in India and globally, the demand for meat is expected to follow suit, thereby contributing more to slaughterhouse waste generation. If this slaughterhouse waste is not managed properly, it can have detrimental effects on the environment leading to soil contamination, water pollution, foul odour, air pollution and disease transmission, ultimately affecting industry growth. Therefore, CEF Group is bringing forth this joint initiative to handle and manage slaughterhouse waste responsibly and mitigate these environmental and health concerns.”

Halman-Aldubi Group, with its expertise and cutting-edge technology, will ensure that the converted fish feed meets the nutritional requirements for optimal growth and health of fish. One notable aspect of this collaboration is the advanced technology employed in the conversion process.

“This pioneering technology uses a steam process to sterilize the input feed while guaranteeing a process free from burning or pollution. Moreover, the plant design optimization allows for the establishment of a 60-ton-per-day input feed plant in just 300-metre square of space. The plant can be set up within slaughterhouses, maximizing efficiency and convenience. This slaughterhouse waste can be utilized for various processes like Anaerobic Digestion, Enzymatic Hydrolysis, Rendering, Insect Bioconversion, Microbial Fermentation and Algae Cultivation. From waste reduction, recycling resource conservation and reduced harmful impact on the environment to enhanced fish health and nutrition and cost-effective and sustainable feed production, this initiative can bring a groundbreaking change”, said, Mr Rony Halman, Chairman, Halman- Aldubi Group.

CEF Group and Halman-Aldubi Group have also worked out possibilities to export the outcome products to foreign developed countries, ensuring export-quality materials. This not only contributes to waste reduction and resource conservation but also creates economic opportunities and fosters international collaboration. As part of their shared vision, they also aim to establish a model that can be replicated and scaled up in various locations, fostering a widespread positive impact on waste management practices and the agriculture industry.

About CEF Group

It is an energy solutions company with a vast portfolio and solutions expertise. CEF has waste processing plants coming up in Srinagar, Ahmedabad, Jammu, Muzaffarnagar and various other locations in the country and four plants outside India as well. CEF is an established name in Renewable Energy, Organic Manure, Retail, Ayurveda, and Capacity Building. It delivers reliable, clean, green and smart business models for the global waste processing sector. CEF Group harnesses natural takeaways from the planet and brings humanity closer to sustainable solutions compatible with processes that contribute to making this world greener.

Website link: https://cefgroup.in

Golda, The Largest Israeli Ice-cream Franchise Chain With 130+ Branches, Launches Its Ordering and Delivery Experience Using DelivApp SaaS Platform

TEL AVIV, Israel, March 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golda, the largest Israeli ice-cream franchise chain with over 130 branches in the country, launches its own delivery service using the platform of an Israeli startup DelivApp

“Today, delivery has evolved from a nice-to-have to one of our core offerings,” explains Yaron Golan, CEO of Anita Group & Golda Ice Cream. “Wolt and other third-party platforms did a great job educating consumers, but we could no longer ignore the economics. Golda chain operates at the forefront of innovation, and the launch of our new delivery app is our way to improve our service and allow millions of our customers enjoy exclusive benefits, for example, collecting bonus points in the digital wallet. The new app will also allow us to reach additional customers and continue growing our market share. While selecting a technology vendor, we conducted an in-depth due diligence in Israel and abroad. We chose DelivApp, their stellar platform and the team made the decision simple for us.”

Users of the new Golda app, enjoy an online ordering experience similar to the one Golda stores provide. The digital menu features a wide variety of flavors, toppings, yogurt and more. Digital customers benefit from special offers and promos, collect, and spend loyalty program bonus points. Those who prefer to order by phone can also do so easily via a call-center. Once an order is placed, it goes to a selected branch, from which it is automatically dispatched to Golda’s own courier fleet or to one of its partners such as Yango Delivery, Wolt Drive or a local provider. The entire process from ordering to delivery is powered by the DelivApp platform.

“Our mission is to allow businesses like Golda to establish themselves as digital brands and run online operations that are both delightful for customers and profitable for businesses,” says DelivApp’s co-founder and CEO Yan Zagatsky. “Today, this is critical more than ever: if you only rely on delivery aggregators, you compromise on your profit margins. Our product helps our customers to build a solution that is tailored to their unique needs, sell directly to their consumers, serve them well and win their loyalty.”

About DelivApp

DelivApp is a SaaS platform for managing and orchestrating on-demand food delivery. Headquartered in Israel, DelivApp serves restaurants and delivery fleets globally and provides them with a white-label marketplace ordering experience, loyalty program, merchant portal and app, dispatcher’s dashboard, courier app, consumer tracking functionality, access to external fulfillment options, and more.

About Golda

Golda, the largest Israeli ice-cream franchise chain, established in 2010 by the Avital family, who led the ice cream revolution in Israel, starting with the Anita Gelato chain in Tel-Aviv, which has become an international brand. Today, Golda operates more than 130 branches in Israel.

Contacts

Katya Rozenoer
Mobile: +972545439934
Email: katya-r@delivapp.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b7fcac6-cd61-4f89-8208-fa0eff9ca56e

Technology Development Board of DST Forays Into Aquaculture, Funds Its 1st Aquaculture-Project That Uses Israeli Tech

Fountainhead's Aquaculture Site [Image - fafpl.co.in]

Inspired by Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, and to bring ‘Blue Revolution’ TDB-DST supports its first aquaculture project

Realizing the potential of Fisheries sector, Government of India has taken several steps to promote and encourage fisheries & aquaculture in the country. Last year in July, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched the Online Course Mobile App “Matsya Setu” to disseminate the latest freshwater aquaculture technologies to the aqua farmers of the country.

In a latest now, Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body under Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India has funded its first ever ‘Aquaculture’ project using ‘state of the art’ Israeli technology for production of Tilapia Fish. The board has supported Navi Mumbai-based Fountainhead Agro Farms Pvt Ltd. (Fountainhead), for ‘Advanced, Intensive, All Male Tilapia Aquaculture Project with Israeli Technology’, says today's press release by Ministry of Science & Technology.

TDB has penned an mutual agreement, to provide loan assistance of Rs. 8.42 crores out of the total project cost of Rs. 29.78 crores to the company.

‘Tilapia’ has emerged to be one of the most productive and internationally traded food fish in the world. The culture of tilapia has become commercially popular in many parts of the world and the fishery experts have dubbed the tilapia as “aquatic chicken” due to its quick growth and low maintenance cultivation. Today, if any fish that could be named as global fish, no better name can be thought of than Tilapia.

In order to facilitate the culture of Tilapia in India in responsible manner, Fountainhead envisages setting up of a complete production line (from breeding to full fish) in Mudhol (Karnataka). The company aims to produce 500 tons of Tilapia, to be grown from the imported parent broodstock ‘Hermon’ from Nir David Fish Breeding Farm, Israel.  

Hermon is a hybrid of two selected strains of Tilapia, namely Oreochromis Niloticus (Male) and Oreochromis Aureus (Female), and is known for special characteristics such as high growth rate; resistance to low temperature.

Fountainhead Site in construction for Aquaculture [Image - fafpl.co.in]

Fountainhead initiated the conventional fish farming of Indian Major Carps (IMC) at Mudol, Karnataka by converting the sugarcane fields to earthen ponds and drawing water through pipelines from the river. It specialized over the years to grow particular breed of IMC from seedling stage to full grown fish, most conducive to the water and soil properties of the established Site location spreading over 16 acres of land.

The company has adopted advanced Israeli Technology from Aquaculture Production Technology Limited (APTIL), Israel (under Technology Service Agreement signed in October, 2020) for land locked locations through closed loop farming for arid zone with seasonal water supply from rivers, which may be replicated throughout India in multiple arid landlocked locations with reasonable water sources. In order to suit Indian conditions, the complete engineering of the facility is tuned as per the requirement of site conditions such as land availability, water availability, weather conditions, availability of the surrounding resources, soil conditions, topography.

Mr. Rajesh Kumar Pathak, IP&TAFS, Secretary, TDB said that, “The Govt. of India has placed special attention to fisheries sector with a view to uplift fishermen community of India economically through ‘Blue Revolution’. The sector holds vast potential for export, especially the ‘Tilapia Fish’ considering its huge demand in the global market. Also, the imported technology being ‘one of its kind’ will be a great addition to Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the ambitious scheme of Hon’ble PM, which aims to double the export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore from fisheries sector.

Fisheries is one of the fastest growing sectors amongst the primary producing sectors. The sector plays a vital role in economic and overall development of the country, also referred as the “sunrise sector”, it is poised to bring in immense potential through equitable and inclusive growth. The sector is recognized as a powerful engine for providing employment to 14.5 million people and sustaining livelihood for 28 million fishermen community of the country.

A couple of months back, AquaExchange, a full-stack, tech-driven platform serving India’s multi-billion-dollar shrimp & fish ecosystem, had raised $3 million in Pre-Series A funding from Endiya Partners and Accion Venture Lab, and others. AquaExchange’s IoT-powered technology helps India’s shrimp and fish farmers improve productivity and increase profits

Notably, to promote fisheries the cabinet under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister, came up with ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)’ to bring about ‘Blue Revolution’ through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector in India.

The PMMSY scheme targets to enhance fish production to 220 lakh metric tons by 2024-25, at an average annual growth rate of about 9%. The ambitious scheme also aims to double the export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore and generate about 55 lakhs direct and indirect employment opportunities in fisheries sector over a period of next five years.

Paralyzed People May Walk Again as Israeli Researchers Successfully Engineered World's 1st 3D Human Spinal Cord Tissue Transplant

Representational Image

Israel’s TAU Breakthrough Offers New Hope to Help People with Paralysis Walk Again

Researchers from the Tel Aviv University successfully engineer world's first 3D human spinal cord tissue transplant

Paralysis from spinal injury has long remained untreatable. Could scientific developments get people affected on their feet again sooner than imagined? In a worldwide first, Tel Aviv University researchers have engineered 3D human spinal cord tissues and implanted them in a lab model with long-term chronic paralysis, demonstrating high rates of success in restoring walking abilities. Now, the researchers are preparing for the next stage of the study, clinical trials in human patients. They hope that within a few years the engineered tissues will be implanted in paralyzed individuals enabling them to stand up and walk again.

How to Reverse Spinal Injury?

"Our technology is based on taking a small biopsy of belly fat tissue from the patient,” explains Prof. Tal Dvir who’s research team led the study. “This tissue, like all tissues in our body, consists of cells together with an extracellular matrix comprising substances like collagens and sugars. After separating the cells from the extracellular matrix we used genetic engineering to reprogram the cells, reverting them to a state that resembles embryonic stem cells – namely cells capable of becoming any type of cell in the body."

TAU - Visualization of the next stage of the research - human spinal cord implants for treating paralysis

From the extracellular matrix the researchers produced a personalized hydrogel, that would evoke no immune response or rejection after implantation. They then encapsulated the stem cells in the hydrogel, and in a process that mimics the embryonic development of the spinal cord, turned the cells into 3D implants of neuronal networks containing motor neurons.

The human spinal cord implants were then implanted in two different groups of lab models: those who had only recently been paralyzed (the acute model) and those who had been paralyzed for a long time (the chronic model) – equivalent to one year in human terms. Following the implantation, 100% of the lab models with acute paralysis and 80% of those with chronic paralysis regained their ability to walk.

The ground-breaking study was led by Prof. Tal Dvir's research team at the Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University. 

TAU (Left to right) Dr. Yona Goldshmit, Prof. Tal Dvir and Lior Wertheim Credit Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology

The team at Prof. Dvir's lab includes PhD student Lior Wertheim, Dr. Reuven Edri, and Dr. Yona Goldshmit.  Other contributors included Prof. Irit Gat-Viks from the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Prof. Yaniv Assaf from the Sagol School of Neuroscience, and Dr. Angela Ruban from The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, all at Tel Aviv University. The results of the study were published in the prestigious scientific journal Advanced Science.

Getting Patients Suffering from Paralysis Back on Their Feet

Encouragingly, the model animals underwent a rapid rehabilitation process, at the end of which they could walk quite well. This is the first instance in the world in which implanted engineered human tissues have generated recovery in an animal model for long-term chronic paralysis – which is the most relevant model for paralysis treatments in humans.

“Our goal is to produce personalized spinal cord implants for every paralyzed person, enabling regeneration of the damaged tissue with no risk of rejection,” says Prof. Dvir.

Based on the revolutionary organ engineering technology developed at Prof. Dvir's lab, he teamed up with industry partners to establish Matricelf (matricelf.com) in 2019. The company applies Prof. Dvir’s approach in the aims of making spinal cord implant treatments commercially available for persons suffering from paralysis.

Prof. Dvir, head of Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, concludes -

We hope to reach the stage of clinical trials in humans within the next few years, and ultimately get these patients back on their feet. The company's preclinical program has already been discussed with the FDA. Since we are proposing an advanced technology in regenerative medicine, and since at present there is no alternative for paralyzed patients, we have good reason to expect relatively rapid approval of our technology.

ABOUT STUDY IN ISRAEL: 

The Council for Higher Education of Israel launched the Study in Israel initiative to promote internationalization in the Israeli higher education system and attract international students. The initiative focuses on increasing awareness of Israel’s excellent academia and research while communicating the distinctive, engaged approach to education that Israel offers students. Through “Study in Israel” students from all over the world are invited to “Engage in Excellence”. For further information, log onto - https://studyisrael.org.il/.

Ola Electric Invests in Israeli Battery-Tech Firm StoreDot

Ola Electric, the EV arm of Ola, has made an undisclosed multi-million-dollar investment in Israel-based StoreDot, a battery technology company that develops "extreme-fast charging" batteries for electric vehicles (EV), a press release said.

Storedot is bringing in XFC (extreme fast charging) technology which can charge EV battery in just 5-minutes. The company is planning to mass produce the same in a few years. The company is also working on a 2-minute charge technology that will be commercialized over the next 10 years.

The fresh funding from India's Ola comes as part of StoreDot's Series D investment round. It will be used for research and development and to accelerate the scaling up to mass production its silicon-dominant anode XFC lithium-ion cells, which will be initially capable of delivering 100 miles of range in 5 minutes of charge by 2024.

With this strategic investment, Ola Electric is planning to incorporate and manufacture StoreDot's extreme fast charging battery technologies for future vehicles in India.

StoreDot has claimed to have developed a battery for mobile phones based on organic compounds that fully charges in 30 seconds, a scooter battery based on germanium that fully charges in under five minutes, and a silicon-based electric vehicle battery that charges fast enough to add 300 miles of range in under five minutes.

However, it is to be noted that the CEO of StoreDot acknowledged in 2015 that its scientific claims  have not been scientifically peer-reviewed.

Ola is planning to set up a gigafactory to manufacture battery cells in the country to meet the demand created by the Futurefactory where its S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters are made. 

Ola had submitted bids for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage under the government's PLI scheme and a recent report said that the company is eligible for the PLI exemption for the battery. The government approved the PLI scheme for ACC batteries to achieve 50 giga watt hour (GWh) of manufacturing capacity to augment the country's manufacturing capabilities with a budgetary outlay of Rs 18,100 crore.

Reposify Raises $8.5 Mn Seed Round Tackling the Security Threats from Unknown Internet-Facing Assets

Yaron Tal (Left), CTO & Founder, Uzi Krieger (Right), CEO 

Organizations’ constant digital footprint expansion creates major security blind spots. Reposify delivers the only Google-like search platform that enables enterprises to safely evolve in the cloud by seamlessly detecting and managing all exposed internet-facing assets.

Israel-based Reposify, a leading External Attack Surface Management (EASM) provider, announced today that it had raised seed round funding of $8.5M from two US-based VCs, Joule Ventures and First Rays Venture Partners, alongside several industry expert angels. Recognized by Gartner on its 2021 Emerging Vendors list for EASM, Reposify provides a platform enabling security teams to detect, prioritize, and manage all exposed internet-facing assets that are centralized or remote across on-premise, subsidiary, cloud, or third-party assets.

The need for visibility into external-facing assets and its related exposures has dramatically increased due to a growing number of digital transformation initiatives, such as shadow IT, weakening of the enterprise perimeter, and increased work from home options. Reposify created an algorithm that automatically identifies and associates every internet-facing asset with the organization that utilizes it.

SoFi CISO Hilik Kotler, an advisor to the company, said, “Reposify’s robust solution allows DevOps teams to work freely without compromising security. At the same time, it enables cybersecurity teams to identify and prioritize the risk of any web-facing asset. “Kotler added, “Now, teams can avoid ‘asset drift’ when deployments mature, providing an additional layer of monitoring and detection to better control infrastructure and security posture."

Reposify Team

Reposify’s Google-like search platform is seamless, requiring no installation or onboarding. “Reposify’s technology revolutionizes cloud security management. It is the fastest solution to prioritize and understand where security teams should be spending time and ensure nothing is left behind”, said Amit Sridharan, co-founder, and managing partner at First Rays Venture Partners. Reposify addresses this specific CISO pain point with a 24/7 engine that scans the entire internet, including internal assets, allowing security leaders to minimize alerts and data overload while remaining agile in protecting the entire IT network.

Platform Screenshot

During the last year, Reposify has tripled in size and continues to expand its market reach. Recently, the company onboarded Uzi Krieger, an experienced business executive, as CEO to spearhead its growth. “These are exciting times, as Reposify is taking a key role in shaping the way companies move faster and easier while securing their internet-facing assets,” said Krieger. “This is the essence of security as a business enabler."

Platform Screenshot

The funding will enable the company to expand its R&D team to meet its customer’s growing needs and expand its activity in the U.S. market. Speaking of Resposify’s unique positioning, Dafna Winocur Biran, partner at Joule Ventures, said, “Reposify has a unique combination of top-notch technology, inspiring and seasoned leadership, and a real solution for an acute need that is only going to grow over time"

Reposify was founded to help organizations take control of their external attack surfaces by providing complete and continuous visibility and actionable insight at scale. The company reinvented internet mapping, changing the cybersecurity landscape. In 2021, Reposify was recognized by Gartner on its 2021 Emerging Vendors list for External Attack Surface Management (EASM).

Joule Ventures is a U.S.-based seed fund enabling Israeli founders to tackle complex technical challenges within industry-leading enterprises. The firm has $100M+ in AUM and invests in cyber security, data, Cloud, and AI/ML solutions destined for growth and scalability in the United States. More information is available at www.joulevc.com

First Rays Venture Partners specialize in seed-stage investments in Enterprise Infrastructure Stack and B2B SaaS. They bring a specialized focus on meeting the specific needs of founders in the scale-up to Series A. The fund brings significant value beyond capital.

First Rays invests around mega-trends that are changing the landscape for enterprise IT.  These trends are disrupting the way software is being delivered and consumed in the enterprise landscape.

Microsoft Veterans-founded Zenity Comes Out of Stealth with $5Mn as the Only Company to Secure Low Code/No Code Applications

Zenity Team

Microsoft and IDF unit 8200 veterans established the only company to secure Low-Code/No-Code applications. “Zenity enables governance and security principles, accelerating citizen development growth,” said Ben Kliger, co-founder and CEO of Zenity.

Zenity, the only governance and cybersecurity platform for Low-Code/No-Code applications, exited stealth mode with a $5 million seed funding round, led by Vertex Ventures and UpWest, and backed by top executives such as the former CISO of Google, Gerhard Eschelbeck, and former CIO of SuccessFactors, Tom Fisher. With Zenity, businesses can promote citizen development and adopt Low-Code/No-Code platforms while avoiding critical data exfiltration or disruption to business continuity.

Today’s digital revolution is powered by platforms that democratize application development and enable rapid quality deliverables. Traditionally, IT and development teams developed applications. Now, teams utilize Low-Code/No-Code platforms such as Salesforce, Microsoft Power Platform, and others to develop applications in minutes. With this new employee independence, CIOs, CISOs, and relevant stakeholders are looking to ensure that business units and citizen developers are free to improve productivity without compromising security. Without governance and security practices, organizations are unintentionally vulnerable to exfiltrating sensitive data or exposing the organization to breaches and ransomware attacks.

Ben Kliger, co-founder and CEO of Zenity (Left) & Michael Bargury, co-founder and CTO of Zenity (Right)

"Companies are heavily adopting Low-Code/No-Code, without realizing the risks it employs nor their part in the shared responsibility model,” said Zenity co-founder & CEO Ben Kliger. “We empower CIOs and CISOs to seamlessly govern their Low-Code/No-Code applications and prevent unintentional data leaks, disturbance to business continuity, compliance risks or malicious breaches.”

To provide governance and security for such applications, teams must assess the business logic, security configuration, permissions model, and data flows. Already working with Fortune 500 companies using their platform, Zenity continuously scans every application component identifying security policy violations. This can include vulnerabilities, such as risky 3rd-party components and exfiltration and manipulation threats, including supply chain attacks.

“The challenge is mitigating the risks and security threats associated with Low-Code/No-Code solutions without disturbing the business,” said Tom Fisher, Zenity advisor and former CIO of Oracle, Qualcomm, CTO of eBay. “Zenity provides the perfect combination of governance and security tools with a pro-business approach that helps business developers build with confidence.”

Ben Kliger and Michael Bargury worked at Microsoft on the Azure and cloud security teams. Michael Bargury, co-founder and CTO of the company, said, “Low-code brings huge ROIs to Fortune 500 companies by democratizing application development and aligning development with the business. However, it also bypasses existing security approaches, making it easy to store sensitive CRM data on personal accounts, share credentials, and execute arbitrary code, allowing attackers to remain hidden while maintaining full control”

These funds will allow them to expand R&D, product, marketing operation, and customer acquisition activities while allowing businesses to experience unprecedented growth, made available by today’s digital revolution.

Agritech Startup CORNEXT Selected for Indo Israel Cohort Program

Team CORNEXT

Agritech startup CORNEXT selected for Indo Israel Cohort Program jointly launched by Startup Nation Central, Israel, TiE Hyderabad and TiE Israel

CORNEXT, an agritech startup that offers low-cost, innovative quality feeding solutions for Indian Dairy Farmers, is one among the seven startups selected from India for the ‘Indo Israel Cohort Program’ jointly launched by Startup Nation Central, Israel, TiE Hyderabad and TiE Israel. The first cohort of the program will focus on innovations in the agritech sector, and the shortlisted startups will undergo speaker sessions and workshops on sensitization to Indian/ Israeli culture, business culture, perspectives on local market, consumer behavior and exposure to high-growth sectors in both countries. The first cohort of the mentoring programme includes startups with the potential for social and economic impact. The eight-month program will help startups get access to insights on new technologies, new markets and help in creating new opportunities.

Founded in 2015, Hyderabad based Cornext is focused on building a fodder ecosystem to help Indian Dairy Farmers with a sustained supply of fodder. India is the world's largest producer and consumer of milk, owing to its massive cattle population. However, milk productivity in India is one of the lowest in the world, mainly due to fodder shortage and lack of preservation techniques. India is home to more than 30 crore cattle, and more than 50% of them suffer from severe starvation. Fodder shortage is a major issue in the Indian dairy sector, and this gap in demand and supply will continue to further increase by 2030. Cornext was founded with an aim to address this problem and provide a convenient solution to access quality fodder.

Cornext started out by introducing a disruptive technology called Silage Baling, a naturally fermented, highly nutritious, ready-to-eat green forage packed in the form of Silage Bales by using imported technology. 

After tremendous success with its first product, Cornext decided to take the idea across India by developing India's first indigenous Mini Silage Baler machine through which farmers could produce their own silage. Priced at only 1/10th of the cost of imported machinery, Cornext has made it affordable for any farmer to become a fodder entrepreneur by simply setting up the Mini Silage Baler machine. This approach not only encourages more farmers to become fodder entrepreneurs, but also decentralizes silage production, thereby reducing logistics cost. 

Over 200 baling units have now been set up across India, creating a network of rural fodder entrepreneurs. The baling technology developed by Cornext is creating a new age fodder entrepreneurial ecosystem, bringing global technology to local dairy farmers at a very optimum cost. Cornext also offers to buy the silage produced by the rural fodder entrepreneurs, thus becoming the marketing link between fodder entrepreneurs and dairy farmers.

Cornext is soon launching a first of its kind mobile app “FeedNext” which offers low-cost quality feeding solutions such as baled silage, TMR (total mixed ration), fortified hay, mineral mixtures, feed supplements, etc to dairy farmers. The new e-marketplace ‘FeedNext’ will be a one-stop-shop for all feeding requirements of dairies.

Cornext Entrepreneurs

Founded by three first generation entrepreneurs Madhav Kshatriya, Amarnath Sarangula and Feroz Ahmed, Cornext has taken an integrated approach to help dairy farmers. Madhav, an MBA from Australia and a dairy farmer himself has an in-depth understanding of the pain points of a dairy farmer. Amarnath, an IITian, with experience in strategic planning, integrates proprietary baling technology with decentralized rural entrepreneurial ecosystem. Feroz, a logistics expert, brings innovation in low-value-high-volume logistics. Despite not having a background in veterinarian nutrition, the founders bring together complimentary skills to address the most pressing issues confronting the Indian dairy industry.

Madhav Kshatriya, CEO of CORNEXT, said, “We are excited to be selected for the Indo Israel Cohort program in the agritech category. At Cornext, our overarching goal is to make quality fodder easily accessible to dairy farmers in India. Till date, we have received a tremendous response for our offering, and we will continue to introduce solutions that solve a significant pain point for India's dairy farmers. This recognition further strengthens our commitment to ensure easy availability of affordable and quality fodder for increasing profit margins of farmers and creating livelihood opportunities for the unemployed. We look forward to engaging with other startups in the cohort and learning from key business leaders from India and Israel's startup community”

Commenting on the program, Mr. Ranvijay Lamba, Program Co-Chair, Board Member at TiE Hyderabad said, “We are delighted to help some very innovative startups from India and Israel in their journey to make a meaningful difference. The aim of this program is to encourage innovation and technology partnership for startups, and to give them the right mentoring opportunities for guidance on different aspects of the business. After a very rigorous selection process, we have selected 7 startups from India and 5 startups Israel in the categories of Smart Farming, Precision Agriculture & Farm Management offering, Novel & Alternate Foods and Food Tech. The shortlisted startups are already doing some incredible work in their respective areas. We are glad to assist them and provide the required support to grow their business further".

About CORNEXT

Cornext is a ‘National Best Startup Award’ winning AgriTech Company, that is developing easily accessible feeding solutions for the Indian dairy industry while nurturing rural entrepreneurship across India. The company’s focus is in forage solutions & producing silage, haylage and animal nutrition for dairy farms. Founded by a team of experienced entrepreneurs with deep rooted understanding about the Indian dairy Farming sector, the team at Cornext is regularly involved with policy consultations with the Government of India to find solutions to the problems plaguing Indian Dairy farmers. Since its inception, the company has supplied more than 1 lakh metric tonnes of baled silage to various customers across India.

About TiE:

TiE is a non-profit organization devoted to entrepreneurs in all industries, at all stages, from incubation, throughout the entrepreneurial life cycle. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation. TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) is a go-to network of 15000+ global entrepreneurs across 61+ cities in 14+ countries.

About Startup Nation Central, Israel

Start-Up Nation Central (SNC) is a non-profit organization that helps tackle global challenges by connecting Israeli technologies with multinational corporations, governments, investors, as well as NGOs from around the world. Its chief mission is to promote technological innovation originating from Israel – to the world.

Paras Aerospace India Launches Universal UTM from High Lander Israel Enabling BVLOS Missions in India

Collaboration to enable BVLOS missions through Universal UTM and Cloud Mission control platform

Paras Aerospace Private Limited, India, a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited announces the launch of Universal UTM product for enabling Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) with High Lander, Israel, an industry-leading drone technology provider with significant experience in the aviation field. The association with High Lander will allow professionals and commercial establishments to enjoy best-in-class drone features, mission efficiency and automation from preflight authorization to mid-mission changes and post-flight logs through an easy-to-use dashboard with the Universal UTM and Mission Control platform products.

With increased volumes of Drone use, it is important to bring in products to support Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management, or UTM. Drone traffic is a relatively new concept, but traditional aircraft have been slowly taking over our skies for over a century, and that industry can serve as a foundational model for understanding how the future of drone traffic will be managed. Universal UTM from High Lander is a complete airspace control platform that offers the next-generation UTM solution for managing increasingly crowded skies and enables efficient management of all aspects of airspace control with the concept of universal integration of diverse autopilots. 

The system can serve as an enabler for the BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) missions in India.

The High Lander Mission Control Platform gives complete control over the drone operations by solving the key obstacles limiting drone fleets. The platform builds, saves, and automates both recurring and ad-hoc missions through their intuitive operations center. It also controls all aspects of the missions from takeoff to landing. This allows for both complex and real-time tasks (including changes while in action), all from the comfort of the dashboard. 

High Lander cloud-based mission control platform is best suited for high end applications such as drone deliveries and perimeter inspection. The drone can be operated from any location in the world with an Android/IOS Device connected to the drone or on-board installation of High Lander protocol for all commercial DJI drones, Parrot drones, Proprietary Autopilots and Pixhawk based drones via the Internet. The High Lander Mission control platform provides live feed from the UAV to the ground control station with complete access to flight mission data.

Commenting on the exclusive partnership Mr. Pankaj Akula, CEO, Paras Aerospace said, “The UTM solution provided by High Lander offers the unique capability of Universal Integration by which multiple UAVs from diverse Autopilot and Ground Control Station Software can be managed. The system has already been tested in the BVLOS project at Israel. The collaboration showcases the growing strength of India Israel collaboration. The software-only technology integrates with any off-the-shelf drone and custom-built drones.”

“In line with the Indian Government’s policies for making India the Drone Hub of the World, Paras Aerospace envisions building the strongest strategic vision for India’s Drone Ecosystem by providing the crucial and relevant High-End Products,” he adds.

“Our Universal UTM solution autonomously manages all of that traffic in real time, giving it significantly more control than other systems that cannot actually do anything to ensure safe skies after takeoff. The clients around the globe have been using Technology Solutions to manage Robotic Aerial Security, Border Patrol operations, First Responders and Public safety, Surveying and mapping along with Drone Delivery networks. Indian Drone market has reported an upward trajectory and it is a great privilege to have a reputed partner in India like Paras Aerospace, a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited who has exhibited more than 30 years of excellence in delivering defense systems and exclusive manufacturing processes”, said Alon Abelson, High Lander’s CEO.

About Paras Aerospace Private Limited:

Paras Aerospace Private Limited, a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited, provides solutions for various requirements of UAVs for both hardware and software. The company offers a wide range of Development, Integration, Manufacturing and Certification of UAV systems. The prime verticals of the company include Military UAV, Industrial UAV, Indigenous Payload Development, Drone Detection Systems, Regulatory Compliance Products and an Agriculture focused UAV. The company has long standing partnerships with leading UAV Technologists from Israel, Latvia and Italy. The team of Paras Aerospace comprises Ex-Aerospace scientists with expertise across Manned and Unmanned Aircraft.

About High Lander:

High Lander provides a scalable, software-only platform, which enables coordinated air continuity, autonomous flight, and intelligent air space control. These drone fleet management systems have the ability to massively change many industries, from emergency services to utilities, agriculture, delivery, and more. Led by Alon Abelson, CEO, an experienced IAF (Israeli Air Force) high rank officer who served as a traffic control commander in the military for over 20 years, and a cutting-edge technologist 4 startups founder, Ido Yahalomi, CTO. High Lander’s team of outside-the-box thinkers relish the most difficult of challenges. Together, they create the flightpath for companies large and small to fully realize the potential of drone technology.

Technion, Israel Announces Robotraffic Competition Open to Indian School Students

Image - technion.ac.il

Technion– Israel Institute of Technology announces the 12th edition of the Robo Traffic Competition conducted by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The competition will be held virtually between March 6 – 10, 2022.

Technion's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is a global leader in the research and development of robotics, with world renowned expertise in theoretical and practical implementations of robotic devices in various industries. The faculty believes that pre-university educational activities are crucial for stimulating interest in the next generation of students and therefore has established the Leumi Robotics Center (LRC). LRC will be hosting and providing necessary assistance to students entering this competition.

The Nadav Shoham Robotraffic Competition was created to give students a hands-on experience in providing high-tech solutions to challenges. The main challenge of this competition is to build an autonomous robotic car model that can move according to the traffic rules, obey traffic lights and signs, signals, and keep a safe distance from other cars. The goals of the competition are to develop sensors and systems to be implemented in the industry to reduce the number of car accidents, expose students to the high tech multi-disciplinary area of robots and sensors and build team-work capabilities among them.

Technion Campus

The Robotraffic competition is open to Indian school students between grades 10th to 12th. The students can participate in teams of 1-8 and can be advised by a teacher, although the construction must be solely done by the students. The categories of the competition include:

• Careful Driving.
• Racing.
• Reverse Parking.
• Traffic safety initiatives.
• 3D CAD.

First place winners in the Careful Driving category receive a full one-year scholarship to Technion International*.

Full competition rules are available at: https://robotraffic.net.technion.ac.il/virtual-robotraffic-rules/

Important dates:

• Registration: December 31st, 2021.
• Submission: March 1st, 2022.
• For participation requests please write toapply@int.technion.ac.il
• For assistance in the competition please write torobotraffic@technion.ac.il

*Prizes will be awarded per student only once.

ABOUT STUDY IN ISRAEL: 

The Council for Higher Education of Israel launched the Study in Israel initiative to promote internationalization in the Israeli higher education system and attract international students. The initiative focuses on increasing awareness of Israel’s excellent academia and research while communicating the distinctive, engaged approach to education that Israel offers students. Through “Study in Israel” students from all over the world are invited to “Engage in Excellence”. For further information, log onto - https://studyisrael.org.il/.