Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem Blog

In addition to my work as a business coach, one of my interests is blogging about life in Israel. This is a country full of contrasts – over eight million citizens living in an area the size of Wales. You can see snow and the lowest place on the globe in the same day. Although surrounded by geopolitical extremes, Israel has achieved a decade of high economic growth. My work brings me in contact with an array of new companies, exciting technologies and dynamic characters. Sitting back with a relaxing cup of strong tea (with milk), you realise just how much there is to appreciate in the Holyland. Large or small operations, private sector or non profit, my clients provide experiences from which others can learn and benefit.

Another week zips past and yet more overseas money is invested in Israeli start ups. China’s e-commerce giant, Alibaba ploughed US280 million into Tango. Cyvera, a data protection company that has only been around for three years, is about to be acquired for US$200 million by Palo Alto Networks. And so the list goes on.

Also this week, I was invited to a networking event for Angel investors in Jerusalem. There were several start ups in the crowd, and some were given 15 minute presentation spots.

The key point is that what I was observing was the next set of Tangos and Cyveras. Here are the three that caught my eye:

CellBuddy recently won the coveted prize at the Barcelona 2014 Mobile fest for the most innovative company in the start up category. Led by Ofir Paz, a successful serial entrepreneur, Cell Buddy will empower mobile users to choose their own operator, whenever and wherever they are. When the company releases its first product during the summer of 2014, market calling prices are set to tumble.

Not by chance, Ofir pointed out that only 12 months previously, Israel’s Waze had been nominated as the best mobile app at Barcelona. By the summer, it had been purchased by Google for over 0ne billion dollars.

Doogma also benefits from the expertise of an experienced high-tech team. As the website says, the company offers an interactive approach for companies to sell their products on line. And a video demo shows just how practical the service is.

The company launched its first version in late 2013 and has already seen a healthy level of initial sales. Its global market is vast, an application that can used in the clothing market, furniture, jewelry and more.

Inpris offers hundreds of millions of visually impaired people the opportunity to use screen-based hardware just like everyone else. The technology does not rely on further ad-ons. Effectively, the company has found a way to adjust the equipment to the needs of the individual, which has secured for them several pilot projects. Steve Jobs would have been delighted with this approach.

In Israel, everyone know the phrase “Danger! Border ahead. Do not continue”. With some irony, Israel has acquired a healthy reputation in the field of hightech, And one reason for that is how entrepreneurs ignore the limits of the existing rules. Here’s to Barcelona 2015?

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