Inside Israeli Innovation

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Maayan Shahar, managing director of UST Spark - the software company's open innovation program. Maayan's role is focused on identifying Israeli startups with potential and integrating them into UST's portfolio, and in this episode, she shares the expertise she has gained in this role as well as nearly 20 years in the tech industry. Eve and Maayan discuss tips and tricks for aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups, with a focus on strategic partnerships and scaling - two areas of Maayan's expertise.

This week's host Abigail Rubinstein, interviews Oded Rozenberg, co-founder and CEO of Apollo Power, in The Jerusalem Post Studio to discuss Apollo's novel, innovative, lightweight, and flexible solar panels. Rosenberg describes how the new lightweight design could allow someone to charge their phone from a portable solar charger or even construct much larger solar panels than is possible today. He also describes that these solar panels can have very important applications for "off the grid" businesses that won't have access to a regular electricity supply. Using lightweight solar panels also has implications for defense technology.

This week, host Abigail Rubinstein, interviews Shaul Shulman, the founder and CEO of SafeFields Technologies, a startup that focuses on the exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMF) within cars. Shaul will discuss the effects of the radiation and potential health problems for drivers with excessive exposure. Shaul also discusses the short history of SafeFields and its rapid rise, the science behind in-cabin radiation, and implementation in order to protect drivers. As SafeFields has opened to the Israeli public, global rollout will soon follow. Join Abigail as she takes a look at the effects of EMF and uncovers the groundbreaking ideas on how to keep people healthy and safe with new technology.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Noam Solomon - CEO and co-founder at Immunai. Immunai is a biotechnology company working to comprehensively map and decode the immune system with single-cell biology and AI to make new therapeutic discoveries, accelerate drug development, and improve patient outcomes. Noam will talk about how Immunai uses AI and machine learning to make medical advancements, and explain what machine learning is in laymans terms. He will also explain what kind of team is best suited to face the challenges of a complex, deep science problem like mapping human immunity.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Irad Renan, Co-Founder & CEO of Weme - a non-profit platform for volunteers. Irad and his co-founder created Weme in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel and the Israel-Hamas war, after seeing how much help was needed, and how much Israelis wanted to give to and support each other. Weme is helping to overcome frictions in the volunteering market by helping connect those in need to those who can offer help - and users can both ask for and offer help, according to their needs. About Inside Israeli Innovation: Your go-to podcast for all things to do with innovation in Israel. Join Eve Young as she delves into the heart of Israel's tech and business scenes and uncovers the groundbreaking ideas and visionary minds working to shape the future. Join her each week as she shines a spotlight on the latest trends and entrepreneurial spirit propelling Israel to the forefront of global innovation.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Yaky Yanay, the CEO and President of Biotechnology Research company Pluri. Yaky is also the former Co-Chairman and a current Board Member of the Israel Advanced Technology Industries (IATI) - the largest umbrella organization representing the life science and hi-tech industries in Israel. Pluri is using cell-based technology to do everything from curing radiation sickness to creating large amounts of meat and coffee from a small sample. Yaky will share how the technology has increased some radiation exposure survival rates from 30% to 100% and how one machine can take a tiny sample and turn it into 80,000 coffee plants. Yaky will talk about what these things mean for the future of healthcare and food production, especially in the age of global climate change. He will also explain why it's important in business to take existing industries into consideration and work together to take industries into the future rather than…

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Gili Fleekop and Noam Biton, the co-founders of Pink Chili - a boutique, gen-Z social media agency. Noam and Gili will explain what makes their approach different and why authenticity and "showing rather than telling" are so critical in social media marketing these days. They will share about the challenges of working in the world of social media and being a proudly Israeli company in an age where anti-Israel sentiment is commonplace online. Noam and Gili will also share the challenges of founding a company in Israel and how they combine American and Israeli know-how to give Pink Chili an edge. Join Eve Young as she delves into the heart of Israel's tech and business scenes and uncovers the groundbreaking ideas and visionary minds working to shape the future. Join her each week as she shines a spotlight on the latest trends and entrepreneurial spirit, propelling Israel to the forefront of global innovation.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies's Fareed Mahameed, a climate resilience & environmental public health expert. Fareed will explain what climate resilience is and why it is necessary in a world so impacted by climate change that extreme is the new normal. Fareed also manages the off-grid hub in Alfura village, a bedouin community in the Negev. The hub supplies the local highschool with electricity, water, wastewater treatment and more, and Fareed will explain how this hub could be a pilot for the future of climate rights. Join Eve Young as she delves into the heart of Israel's tech and business scenes and uncovers the groundbreaking ideas and visionary minds working to shape the future. Join her each week as she shines a spotlight on the latest trends and entrepreneurial spirit, propelling Israel to the forefront of global innovation.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Adina Kraus - Founding Partner and CEO at InnoSource Ventures, an independent innovation division of the Swiss family office Toledo Capital. Adina will talk about the impacts of October 7 and the Israel-Hamas war on the Israeli startup ecosystem. She will highlight success stories of companies who managed to excel in spite of the war's challenges and tell us what characteristics these companies showed. She also talks about challenges faced by Israeli startups and innovators in the wake of the war and where the Israeli economy is today. Adina also touches on the importance of looking to markets outside of the US, and shares how InnoSource helps startups to do this. She explains the relationship between startups and family offices, and offers tips for how startups' approach should differ when working with family offices as opposed to with venture capital firms.

This week, The Jerusalem Post’s Yuval Levy and Abigail Rubinstein interview AION Labs CTO Dr. Yair Benita. Yuval, Abigail, and Yair will talk about recent advancements in the AI pharmaceutical industry, as well as the work AION Labs is doing to propel technological innovation in the field of drug development. Yair will discuss his venture studio’s collaboration with major corporations such as Pfizer, Merck, Teva, AstraZeneca, and Amazon to support independent Israeli startups as they pursue solutions to some of the biggest challenges in the medical field. He will also dive into the details of AI in the scientific world and what the future holds for the world of medicine.

his week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Riverside Co-Founder and CPO, Gideon Keyson. Eve and Gideon will talk about how Riverside grew from a platform to host live debates he set up with his brothers in his spare time, to a one-stop-shop for podcast recording used by Marvel, Netflix, and Hillary Clinton, among others. Gideon will talk about the impacts of the Israel-Hamas war on the company and about a special project Riverside did in collaboration with Israel Police to collect testimony from survivors of the Nova festival massacre. He will also talk about innovation in Israel, AI, and how Riverside stays ahead of the game and at the forefront of change.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Intel's VP Startup Ecosystem Tzahi (Zach) Weisfeld, who also heads startup accelerator Ignite, and Intel Capital Managing Director Roi Bar-Kat. Roi will talk about Intel's investment arm, Intel Capital, getting into why a corporation even wants an investment arm and what Intel Capital's focus is. Tzachi will discuss the changes Intel Ignite is going through as it relaunches outside of Intel. He will also explain what makes Ignite different from your standard accelerator. Tzachi and Roi will share their takes on the future of AI and other new deep tech and discuss what we should be excited about, and maybe worried for. Both will touch on the impacts of Intel's huge restructuring, which included mass layoffs, on their work and will get into the challenges and successes of Israeli entrepreneurs during the Israel-Hamas war. Tzachi and Roi also touch on "soft skills" and mental health - discussing the importance of these,…

This week, guest hosts Ellie Esquenazi, Corey Tusak, and Raquel Frohlich, interns at The Jerusalem Post, interview Israeli meat cultivation companies. Interviewed in the podcast was Aleph Farms CTO and co-founder Dr. Neta Lavon, who is a biotechnology specialist, also with a degree in Food Sciences. Lavon discusses the challenges and processes of meat cultivation, delving into the science behind the lab-grown meat and the camaraderie between competitors in the Israeli industry. Also interviewed in the podcast was Forsea CEO and co-founder Roee Nir, who founded the startup company from Strauss Group FoodTech hub “The Kitchen.” Nir explains the process of the cultivated fish products such as eel and how they managed to reach a breakthrough of cell density in their products. Nir also speaks to the ethical dilemmas surrounding the cultivated meat industry.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews co-founders Shai Goel and Tomer Biton, who together are working to help "miluimnikim" (reservists) transition from their reserve duty to the hi-tech ecosystem with their project - MiluimTech. Shai, the CEO, and Tomer, the COO, are working to help reservists who have never been in the tech sector or reservists who were working at tech companies but faced challenges or were fired after extended periods of reserve duty during the Israel-Hamas war. The two will talk about how they encountered the problems faced by reservists, which included cold shoulders from employers and illegal firing, and how they are working to solve these by raising awareness and helping reservists network and connect to key players in the field.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews revenue AI company Gong's Senior People Business Partner Liraz Wishkovsky, and senior DevOps engineer Noy Meir. Liraz and Noy focus on Gong's Glow program - designed to advance women at Gong from senior tech positions to managerial positions. Liraz, who led the program, explains how the company realized a need for one, and Noy, who participated, explains how the program helped her. The two discuss challenges for women in tech, how Gong is fighting to help their employees overcome these, and how the company is also working to change the systems that perpetuate these challenges in the first place.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Keren Shurkin, Director of the UK-Israel Tech Hub at the British Embassy in Israel and Ronit Applebaum, the hub's Healthcare Innovation Lead. Keren and Ronit will talk about economic and tech diplomacy, what they are and how they can connect nations. They will explain how economic ties are used to bolster diplomatic ones, and how the UK-Israel Tech Hub at the British Embassy in Israel is part of this. Keren and Ronit will talk about the hub's role in connecting innovators across the UK and Israel and how they help Israeli entrepreneurs prepare for work in the UK market. They will discuss the importance of "soft skills" in innovation and talk about how the hub stays on the cutting edge of tech. They will also talk about their experience as women in tech, why representation is important for better innovation, and how the hub is working to support representation of a diverse population.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Oracle's Senior Vice President, Partner and Operations Strategy, Leah Yomtovian. Leah shares what drew her to tech, and how she ended up at Oracle. She will also talk about Oracle's transition from a product-oriented to a service-oriented company, and what the company's part is in the artificial intelligence boom. Leah and Eve will talk about how large companies view and advance innovation and how they work and interact with smaller startups. Leah will also touch on her experiences as a woman in tech, and share tips for women interested in the field. She will talk about Oracle's commitment to Israel - where it comes from and what it means.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews generative AI coding platform Qodo's CEO and co-founder Itamar Friedman and Venture Capital firm TLV Partners, Partner Brian Sack. Eve, Brian, and Itamar will discuss what makes a good investor-founder relationship and what the most important parts of Brian and Itamar's relationship are. They will share red and green flags for investors and founders to look out for when exploring work together. Itamar will explain how Qodo uses AI to help developers write quality code and the future of AI for coding. He will also talk about the relationship between innovation and academia. Brain will talk about what makes early-stage startups a different kind of challenge and opportunity for investors, and what he likes about this.

On this week’s episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, this week's hosts Corey Tusak and Ellie Esquenazi take a deep-dive into Aardvark Israel’s Tech Track.This gap-year program specializes in preparing students for the Israeli technology industry. During their 9 month-long stay in Israel, students on the Tech Track spend one semester taking computer science courses, where they learn to code in various programming languages. During their second and final semester, participants work as interns at different startup companies and tech businesses in Israel. They utilize their coding expertise at these internships and are able to become fully integrated into the Israeli workforce. Within the episode are interviews with Eitan Kiperman, Aardvark’s Tech Track coordinator, Maya Michaeli, a current student on the program, and Emily Poltrack, a former participant in the Tech Track. These three individuals share their thoughts on Aardvark’s program as well as provide insight into their personal experiences while on the…

Guest hosts Ellie Esquenazi and Corey Tusak, discuss some of the innovative stories breaking this week with a key theme of Israeli resilience and effects of the Israel-Hamas war. Among other exciting articles, Corey and Ellie share the story of Noga Sela Shalev, founder of Fresh Start - a food technology incubator, who was evacuated from her home in Kiryat Shmona and discuss how the war has affected her business and other startups, according to Calcalist. Corey and Ellie also discuss the influx of startup Israeli business migrating to Miami following the Israel-Hamas war. The city has become a booming spot for business people and entrepreneurs alike, Calcalist highlights. They also discuss the Israeli state-owned company, Rafael Advanced Defense System Ltd after their announcement of their latest defense capabilities.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Ravid Granov, the founder of Mami, a podcast aiming to support families handling the mental illness of their loved ones. Ravid will explain where the idea for the podcast came from, and why she and her team are seeking to support the families of those dealing with mental health issues. She will talk about cycles of shame and stigma that surround mental health, how they created challenges for Mami's team, and how Mami is seeking to break these cycles.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Yehuda Niv, Founder & CEO of Spines - an online book publishing platform. Spines creates another option for authors beyond traditional, untraditional, and self publishing options, and it uses AI to drastically shorten the timeline for publishing a book or audiobook. Yehuda will share how he came up with the idea for Spines, and how he took it from an idea to a business. He will share about the importance of publishing and, in a broader sense, of storytelling. As an entrepreneur who has founded companies by bootstrapping and by fundraising, Yehuda will also compare these two paths and share which works best for him.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Tal Lev-Ami, co-founder and CTO of Cloudinary - a technology company that provides cloud-based image and video management services. Tal will tell us about how Cloudinary is using generative AI to help companies use images in a better way. He will also touch on the potential risk of using gen AI with images and how these risks can be minimized. He will tell us about how the company is defining the standards of how images should be used on the web - literally, through work with the International Organization for Standardization. Tal will talk about why Cloudinary bootstrapped rather than raised funds in its earlier stages and what advantages this had for the company. He will also talk about the company's values and culture and how they make Cloudinary a better company.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Didi Gurfinkel, Co-Founder & CEO of Datarails - an AI-powered financial planning and analysis platform. Datarails is using AI to change how Microsoft Excel users do financial planning and analysis. Didi will tell us about why the Datarails founders decided to work to fix a problem arising from the use of a product rather than trying to replace it. He will also explain the importance of product-market fit and tell us about Datarails' journey to find it. He will talk about how he fell in love with coding and how this sent him on his path to tech, and he will touch on his education - why he dropped out of high school, and why this didn't hold him back.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Ofer Shalev, CEO and co-founder of a startup that is using nanotechnology to prolong the life of stage-four metastatic cancer patients without adverse effects to their health. Ofer will explain how the fact that cancer cells are more sensitive to heat than healthy cells enables New Phase to use electromagnetic hyperthermia technology to target tumors. He will also share the story of how he and co-founder Dr. Rafi Hof started the company, inspired by Rafi's mother Sarah's battle with cancer and tell us about the company's nanotechnology, Sarah Nanoparticles - which are named after her. He will also touch on the importance of the diversity, both of personal and professional backgrounds, of his company's employees, and how it makes their work better.

This week, in a special Tu B'Av episode, host Eve Young - economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post and The Jerusalem Post's Molly Myers discuss AI innovation in dating apps. Tu B'Av is a Jewish holiday associated with love. Today, especially in Israel, it is often seen as a Jewish version of Valentine's Day. Dating apps use machine learning algorithms and tools to help users find love. This episode explores various apps, including two Israeli platforms that incorporate not only AI and technology but also traditional matchmaking techniques. The episode focuses on how these apps and others have transformed the dating world, highlighting the pros and cons of the rapidly evolving landscape. Eve and Molly also address concerns about privacy in dating apps and how these technologies use personal information.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Amitai Carney, co-founder of an AI project that helps Israelis and pro-Israel activists do better hasbara (public diplomacy) on social media. The tool uses AI to help Israelis overcome language barriers and cultural gaps by optimizing their comments or posts. It customizes suggestions based on the audience, the social media platform, and the region. Amitai also discusses the importance of continued dialogue and engagement; and what he thinks about whether social media can be a platform for real dialogue. He describes a new workshop his team created for highschool students that helps them do better hasbara and supplements the online tool.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young: Season 2, Episode 25. This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Omri Shalev, co-founder and CTO of Reeco - an AI-based hospitality procurement company. Omri explains how he, and co-founder and CEO Henrik Shimony, learned about the disadvantages of the low-tech procurement systems normally used by hotels, and how they took their experience and turned it into a solution for these problems. Omri shares tips and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially for those who relocate to advance their businesses. Omri also touches on the differences between the Israeli and US ecosystems, and how he learned to bridge the gaps involved in taking his Israeli business to the US.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Mickey Haslavsky, CEO and founder of Enso, a company making all kinds of services accessible to small businesses using AI bots. Mickey will explain what AI agents are, and what makes them different from the chatbots we are more familiar with.He will also explain what Enso does, and how it is using AI to help companies with everything from social media management to hiring. Eve and Mickey discuss what the ability to use AI agents to provide services might look for the service industry and its workforce, and how AI agents can help small businesses. Mickey will also talk about what it was like to found a new company in Israel during the Israel-Hamas war - what challenges he faced, and why he would do it all over again.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young: Season 2, Episode 23. This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Dr. Karny Ilan, CEO and co-founder of femtech startup Feminai. As a team of female co-founders, the Feminai team ran into interesting reactions from potential investors, including meeting investors who told them that they needed a man on their team, Ilan explained on the podcast. Karny and her co-founders, CTO Shani Klein Antman and CPO and R&D Gal Yanuka, are working to create an at-home breast cancer screening device that utilizes AI. Karny will also tell us about the challenges the femiai founders have encountered along the way, especially as a team of female founders and talk about how her team is breaking through glass ceilings. She will explain the importance of diversity for innovation, and talk about how a lack of diversity has led to poorer healthcare for women.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young: Season 2, Episode 22. This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews CEO Yair Amsterdam and VP of R&D Hila Geva from Verbit, a company using artificial intelligence to create captions and transcribe and to then analyze these transcriptions in real-time. Yair and Hila explain how their products can help professional like lawyers to analyze court testimonies and even compare them to documents in real-time to find contradictions or provide other insights. They also touch on how and why they are keeping humans "in the loop" and working with the AI, rather than trying to replace professionals with technology, and how this can revolutionize the field.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young: Season 2, Episode 21. This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews online ground transportation booking platform, Travelier's Omer Chehmer – Co-Founder & COO, and Noa Greenfield - Brand & advertising leader. Omer and Noa explain how Travelier is working to make land travel accessible to travellers all around the world, even in remote locations, or areas where ticket purchases are typically still made in person. They talk about how Travelier is working to take the uncertainty out of foreign land travel, especially for women, with their tailor-made safety feature. They touch on how this innovation was an employee's idea, and more generally, how a diverse group of innovators can produce better innovation. Omer and Noa share about the complexities, on both a technical and cultural level, of working in such a global environment; and share about their close work with local vendors in the countries in which they operate.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young: Season 2, Episode 20 This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Zack Levine, end-to-end Payment Services Provider Checkout's Vice President & General Manager, Israel. Zack explains how online payments work and how Checkout is striving to optimize this process and make it as smooth as possible for both consumers and companies. He also talks about why the company is moving into Israel, and what kind of talent he has encountered in the Israeli ecosystem. Eve and Zack also discuss the importance of resilience - why he sees so much of this in Israeli workers, and why it is important in the tech world.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young: Season 2, Episode 19. This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Einat Mesterman, director of the strategic program for quality employment in east Jerusalem in the Strategy and Innovation Department at the Jerusalem Municipality Einat explains what barriers residents of east Jerusalem with tech and STEM degrees are facing when looking for employment, and how the municipality's "EastTech" hi-tech center is working to address this. She also talks about the importance of reaching out directly to populations that are underrepresented in companies, and how role models make a difference. Eve and Amy also discuss how and why the City of Jerusalem is investing in innovation hubs in east Jerusalem and how they hope this will impact the city in the long run.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Amy Ariel, Chief Marketing office of Komodor, an Israeli tech company helping other companies manage Kubernetes at scale. Amy explains what Kubernetes is, how it impacts all of us as consumers and how Komodor is helping companies use it better. She also talks about the democratizing impact tech, and especially open source code, can have. Eve and Amy also discuss how and why Israel became a leader in cloud computing and what it's like being a woman in the Israeli tech scene.

This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Liran Zelkha, Co-founder of Lili, a fintech company making life easier for small businesses in the US with their software solutions. Liran explains how Lili is using artificial intelligence to help small business owners get the information that they need to make the right business decisions. He also talks about how AI is impacting fintech, and how multiple AI models can be used in tandem to improve the answers it gives users. Eve and Liran also discuss how technology can be a force for equality and accessibility, how it can make expensive services available to small business owners, and help level the playing field.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young: Season 2, Episode 16. This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Michael Braginsky, Co-founder and CTO of Aidoc, an Israeli tech company that develops computer-aided triage and notification systems. Michael explains how Aidoc is using artificial intelligence to help doctors do their jobs better. He also talks about how AI is impacting health tech, and how health tech can change our lives as patients and as healthcare professionals. Eve and Michael also discuss the relationship between entrepreneurs and those in the industry in which they are working, and how this improves innovation. They also touch on what makes Israel a great place to innovate (hint, it has to do with good old Israeli chutzpa).

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young This week, host Eve Young, economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Doron Zaur, founding partner at Earth and Beyond Ventures - an early stage venture capital fund focused on investing in Israeli deep tech and space tech. Doron explains why deep tech may be harder to replicate and how it can lead to incredible and unexpected innovation. He touches on quantum, and shares how he thinks artificial intelligence fits into the Israeli innovation ecosystem. Eve and Doron also discuss the relationship between Israel's industry and government, and how this relationship can push Israel's innovation to new frontiers.

The Inside Israeli Innovation Podcast with Eve Young This week, incoming host Eve Young, chief economics correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, interviews Emma Lipski, a principal at early-stage venture capital firm 10D, which works with Israeli entrepreneurs. Emma explains how venture capital influences innovation and shares exciting trends in Israel's start-up space to be aware of. Eve and Emma also discuss how innovation can impact inequality, especially in healthcare, and discuss the business case for femtech.

An Israeli technology company that a famous US gaming company acquired has developed a platform to fight censorship of October 7 massacre videos on social networks. Get to know Mavens and what makes the company tick in this week's episode of Inside Israeli Innovation. Then, host Maayan Hoffman will speak with Liat Ashkenazi, senior vice president of engineering at Own Company. A passionate innovator, Ashkenazi is committed to building strong engineering teams and fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous learning to achieve business goals and customer satisfaction. Finally, we flip over to an interview with Dr. Dorit Rozner, chief technology officer at the Kitchen FoodTech Hub, who talks about the future of food technology and how it could be the secret sauce to Israel’s food security.

This week, on Inside Israeli Innovation, host Maayan Hoffman delves into climate technology, talking with two industry leaders about whether the country's advancements could play a pivotal role in combating global warming and saving the planet. Guy Cherni, co-founder and managing partner of Climate First, and Karina Rubinstein, Venture Partner at the InNegev technology incubator, explore why Israel is so far behind in meeting its climate change goals and the potential of its technology to help bridge the gap. A report released in March by the state comptroller raised a red flag on Israel's alarming lack of progress in addressing the country's climate crisis. Comptroller Matanyahu Englman and his team highlighted the government's failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, take preventive measures against global temperature rise, adopt climate change risk management policies, address economic and financial concerns, and establish a suitable framework for tackling climate issues. So, why should you care about…

In this week’s episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, Maayan Hoffman kicks off the show with a conversation with RealEye Co-Founder and CEO Kevin Cohen, who delves into its cutting-edge technology to detect, identify, and rapidly extract threats, vulnerabilities, fraudulent activity, distinctive personas, and suspicious activities in the areas of law enforcement, intelligence, law enforcement, military ane cross-border activity. Can this Tel Aviv-based intelligence and security venture stop terrorists before they attack? Then, we talk to two Israeli-founded insurance technology companies that are revolutionizing the industry in the United States. Next Insurance is a standout insurtech company founded in 2016 by Guy Goldstein, Alon Huri, and Nissim Tapiro. It has over 500,000 clients and coverage for more than 1,300 types of businesses. We talked with Tapiro. Healthee is a pioneering startup transforming how employees engage with their medical benefits. The company recently secured an impressive $32 million in…

In this week’s episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, Maayan Hoffman takes listeners all over the innovation landscape. We start with a conversation with Michael Fertik, managing director and founder of Heroic Ventures, who shares his insights on investing in Israel during the Gaza war. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of investing in Israeli startups during geopolitical tensions. Fertik highlights the resilience of the Israeli high-tech industry despite adversity but does note a decline in new Israeli startups and startup investments in Israel. However, Fertik says that despite warnings, risks and rockets, he remains “bullish” on Israel’s economy and encourages others to invest, too. We then talk to Cplus, a company that has developed a new type of dynamic textile capable of responding to environmental and physiological cues. We don’t want to give it all away, but your clothing might one day know more about how you feel than you do. We also speak to Optimove, a company specializing in personalized…

This week on Inside Israeli Innovation, Maayan Hoffman explores the latest trends in cybersecurity in Israel against the backdrop of Cybertech Global Tel Aviv. Then, she talks to an organization helping small businesses navigate crises and build economic resilience. Finally, she dives into an interview with an Israeli company aiding financial institutions with communication compliance for transparency and investor protection. Cyber Industry Despite facing a funding challenge, the cyber sector, as revealed in a study by Cybertech Global and IVC, continues to lead Israel's high-tech industry. The report disclosed that cyber exits in 2023 reached an impressive $7.1 billion. However, funding for cyber companies experienced a dip to $2.38 billion, the lowest in five years. Ogen: Transformative Impact Sagi Balasha, the CEO of Ogen, a social lending enterprise, shares heartwarming stories of how the organization's interest-free or low-interest loans have transformed the lives of low- and middle-income Israelis.…

In this week's episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, join Maayan Hoffman as she delves into the world of artificial intelligence with two insightful guests. First up is Oded Vainas, the director of Data, AI, and Core Engineering at EverC, who shares expertise on using AI to identify high-risk merchants selling counterfeit products online. Discover the innovative strategies and technologies driving this crucial aspect of e-commerce security. In addition, Atad Peled, partner at Red Dot Capital Partners, joins the conversation to explore AI's broader impact on business and society. Peled discusses Israel's capabilities and challenges in AI alongside its applications across the high-tech industry. Peled also brings a unique perspective as a former professional tennis player, linking sports lessons to self-improvement and investing.

In the latest episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, we delve into groundbreaking Israeli technology that could prevent road accidents. Join Maayan Hoffman and Jonathan Matus, founder and CEO of Fairmatic, as they explore how technology is reshaping the insurance industry, focusing on risk assessment, driver safety, and promoting safe driving practices. Matus highlights the potential of using insurance incentives to enhance road safety. Plus, get insight into the recent navigation disturbances affecting over 1,500 Eastern European aircraft, featuring excerpts from an interview with former head of the National Cyber Directorate, Yigal Unna.

Join us this week on Inside Israeli Innovation as Maayan Hoffman and special guest Noa Srebrnik, CEO of CitrusX, tackle the world of artificial intelligence (AI). Gain valuable insight into responsible AI development and execution. Then, in honor of Women’s Month, discover how Srebrnik overcame gender bias in tech and her insights on creating a more inclusive workplace. Also on this episode: Nvidia debuts its Blackwell graphics processing unit at its annual event in California, which is based on Israeli technology. Itai Margalit, area vice president for Salesforce Israel, tells Inside Israeli Innovation why AI “could be dangerous.”

In the latest episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, we dive into the dynamic intersection of cloud security, artificial intelligence, and global cybersecurity trends. Host Maayan Hoffman sits down with Gil Geron, CEO of Orca Security, who sheds light on the evolving cloud landscape in Israel and globally. Learn about the geopolitical shifts influencing data localization trends. From rising tensions to ensuring data sovereignty, Geron says nations worldwide are redefining their approaches to data management. Geron dissects governments' escalating use of technology, which brings heightened cybersecurity risks. He says the stakes are high, as cyber-attacks can have severe financial and life-threatening consequences. Tune in to Inside Israeli Innovation to explore the ever-evolving cloud landscape.

In this week’s episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, join Maayan Hoffman, Deputy CEO of Strategy and Innovation for the Jerusalem Post, Aviv Canaani, VP of Marketing and Sales at Datarails, and Lisa Bennett, CMO at Kaltura, as they delve into the challenges of maintaining business continuity amidst geopolitical tensions and conflicts. Discover how these industry leaders navigated the complexities of relocating and adapting to new circumstances while emphasizing the crucial balance between delivering results and caring for employees. Later in the episode, the group explores the dynamic nature of marketing in the tech industry. They share insights on how marketing strategies have evolved in response to technological advancements, market changes, and the growing need for innovation. Tune in to get a glimpse into the spirit driving Israeli tech forward.

In this week's episode of Inside Israeli Innovation, Maayan Hoffman and Alon Leibovich, managing director at Intel Ignite, dive into what it's like to develop a startup during a crisis. Leibovich shares his journey from being the founder and CEO of a startup serving 50 Fortune 500 clients to facing a sudden lawsuit by Facebook. Learn how he built a "work cabinet" of trusted advisors – legal people, crisis managers and community experts – to tackle the ongoing challenges. Discover Leibovich's insights on navigating crises like the Gaza War, emphasizing clear vision, narrative control, and positive stakeholder communication. And even in times of peace, entrepreneurs face significant stress. Leibovich offers practical advice on stress management, from therapy and exercise to meditation and breathing exercises. Tune in for an episode packed with resilience-building strategies and real-world experiences.