The first Israeli high-tech delegation to the Emirates departed this morning (Sunday), led by Jerusalem Venture Partners Fund and entrepreneur Erel Margalit. Over the next four days, the delegation is set to hold high-level meetings with senior officials as well as innovation and investment counterparts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to build cooperation between Israeli and Emirati hi-tech, and deepen the newly found relationship between the two countries.
Erel Margalit, CEO and founder of the Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), February 18, 2019. / Hadas Parush/Flash90
On Tuesday, participants will join first of their kind ’round table’ meetings between entrepreneurs from the two countries– both of which are renowned internationally as leaders in the field. Ahead of the visit, the delegation was honored to have received the warm welcome of the UAE Government and was looking forward to the opportunity to meet senior ministers during the visit.
“Hi-tech is the locomotive engine that leads the Israeli economy, so we have a key role in leading relations and cooperation with the Emirates, with an emphasis on partnership,” commented JVP founder and chairman of Margalit Startup City Erel Margalit.
He added, “I am proud to lead the first Israeli hi-tech delegation to the Emirates. Our companies have been in business contact with the Emirates for a number of years, and now an opportunity has arisen to expand this network of relationships, deepen the ties significantly, and allow more and more Israeli companies and entrepreneurs to be part of this connection and success.”
Margalit stressed, “This is not just a business opportunity, but a political opportunity for a new page between the Israeli hi-tech community and the entire Middle East. With us in the delegation, are the CEOs of emerging Israeli hi-tech companies from every field, and I am sure we will create real partnerships here that will contribute to building successful Israeli companies that will propel the Israeli economy forward, precisely during this period, and create more and more new jobs.”
The delegation was invited to the Emirates by the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Center), the body that manages the free trade area in the financial heart of Dubai – which is one of the global financial centers. Members of the delegation will also receive a comprehensive tour of the financial center.
Among the companies participating in the delegation: Earnix, one of the world’s leading companies in insurtech and personalization of insurance and banking, an area with great interest in the Emirates, which is considered a powerhouse in the field of insurance in the Middle East; Up Control, an emerging Israeli company leading a revolution in the management of remote work networks; Morphisec, from Beer Sheva, which is a leader in innovative technology for protecting endpoints in organizations, which is a particularly relevant development for the protection of banks and infrastructure; and Secret Double Octopus, also from Beer Sheva, which provides a leading biometric solution for passwords.
Also of significant interest to the Emirati Government, companies, and investors is the field of foodtech. Among the delegation in the field is InnovoPro, a company that produces a protein substitute from chickpeas with high nutritional values. One of the most interesting companies in the world in the field, it is already a major player in dairy products in some of Europe’s leading chains, with products from ice-cream to mayonnaise. The company is now preparing for a breakthrough in the Middle East. Another company participating in the delegation is Agrint, which has developed technology to identify diseases in trees before they cause damage. One of the most serious infections in the world is the palm bacteria that destroys entire palm groves. Agrint’s solution for this has significant potential for agriculture in the Middle East.
Members of the delegation included: Entrepreneur, and former senior official in the Mossad, David Meidan; Udi Ziv, CEO of Earnix; FrankZvi, CEO of Copilot; Elad Ben-Meir,-CEO of SCADAfence; Dror Liwer – Co-Founder& Chief Security Officer of Coronet; Asaf Ganot, CEO of Control Up; Omri Kohl, CEO of Pyramid Analytics; Gal Rimon, CEO of Centrical; Ronen Yehoshua, CEO of Morphisec; Raz Refaeli, CEO of Secret Double Octopus; Mark Gazit, CEO of Thetaray; Yaron Ravkaie, CEO of Teridion; Tali Nehushtan, CEO of InnovoPro; Yehonatan Ben Hamozeg, CEO of Agrint; they were joined by JVP partners Yoav Tzruya, Fiona Darmon, Gadi Porat, Michal Drayman, and Rinat Remler, senior VPs Shimrit Kenig, Guy Pross, Pnina Ben Ami, and communications director Omri Sheinfeld.
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