A free platform that helps prospective parents who need assistance conceiving children connect with fertility service providers in their area has expanded its offerings.

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Israeli-founded startup GoStork's goal is to simplify a process that is usually complicated and time-consuming. Last week, GoStork launched its Fertility Clinic Marketplace, which employs a data-driven, customized approach to matching fertility consumers with clinics based on their age, budgets, and personal needs.

The new Fertility Clinic Marketplace, which is free to use, expands GoStork's existing offerings, which include surrogacy agencies, egg donor agencies and fertility financing, as well as personalized concierge services.

Approximately one in six couples seek fertility assistance to start or grow their families, and the number of women opting to freeze their eggs increased by over 2,500% from 2009- 2018 and has continued to increase throughout the COVID pandemic.

GoStork says that its Fertility Clinic Marketplace is inclusive and takes users through a questionnaire that gathers information about their age, fertility history, and whether they require an egg donor, sperm donor, gestational carrier or wish to freeze their eggs. The platform then matches the fertility consumer with their ideal fertility clinics based on the clinic's experience, costs and success rate data for the user's particular age and goals. The platform also allows prospective parents to look at each clinic's pricing up front, and chat with clinic staff and book consultations.

"We're thrilled to launch our new Fertility Clinic Marketplace. This is such a unique tool for both fertility patients and clinics because it personalizes the research process by cross-referencing essential patient information with both CDC and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) data related to partnering fertility clinics," says GoStork founder and CEO Eran Amir.

According to Amir, "When a GoStork user books their consultation with a clinic, not only are they a good match but they are entering the conversation from a more informed and empowered standpoint. For the first time ever, fertility patients can understand how many other patients like them – i.e. in their age group and with similar needs and background – went  to, and achieved success at, each clinic"

GoStork's new marketplace has partnered with clinics in over 100 locations across the US, including San Diego Fertility Center, the Boston IVF Network, Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles, Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine, New England Fertility.

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In the athletic world, every second counts. Every movement matters, and small injuries can throw an athlete off his or her game. Even as sports technology advances, athletes continue to work out inefficiently and sustain a high rate of injuries, which can be costly.

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According to one estimate, during the 2019 football season, NFL teams spent $521 million treating injured players. Despite the NFL's more than 100 certified trainers, injuries seemed to be inevitable in high-risk sports.

But a small Haifa-based startup is determined to change that. Tropx is developing high-tech clothing designed to maximize athletic performance and minimize injuries by analyzing athletes in real time and creating personalized gym training programs for them.

"Every time I went to the gym, I saw people hurting themselves and wasting their time," said Tropx founder and CEO Salay Haim Raveh. "As a fitness instructor with 12 years of experience, I wanted to create a technology that could help athletes be the best they can be."

Tropx was founded in 2020 by a small group of sports enthusiasts and tech engineers. Using sensors that measure parameters such as heart rate, muscular electrical activity, respiration rate, and lactic acid levels, and combine them with smart algorithms to analyze workout patterns and athletes' demographics, the Tropx technology aims to be a holistic solution to enhance performance by athletes in all types of sports.

The smart clothing is designed to connect to an app that monitors performance on the field. Based on an athlete's weaknesses and athletic goals, the technology will generate a workout program that meets their needs and provides real-time feedback, informing the athlete if he or she is moving correctly and highlighting any mistakes they might be making.

A machine learning algorithm uses binary classification to detect whether movements are correct or incorrect, while the user interface provides a clear visual indication of the exercise in real-time, allowing the user to correct their movements based on the individualized feedback.

For example, if an individual's left knee is bent incorrectly as they work out, the interface will highlight the knee in red until the user adjusts their form. Tropx has a pending patent for its technology.

"We identify the exact part of the body that is causing the execution of an exercise to be incorrect and help the athlete adjust their movement," said research and development specialist Hayim Makabee.

Head of the Sports Therapy Department at Ono Academic College Ella Been explains that learning how to balance muscle groups and train properly can be difficult without assistance.

"In the front of your thigh are the quadriceps, and the back is the hamstring. If they're not balanced, you're more prone to knee injury," Been said. "It's the same with the lower back. If your abdominal muscles aren't balanced with your back muscles, you're more prone to back pain."

In Been's view, the most essential aspect of the Tropx technology as its ability to monitor muscle groups that are often trained improperly. She believes that even the most advanced athlete could benefit from using machine learning personal trainer.

Tropx CTO Gal Abir says that the current proof of concept has 90% precision in identifying errors, and the company's goal is to develop algorithms for over 100 different exercises.

To launch the rollout of its technology for professional athletes, Tropx has signed a contract with Maccabi Haifa Carmel, the largest sports association in Israel, which brings together 16 different sports branches. By the end of 2023, Tropx will be beta testing its tech on Maccabi athletes.

"Technology today is an integral part of sports," said Maccabi Haifa Carmel CEO Roy Shvetz. "Tropx technology can change the world of sports and give coaches and athletes all the tools to achieve new athletic goals and prevent injuries. The system is very necessary and we as sports leaders need this technology for all fitness activities."

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Tropx is also in contact with Wingate Institute – the National Institute for Sport Excellence, as well as organizations abroad, such as soccer teams in the US, Europe and South America.

Although there are quite a few companies developing performance-enhancing sports technology, Tropx claims that its combination of sensors and lack of reliance on cameras makes its tech unique.

"Many companies are using cameras, which are very limiting," Makabee said. "With our sensors we can detect a movement of a few millimeters, and a camera can't offer you this kind of precision." He also points out that Tropx technology can be used for long distances, is waterproof, and can be adapted for any sport, which other technologies do not allow for.

Israeli VC fund Cactus Capital was one of Tropx's first investors.

"At Cactus Capital, we believe that Tropx's human capital has the tools to transform the sports industry," said Executive Director of Cactus Capital Adi Azulay. "Their vision of creating a more efficient sports world can be possible with their high-tech solutions and innovative machine learning algorithms."

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An Israeli foodtech startup has developed a novel, waste-free protein extraction method that utilizes every part of a plant, completing the sustainability loop.

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Gavan Technologies has developed a proprietary modification platform that harnesses the versatility of each plant component's unique functional characteristics to produce: natural colors, protein isolates, flavor enhancers, gluten substitutes, and other useful compounds. According to the company, its process requires zero to minimal heat, allowing it to reduce energy consumption as much as tenfold.

Many methods used to extract protein entail multiphase chemical processes, with losses of both yield and quality at each step. Up to 80% of the plant source can be wasted, or relegated to compost or animal feed. In some cases, the company has to spend money to remove the waste.

Gavan Technologies co-founder and CEO Itai Cohen says, "Our new, multistep technological platform enables us to take any plant source, isolate and extricate multiple proteins and other valuable components until the source is fully consumed.

"No part of the plant is left out. Moreover, the proteins maintain their original form – there is no resulting modification to their physical structure. All of the source's nutritional and functional qualities are fully preserved."

Cohen explains that over the past decade, food industry players have been transitioning to more sustainable manufacturing methods. "Consumers want to know how their food is manufactured, where the ingredients come from, and what is the environmental footprint of the products they are buying."

Alt-protein production is largely focused on finding more "exotic" sources of protein and processing them into palate-friendly animal protein alternatives, Cohen notes. The problem? Many of these methods fail to make full use of the plant source, thus end up wasting valuable raw material.

"The problem is not the source nor the product; the problem is within the process," says Cohen. "We developed advanced methods for protein extraction from inception, and that by design are regenerative. We can exploit all of a plant's components and explore their functional potential in endless food applications, without imparting any sensory shortcomings. Being sustainable and circular is integral to our business model."

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In one pilot focused on lentils, the technology as able to extract a high-profile, 92% protein isolate as well as complex carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, and fat, which were converted into a nutritious, neutral-flavored, non-gluten flour. The company also produced a high-functioning, protein-rich emulsifier suitable as an egg white substitute with properties similar to aquafaba (chickpea water). Gavan Technologies says that the same process can be applied to any plant protein source, including soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, and algae.

Meanwhile, working with algae biomass spirulina, Gavan has managed to extract – in addition to other products – a natural blue pigment.

"Spirulina is made up of 70% high-value protein and hosts a naturally rich content of chlorophyll and the bright blue pigment protein complex phycocyanin," explains Yael Leader, head of product for Gavan. "After extracting the phycocyanin blue colorant, the remaining mass yielded a range of clean-label, protein-based flavor enhancers; a brown colorant offering a better-for-you alternative to the commonly used caramel colorants; residual carbohydrates; and a lipid fraction rich in essential fatty acids and carotenoids."

While Gavan's platform is still under development, Cohen projects that the company's extracted products will begin a market rollout in 2023.

"Our technology signifies a paradigm change, demonstrating how focusing on sustainable and circular production enables higher efficiencies and presents a better economic model," he says. "This, for Gavan, defines a true, positive ecological – and economical – impact and makes sustainability profitable."

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LEAP, an Israeli application based in Rosh Haayin, has partnered with Maccabi World Union to launch a platform for young athletes from underprivileged backgrounds and isolated communities, the company's CEO told i24NEWS on Monday.

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Omri Lachman, CEO and co-founder of LEAP, said that the application combines a sports discovery and endorsement gaming platform aimed at bypassing some of the obstacles that young athletes encounter.

"LEAP really combines content creation with short videos that allow talents in sports, who are taking their very first steps, to actually start participating in challenges, compete against each other like in a borderless arena, but it maintains a physical-to-digital type of experience – so in other words, if you're not engaged in sports, you can't play LEAP," Lachman explained.

Players of any sport can join the application, which allows young athletes from all over the world to post videos of themselves demonstrating their skills in a variety of sports.

Deputy CEO of Maccabi World Union Amir Gissin said that the application offers his organization, which currently has 450,000 members in over 60 countries, a chance to let the world know about talented athletes from Jewish communities.

"We start with Maccabi members, Jewish players who have the opportunity to use this very special hybrid application, to bring real-life skills into the digital world," Gissin said. He added that even though the pilot program will be focused on Jewish athletes, there are plans to expand it across the world and "bring in everybody."

Earlier in June, Israel's under-19 soccer team made history by reaching its first-ever final in the UEFA European Championship. This achievement also earned Israeli athletes their ticket for the Under-20 World Cup, which will be held in 2023 in Indonesia.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Israeli space tech startup Helios has announced a recent infusion of $6 million will help fund its ambition to create an emission-free future for the steel industry.

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Current methods of steel production emit large quantities of carbon dioxide through the reduction of iron ore with carbon. Each ton of steel produced results in the emission of approximately two tons of CO2, making the industry responsible for 8% of humanity's carbon footprint. Additionally, the US steel industry relies on natural gas and coal coke and breeze for fuel, accounting for roughly 6% of total energy consumed by manufacturing.

But Helios scientists have discovered that the technology created for the reactor it has developed to extract oxygen and iron from regolith could also be used to extract 99% pure iron from iron ore, using an entirely novel chemical process. The method requires 50% less energy than what is currently used in the industry, while operating at temperatures so low that a household oven would suffice to initiate the process.

Unlike other green steel technologies, Helios does not require steelmakers to make major changes to their existing processes. The company is designing a module that can be integrated into Direct Reduction of Iron (DRI) furnaces. This approach will reduce cost and facilitate faster adoption.

"The steel industry is extremely cost-sensitive," explains Prof. Raúl Topolevsky, a senior advisor to steel makers and an industry expert. "Many companies are now committing to reducing emissions with targets to achieve carbon neutrality across all operations by a certain date. But 'green steel' often comes at a premium price, and if their costs increase, it negatively affects the entire economy."

Helios, led by founder and CEO Jonathan Geifman, was not founded to green steel at a lower cost. The company's original goal was and remains to produce oxygen to sustain recurring missions to the moon by producing it on site. Their proprietary technology extracts oxygen from lunar regolith, the mixture of powdery dust and broken rock on the surface of the moon.

"On the moon we don't have the luxury of using carbon for energy, you have to be extremely efficient and  cannot waste or emit anything," said Geifman. "The extraterrestrial environment really pushes your R&D to the extreme. You cannot be iterative and must reinvent processes entirely. That is how we came up with this completely novel method of extraction that we soon realized would be beneficial for life on earth, as well."

"It's fascinating to me that while Helios was focused on creating technologies to further sustainable Moon missions and habitation – literally taking its 'moonshot' – they stumbled across this brand-new process to benefit life on earth," said Uri Oron, Director of the Israel Space Agency at the Science and Technology Ministry.

"This is a great example of the close connection between space technology and its impact on our lives here on Earth," Oron added.

The recently completed seed funding round was led by At One Ventures, the "net positive to nature" investment firm, and Doral Energy-Tech Ventures. Deep tech investor Metaplanet and a global Top 5 mining company also participated.

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Rehovot-based "deep tech" cultured meat developer MeaTech 3D Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore's Umami Meats for the joint development of 3D-printed cultured structured seafood, the company announced Tuesday.

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The global seafood market is estimated to be worth some $110.2 billion by the end of 2022. Umami Meats focuses on developing species that are expected to experience severe supply-side shortages in the coming years due to climate change, overfishing and continuously growing consumer demand.

MeaTech's 3D bioprinting technology can reportedly produce complex meat products at an industrial rate, without impacting cell viability. The company is developing and commercializing its 3D-printing capabilities in-house and to third parties in the food-tech sector, and the MoU with Umami Meats is another step in MeaTech's strategy of collaboration with other players in the alternative protein sector.

This collaboration opens a door for both companies into the Asian market, and Singapore specifically, which is currently the only country that has authorized the production and distribution of cultured meat.

MeaTech founder and CEO Arik Kaufman said, "We're very pleased about this new agreement which reflects our commercialization strategy of industry collaboration using our unique 3D printing capabilities. We're excited about entering into the seafood sector and believe it will lead us to new market pathways throughout Asia and worldwide."

Mihir Pershad, founder and CEO of Umami Meats added, "We're delighted to establish this collaboration with MeaTech … This partnership will enable us to build upon our technology platform for cultivating fish muscle and fat to produce a variety of structured products that meet the desires of discerning consumers. We believe cultivated seafood holds tremendous potential to provide a local, sustainable source of healthy protein and to address many of the challenges facing our food system and our oceans."

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Israeli vehicle diagnostic systems startup UVeye has received an investment from General Motors' capital venture arm, GM Ventures, the company announced this week.

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The investment from GM Ventures will fund the development of UVeye's vehicle inspection technology, which uses artificial intelligence, machine-learning and high-definition camera technologies to check tires, underbody components and vehicle exteriors for defects, missing parts and other safety-related issues.

The startup also has entered into a commercial agreement with General Motors to explore the expansion of UVeye's automated high-speed systems to GM dealerships throughout various markets.

As part of the strategic collaboration agreement, the two companies have agreed to work on a variety of vehicle-inspection technology projects involving used-car auctions, fleet operations and automotive dealership sales. In the future, UVeye plans to incorporate electric-vehicle and autonomous-driving platforms into its inspection databases, as well.

More than 4,000 GM dealerships will be eligible to purchase the vehicle-inspection equipment to use in their service lanes. The team will also explore applications for extending the technology to exterior scans and photography to generate online interest and potential sales for used vehicles.

Amir Hever, UVeye's CEO and co-founder, noted that automated inspection processes take seconds to complete and are significantly more accurate than time-consuming manual inspections commonly in use today.

UVeye currently has facilities in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, including offices in Israel, Japan, Germany and the United States. The company has formed strategic partnerships with numerous dealership groups, used-car auctions and vehicle fleets since it was founded in 2016.

Hever believes that UVeye shares a common vision with General Motors for improved service quality that can benefit dealers, service technicians, and customers alike.

"High-speed inspection equipment can serve as tools of empowerment for new- and used-car dealers," Hever said. "We very much look forward to working with GM in the months and years ahead. Both companies share the same vision and sense of innovation and when it comes to vehicle quality, the future is a bright one."

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For the first time in Israel's history, high tech exports accounted for more than 50% of the country's exports in 2021, now standing at 54%, while in another first, more than 10% of all Israelis now work in the high tech industry, according to a report by the Israel Innovation Authority.

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Israel, according to the report, is a global leader in the percentage of citizens working in the high tech field, with 362,000 in the industry who represent 10.4% of the country's workforce.

To compare, the percentage of the overall workforce in high tech in Ireland is 9.2%, in Sweden, it is 5.7%, in Great Britain 5.5%, Germany 5.3%, and in the Netherlands 4.3%. The number of high-tech workers in Israel increased by 8% over the past year (representing 27,000 new workers), while that number was just 1% in all other industries.

However, government investment in future research and development in Israel is the lowest among OECD member countries.

Israel is ranked first among OECD countries, meanwhile, in research and development expenditure in relation to Gross Domestic Product, but is ranked last in the terms of the percentage of government spending on research and development out of all of its expenditures in the field. Additionally, Israel slipped to 15^th place in the Global Innovation Index's rankings for 2021, compared to 10^th place in 2019.

According to the report, in the past year, the Israeli high tech industry raised over $100 million 88 times, although publically traded Israeli high tech companies in 2021 lost 10% of their worth on the NASDAQ. Israeli start-ups raised a record $27 billion in funds in 2021, more than doubling the total from the previous year.

Israeli high tech is still lagging in terms of representation from all sectors of the population. There was a 6% drop in the number of ultra-Orthodox high-tech workers in 2021, and only 200 new workers entered the industry from the Arab sector.

One-third of the high-tech companies in Israel, which employ around 25% of all the workers in the industry, is located in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem is mostly home to medium and small-sized high-tech companies, and Haifa is home mainly to large, multi-national corporations.  Beersheba, in southern Israel, is the fastest-growing city in terms of start-up companies.

Dr. Ami Appelbaum, the chief scientist and the chairman of the board of Israel Innovation Authority, told Israel Hayom: "We see the current year as a record year of high tech activity in Israel, with a tremendous capital flow of $27 billion and companies showing growth. The country and the public sector need to support long-term, trailblazing [enterprises] and make sure Israel continues to be a leader in these fields."

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Following the close of $120 million in Series B funding, Israeli foodtech startup Remilk, which produces animal-free dairy-identical milk proteins through precision fermentation, will be building a full-scale precision fermentation facility in Kalundborg, Denmark, the company announced Tuesday.

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The facility is planned to extend over 750,000 square feet of newly acquired land within The Symbiosis project, a pioneering sustainable industrial ecosystem, in Kalundborg.

Kalundborg's Symbiosis project is an industrial ecosystem in which byproducts of one company become resources for another. At present, Symbiosis is a collaborative effort involving more than a dozen visionary public and private companies including industry giants such as Novozymes, Novo Nordisk and Chr. Hansen.

At the new facility, Remilk plans to produce non-animal dairy protein for use in products like cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, in volumes equivalent to that produced by 50,000 cows each year.

"Remilk is committed to reinventing our dairy industry in a kind, sustainable way. Eliminating the need for animals in our food system is the only way to supply our world's growing demand without destroying it in the process," said Remilk founder and CEO Aviv Wolff.

"We intend to massively scale up our production capabilities to make nutritious, delicious, and affordable dairy that will send cows into early retirement," he added.

According to Wolff, Remilk isn't just "dreaming big, we're acting upon our promise to dramatically reduce the food industry's devastating impact on our planet. Ending animals' historic role as providers of food for humankind is one of the most powerful measures we can take to reduce our impact on this planet."

The selection of this location was made possible through a partnership with the city of Kalundborg, Invest in Denmark (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark), the Danish Embassy in Israel, and the Israeli Embassy in Denmark.

Kalundborg Mayor Martin Damm said, "The Municipality of Kalundborg looks forward to welcoming the international company Remilk. The company's profile fits perfectly into our sustainability profile and with the Biotech City's other participants."

"When Remilk's plant for production of non-animal dairy products is completed, it will also be the world's largest precision fermentation facility. I see Remilk's choice of Kalundborg Municipality as a buy-in to our commitment to sustainability, high technology and education and our ability to enter a constructive dialogue with our stakeholders," Damm said.

"I am very happy to welcome Remilk to Denmark. This investment is a recognition of Denmark's position as a global leader in sustainable food production and innovation," said Anne Hougaard Jensen, director of Invest in Denmark at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Volvo Cars, through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, has made a strategic investment in Israeli EV battery startup StoreDot, the company announced Tuesday.

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StoreDot says it is on track to begin mass producing its '100in5' cells as early as 2024, achieving 100 miles of charge in just five minutes. The investment gives Volvo Cars the opportunity to collaborate closely with StoreDot on exciting new battery technology, as it aims to become a pure electric car company by 2030.

Meir Halberstam, StoreDot CFO, said, "We are moving closer to the mass production of our batteries and this investment from Volvo Cars Tech Fund is yet another huge vote of confidence in StoreDot and our mission. It represents a significant and high-profile element of our current Series D funding round. This gives us the financial firepower to bring our revolutionary batteries to market quicker and boost ongoing R&D into solid-state technologies."

Volvo Cars was the first established carmaker to commit to all-out electrification and aims to sell only pure electric cars by 2030. The company aims for half of its global volume to consist of pure electric cars as early as 2025.

Head of Volvo Cars Tech Fund Alexander Petrofski said, "We aim to be the fastest transformer in our industry and the Tech Fund plays a crucial role in establishing partnerships with future technology leaders. Our investment in StoreDot is a perfect fit for that mindset and its commitment to electrification and carbon-free mobility matches our own. We are excited to make this collaboration successful for both parties, working towards bringing this groundbreaking technology to the market."

StoreDot CEO Dr. Doron Myersdorf said, "We are extremely excited and proud to be entering into a collaboration with a premium automotive brand. Volvo Cars' commitment to zero emissions electric vehicles is hugely impressive and one that fits perfectly with StoreDot's mission. We are working to ensure that EV drivers will never have to be concerned with anxiety over charging times, currently the major barrier to EV ownership and a cleaner world. StoreDot is also offering global OEMs a clear technology roadmap that will start with '100in5' silicon-dominant batteries by 2024 but extends into the next decade when we are already on track to achieve 100 miles in two minutes of charge."

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