Quantum Hub
Deal Flow Report
May 2023
Dear Partners,
We are happy to share the May 2023 deal flow report
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You will find 5 sections in the report - Ecosystem news, EcoMotion week news, Quantum news, Quantum Hub Demo use-case, Spotlights, and Full Dealflow report.
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As always, we would appreciate any feedback and questions on the focus areas and reviewed companies.
Ecosystem News gives a glimpse of interesting events/ announcements/ investments information related to the Israeli tech ecosystem.
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EcoMotion Week News shares interesting news related to the EcoMotion week activities we had at Quantum.
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Quantum Hub News shares interesting news related to Quantum activities.
Our Spotlight section highlights and provides more information on companies we found most interesting in the past month.
Finally, we provide the full deal flow of the month, including relevant companies from our focal sectors.
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Ecosystem News
First Air Taxis Tested in Israel
Israel’s National Air Drone Initiative (INDI) has taken a significant step forward with another week of flight tests and demonstrations simultaneously taking place at various locations throughout Israel.
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The initiative has been operating since 2019, with more than 60 NIS million ($16 million) to be invested in the next two years, when test flights will be conducted on a large number of aircraft able to transport people and goods.
The initiative is focused on preparing the airspace for drone flights, to alleviate traffic congestion on Israel’s roads, providing commercial and public services more efficiently, and creating a global competitive advantage for Israeli high-tech companies.
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As part of the tests and experimental flights conducted throughout Israel last week, 11 drone companies operated in the public airspace, conducting complex experiments to promote operational capabilities.
Highlights included:
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For the first time, test flights of eVTOL autonomous electric aircraft with long-range capabilities were conducted in a managed urban airspace.
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AIR flew the AIR ZERO, manufactured in Israel, which can accommodate up to 2 passengers and a total payload of up to 220 kilograms, for a distance of up to 160 kilometers.
Nvidia is building one of the world’s fastest generative AI supercomputers in Israel
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Following Nvidia's financial results last week, which also increased the firm's valuation to over a trillion dollars, the business is now beginning to explain the technical path that will lead to continuing development - and this path leads via Israel.
Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia, announced in Taiwan on Sunday the building of Israel-1, a hyperscale generative AI supercomputer to be deployed in its Israeli data center and used as a blueprint and testbed for Nvidia Spectrum-X, a networking platform that can be used in various AI applications.
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Spectrum-X is designed to improve the performance and efficiency of Ethernet-based AI clouds and aims to allow developers to build software-defined, cloud-native AI applications while reducing run-times of massive transformer-based generative AI models.
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EcoMotion Week News
During this month, we had the privilege of hosting in Israel a few delegations from our global partners, including:
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Hyundai Executive Vice President, Head of Global Strategic Office HeungSoo Kim, and VP of Open innovation execution Group, Dr. YunSung Hwang.
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VDL Groep management team - Pieter van der Leegte, Bas van der Leegte, Henri Koolen, Menno Kleingeld.
Our partners
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The Ecomotion conference, which brings together enterprises and start-up firms working with automotive technology in general, and intelligent transportation in particular, was hosted in Tel Aviv for the 11th time.
At the exhibition, we set up a collaborative pavilion with Hyundai as part of the conference and showcased PoCs from various domains:
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Logistics - Picky
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Industry 4.0 - Skillreal
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Automotive- Solcold, Mardin, Apolo Power, Kardom, and Inpris.
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EcoMotion Conference
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On May 24th, we held the Quantum & Hyundai Playground event at the Peres Peace Center, where we had the honor of hosting over 250 attendees from world-leading companies, ecosystem leaders, VCs, Israeli startups, etc.
At the event, we launched the Logistics Open Innovation Challenge, featured a Hyundai Executive keynote speaker, and celebrated the opening of the 6th cohort of the Quantum SPARK PoC Runway program.
Quantum & Hyundai Playground event
Quantum Hub News
SPARK #6 opening
We have launched batch #6 of the SPARK PoC runway program this month. Here are some interesting statistics:
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Over 116 startups applied to the program
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More than 39 one-pagers were sent to our partners and experts for rating
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20 startups presented their technology and company to the screening committee
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7 startups were selected to participate in the program
The new SPARK #6 startups we are initiating projects with are:
A disruptive cooling system that saves costs and emissions. Its solution is an efficient condenser based on a new patented method that uses only a micro layer of water to coat the heat exchanger.
ByondXR develops immersive commerce solutions designed to increase engagement, conversion, and return on investment. The company's platform develops solutions in the field of digital showrooms for retailers and wholesalers.
Connected Insurance uses machine learning and big data to accurately assess real-time risk exposures of short-term transactions (e.g. last-mile delivery, car driving, shared micromobility, etc). With that, CI offers bespoke, transactional, and usage-based coverages seamlessly embedded within the platform.
Fast Sense analyses gas mixtures and emission data in Hydrogen, Methane, and Carbon Dioxide for Transmission System Operators, Sector Coupling, and Pipeline Integrity Management. The company enables real-time sampling through a Sensors-as-a-Service Gas Energy platform.
Largix developed an additive production system (APS) with AI and machine learning capabilities, to produce autonomously custom-made large-size products. APS transforms manual labor dependency by implementing fully autonomous processes.
CartaSense develops an IoT solution for logistics. The solution includes wireless sensors synced with communications server software and gateways, enabling real-time pharmaceutical and food monitoring. The sensors monitor and report environmental status data to gateways, which connect to cloud-based server software.
Develops software for OT systems protection, covering Industrial IoT cybersecurity and sensor data integrity. Leveraging patented 'biometric' IoT device identity and multifactor authentication, IXDen achieves sensor data integrity at a sensor level, providing at-the-source threat detection.
Quantum Management joined the Foreign Minister in a historic visit to South Korea​
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Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a historic three-day visit, the first by an Israeli foreign minister in 56 years. Members of the Israel Export Institute, an Israeli government organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Employment that seeks to facilitate commercial opportunities and joint ventures overseas, travel with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The team has met with key Korean business and government representatives, including Foreign Minister Park Jin.
As part of the visit, Israeli companies shared various types of collaboration in security, trade, technology, and innovation to deepen relations and explore mutual areas of interest. Quantum team presented its partners consortium and unique platform capabilities.
Quantum Hub Demo
The Situation
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An AI companion, powered by cognitive architecture, designed to execute complex commands independently in order to help drivers manage their connected services safely and effectively while driving.
The system combines a language model particularly trained to trigger API operations and instructions with numerous language models that have been tailored to distinct thinking functions.
The Use Case
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Angel has been deployed in automobile screens as a support and service agent. The agent we introduced is a real customer service woman, not a 'voice assistant' who responds to commands.
We taught her the complete automobile manual, which has over 600 pages, and she understands how to answer any query or difficulty the driver may have in the operation of the vehicle, malfunctions, or advanced usage
The Demo
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Based on Kia EV6 vehicle owners manual.
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Angle can understand any question in any way of asking regarding the vehicle systems, functions, operations and safety.
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Unlike script- based assistants, Angle communicates like a real human.
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Inpris
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An AI companion, powered by cognitive architecture, designed to execute complex commands independently in order to help drivers manage their connected services safely and effectively while driving.
The system combines a language model particularly trained to trigger API operations and instructions with numerous language models that have been tailored to distinct thinking functions.
Spotlight of the month
Natural Materials for the Plastics and Construction Industries
Kenaf Ventures focuses on developing eco-friendly solutions that replace common polluting materials in the construction, plastics, and insulation materials industries.
The company develops alternative applications based on the Kenaf plant. This replaces the familiar industrial raw materials that cause severe environmental and social damage.
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The applications:
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Bio-Plastic - Bio-plastic compounds that combine 20% to 70% natural fibers with thermoplastic polymers, replacing common raw materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, post-consumer resin, polyester, etc.
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Bio-Construction - Proprietary bio-composites based on 80% natural fibers, replacing cement and other aggregates, which can be used to manufacture thermally insulating blocks, plaster, and other applications with unique properties.
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Bio-Insulation - A complete range of biodegradable thermal and acoustic insulation products based on Kenaf fibers that replace Rockwool and other similar materials.
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Distinctiveness
> Strategic partner - Kafrit Industries produces plastic pellets as raw material for plastic goods manufacturing. Kenaf Ventures has conducted several pilots with Kafrit and its clients.
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Company ID
Founded: 2019
Funding: Pre-seed
Industries: Industry 4.0
Product: Released
Kenaf Ventures applocations
B2B Marketplace for Mechanical Parts
ManuFuture is a B2B marketplace of mechanical custom parts manufactured and purchased.
The platform provides a one-stop solution for anonymous bidding, payments, direct communication with the winning suppliers, tracking, and global shipping, making it easy for mechanical engineers, procurement, buyers, and parts manufacturers to improve their supply chain.
The system operates transparently towards the customers and suppliers and allows the customer to work with his suppliers through the platform. The optimization is made possible through a large number of parameters that are crossed with the profile of the suppliers that meet the requirements defined by the customer, in addition to checking the availability of the suppliers in real time.
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Distinctiveness
> In less than a year it has accumulated more than 160 companies in Israel, with a global network of more than 1,500 machines for processing chips and electronic equipment spread over 9 countries of the world.
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Company ID
Founded: 2021
Funding: Pre-seed
Industries: Industry 4.0
Product: Released
ManuFuture's solution
CO2 Utilization and Decarbonization
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The company has developed a cooling technology that utilizes liquid CO2 as its primary energy source. NOF’s small, affordable, and efficient cooling device can cool various mediums (e.g. water, air, surfaces) without the need for electrical infrastructure. Its devices can generate a cooling temperature down to -70 Celsius.
The company’s solutions are designed for a wide range of agricultural cooling needs, including post-harvest, precision agriculture, and storage.
For post-harvest, the company offers pre-cooling at the field level in areas where the cold chain is lacking, dramatically improving produce shelf life.
For indoor farming, the company enables efficient utilization of CO2 for cooling purposes inside the greenhouse (e.g. cooling water, air, LED lights).
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Distinctiveness
> Got accepted to be one out of five finalists of Calcalist's +StartUp competition, which was held this month in partnership with POALIM
Hi-tech Bank. ​
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Company ID
Founded: 2022
Funding: Bootstrap
Industries: Energy
Product: MVP
The Products
On-demand pre-cooling pilot
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A climate-controlled device to minimize blueberry post-harvest losses in Israel.
A robotics company driven by experienced robotics enthusiasts
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A company created by ex-Polygon employers who specialize in robotics for the defense industry and wish to expand into civilian sectors as well.
As a result, they are in the advanced phases of designing items such as a smaller alternative to the Spot robot that may also be substantially cheaper.
Aside from that, the corporation has a number of arm innovations addressing the realms of logistics, solar, manufacturing and distribution, and so on.
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Distinctiveness
> Were chosen as one of nine initiatives to receive funding from the Israel-USA Fund. The Fund for Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) authorized $8.4 million in financing.
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Company ID
Founded: 2021
Funding: Seed
Industries: Logistics
Product: R&D
Apeiro Motion's solution
Potential use cases
Last Mile Delivery
Mapping
Primary 4D imaging radar
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Tier-2 company that develops the WISE - primary 4D imaging radar chipset for consumer vehicles with a level of L2+ to L5.
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Radar signal Reconstruction using Self Supervision (R2S2), which substantially improves the angular resolution of a given radar array without increasing the number of physical channels.
R2S2 is a family of algorithms that use a deep neural network (DNN) with complex range-Doppler radar data as input and trained in a self-supervised method using a loss function that operates in multiple data representation spaces.
Improvement of 4× in angular resolution was demonstrated using a real-world dataset collected in urban and highway environments during clear and rainy weather conditions.
WISE chipset and algo provide a field-proven, significant breakthrough in key radar KPIs :
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AZ\EL resolution – 0.10\0.70, achieved at longest range, single frame
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Dynamic range – 40dB in angular dimensions, >110dB in Range
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Sensitivity – Hazards detection with Pd 99.9% > 200m
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Distinctiveness
> Solving multiple leading OEMs’ most challenging customer use cases (CUCs) for L2+ to L4.
> Mature A-Sample with Algo SW freeze, ready for deep evaluation and vehicle integration.
> Wisense is ready to support the development and a series of production programs.
> Partnership with a leading Tier 3 for mass production support and standardization.
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Company ID
Founded: 2018
Funding: Round A
Industries: Automotive
Product: MVP
Use Case of OEMs
