Quantum Hub
Deal Flow Report
May 2022
Dear Partners,
We are happy to share the May 2022 deal flow report
You will find 5 sections in the report - Ecosystem News, Quantum News, Quantum Hub PoC use-case, Spotlights and Full Dealflow report.
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.
Quantum Hub News shares interesting news related to Quantum activities.
Quantum Hub PoC use-case presents one example of many PoC's we execute with our partners.
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.
Ecosystem News
Israeli freight booking and payment platform Freightos announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with the Gesher 1 Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: GIAC) special acquisition purpose company (SPAC) at an enterprise value of $435 million. The announcement ends a long period in which SPAC mergers have been frozen due to the sharp falls in tech companies on Wall Street.
As part of the SPAC merger, Freightos was also raise $80 million in capital commitments including $10 million from Qatar Airways.
Quantum Hub News
Quantum Partners visits
Quantum hub team welcomed 4 members of the VDL Groep high management team, including the Executive Vice President, Pieter van der Leegte, Senior Vice President, Henri Koolen, CEO of VDL Enabling Technologies, Geert Jakobs and VDL Groep CIO, Menno Kleingeld.
at the Ecomotion event, Menno Kleingeld, CIO of VDL- took part in a panel discussion around 'The State of AV', along side other senior management roles from: BMW, CEVT, Tactile Mobility and Brightway vision.
During their visit, the group met privately with sevral Startups, which included 2 visits at Augwind and Gencell facilities, went to Taavura HQ to discuss business collaborations and had a special tour to the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation.
Quantum Hub team welcomed Dr. Youngcho Chi, President & Chief Innovation Officer at Hyundai Motor Group.
During the Ecomotion event, Dr. Youngcho Chi gave a keynote speech talking about future plans and the connection to the Israeli ecosystem: "By the year 2030, 30% of Hyundai’s revenue will be from software and services – through mobility, connectivity and data businesses"
"Israel is cornerstone to our innovation strategy. We admire the passion for entrepreneurship and creativity. We are also witnessing the transformation from startup nation to scale-up nation".
Dr. Youngcho Chi met with Quantum Hub team and discussed about current and future business collaborations.
During the visit he also met with sevral of Taavura group subsidiaries senior management: UPS, Maman cargo terminal and Laufer ground handling. In these meetings the companies presented their logistics activities, innovation process and their global impact.
Tadiran & Quantum Hub Energy challenge
Two mounts ago, together with our partner Tadiran, we launched our first Energy challenge! We invited the energy ecosystem to get to know Tadiran's Energy activities and allow startups to introduce themselves as potential partner for a PoC with Tadiran.
Nearly 40 startups applied for the challenge from various relevant sectors: Energy management, Energy storage, Solar energy, and Off-grid solutions. After a screening process by the committee of judges (including Tadiran's energy experts and the Quantum team), nine startups were selected to present their pitches on a designated screening day with Tadiran experts and management.
At this stage, we will hold follow-up meetings with several startups to examine and discuss the potential PoC processes - We will soon announce which startup will win the opportunity for a sponsored PoC with Tadiran - Stay tuned!
Screening day companies
Quantum Hub PoC Use-Case
The Situation
Mobility and Automotive sectors are deploying technologies dependent on sensors to achieve their goals. Many of these sensors lose function when the sensor lens is dirty, threatening safety, optimal operation, and the massive investments to enable business goals. Cleaning sensors is not easy, as mechanical systems such as pumps and compressors are expensive, unreliable or difficult to integrate.
What we did
Actasys provided several systems to test cleaning performance on various sensors, in different locations on the car.
Over 150 tests were done in a wide range of weather conditions in different speed
Results
Without ActaJet : In Over 95% of the cases, the sensor lost more than 50% of its functionality.
With ActaJet: In 91% of cases, perception and functionality restored to optimal operation.
Actasys
Actasys developed the ActaJet™ technology, a cost-effective electronically controlled system of small actuators that locally generates strong jets of air at the sensor location. ActaJet cleans and maintains the visual clarity of sensors and cameras, achieving safety, and enabling optimal operation of ADAS and autonomous vehicles.
Spotlight of the month
Wind Powered Solar Cleaning Technology
Patented dry-cleaning technology, using wind energy to operate cleaning strips and prevent the accumulation of dust and soil on the panels. The system operates continuously and autonomously, improves performance, ensuring panels safety and provides smart management using data analysis algorithm, without the need for heavy initial investment or long-term commitment.
Distinctiveness
> Field deployed wind powered systems proved over thousands of panels
Company ID
Founded: 2021
Funding: Seed
Industries: Energy
Product: Customer Development
Dustoss solution
Scent Recognition Solutions
NanoScent provides scent recognition solutions for chemical and energy, healthcare, and food & beverage industries for quality control and process monitoring.
VOCID® Purity is NanoScent's inline sensor controller, making it possible to detect hydrogen impurities and leakages through real-time monitoring that alerts key personnel of contamination events. The sensors detect gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including humidity, in gas lines, and provide data in real-time about readings that pass the permitted threshold.
Distinctiveness
> Key investors : Sumitomo Chemical and Dreamtech
Company ID
Founded: 2021
Funding: Seed
Industries: Energy
Product: Released
Nanoscent solutions
VOICD Purity Sensor use cases
Air Pressure Monitoring and IOT system for vehicle wheels
The SMARTIRE system can be integrated into new vehicle or as an after-market product. With easy installation and with out impairing the wheel function.
The SMARTIRE system allow the user to adapt the right air pressure according to the road:
·Decrease the air pressure in the tire while driving in an off-road
·Balancing the truck tire's air pressure- allows to reduce the tire's wear and fuel consumption.
·Automatically refill the tire's air pressure when needed in real time
Company ID
Founded: 2017
Funding: Seed
Industries: Mobility & Automotive
Product: Beta
Be Inspired solution
Collision prediction and prevention solutions
Mobile application that provides real-time pre-collision alerts to all road users.
The Eye-Net Protect integrates with personal smartphones/infotainment systems, and relies on existing cellular networks, without requiring a registered user profile.
It protects all road users in real-time, including the most vulnerable ones (pedestrians, cyclists, and micro-mobility riders), and analyzes and predicts road safety events.
Distinctiveness
> Completed a controlled trial for the intelligent transport system division of a Japanese vehicle manufacturer.
> Eye-Net Partners with Wunder Mobility to Commercialize Eye-Net’s Solution in Mobility Tech Applications
Company ID
Founded: 2018
Funding: Bootstrap
Industries: Mobility & Automotive
Product: Released
Eye-Net Mobile Technology
Autonomous "Drone in a Box" technology for solar panel cleaning
Solar Drone Ltd has developed one of a kind and cost efficient drone-based system for solar panel cleaning in any topography, using treated water, patented based developed ECO-FOAM©, and completely autonomous technology. The "Drone in a Box" system is based on advanced technologies like Image Generation, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Real Time Analysis, Cloud and others that increase PV, operational and asset efficiency and reduce costs.
Distinctiveness
>Signed agreement with Airobotics, will begin a joint activity, estimated to generate $10 million in sales over the next three years.
Company ID
Founded: 2020
Funding: Seed
Industries: Energy
Product: R&D
Automation by Solar Drone
Online Grocery Service App
The company developed smart software that can be integrated into off the shelf robotics and can increase their efficiency by x10.
The company aims to be the first profitable online grocery company serving suburban families, using logistics robots.
Distinctiveness
> Uniq business model based on McKinsey model -The 3 F’s formula: describes how to correctly build the tech infrastructure for online grocery
Company ID
Founded: 2019
Funding: Seed
Industries: Retail
Product: Betta
Super duper model and solution
Predict Earthquakes 8 Hours in Advance
Ionoterra developed a technology and system for Earthquakes Prediction up to 8 HOURS in advance, providing predictions with the 3 most important parameters:
Where the Earthquake will happen.
When the Earthquake will happen.
What Magnitude the Earthquake is going to have.
Distinctiveness
> List of positive reviews from various academic institutions: Chiba University - Japan, and Russian Academy of Sciences
Company ID
Founded: 2018
Funding: Pre-seed
Industries: Infrastructure
Product: Beta
Ionoterra solution
