Author: OurCrowd

Home is where your startup prospers: How Tel Aviv became a hotbed of startup culture and money

Home is where your startup prospers: How Tel Aviv became a hotbed of startup culture and money

Oct 15, 2013 | , ,

What does it take to create a successful startup ecosystem? Furthermore, what does it take to create a the dynamic and innovative culture, community and possibilities of a startup city? Tel Aviv: Startup Utopia Many have written (and will write) about the Startup Nation’s success in general and the success of its high-tech capital Tel Aviv specifically. Why all the hype? Well, besides the fact that Tel Aviv is the second-most entrepreneurial hotspot after Silicon Valley, it also has the highest density of startups in the world — and the number is constantly growing. Even President Obama once said that “if people want to see the future of the world economy, they should look at Tel Aviv.” But how does Tel Aviv, as a city, maintain its status as a hotbed of startup culture and money? And can other cities around the globe replicate its thriving startup environment? Tel Aviv’s Secret Sauce In an article in Inc. Magazine, contributor Jeremy Shure lists several forward-thinking and innovative initiatives taken by the city that have contributed in the cultivation of its vibrant startup ecosystem. The local government is exceptionally proactive in making the city a...

Read More
Robots in the operating room: Making doctors — and healthcare — more efficient

Robots in the operating room: Making doctors — and healthcare — more efficient

Oct 10, 2013 | , ,

In Harl Vincent’s 1934 book “Rex”, a robot surgeon sought to remake mankind in the image of the robot. While he was (thankfully) unsuccessful in his pursuit, robots have certainly made their impact felt at a societal level. Robotic technologies are being introduced to a wide array of industries and have demonstrated their potential to save lives. The resident robots The first robotic system was introduced into the medical world in 1985. Dr. Yik San Kwoh of the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center used a robotic arm to direct a needle into his patients brain. Dr. Kwoh said about the surgery, ”The robotic arm is safer, faster and far less invasive than current surgical procedures.” Since then, robotics have played key active roles in the fields of surgery, rehabilitation and diagnostics. Surgery, in specific, is an area where robots are changing the way healthcare is delivered. Early technologies have mostly been aimed at assisting the surgeon, leading to a more efficient surgery. Robots in the Operating Room Perhaps the most well-known Israeli medical innovation using robotics is Mazor’s Renaissance. The...

Read More
OurCrowd op-ed in WSJ: “An SEC Rule Change Opens a New Era for Crowdfunding”

OurCrowd op-ed in WSJ: “An SEC Rule Change Opens a New Era for Crowdfunding”

Oct 10, 2013 | , , ,

The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed today written by OurCrowd CEO, Jon Medved. In the editorial, Jon talks about how recent U.S. regulatory changes to equity crowdfunding will open up new opportunities for investors and how these changes have positioned OurCrowd as a leader in its space. Startups and businesses have taken notice. They have begun to use similar online crowdfunding platforms—but to gather investments. And thanks in part to the SEC’s new rule, the equity crowdfunding market is poised for rapid growth over the next decade.   A new class of angel investors, affluent individuals who invest personal funds in companies, is another byproduct of the burgeoning crowdfunding movement. These angel investors are no longer just former startup founders. They’re a younger, broader class of Internet-savvy investors ready to evaluate and pick deals online. Read the full Wall Street Journal article here. A version of this article appeared October 10, 2013, on page A17 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: An SEC Rule Change Opens a New Era for Crowdfunding.   Making...

Read More
Eye-opening innovation: Top 10 incredible Israeli advances in vision

Eye-opening innovation: Top 10 incredible Israeli advances in vision

Oct 8, 2013 | , , ,

The Startup Nation is known for its eye opening innovation — literally speaking, that is. Israel is home to a growing medical device industry. It’s developed an advanced infrastructure of medical and paramedical research as well as bio-engineering capabilities. Israeli researchers have provided an impressive number of medical advances and copious contributions across the various branches of the medical industry and the field of vision is no exception. Israeli scientists have been consistently a dominant force in developing innovative technologies to help transform the lives of the world’s blind and visually impaired. World Sight Day, an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment, falls out this week on October 10th. As writer Abigail Klein Leichman points out in ISRAEL21c, an online news magazine covering 21st century Israel, this is the “perfect opportunity to present some of the amazing advances coming out of Israel for treating medical conditions of the eye.” The ISRAEL21c article lists a range of innovations that dramatically improve eyesight or the quality of life for people with vision impairments. The various technologies listed address a wide range of visual impairments,...

Read More