Japan is the world’s #3 economy…but not for Israel. It is not even a top 10 trading partner. To strengthen bi-lateral trade, Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Israeli Innovation Authority, led a delegation of 11 Israeli IoT startups this month to Tokyo and Osaka. The visit generated buzz (including the cover story of Wired Magazine) …
Continue reading “Israel & Japan: Konnichi Wa to Collaboration, Sayonara to Stagnation”
Music is everyone’s favorite example of digital disruption done wrong. After peaking at $38 billion revenue more than a decade ago, the industry stabilized last year at $16.5 billion. Now the focus is on digital music GROWTH. 2014 will be the year in which internet radio leads the music industry’s growth.
Next month, one of the leading European operators is expected to announce a dedicated, Israel-focused venture capital fund. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to innovation clusters, some telcos are getting a better ROI from Israel than others.
Israel/California based Gizmoz, a veteran startup developing animated talking 3D avatars, had two major achievements yesterday. Gizmoz announced a pretty significant cash injection in a round B series and also integrated its avatars into AOL’s Instant Messanger (AIM), catering to a broader audience in the US. The $6.5 million B round was led by DoCoMo …
Continue reading “Gizmoz Raises $6.5 from Japan’s DoCoMo, Inks deal with AOL”
