Israel Awards NIS 22 Million in Grants to Corona-Fighting Startups
The grant, spearheaded by government investment arm the Israel Innovation Authority, was handed to companies that address the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), the government’s tech investment arm, approved last week NIS 22 million (approximately $6
million) in grants for 35 coronavirus (Covid-19) fighting startups and companies. The IIA, Israel’s Ministry of Health, and the Ministry for Social Equality announced on March 17 the allocation of NIS 50 million (approximately $13 million) in grants to be allocated to companies submitting research and development plans, proofs-of-concept, products, and technological solutions that address the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Ami Appelbaum, chairman of the board of the IIA and chief scientist at the Ministry of Economics and Industry, his team received more than 750 applications. "The committee chose to support a wide range of projects dealing with the challenges of coronavirus because the fight against the pandemic needs to be waged on multiple fronts,"
Appelbaum told Calcalist.
Ami Appelbaum, chairman of the board of the IIA and chief scientist at the Ministry of Economics and Industry. Photo: Amit Shaal
Among the companies to have received the grants were: NEAT Applied Technologies Ltd., which produces sensors and remote monitoring solutions that can help with the managing of flow, pressure, and volume of patients, Ezmems Ltd., which develops smart plastic sensors for ventilators and NanoScent Ltd., which offers a scent recognition service that can help detect people with coronavirus symptoms.
Additional grants are expected to be handed out during the coming week. The second deadline for the call for proposals (CFP) for projects dealing with the challenges posed by the coronavirus was last Tuesday (April 7) and applicants were told responses are expected within 10 days of the deadline. "The goal of these CFPs is to accelerate the process of going from proposal to implementation of technologies that can treat and combat coronavirus," said Appelbaum. "A strong emphasis has been put on the proposals that can combat the crisis immediately with a quick time to market, or promising partnerships that will ensure the functional continuity of the Israeli economy."
