Funding Innovation Between U.S. and Israel, 9/6
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Funding Innovation Between U.S. and Israel
There has been a long history of partnership and support between Israel and the US on many fronts, both military and civilian, and cooperation between the two countries is fostered through a variety of different programs. One such organization is the BIRD Foundation, which acts as an introduction facilitator between Israeli and US companies.
The BIRD Foundation (www.birdf.com) was established in 1977 by the U.S. and Israeli governments to develop and fund industrial research & development partnerships between companies from both countries on a project-specific basis. Come and hear from Ms. Maya Vardi Shoshani (BIRD) and Mr. Elhay Farkash (Lightapp) as they tell us about one such partnership that attempts to bring critical energy management technology to the US.
Ms. Vardi Shoshani and Mr. Farkash will talk about a joint project between Lightapp (Herzliya, Israel) and Pratt Industries (Conyers, GA) to develop resource optimization for US paper manufacturing facilities. According to the US Energy Information Administration, industrial manufacturers consume half of the world’s energy and for many of these industrial factories, energy expense is one of the highest costs. Lightapp’s commitment is to change the world, one factory at a time; come hear how, with the help of the BIRD Foundation, they are bringing big-data-based energy management to American manufacturers.
Speakers:
Ms. Maya Vardi Shoshani, BIRD Foundation Director, West Coast operations
Located in the Silicon Valley, Ms. Vardi Shoshani is responsible for initiating business matchmaking activities between Israeli and American companies on behalf of the BIRD Foundation. The BIRD Foundation supports selected collaborations and provides them with non-dilutive funding of up to 50% of their combined R&D budget associated with the joint project (up to $1M per project), without receiving any equity or intellectual property rights in the participating companies or in the project itself. Ms. Vardi also heads up business development and relationship management with West Coast high-tech companies, as well as strategic growth initiatives.
Before joining the BIRD Foundation, Ms. Vardi Shoshani worked as an attorney focusing on litigation, negotiations, commercial and constitutional law. Ms. Vardi Shoshani was an interviewer in the Israeli Defense Force and holds an LLB degree from Tel-Aviv University.
Mr. Elhay Farkash, CEO, Lightapp
Lightapp is an intelligent resource management solution for industrial manufacturing companies that helps reduce resource costs by 5%-27%. They are revolutionizing the way industrial customers consume resources by exposing and enabling appropriate and timely responses based upon key performance indicators that were previously considered unattainable. Over 150 factories in Israel use the company’s sensor-based monitoring software to precisely measure, and better control, the amount of resources that go into each item they produce.
The founders of Lightapp, Elhay Farkash and Guy Peer, saw huge potential in the market when they realized that few manufacturers are managing their energy waste. The two supply chain management experts, who previously worked at Oracle, decided to use their experience to understand energy management, giving birth to Lightapp in 2009.
Event Details
Wednesday, Sep 6th, 2017
6:30 - 9:00pm
LOCATION
Accellion
1800 Embarcadero Road
Palo Alto, Ca
TICKETS
$10 in advance
$20 at the door
Student/Senior discounts available
Members always free
Food & Beverages Provided