Eight Israeli start-ups invited to pitch at Arizona investment conference
The Israeli companies (founders and entrepreneurs) that were selected are: ConfirmU, VisibleZone, AuraAir, Fixel, BC Bike, EZSave, IMNA Solutions and Beyond Appearances.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDS (L-R) David Yaari, Representative Tony Rivero, MK Izhar Shay, Adiv Baruch, Chairman of Israel Export Institute(photo credit: TOMER MALICHI)
Eight Israeli start-ups are set to participate for the first time in the largest virtual venture capitalist conference of its kind in Arizona, USA.Unmet Arizona is geared primarily toward entrepreneurs in Middle America to showcase their Seed and Series A start-up brands to 150 investors from across the country. However, for the first time, the conference has also thrown its doors open to relevant Israeli start-ups.The Israeli companies (founders and entrepreneurs) that were selected are: ConfirmU, VisibleZone, AuraAir, Fixel, BC Bike, EZSave, IMNA Solutions and Beyond Appearances.David Yaari, the founding Director General of the Arizona-Israel Trade and investment office said: "Our goal is to assist promising Israeli startups to raise their profile and raise capital through the conference and to expand the collaboration between the Arizona startup state and the startup nation, Israel".The event is managed to allow each company to meet one-to-one with six to eight investors each, as well as to network with peers in order to promote collaboration bewteen companies.Its core focus is on middle America because, according to its website, "there is a dire need for Series A/B Capital in this region.Arizona is one of the foremost American states in terms of technological innovations in fields such as autonomous vehicles, digital health, 5G technology, Cyber security, production of clean water, financial technology, higher education, and more.Consequently, it is a good match for trade with Israel, which has also invested heavily in its tech sector. More than 20 Israeli-owned companies are already operating in Arizona in fields including aerospace and defense, business and financial services, and innovation.The governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, said: "There is a lot in common between the State of Israel which is the startup nation and the State of Arizona which is the startup state".In 2018, imports and exports between Arizona and the Jewish state totaled in excess of $460 million, more than double the volume achieved in 2010, but Yaari would like to go further.
"We are working to advance the trade and technology ties between the states in various fields, including financial technologies, Digital health and advanced agriculture and water technologies," he said.The Unmet conference was a great platform for raising awareness of Israeli tech among investors, he said, as it builds collaboration between the two regions."Our goal is to double the trade between the southwestern state and Israel to $1 billion in the coming years," he said.
