BOLEO 2016 Business Opportunities in Israel Lasers & Electro-Optics

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/c/e/600_446402766.jpeg

At this year's upcoming Optical Engineering Meeting 2016 (http://www.seeeiopticaleng.org/#!enoptica/c1stx) , a special track for investors in Photonics will take place. The highlight will be an Optical Startup Pitch event (BOLEO - Business Opportunities in Israel Lasers and Electro-optics) where startups pitched for the first time to investors and funds. The BOLEO will be an afternoon session from 14:00 till 16:00 in the Optical Engineering Conference. The winners of the BOLEO session will be announced during the plenary concluding session 16:00 till 18:00.

BOLEO 1992 was the first startup pitch event ever held in Israel. (More about BOLEO (http://www.seeei.org.il/prdFiles/2871_desc2.pdf))

The purpose of this year's BOLEO Pitch session is to enable 10 outstanding early stage optical startups pitch to a panel of investors that are also optics experts. These startups underwent a scrupolous screening process. The list of approved companies can be seen below. The panelist are:

• Yaron Magal - Terralab Ventures (chair)

• Michael Cohn - CEO, Nanor AB, Sweden

• Dr. Ziv Karni - Founder & CEO, Alma Lasers

• David Avraham - Investment Principal, R. Bosch VC Fund

• Eliezer Manor - CEO, Shirat Enterprises Ltd.& Editorial Directory Photonics

• Ayala Matalon - Executive Director, MIT Enterprise Forum of Israel

• Freddy Paz - CEO, OptiMil (and formerly CEO, Optimet)

• Gideon Ben-Zvi - Venture Partner at Aviv Venture Capital

• Joe van Zwaren, founder, JBNF

The 2016 Optical Engineering Meeting (http://www.seeeiopticaleng.org/#!enoptica/c1stx) is organized this year by the SEEEI (http://www.seeei.org.il/) (Society for Electrical & Electronics Engineers in Israel), the JCT - Lev Academic Center (http://www.jct.ac.il/en), the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce (http://www.jcoc.biz/)and JBNF (http://jbnf.org). The Optical Engineering Meetings are organized every two years for the Optics & Photonics professional community by SEEEI at different academic institution in Israel as a showplace of Israeli Photonics & Lasers. In addition to 11 Sessions, 50 papers, 12 posters, there will be two exhibitions - one on the Jerusalem Photonics companies and the other a technical exhibition. There are over 70 photonics & optics companies based in the Jerusalem area.

2016 is going to be a busy year of ISraeli Photonics - with the launching of the Israeli National Center for Advance Photonics (involving the SNRC and the Ben Gurion University, and two national photonics industrial R&D consortiums within the MAGNET program, the ALTIA program for laser technologies and the PETACLOUD program for core technologies for next generation Cloud infrastructures. All three of these will be presented as presentations and at the exhibition. In addition, the electro-optics department at the JCT - Lev Academic Center (that has trained over 10% of ISrael's optical engineers) has undergone major changes, new research and eductional laboratories and a second degree program in photonics.

Over the last 20 years, 15% of the exits or acquisitions of technological optics have been in Optics and Lasers, understandable, given that this field is an area of traditional excellence in Israel. There are over 400 active optics and lasers companies with a world class academic research community. In recent years, optics and lasers are less popular to funds and investors. At SEEEI it was felt that it was needed to make the financial community part of the Israeli photonics eco-system and to launch a special track needed to be made for them at future Optical Meetings. For this reason, it was felt that there is a real need to relaunch the BOLEO events to promote Israeli optics innovation.

Registration Fee is 80 NIS (but you must specify you are a JBNF member) and can be done at

http://ramifinkler.wix.com/start-from-scratch#!blank/aurii

It will cost 130 NIS the day of the conference.

This will allow participation for all sessions, exhibitions of the Optical Engineering Meeting.

Optical Startups pitching at BOLEO

1. 3 Dot, presented by Dr. Yacov Malinovich ,co-founder

Additive Manufacturing System (3D printing) for Flexographic Printing Plates. The vision is to supply the flexo industry with an optimal plate making technology which is suitable for in-house low cost high volume production.

2. Sensilize ltd (http://www.sensilize.com), presented by Yoav Zur, CTO

Smart image analysis with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technology to address needs within the Agribusiness industry by providing updated, important agronomic information.

3. GRAD QoL4U. presented by Guy Fleishman, CEO

Innovative Urban Planning Support System using Earth Observation to determine quality of life for urban planning and managing

4. OptiQGain (http://www.optiqgain.com)presented by Ram Alon, CEO

High resolution real-time molecular level analyzer for industrial process control

5. Solaraound (http://www.terralb.com/portfolio/solararound/), presented by Avishai Drori, CEO

High efficiency solar PV cells

6. DFCam, presented by Dr. David Rosenblatt, CEO

A liquid crystal device for extending the depth of field of imaging systems. First application concentrates on integration into surveillance and homeland security cameras.

7. Qulent, presented by Edward Averbukh, CTO

Novel Accommodative Intraocular Lens for Cataract Replacement

8.Belkin Laser (http://www.belkin-laser.com), presented by Daria Lemann - Blumenthal, CEO

Glaucoma laser treatment device, aimed at revolutionizing access to glaucoma care. BELKIN Laser offers a once-a-year, one second procedure, requiring a negligible learning curve.

9. 3DentaX, presented by Jacob Kaufmann, Partner

Enabling dentists to obtain 3D Xray images of the jawbone with their existing 2D Xray system in the clinic

10. FabriXense (http://www.fabrixense.com/) presented by Prof Zev Zalevsky, CTO

Developing smart bio-sensing clothing. Our smart clothing provides active and continuous measure of biomedical parameters such as heart beat rhythm, breathing and blood pressure without the need of having tight contact between the fabric and the body of the wearer.

About the BOLEO Panel Members

Yaron Magal, CTO at Terralab/Terra Venture Capital (http://www.terravp.com/).

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/a/9/0/600_445911856.jpeg

22 Year of C-Level positions in the IDF prestige technological core and Hi-Tech industry: Involved in selling Lightech to "GELighting".Built and manage "GE Lighting", the 2nd GE corporate design center in Israel.Previously: VP R&D/CTO at Mango DSP, Product director of Celerica, etc. Holds BSc in Electronics & E-Optics from JCT.

Michael Cohn M.D. - CEO, Nanor AB & Founder, Parameter AB (Sweden)

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/a/7/e/600_445911838.jpeg

Trained at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Michael has been active in the Machine Vision Industry and Electro Optics Industry for over 27 years. He founded Parameter AB that became the leading Machine Vision distributor in the Nordic countries and Poland. The past few years Michael is acting as serial seed investor in the Photonics and Med-Tech area in Israel. After the sale of the Machine Vision business of Parameter AB in 2014 he started Nanor AB to continue distribution in the area of Photonics. He is also on the board of Photonics Sweden, the National committee for Optics and Photonics.

Ziv Karni - CEO & Founder of Alma Lasers

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/a/a/1/600_445911873.jpeg

Dr. Karni holds a PhD in chemical physics from Tel Aviv University and a Post doctorate in physics and chemistry from Columbia University and Stanfordn University, respectively.

A pioneer in medical laser research and development since 1980, he has created some of the most successful and effective laser and pulsed light systems brought to market, and has received numerous patents in the medical device arena.

Dr. David Abraham, Investment Principal at Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC)

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/a/b/e/600_445911902.jpeg

David Abraham is an Investment Principal with RBVC, based in the Tel Aviv office, having a particular focus on investment opportunities in Israel that fit Bosch Group.

David has more than 20 years of experience in business development and strategy, Telecommunication systems research and development, and strong academic background in research and teaching in physical electronics.

In his previous positions, David led the Corporate Strategy unit of ECI telecom. Prior to ECI Telecom David held key positions with several acquired startups: he served as the CTO of MEMSCAP Optical Components Business Unit (formerly GalayOr, a $20m exit), and as a system architect with Lucent Technologies (formerly Chromatis Networks, a $4.8Bn exit).

David holds a B.Sc. (summa cum laude), M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology.

Ayla Matalon
Executive Director, MIT Enterprise Forum of Israel

Chairperson, Global Entrepreneurship Week Israel

Adjunct Lecturer, High Tech Entrepreneurship, Technion & Tel Aviv University

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/b/0/5/600_445911973.jpeg

Ayla Matalon became the Executive Director of the MIT Enterprise Forum after 15 years of experience in high-tech and venture capital. Previously an analyst at Steps Investments in Technology and Managing Director of the US- Israel Science and Technology Center, and with relevant experience as a software engineer in both Israeli and foreign high-tech companies (Technion, Daisy Systems, Indigo/HP and Christian Rovsing - DK), Ayla has acquired a profound knowledge of the Israeli high-tech sector and its needs.

Ayla lectures about high-tech entrepreneurship and business development at Tel Aviv University. To date she has taught in 6 academic institutions including 3 MBA programs, and in total, has given close to 50 courses concerning Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Development. She consults to start-ups and early-stage companies, and is invested in a few.

Ayla is a cum laude alumnus of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa (B.A. 1980, M.Sc. 1987). She received an MBA (emphasis on Entrepreneurship) from INSEAD, Fontainebleau (1993).

Freddy Paz - CEO, OptiMil (and formerly CEO, Optimet)

Background in Physics- Mathematics from the Hebrew University. Freddy has been active in the electro-optics arena in Israel for over 42 years. He served in the IDF for over 12 years managing laser and night-vision projects including production and knowhow transfer of thermal imaging technology from USA to Israel industry. Freddy held different high management positions at Ophir Optronics were he left to co-found Optimet in 1995. In the last 10 years Freddy has been active promoting electro-optics solutions for dental applications. Freddy has been a private investor in several start-ups, mostly photonics related , the first one also as entrepreneur together with the CLAL group for in-vivo gas analysis in the blood in the late eighties.

Eliezer Manor - President and Founder of Shirat Enterprises Ltd (http://www.shirat-enterprises.com)

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/9/3/0/600_445942832.jpeg

Shirat, with parallel operations in Israel and in China, is engaged in a broad program, dedicated to establish in China wholly owned local operations of Israeli hi-tech companies for business development in the Far East. The Chinese operations of the Israeli hi-tech companies are financially supported by local Chinese governments and mentored by Shirat, as a management company of Business Oriented Incubators (BOI's), for making the initial steps in China of the Israeli owned subsidiaries. Shirat also manages several VC funds in China, which invest in the local operations of the Israeli owned companies.

Gideon Ben-Zvi - Venture Partner at Aviv Venture Capital

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/b/c/9/600_445912169.jpeg

16 years experience as a CEO and a serial entrepreneur. Founder/co-founder of six companies - Ligature, Wizcom Technologies, HumanEyes Technologies, Briefcam, enVerid (https://www.linkedin.com/vsearch/p?company=enVerid&trk=prof-exp-company-name) and ASOCS, two of which he led up to exit events, yielding 4x-25x to investors. The other four continue to operate and progress. MBA, BSc. Computer Science & Math, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

Joe van Zwaren - Founder, JBNF

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/b/d/d/600_445912189.jpeg

Passionate in helping entrepreneurs succeed. Runs a business consultancy company, Horev Technology, assisting startup companies in finding investment. He founded and runs the Jerusalem Business Network Forum (JBNF), a nonprofit focused in encouraging entrepreneurship and business in the Jerusalem area.

Mr. van Zwaren was Director of Exact Sciences at the Ministry of Science and Technology for 25 years, responsible for national research programs in Optronics, Lasers, Internet technologies and Microelectronics. The Optronics Program was instrumental in spawning nearly fifty companies that succeeded in raising over 1 Billion dollars. He played a role in introducing both Internet in 1984 and Internet-2 in 1996 to Israel, by brokering the agreement with the US National Science Foundation, and managing the academic broadband research program from 1984 till 2002. He was responsible for starting the Homeland Security Technologies program in Israel in 2001.

He was involved in optic product development at First Quality, a US corporation and was vp business development in an Israeli clean tech company

He has a M.Sc. in physics from the ULB from Brussels.