BOSTON – Ambassador Ze’ev Boker, CyberArk Founder Udi Mokady, Rabbi Marc Baker, President of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and MassChallenge CEO Siobhan Dullea tonight awarded 500,000 ILS in cash prizes to five high-impact startups from the 2019 MassChallenge Israel accelerator.
Announced during the MassChallenge Israel Awards Celebration, the 2019 prize winners were selected from a pool of nearly 500 applicants from 41 countries around the world. MassChallenge Israel, the most active accelerator in Israel, supports more than 50 game-changing companies each year.
“The 2019 MassChallenge winners are tackling some of the biggest and most important challenges and we’re excited to be part of their journey to building meaningful sustainable and innovative companies,” said Yonit Golub Serkin, Managing Director of MassChallenge Israel. “Through their experience in Israel and now in the US, these innovators have engaged with the mentors, experts, partners and stakeholders to take their ideas global.”
“By being part of the MassChallenge global network, the 2019 MassChallenge Israel startups join thousands of MassChallenge alumni,” said Siobhan Dullea, CEO, MassChallenge. “With the ongoing support of MassChallenge’s global community of partners and mentors, these new alumni will continue to have a transformative impact on the world.”
Held at the MassChallenge headquarters in Boston, the 2019 MassChallenge Israel Awards Celebration brought together investors, entrepreneurs and key partners across multiple industries. The Awards Celebration was held in partnership with Brandeis International Business School.
“The ongoing partnership between Brandeis International Business School and MassChallenge Israel represents a commitment to the next generation of global innovators who aren’t afraid to think big in pursuit of their vision for a better world,” said Dean Kathryn Graddy. “Our curriculum at Brandeis emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural collaboration in global business and we are proud that organizations like MassChallenge Israel are bringing that lesson to life every day by connecting the dynamic startup communities in Boston and Israel.”
The Award Celebration was the culmination of the US Roadshow, a curated business trip and introduction to the innovation ecosystems in Boston and New York for the top 10 startups from the MassChallenge Israel program. During the week-long MassChallenge Israel Roadshow, the top startups will meet with investors, partners, business leaders and innovative companies including TechNYC, CyberArk, and Via among others. The startups also attended Master Classes with prominent leadership of Harvard Business School and Yeshiva University Sy Syms School of Business.
The Awards Celebration and the US Trek cap another successful year for MassChallenge Israel. The global startups in the 2019 cohort hailed from world Israel, Colombia, India, South Africa, and Switzerland and applications for the program were received from 41 countries.
Over the course of the four-month program, startups in the MassChallenge Israel accelerator leveraged expert mentorship, tailored programming, corporate partnerships, and industry resources to accelerate their efforts. More than 20 percent of the selected startups for this year’s program are in the healthtech sector. The other startups represent the eCommerce, retail and travel sectors (27%); automotive, cyber and fintech sectors (21%); social impact sector (8%); and, energy and cleantech sectors (6%).
The MassChallenge Israel prize winners join an elite community of MassChallenge startups. Since 2016, 155 alumni companies of MassChallenge Israel have raised over $180 million and created over 7,000 direct and indirect jobs globally.
MASSCHALLENGE ISRAEL PRIZE WINNERS
200K ILS Diamond Winner
Butterfly Medical
Israel | Healthcare & Life Sciences
Butterfly Medical is developing a non-surgical implant to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate (BPH).
100K ILS Platinum Winners
TuneFork
Israel | High Tech
TuneFork has developed an audio personalization technology software that delivers an optimal hearing experience, improving the quality of life for people with hearing loss and the elderly.
Miraqules
India | Healthcare & Life Sciences
Miraqules introduced StopBleed, a powder that clots blood within 30 seconds, helping you to survive from fatal bleeding injuries.
50K ILS Gold Winners
Beewise
Israel | General, Retail & Consumer
Beewise offers a redesigned beehive, powered by AI and advanced robotics, where bees live, thrive and pollinate. We are here to save the bees and prevent global food shortage.
Zygofix
Israel | Healthcare & Life Sciences
ZygoFix’s zLOCK takes the agony out of back pain with its small 3D-printed implant for spinal fusion surgery, one of the most common spine procedures.
MassChallenge Israel Partners
The Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, The Jerusalem Development Authority, The Kraft Group, Poalim Hi-Tech, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, IAI Elta, Accenture Technology, Yigal Arnon & Co, Fischer Behar Chen Well, Orion & Co., Altshuler Shaham Benefits, ARC Impact, *Goodwin, The Deshpande Foundation, NASSCOM, *Brandeis University International Business School, BioHouse, ALYNnovation, Edtech Israel, Manhi, *Gemline, New Spirit, Start-Up Nation Central, AWS, Google for Startups, Ingram Micro, Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, *Merchant & Gould
* 2019 MassChallenge Israel Roadshow Sponsors
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Rhode Island, Switzerland, and Texas, MassChallenge is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, more than 2,300 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $5 billion in funding, generated more than $2.7 billion in revenue, and created more than 136,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.