Israel has long been a trailblazer in the field of AgriFood-Tech, having been forced to innovate in order to overcome unfavorable growing conditions. Its landmark achievement was the invention of drip irrigation, a novel way to water and fertilize crops – using minimal resources that went on to revolutionize the meaning of the term arable land. Since then Israel has cultivated a thriving ecosystem – the second largest in the world – home to almost 400 companies. The industry provides a wide spectrum of solutions, helping to increase yields, reduce the use of harmful chemicals, and improve the quality and variety of crops. Over the past three decades, Israel’s agricultural capabilities have been further augmented by cutting-edge technologies like computer vision, artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced communications, traceability solutions, and biotechnology, producing an ecosystem that stretches far beyond the country’s borders.
Here is a list of some companies for your perusal:
1) Agrinoze – Only Automatic and Autonomous Irrigation and Fertigation Solution in the World Scalable for Food Security
• Agrinoze’s fully autonomous irrigation and fertigation proprietary algorithm runs the end-to-end systemcontinuously, collects real-time unique plant and soil data, determines precise irrigation and fertigation commands, and executes them autonomously.
• This method is effective for any crop, soil, substrate, and growing environment, including open fields, greenhouses, and orchards, enabling any farm to become a pioneer in the battle for food security. The result is an ideal root zone environment with zero human intervention.
• Agrinoze increases yield by hundreds of percentage points, conserves water and fertilizers, improves soil health, and enables food security pioneers to feed the world sustainably by delivering the first scalable solution for boosting global food production.
• Agrinoze was recently honored as one of ten startups featured in the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit’s TechHub in San Francisco, California and is active in many markets around the world including the US, Morocco, Israel, Thailand and Indonesia.
2) Aquamaof – Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) with the Least Energy Consumption in the Industry
• Featuring next generation Aquaculture Technology, Aquamaof’s advance Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) technology offers maximum control, minimum maintenance and ultimate sustainability.
• At the core of the AquaMaof integrated RAS technology is efficient power management, dramatically reducing costs of energy.
• Strict biosecurity protocols and complete environmental control enable elimination of antibiotics and chemicals in the process and high survival rates. Sophisticated scalable and flexible design enables adaptation to different requirements, and integration of new technologies as they become available.
• Their track record spans across the globe, and have implemented successful projects in countries like Japan, Canda, Poland and Russia.
3) Bee-io – The Only Company in the World Making Honey Without Bees (Listed on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange)
• Utilizing novel bio-processes, micro-organisms are engineered to create the same proteins bees use to transform nectar to honey in their stomachs.
• Existing methods of honey production endangers bees and results in escalating prices. Similarly, the honey produced may contain toxins, pesticides, and antibiotics.
• Bee-io’s production technology enables 365-day high production capacity of ‘clean’ honey therefore meeting growing demand and contributing to food security, cost reduction resulting in reasonable prices, and very importantly reduces extinction rate of bees, a critical member of ecological integrity.
• Bee-io has two successful R&D collaborations with global research powerhouses MIT and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
4) Biotic – Plastic Alternative: First to produce fully bio-based & biodegradable PHBV polymers in a non-sterile environment, in a continuous process (Backed by Rockstartand The Yield Lab)
• Biotic provides a fully bio-based & biodegradable polymer manufacturing process, using marine biomass as feedstock for the precise fermentation process.
• Their PHBV polymers fully degrade into CO2 and water, safely eliminating recycling needs and costs. The circular process also allows extraction of valuable byproducts such as protein, colorants, lipids and other small molecules.
• Named in the FoodTech 500 2021 list; Finalists of ‘The Tech For Humanity Awards’ – Aviram Foundation with Forbes (Dubai, 2022) and Finalists of the Ag Plastics Innovation Challenge.
• In advanced stages of collaboration with global leaders in the Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Packaging, Medical Care, and additional industries.
5) NextFerm – The Only Neutral-Tasting Vegan Protein that can Nutritionally Replace Animal-derived Protein (Listed on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange)
• NextFerm is a global leader in non-GMO strain development technologies with a proven track record for developing robust and highly efficient strains for industrial scale applications.
• ProteVin™ is a revolutionary vegan protein. It is the first highly digestible, non-GMO, whole protein that can replace animal derived protein without compromising on nutrition, taste & performance.
• Its nutritional value enables a faster muscle mass regeneration with minimal protein intake compared to other vegan solutions thus, presenting the most competitive alternative to whey protein.
6) Plantae BioSciences – Accelerating Evolution to Create New Plant-centric Solutions (Backed by NRS Group)
• Plantae Bioscience synergistically combines 3 scientific disciplines – gene editing (CRISPR and more), metabolic engineering and computational protein design – to accelerate evolution to create new plant-centric realities. Vertical farming, nutrient-enhanced vegetables and cellular agriculture are the main applications.
• PLANTAE BIOSCIENCE is committed to improving food security, public health and wellness by utilizing advanced biotechnology tools. It is a partnership between Huminn and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
• Given the challenges to feed the world in an era of climate distress and resource scarcity, new agricultural technologies are needed. These new technologies demand new, and purpose-designed plant genetics.
7) Steakholder Foods – Most Advanced 3D Bio-Printing for Cultured Meat (Listed on Nasdaq)
• Steakholder Foods Ltd. (Nasdaq: STKH), formally MeaTech 3D Ltd. ($MITC), is on a mission to make real meat sustainable and slaughter free.
• With proprietary 3D bioprinting technology and advanced cellular biology, the company is developing whole-cut, ground and hybrid products that will allow people to continue enjoying tender, juicy meat while making the right choice for the planet and all its inhabitants. Join thenew community of meat lovers and help write the next chapter in the story of meat.
• Milestones:
o Funding: $59 Million raised. First Nasdaq-listed cultivated meat company.
o R&D achievements: December 2021 – Largest ever cultivated steak printed – 3.67 oz
o Acquisitions & collaborations:
1. February 2021 – acquisition of Peace of Meat, a leading Belgian developer of cultured avian products.
2. July 2022 – Steakholder Foods announces collaboration with Umami Meats, a Singaporean cultured seafood company.
3. May 2022 – wholly owned subsidiary Peace of Meat signs joint development agreement with ENOUGH, a leader in mycoprotein.
4. October 2021 – Steakholder partners with the BlueSoundWaves collective, led by Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary and Effie Epstein.
o Facilities:
1. March 2022 – Steakholder announced plans for an R&D facility and pilot plant in Belgium.
o IP portfolio – 15 patents submitted, one already granted
8) Tamuz – Preservative and Antibacterial Material
• Developed a mix molecule from a natural plant source, as well as a synthetic material but identical to the natural one.
• Experiments show a significant extending shelf life on food product (like fish and meat) and the potential possibility, to apply their product in various food to extend their shelf life, (including drugs and vaccines) which are susceptible to infections.
• They are now focused on preserving food, medicines and vaccines and the ability to extend the shelf life of various food products, fresh, frozen, chilled and thawed.
• The product is currently approved by the FDA as a GRAS material.
For more information, please contact YanMing.Tan@israeltrade.gov.il, Trade Officer of Israeli Economic and Trade Mission, Singapore.
