Month: July 2013

Israel has grown quite a name for entrepreneurship and startups in the last couple of years, ultimately named as the startup nation. The Technion, without any doubt, is the place where Israel’s top technological brain power gathers to study and research the next boundaries of science across its many facets. On the first weekend of June, an event called Technion 3 Day Startup was held aiming to bring the two worlds together allowing students from the different faculties of the institution to form groups and start their startup journey.

The inaugural event at the Technion is the latest addition to the many other 3DS events held at top educational institutions worldwide. 3DS was founded by students at the university of Austin Texas four years ago to provide a platform for students to meet and cooperate with like minded students from different faculties. With more than 70 events held to date and 30 plus companies formed that have raised more than 11 million dollars, it can be said that 3DS has found the right formula to spot entrepreneurs and allow them to create winning teams.

The event was setup by Dr. Daniel Freedman, a new faculty member at the Electrical Engineering department, and Shai Haim, an alumni of the same faculty who now works in the venture capital industry. “Having seen the strength of the event in the USA and Beijing and hearing about the Israeli attitude toward creating new ventures, it was only natural to me to setup the platform at the Technion as the leading Tech institution”, said Daniel. “We wanted to allow these top notch students to interact with disciplines and issues outside their comfort zone, something that I personally was missing as a student here” added Shai.

The organisers have reached out to all Technion faculties for support in advertising and setup within campus. “Responses were remarkably positive enabling to quickly spread the word among students” said Daniel. 120 students applied and after a rigorous screening process, 38 were chosen representing 13 different faculties. “To allow the event, we had to have not only the best students, but also great sponsors with the Technion brand we managed to get top notch backers” said Shai. The event was endorsed by Startupbootcamp, a leading startup acceleration program, Microsoft R&D center, IBM labs, Wix, GKH Law, the law firm behind the Waze deal, and BDO Israel.

The event began with participants pitches of their ideas to their colleagues. After selecting the best ideas, they formed groups and began working. Along each and every point of their work, participants enjoyed the advice of the best professionals ranging from Waze’s founder and president through founders of huge semiconductors companies such as Zoran to professionals from GKH and BDO.

The wonderful setting has allowed students to establish eight exciting new ventures:

(1) InMyShoes:

A platform that aims to connect people seeking professional advice and people who have the knowledge from experience. For example, a South African student seeking to study in London Business School will be able to chat with a person with the exact same profile.

(2) SeeCare:

A system that actively alerts parents when their baby is about to crawl out of the crib.

The system aims to utilise sophisticated movement analysis to be the active figure on guard.

(3) CheckCity:

An innovative mobile application that will cater people with a tight travelling time constraint. The application will suggest them with the best activities to pursue within the allotted timeframe.

(4) L&B (Lend & Borrow):

A marketplace for lending and borrowing of equipment. While market penetration will go through exchanging articles for free, the platform will also allow to rent selected  items. Founders believe the timing could not have been better with so many market undergoing financial crisis, thus making people to look for other methods on cutting /changing their buying habits.

(5) Groopiez:

Feeling the pain of students trying t collaborate together over a wide offering of services, such as Dropbox, Skype and GDrive, Groopiez aim to give an easy to setup, without a login, environment for collaboration that will include all the necessary features of files sharing, chat and so on.

(6) ProTect:

With 100 incidents worldwide of underwater data cables being torn by fishing boats, ProTect has suggested an innovative and patentable solution for the prevention of these incidents. A completely low tech solution that can save billions of dollars to the telecommunications companies.

(7) Verify.me:

In an era where 67% of internet users state trust as their main barrier to use the social networks, Verify.me will verify users using a sophisticated algorithm that takes a new approach compared to current solutions.

(8) BackVision:

700 cyclists die yearly in the US alone. Of which two thirds die on the highways BackVision’s device will alert cyclist of vehicles approaching them on a collision course, giving them the needed time to take preventive action.

The Technion awarded Maestro Zubin Mehta an Honorary Doctorate at a gala concert given by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the renovated Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv on Thursday, July 18th. The special concert, which was titled “A Musical Matter”, was conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta and Presented by Technion’s Distinguished Prof. Dan Shechtman, 2011 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. This was the season’s closing concert of the “IPO in Jeans” series and was attended by multiple generations of Technion alumni.

A festive reception was held before the concert under the generous auspices of the Keter Group, courtesy of Tova and Sammy Segol. Present at the reception were Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie and his wife Dr. Lena Lavie; 2011 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Distinguished Prof. Dan Shechtman and his wife Prof. Ziporah Shechtman; 2009 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Prof. Ada Yonath; former Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz; University of Haifa President Amos Shapira; hi-tech entrepreneur and Technion alumnus Moshe Yanai; the Economic Attaché at the French Embassy Didier Wisselmann; Chairman of the Israel Technion Society Major General (res.) Amos Horevand members of the Society; and members of the Technion administration.

The Philharmonic Orchestra began the gala concert with Meyerbeer’s Coronation March conducted by Prof. Dan Shechtman. After the short piece, Maestro Zubin Mehta and Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie took the stage in academic gowns, together with Mr. Sammy Segol, and the honorary degree was conferred on Maestro Zubin Mehta.

Mehta was awarded the degree “in recognition of [his] unique and historic contribution to music in the world in general, and in Israel in particular, through [his] iconic association with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for more than half a century; in celebration of [his] artistic genius, cultural leadership, magnetic personality, and lifelong dedication to transcending the barriers of nations, societies and religions through music; and in deep admiration for [his] enduring, unconditional and unwavering devotion to, and love for, the State of Israel and its people”.

Photo: Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie conferring the degree on Maestro Zubin Mehta. Photographs by Assaf Shilo / Israel Sun

EPFL and Technion researchers have figured out the “champion” nanostructures able to produce hydrogen in the most environmentally friendly and cheap manner, by simply using daylight.

In the quest for the production of renewable and clean energy, photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) constitute a sort of a Holy Grail. PECs are devices able of splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen in a single operation, thanks to solar radiation. “As a matter of fact, we’ve already discovered this precious chalice, says Michael Grätzel, Director of the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces (LPI) at EPFL and inventor of dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells. Today we have just reached an important milestone on the path that will lead us forward to profitable industrial applications. “

This week, Nature Materials is indeed publishing a groundbreaking article on the subject. EPFL researchers, working with Avner Rothschild from Technion (Israel), have managed to accurately characterize the iron oxide nanostructures to be used in order to produce hydrogen at the lowest possible cost. “The whole point of our approach is to use an exceptionally abundant, stable and cheap material: rust,” adds Scott C. Warren, first author of the article.

At the end of last year, Kevin Sivula, one of the collaborators at the LPI laboratory, presented a prototype electrode based on the same principle. Its efficiency was such that gas bubbles emerged as soon as it was under a light stimulus. Without a doubt, the potential of such cheap electrodes was demonstrated, even if there was still room for improvement.

By using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, researchers were able to precisely characterize the movement of the electrons through the cauliflower-looking nanostructures forming the iron oxide particles, laid on electrodes during the manufacturing process. “These measures have helped us understand the reason why we get performance differences depending on the electrodes manufacturing process”, says Grätzel.

By comparing several electrodes, whose manufacturing method is now mastered, scientists were able to identify the “champion” structure. A 10×10 cm prototype has been produced and its effectiveness is in line with expectations. The next step will be the development of the industrial process to large-scale manufacturing. A European funding and the Swiss federal government could provide support for this last part.

Evidently, the long-term goal is to produce hydrogen – the fuel of the future – in an environmentally friendly and especially competitive way. For Michael Grätzel, “current methods, in which a conventional photovoltaic cell is coupled to an electrolyzer for producing hydrogen, cost 15 € per kilo at their cheapest. We’re aiming at a € 5 charge per kilo”.

Reference: Scott C.Warren, Kislon Voïtchovsky, Hen Dotan, Celine M. Leroy, Maurin Cornuz, Francesco Stellacci, Cécile Hébert, Avner Rothschild and Michael Grätzel, ‘Identification of champion nanostructures for solar water-splitting’, Nature materials online edition, July 7, 2013.

The Technion’s first Formula car was unveiled at an exhibition of design projects held by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The new red, shiny vehicle will be competing in the Formula Student F-SAE against teams of students from 50 universities worldwide. The Formula Student F-SAE, a student design competition, is scheduled to be held in September 2013 in Verona, Italy.

Twenty-five students from various Technion faculties designed and built the vehicle themselves and it is now undergoing final stages of adjustment and fine-tuning. The vehicle’s maximum velocity is 170 km/h and it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in only 4 seconds.

Ahmed Omri, a Technion graduate student and the project’s initiator and visionary, founded the Mechanical Engineering Faculty’s Formula Team 18 months ago. He prepared a presentation and invited students to his talk on the subject. To his amazement, 80 students attended the presentation and a team of 25 students was formed, both men and women, all sharing the vision of building a formula car that would participate in the international Student Formula competition. Prof. Reuven Katz, head of the design and manufacturing track at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, came on board the project. Prof. Katz secured a laboratory for the team and saw to it that all team members were enrolled in a final projects course. Omri was appointed project manager and the team was divided into smaller groups according to the vehicle’s sub-systems.

“Through various connections and a little luck we managed to recruit about $400,000 from various donors,” says Mr. Omri. “Some of this was in cash and some was in the form of support for manufacturing and logistics activities. We participated in exhibitions, erected booths, visited factories that contributed manufacturing capabilities, and we managed to get kart racing practice time at the Azrieli Mall in Haifa. Many people were skeptical about the project but it took off. During the construction phase we coped with two main challenges. First, there was the engineering challenge of constructing the car since we were all inexperienced and had never built anything before. The second challenge was the managerial challenge.”

Doris Pitilon, a mechanical engineering student, served as the group’s procurement and financial officer. “We divided up into groups and each group was responsible for a different system in the vehicle: engine, pedals, brakes, chassis, suspension, and shell. I was drawn to the project because I wanted to do something practical during my studies and not only theoretical things. Building the car is mechanical engineering at its best. The vision and challenge of building the vehicle were strong team-building elements. There were moments when we thought it wouldn’t happen, and now that I can see the car, I’m very excited and emotional.”

Michael Kootzenko, a 4^th year aeronautics and space engineering student, was responsible for the car’s shell and design. “The minute I heard of the project I knew I was in,” he says. “Building the car was for me a childhood dream come true. I’m responsible for the design of the vehicle and its aerodynamics. We built the car to be stronger than required and I’m very proud of the result.”

“We hope that we have started a tradition at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, one that will pass from generation to generation and each year will improve the vehicle’s performance by using modern design and analysis tools to effect technological improvements, as is customary in the best universities in the world,” says Prof. Pinhas Bar Yossef, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Above: Ahmed Omri unveiling the new formula vehicle. Photograph by Moran Maayan, Technion Spokesperson

Sealantis Conveys Nature’s Power to Prevent Dangerous Leakage of Bodily Fluids

Sealantis Ltd., a private start-up from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, reports that an eighth patient was treated with Seal-V, its alga-mimetic vascular sealant, as part of the company’s first clinical study. Seal-V is a protein-free sealant, designed to resolve current limitations and challenges in control of surgical bleeding. It is expected to receive CE Mark within the year.

The clinical trial, taking place in Israel, is evaluating the safety and efficacy of achieving hemostasis in large peripheral blood vessels using the Seal-V protein-free sealant.

Sealantis is a 6-year-old startup, located on campus of one of Israel’s leading academic centers – the Technion. It was founded by Prof. Havazelet Bianco-Peled, a world renowned expert in biomedical polymers.

Since the early 2000s, Prof. Bianco-Peled had been researching the adhesion mechanism of algae to rocks underwater. The research unveiled the chemical composition of the algae adhesive, but it was the professor’s invention of a synthetic, alga-mimetic adhesive that enabled harnessing nature’s power for practical and commercial uses.

In 2007, the invention was embraced by the Alfred Mann Institute at the Technion, which is funding the company. While having potential uses in a variety of industrial applications, Sealantis chose to focus on urgent medical needs – controlling leakage of body fluids through surgical or traumatic wounds. Such leaks can be fatal since sutures or staples are not fully leak-proof. “Sealing surgical incisions requires sticking to wet or moist surfaces, which is a challenge that most known adhesives can’t usually meet,” explains Prof. Bianco-Peled.

Surgical sealants represent a market of over $1.0 billion which grows 14% annually. “When I look at the market, it’s clear to me that there is no single winning solution,” says Dr. Zeev Gilkis, AMIT CEO and Sealantis Ltd. Chairman, “There are some good products, but each one has drawbacks or is limited to a specific application. Sealantis brings a versatile yet simple technology, addressing unmet clinical needs…”

“Seal-V is overcoming a clinical need with its unique features, which offer simultaneous sealing and hemostasis for native and synthetic vascular fields,” explains Prof. Vincent Riambau, Chief of Vascular Surgery Division, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, and Past President of the European Society of Vascular Surgery (ESVS), who serves on the Clinical Advisory Board of Sealantis. “It is accomplishing valuable qualities for vascular surgery, being quick, easy to use, effective and safe. It will surely be most welcome to the vascular community.”

Sealantis Ltd. is currently planning its next regulatory steps toward a PMA study and FDA approval of Seal-V and is working on strategic partnerships towards the coming market launch.

About Sealantis Ltd.

Sealantis Ltd. is developing a proprietary platform of alga-mimetic tissue adhesives, for a variety of applications and clinical needs in surgical leakage control, tissue adhesion and drug delivery. The Sealantis adhesives are protein-free, and have an extraordinary ability to adhere strongly to internal tissues even in wet environments. Sealantis Ltd. was founded in 2007 by Prof. Havazelet Bianco-Peled, and is supported by the Alfred Mann Institute at the Technion (AMIT). http://www.sealantis.co.il

About AMIT

The Alfred Mann Institute at the Technion – AMIT supports the development and commercialization of biomedical innovations conceived by Technion researchers. Established in 2006 by the Technion and Dr. Alfred E. Mann, an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, the institute aspires to bridge the well-known gap between academic research and commercial success. AMIT currently manages four ventures, including Sealantis Ltd.