Genesis Prize and Start-Up Nation announce winners of COVID tech contest
The contest recognizes Israeli companies that achieved technological advances aimed at preventing, diagnosing, and treating the effects of COVID-19.
By ALAN ROSENBAUMSana Britavsky, Deputy CEO of the Genesis Prize, Isaac Herzog, Chairman of the Executive, Jewish Agency for Israel, Natan Sharansky, 2020 Genesis Prize winner, Avital Sharansky, and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.(photo credit: Mark Neiman/GPO)
The Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) today announced the winners of a competition among Israeli high-tech and biotechnology companies to identify the most promising innovations developed by Israeli companies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition was created in honor of Natan Sharansky, the Genesis Prize Laureate in 2020, who directed his $1 million award to organizations fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and funded a competition for Israeli companies developing innovative solutions to the pandemic.The contest, launched in partnership with Start-Up Nation Central, recognizes Israeli companies that achieved technological advances aimed at preventing, diagnosing, and treating the effects of COVID-19.The announcement took place at the residence of President Reuven Rivlin during a small, socially distanced ceremony celebrating Natan Sharansky. Several guests attended in person, with hundreds of invitees from different parts of the world joining by video.President Rivlin congratulated Sharansky, saying: “Natan, you took on new roles to promote Jewish unity, strengthen Israeli society, and fight anti-Semitism. It is no surprise that you have chosen to use the $1 million Genesis Prize money and to give that money to philanthropic and high-tech initiatives that are trying to address the greatest challenge facing the world today, the coronavirus. As a Prisoner of Zion who turned into a Proud Defender of Zion, there is no one more deserving of this prize. You are a source of inspiration for us all. Mazal tov.”Stan Polovets, Co-Founder and Chairman of GPF, said: “The competition in honor of Natan Sharansky showcased the impressive innovative potential of Israel’s biotechnology and high-tech sectors. Israeli companies and entrepreneurs are cementing their place in the world as leaders in the biotech sector, and we are honored to recognize the best of the best in this field.”Natan Sharansky said: “I am grateful to the Genesis Prize for the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to fighting the pandemic and am heartened by the spirit of humanity and innovation displayed by our high-tech industry.”Today’s winners should be extremely proud not just for the honor they received, but their real and tangible contribution to the global battle against COVID-19.”Hundreds of Israeli start-ups and established organizations, such as Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), took part in the contest. Twenty-one shortlisted companies made it into the second round of the competition, with ten winners announced today. The authoritative judging panel included prominent scientists, medical doctors, and philanthropists. Among the judges were the leading Israeli philanthropist and founder of SpaceIL Morris Kahn, head of Startup Nation Eugene Kandel, and one of the world’s most respected physicians and the author of the Number One bestseller “The End of Illness” Dr. David Agus.Prof. Eugene Kandel, CEO of Start-Up Nation Central and one of the few guests who attended the ceremony in person, commented: “Israel has ample experience in responding to existential challenges with creative and trailblazing solutions. This experience is proving handy in helping the world fight the spread and implications of COVID-19.”Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, Isaac Herzog, said: “As Chair of the Jewish Agency, you understood so deeply that strengthening Jewish identity, unity and the Israel-Diaspora relationship, are a top priority for the State of Israel and the global Jewish community.”Winning companies announced today will donate funds to Israeli non-profits of their choice, working to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.The ten winning companies are:• Kamada, a plasma-derived protein therapeutics company that completed manufacturing the first batch of its plasma-derived Immunoglobulin G (IgG) product for coronavirus patients.• Pluristem Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine company developing a novel platform of biological products to treat coronavirus.• Sight Diagnostics, which uses advanced computer-vision and machine-learning technologies in the field of blood diagnostics.• K Health, a personalized artificial intelligence-based health assistant, which shows patients how doctors have diagnosed and treated other people with similar cases.• Picodya Technologies, an in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) platform suitable for mass deployment at the point of care, from ICUs and hospital departments to field hospitals, clinics, and home care settings.• Israel Aerospace Industries, which has developed a model that uses artificial intelligence, big data, and machine learning to predict the progression of the disease and coronavirus patients’ medical status.• Sonovia, the developer of the cutting-edge “SonoMask,” a face mask that has been proven to be more than 90 percent effective against coronavirus.• Biobeat, which developed a wearable device for continuous, non-invasive, accurate, medical-grade monitoring of vital signs.• MyZeppi, whose technology is designed to help older adults and their caregivers “visit” each other through video calls via self-flying helium balloons.• EyeControl, an innovative communications solution for ventilated patients in ICUs.
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