Tuesday morning, the Michigan Israel Business Bridge (MIBB) sponsored a meeting at Automation Alley to introduce several new Israeli companies in the agritech business industry who have promising products being brought to world agricultural markets.
These companies all have products that may transform the agricultural markets in which their products are placed. But before describing the individual companies, a few words about the mission and purpose of the MIBB.
MIBB as the Ultimate Connector – The Michigan Israel Business Bridge is a fairly new non-profit business generator that has successfully opened up Israeli markets to Michigan products and likewise opened up Michigan markets to Israeli products. It is truly a unique business generator and bridge between two markets and two distinct geographic areas, making those important introductions and connections between people, places, products and services.
The MIBB has been successful in bringing Israeli businesses to Michigan in the automobile supplier, high technology, medical device and water technology fields and is now reaching out to cutting edge Israeli agriculture businesses with a mission to place roots in Michigan. As a connector of people and companies, the MIBB has successfully conducted B2B missions to the State of Israel, allowing Michigan based businesses to connect to a flourishing and vibrant market to which most were previously unaware. The MIBB is an organization that makes introductions, connects companies, provides resources, support and otherwise opens up business to cross border opportunities. It’s purpose and mission was brilliantly displayed at yesterday’s meeting.
Investing in Companies that Improve the Human Condition – Israel has a culture of independence, innovation, entrepreneurship and is well known for producing some of the most technologically advanced products and devices in the world. Whether producing the fastest, most powerful microchip or a medical device which photographs a human body from within the human body, more patents and new products flow out of Israel per capital than any other place on the planet. Recently, this start-up Nation has begun to focus on helping to solve the world food supply and water supply.
Several companies touring the US this week have products which may allow the world to feed its population more effectively in the future. Trendlines group is the sponsoring organization supporting these new agritech businesses and has been involved with over 40 companies thus far. Trendlines has raised over $165 Million for such companies and they are the driving force in sponsoring and supporting the Agritech business in Israel. Trendlines is interested in supporting companies that improve the human condition. All of the companies brought to the US this week have that goal as their primary mission and these companies are all part of the Mofet Venture Accelerator which is part of the Trendlines Group.
A Better Milking Machine and Larger Crop Yields – One of the companies introduced at the event, named MiRobot, has a prototype milking machine for large cow farms that automatically milks the cow, saving both labor and the time it takes to milk each cow. This has huge implications on increasing production and cost savings for the large milking farms across the globe. Another company, Eden Shield, provides a non-toxic protective coating over crops which masks the smell of the crop, thereby making them less attractive to the pests as a potential food source. This non-toxic crop protection has been successful in both field trials and lab test results. Still another company, Catalyst Ag Tech, has a product which helps prevent environmental contamination from groundwater runoff of pesticides by making them harmless once they dissolve into the earth below the root level in the ground. Several other companies have products which similarly increase production or crop yields through other innovative processes or products. All of these companies have been closely vetted by Trendlines and create the greatest opportunity for success.
Agritech and the Next Global Market – An agritech business boom is on the horizon and Israeli companies are well positioned to be at the epicenter of this rapidly expanding market opportunity. With the world population increasing to 9 Billion in the next several years and food and water resources being stretched beyond capacity, the world is looking for solutions to such fundamental problems. Israel has had both food production and drinking water problems since it attained nationhood 65 years ago. Having already made the desert bloom in their own country, there is little doubt Israeli ingenuity and technology won’t have a similar positive effect on these global problems in the very near future.
ROBERT E. MATTLER, Associate Broker, Attorney and LEED AP BD+C, is Director of GREEN Brokerage at Armada Real Estate Services in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Bob speaks, writes and advocates about emerging sustainable real estate issues in Michigan and elsewhere. Bob is a Senior Correspondent for www.greeningdetroit.com . For more information, contact Bob at Armada Real Estate (248) 855-1221; or by e-mail: bmattler@armadarealestate.com
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Author: Robert E. Mattler, Green Agent Man, Representing GreeningDetroit.com
