StartUp Nation Ventures (“SUNV”) in partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority (“IIA”) recently announced a Call for Proposals through the Israel-Florida Innovation Alliance (“Innovation Alliance”).
The Innovation Alliance was created to support Israeli innovation companies in the discovery and selection of Florida as their destination to establish U.S. headquarters—a gateway for expansion into the U.S., and Latin America markets.
The joint collaboration between SUNV and the IIA establishes a scalable platform to support Israeli companies that have proven the feasibility of their technologies and have a minimal viable product or working prototypes for the U.S and Latin America markets in the following areas:
Financial Technologies (FinTech), Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Entertainment, Cryptocurrency, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs); and
Tech Innovation related to smart contracts, supply chain, asset verification, certification, identity, health and financial transactions, digital and mobile payments; capital markets & investing, banking & corporate finance, financial platforms, crowdfunding & peer-to-peer lending, and personal financial management.
“This Innovation Alliance was established to catalyze the growth of Israeli tech into US markets by leveraging greater collaboration and synergies between Florida’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem and Israeli innovative companies,” says StartUp Nation Ventures founder and CEO, Vicki Rabenou, MD. “StartUp Nation Ventures, with its partners, is poised to take advantage of the unique utility within Blockchain and application development to expedite go-to-market processes through our platform that provides not only Financial but also professional-Intellectual and human-network capital investments.”
The Israel Innovation Authority may approve a grant of up to 50% of eligible R&D costs of the Israeli companies that are selected by and receive investment from SUNV. These grants support the R&D pilot and validation costs for companies expanding their solution into new markets. Applicable companies should be in a stage following proof of concepts and ready for demonstration, commercialization; or at ready to market.
The partnership between StartUp Nation Ventures and the Israel Innovation Alliance was memorialized in Tel Aviv, Israelin December 2017 as part of Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Business Development Mission to Israel.
“We are committed to supporting Israeli tech innovation companies in selecting Florida as their entry point into the United States and Latin America markets,” adds Peter Antonacci, CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc., Florida Secretary of Commerce.
More information about the call for proposals is available online.