20th BizTech Cycle

The BizTec Entrepreneurship Program, which works to promote technological entrepreneurship in Israel, marked the conclusion of its 19th cycle and the start of its 20th cycle at a celebratory event last month at the Technion. Cycle 19 began its activities in May 2023 and quickly included over 100 participants from various technological fields. In the semifinals, 22 teams competed, with 12 reaching the final. The events of October 7 led to the postponement of the final (Demo Day). Many of the entrepreneurs were called up for reserve duty, while others engaged in various volunteer activities.

The BizTec program was founded at the Technion in 2004 to nurture budding entrepreneurs looking to develop deep technologies that require interdisciplinary collaboration and a robust knowledge base. It provides tools to students and alumni of the Technion who participate in it, including close professional guidance from mentors from academia and industry.

From L to R: BizTech supporters Yehudit and Yehuda Bronicki, Dr. Lital Atia

Over the last 20 years, program graduates have established dozens of active companies that have collectively raised over a billion dollars, including BreezoMeter, Augmedics, Windward, Houseparty, and Presenso. The program is currently led by Dr. Lital Atia from the Technion’s t:hub innovation center and student Dvir Dimi, who studies physics and materials science and engineering as part of the Schulich Leaders program.

The teams that participated in the final are involved in a wide range of fields, including Team CommU from the T2Med hackathon, and students Hanna Ben Yehuda, Efrat Ordan, Ella Simona Fainitsky, and Hadar Eliad, who presented a project to improve communication between patients and medical staff; student Ilan Zendel, who presented FitTech, a project for managing information in sports teams; Technion alumnus Oren Spector, who presented Refine Robotics to improve automation processes in factories; student Shelly Boneh, who joined Dr. Vadim Igal and Dr. Adi Berco from Carmel Hospital to work on EyeHope, a medical product to help treat eye problems; alumnus Inbar Fisher, who presented GOS, a project for glass inspection; student Kfir Bendic, who presented CowVolution for making information accessible to farmers; Ilan Simmer, who presented Walnut, a project to reduce radiation from smartphones; Dr. Daniel Malchi from Emek Hospital and Itay Tzur, who presented Vacure, a medical device for safer pregnancy termination; Avishai Roet, who presented NoBook to make study materials accessible to all students; and C-Air, an advanced inhalation device from the BME-Hack hackathon with Haifa Said, Ilan Rosenberg, Maia Hirsch, Charlie Shrem, and Michal Katzman.

Izhar Shay, former Israeli Minister of Science & Technology

The guest of honor at the event was Izhar Shay, former Israeli Minister of Science & Technology, entrepreneur, investor, and key figure in Israel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He spoke about the loss of his son Yaron on October 7, in a heroic battle where he, his comrades, and Kibbutz Kerem Shalom’s security team managed to repel hundreds of terrorists attempting to capture the kibbutz, thereby protecting its residents. Following his son’s death, Izhar established a new initiative called Next October, aiming to create a new startup for every victim, thereby commemorating the victims of October 7 and the soldiers who fell in the battles and fostering the future of Israel’s economy.