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Six startups make World Economic Forum tech pioneers list
Global list highlights early growth-stage companies ‘poised to have a significant impact on business and society’; previous cohorts included Google, Twitter, Airbnb, Spotify
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel.
Six Israeli startups have been selected among this year’s World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers, a group of 100 tech firms chosen out of hundreds of candidates in the fields of generative artificial intelligence to alternative proteins, renewable energy and healthcare that will become part of a community of firms that are “poised to have a significant impact on business and society.”
First launched in 2000, the Technology Pioneers is a community of early growth-stage tech startups companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations. The 2023 cohort is “forging new paths in healthcare, renewable energy and more through cutting-edge technologies,” the World Economic Forum said in a statement.
“Selectees are at the forefront of innovation and disruption needed to help us solve the world’s most pressing issues,” said Verena Kuhn, the organization’s head of innovator communities. “We look forward to their contribution to the World Economic Forum’s content work that brings together the public and private sector to tackle these global issues.”
This year’s Technology Pioneer cohort includes start-ups from 31 economies, with a third led by a woman chief executive. The US has the highest representation, with 29 companies, followed by China with 12.
Among the six Israeli startups selected is Tel Aviv-based Aporia Technologies, which has developed a monitoring platform for machine learning that enables data science and machine learning teams to improve the performance of their models. It provides real-time monitoring, insights and transparency for artificial intelligence and machine learning models. The platform allows data scientists to proactively monitor anomalies, data drift and performance issues.
Aporia’s “mission to pinpoint misperformance in AI/ML models addresses the greater need for ethical and responsible AI across the globe as technological innovation continues,” the startup said in a statement. Among its clients are Lemonade, Bosch, Munich RE and Sixt.
“This prestigious award validates our commitment to revolutionizing responsible AI and ML and addressing critical challenges,” said Aporia CEO Liran Hason.
The other Israeli firms selected as pioneers this year are:
AIVF, a Tel Aviv-based reproductive tech startup that developed the first-to-market software platform for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics that applies data science and artificial intelligence (AI) to make the IVF process more accurate and efficient. The platform is used in IVF centers around the world and offers a set of digitalization and automation tools to help fertility clinics optimize IVF processes and outcomes for individuals seeking assisted reproductive technology. The result is less money spent and less time to achieve pregnancy for potential parents.
Tirat Hacarmel-based Electriq Global is pioneering new methods of separating hydrogen from water to create a renewable energy alternative to fuel. Its zero-emission fuel is inert, safe, energy-efficient, easy to transport, recyclable and with superior energy density.
OX Security, a Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity startup founded by former Check Point Software managers, has developed a software supply chain security system protecting all the processes involved from developing, deploying to distributing software before it reaches customers.
Tel Aviv-based Tastewise Technologies, founded in 2017, has an AI-powered platform that uses computer learning to predict food trends by scouring menus and billions of social media posts, photos, and recipes. It helps businesses measure and anticipate how consumers cook, order and eat by using AI.
Tel Aviv startup Wilco has developed an upskilling platform for software developers and engineers to learn by doing. Whether it’s a new skill or product, the platform facilitates hands-on learning by simulating a real workplace with real challenges. It is used by companies to showcase their products, as well as by communities and engineers who want to upskill.
The 2023 cohort will be invited to join World Economic Forum events and discussions throughout the year, bringing together leading stakeholders from the public and private sector.
This year’s companies will join a group of alumni that include many household names, such as Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.
Israeli firms selected by the World Economic Forum in previous years include Innoviz Technologies, a maker of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors for self-driving cars; WaterGen, a startup that transforms air into drinkable water; Utilis, a firm that uses satellite technology to detect water leaks; Aleph Farms, which grows meat cuts directly from cattle cells; and Optibus, a software-as-a-service platform that seeks to enable public transportation providers to give users a service that is akin to a taxi ride but at public transportation prices.
