Debs Weinbergcouldn’t hide her sense of wonder and awe. “There is so much innovation in thisroom,” she marveled. “It’s just remarkable.”
Weinberg, chair ofthe board of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, was referring tothe approximately 175 people who came out May 13 for a reception to meet andgreet representatives and executives from 11 Israeli medical technologycompanies.
The reception, heldat The Associated’s downtown headquarters, was presented by the Maryland/IsraelDevelopment Center. An agency of The Associated, the MIDC is a non-profit public-private partnership thatpromotes bilateral trade and economic development between Israeli and Marylandcompanies.
The two-hour program alsocelebrated United Airlines’ newnonstop service from Washington Dulles International Airport to Tel Aviv, aswell as MarketReach America, a new binational accelerator program to helpIsraeli start-up entrepreneurs enter the U.S. market.
Launched lastNovember, MarketReach America is a partnership of MIDC, the Israel InnovationAuthority, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the Maryland Department ofCommerce and the Abell Foundation.
With MIDC, theBaltimore Jewish Council, United Airlines and Dulles Airport co-sponsored the eventat The Associated.
“Israel, known as ‘thestartup nation,’ is a powerhouse of technological innovation. But it’s far fromits primary markets, so its entrepreneurs operate in unfamiliar territory,”said Barry Bogage, MDIC’s executive director. “MarketReach America is designedto help the entrepreneurs understand how to position their technology in theU.S. market.
“We sent trainers to Israel in February to do the classroom portion of the training,” he said. “The May trip to Maryland is for the [Israeli] entrepreneurs’ ‘customer discovery,’ to learn exactly the features of their technologies that the market wants.”
Among the Israelientrepreneurs in attendance was Dr. Ze’ev Weinfeld, chief executive officer of OsteoSee.OsteoSee is a clinical-stage company focused on bringing bone-health screening,diagnosis and monitoring to the primary care clinic and into the home.
“We see our product entering the marketplace in 2 to 2 1/2 years,” Weinfeld said. “There are two systems in development, one for physicians, the other for consumers into the home, and that version will likely be the first to be introduced.”
Among the other represented Israeli start-ups seeking to introduce their med-tech products to the U.S. market was BioEye, a mobile eye-tracking application that monitors cognitive states. BioEye provides early detection of cognitive decline, enabling effective intervention.
Eran Ferri, CEO of BioEye, praised MarketReach Americaand its goals of helping Israeli start-ups learn the roadmaps of the Americanentrepreneurial landscape.
“It’s like going back to school but this time withmentors, and it requires a change in mindset,” he said. “When entrepreneurstalk about their technology, they want to sell you their product. ThroughMarketReach America, we learn to listen – not talk – to learn about customerprocesses and challenges. In that way, we see where there is a good market fitfor our technology.”
Another Israelistart-up at the event was GaitBetter, which promotes healthy aging by reducingthe risk of falls and improving mobility through motor-cognitive trainingtechnology.
“MarketReach Americais oneof the top programs I’ve ever participated in,” said Hilik Harari, CEO ofGaitBetter. “This MIDC programsaves time and money, and helps us refine the product because we know what theAmerican market needs and what it doesn’t need. It gives us access to health careleaders in Maryland, including Johns Hopkins [Hospital] and the University ofMaryland [Medical Center], and in D.C., such as George Washington [UniversityHospital]. People are so open here.”
Regarding the newnonstop direct flights to Israel, which United Airlines will start offeringthree times a week on May 22, Bogage said he was quite pleased.
“We’vealways dreamed of a nonstop flight from this area,” he said. “Now, we have it.”
For information about the MIDC or MarketReach America, visit marylandisrael.org.
Peter Arnold is an Olney, Md.-based freelancewriter.
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