Tel Aviv, Israel June 29, 2023
Written by Zoe Stevens and Lexi Sachs
Tel Aviv was abuzz with excitement on Wednesday, June 28th, 2023 as the winner of the highly anticipated Startup World Cup Israel 2023 Competition was announced. Ten exceptional finalists showcased their cutting-edge innovations across various fields, but it was Olive Diagnostics that emerged victorious, positioning itself as a groundbreaking startup at the forefront of health diagnostics and predictive innovation.
Led by visionary CEO Guy Goldman, Olive Diagnostics captivated the esteemed panel of judges with their revolutionary urine diagnostic device, which operates non-invasively, providing invaluable diagnostic information without requiring active user participation.
The Startup World Cup, an annual competition organized by Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Pegasus Tech Ventures, attracts the most promising startups from around the globe.
In Israel, the event was held by Pegasus Tech Ventures Israeli partners Tech It Forward, a boutique innovation agency specializing in scouting groundbreaking Israeli technologies. Local partners EBN & Co, IBI Capital, and a selective panel of expert judges contributed to the success of the event.
This prestigious win at Israel's World Cup elevates Olive Diagnostics to represent the nation on the global platform at the Startup World Cup Finale in San Francisco. Competing against top startups from different regions, Olive Diagnostics will vie for the grand title and a $1 million USD prize.
The startups and their representatives who pitched their remarkable ideas at the event were:
Air - Rani Plaut, CEO
Amygdalia - Shani Sofer, Co-founder & CBO
Biotic - Adi Goldman, CEO
Eye Control - Or Retzkin, CEO
HT Bioimaging - Aviv Ben Dov, Director of Business Development
NakAI Robotics - Tal Maital, Full Stack Engineer
Olive Diagnostics - Guy Goldman, CEO
Salvador - Oleg Vusiker, Co-founder & CTO
Todos Technologies - Yossi Levi, CEO
Zutacor - Shahar Belkin, Executive VP Product
The finalists presented their innovative solutions to a distinguished panel of experts, including Erez Tsur, CEO & Co-Founder of QualiSense and IATI Chairperson; Roy Caner, Partner at EBN & Co.; Yael Benyayar, Partner at EBN & Co; Snir Hassidim, Business and Corporate Development Manager at Check Point Software; Iren Rezkinov, Director of Corporate Development and Venture Investment at SentinelOne; Danny Hadar, Co-Founder and partner at Jibe Ventures, and Tal Dori, CEO of IBI Capital.
The winners were selected based on various criteria, including problem relevance, product/service differentiation, go-to-market strategy, progress and traction, team expertise, and financing.
The event garnered attention from notable individuals, including Robyn Kessler, Commercial Counselor of the US Embassy, and Sigal Mendelovitz, representative of SelectUSA.
“It was truly a pleasure to attend, speak and be part of the Startup World Cup event organized by Tech it Forward! Congratulations to the winner and all participants, your innovative ideas and hard work have truly made an impact in the Israeli startup community. Keep inspiring and shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship. And special congratulations to AIR, who won the SelectUSA prize!”
As Goldman proudly posed for a picture with the judges, clutching the coveted trophy, he expressed his enthusiasm for Olive Diagnostics' win. When asked about the significance of this moment for the company, Goldman shared, "In the future, people don't need to feel sick. It's okay to have diseases growing in your body, but by being able to detect them early, before symptoms appear, we enable the medical community to cure diseases before they manifest. This marks a life-changing direction that the whole medical community is embracing. Predictive medicine is of immense importance because it empowers us all to feel good."
Jessica Rosner, Co-Founder of Tech It Forward, reflected on the event, stating, "It was an incredible event, showcasing Israel's brightest minds and truly advanced technologies. Over 61% of the startups that applied were impact-focused, bringing cutting-edge solutions to health, food, agriculture, climate and environment. And one of them has won the regional tonight. We wish Olive Diagnostic much success in the grand finale and San Francisco and are positive that he will make our country proud.”
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