Most Innovative Israeli Nanotechnology (MI2NT)
Award Winners Announced
Three companies chosen due to high caliber of candidates and technologies
Chicago, Illinois, and Shorashim, Israel — April 17, 2005 — In an unexpected announcement, the sponsors of the first annual competition to find the Most Innovative Israeli Nanotechnology (MI2NT) companies awarded three MI2NT awards instead of the two originally intended.
This year’s MI2NT award-winning companies are CimaNanoTech
Israel Ltd., Nutralease Ltd., and Sol-Gel Technologies
Ltd. According to Neil Wyant, CEO of Olala Foods, one of the award sponsors, “the USISTF and CMNC agreed to add a third award winner because of the high-quality of candidates in Israeli nanotech.” The U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation, Chicago Microtechnology & Nanotechnology Community, and The Trendlines Group today are among the competition’s sponsors.
The award winners will receive business development services from The Trendlines Group, a VIP invitation to the NanoBusiness
Conference in New York, and private meetings with leading nanotechnology VCs. The award ceremony recognizing the companies and their technologies will be held in Chicago, Illinois, just after the NanoBusiness Conference.
About the Award-Winning Companies
Cima
NanoTech Israel Ltd. Develops conductive ink jet printing systems and
transparent conductive coatings (TCC). The company’s nano-metal dispersions
represent enabling technology for next-generation digital inkjet printing
of microcircuits and transparent conductive coatings for electronics. Applications
include plasma displays, EMI shielding, electroluminescence, and other conductive
coatings. Cima NanoTech Israel is located in Caesarea. Dr. Fernando de la
Vega is the company’s CEO.
Nutralease
Ltd.
Focuses on microemulsion technology for liquid nano-encapsulation of nutraceuticals,
cosmeceuticals,and essential oils and drugs for incorporation into food,
pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Applications include functional foods, flavor
houses, and nutraceutical preparations. The company is located in Mishor
Adumim.
Prof. Nissim Garti
is the company’s CEO.
Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd.
Develops UV PearlsTM, the world’s first nano-encapsulated sunscreen.
It is the only product that enables absorption of UV light without any contact
of the UV filters with the skin. This product utilizes the company’s
unique nano-engineering technology that allows a range of active ingredients
to be encapsulated in highly transparent silica glass matrices or nanospheres.
Sol-Gel is located in Bet Shemesh. Dr. Alon Seri-Levy is the company’s
CEO.
“All of the companies that applied for this prestigious award were of high caliber and inventive, which reflects very well on the emerging nano- and microtechnologies being developed in Israel,” remarked D. Todd Dollinger, managing director of award sponsor, The Trendlines Group, and a participant on the selection committee.
About the Sponsors
ARCH Venture Partners
A provider
of seed- and early-stage venture capital for IT, life sciences, and physical
sciences companies.
Ardesta LLC
A leader in building
a portfolio of companies committed to bringing “small tech” products
to the global marketplace.
Chicago
Microtechnology & Nanotechnology
Community
The Chicago Microtechnology & Nanotechnology Community is a Chicago-based
non-profit whose mission is to be the premier convergence point in Chicago of
knowledge and resources for Midwest practitioners of micro- and nanotechnology.
O’lala
Foods
A Chicago-based
firm leveraging micro- and nanotechnology for better functional foods and
beverages.
The BIRD Foundation
The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and
Development foundation's mission is to stimulate, promote and support
industrial R&D of mutual benefit to the U.S. and Israel.
The Trendlines
Group
The Chicago Microtechnology & Nanotechnology Community is a Chicago-based
non-profit whose mission is to be the premier convergence point in Chicago of
knowledge and resources for Midwest practitioners of micro- and nanotechnology.
The U.S.-Israel
Science and Technology Foundation The MI2NT program is underwritten by the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation,
which promotes collaborative opportunities in high technology for American and
Israeli entities.
