The Energy Ministry and the Israel Innovation Authority have announced that they will grant funding to a series of pilot programs following a call for proposals from Israeli tech companies. The grants will be aimed at advancing the economy and developing an Israeli industry rich in knowledge in the areas of energy and water.
The joint call initiative aims to help the winners in developing and broadening the scope of their technologies. The winning companies, listed below, will be awarded a grant of up to 50% of their projects’ expenses.
Augwind Energy Tech - A green energy company developing a system for accumulating energy from renewable sources that can be installed nearly anywhere. The system makes use of a storage system that does not pollute and even helps with energy optimization, while also supplying compressed air to factories.
ZOOZ Power (formerly Chakratec) – An electric vehicle solution company testing a system for ultra-fast electric vehicle charging, even in places where the electricity network is limited in supply. Ultra-fast charging allows around an additional 200 kilometers after only 15 minutes of charging. ZOOZ’s power booster is based on a unique technology of accumulating kinetic energy in flywheels.
Seosol – A company developing a system for monitoring faults in solar panels using a thermographic scan carried out by a drone on farms throughout the country.
Energy Ministry and Innovation Authority statements
“The Energy Ministry understands that the way to meet the country’s goals in reducing emissions is through the promotion and maturation of ground-breaking technologies," said Dr. Yael Herman, head of the research & development division in the Energy Ministry’s office of the chief scientist. "With this in mind, the Energy Ministry, and specifically the Office of the Chief Scientist, is making efforts with these grants to support innovation, remove regulatory roadblocks, and provide initial quotas for connecting to the electricity network.
“We believe that partnership between professional entities in the Energy Ministry, and the entrepreneurship experts in the Innovation Authority will lead to the significant development of ground-breaking technologies in the field of energy in Israel,” she continued.
"The Energy Ministry, and specifically the Office of the Chief Scientist, is making efforts with these grants to support innovation, remove regulatory roadblocks, and provide initial quotas for connecting to the electricity network."
Dr. Yael Herman
Zvica Goltzman, the acting vice-president and head of the growth division at the Israel Innovation Authority, echoed Herman’s sentiment, saying that “the Innovation Authority is working with different governmental entities on the pilot program, which plays a critical role in the process of implementing innovative technologies and creating regulation which enables the different pilot beta sites.”
During 2021, 157 grant requests were submitted to the pilot program, 67 of which were approved with grants awarded totaling NIS 69 million, he noted. “The partnership between the public and private sectors will guarantee that Israel maintains its leading role as a technological innovation hub,” he said. “Cooperation with the Energy Ministry is critical in order to transform Israel into a sandbox for testing and implementing climate-tech technologies and for dealing with the climate crisis and reducing emissions.”