Of the thousands of Israeli startups vying to become global businesses, only a small percentage of them will make it to the big leagues. But everyone wants to bet big on the next Waze, Wix or Outbrain. Here are some companies that I believe you should watch closely in 2015.
- StoreDot: Storedot is developing quantum dot-utilizing, fast-charging smartphone battery technology, among other things. A few months ago they revealed a prototype device that fully charged the phone within 30 seconds. The startup recently raised a monster $42 million Series B funding round.
- PlayBuzz: Playbuzz was the second most shared website on Facebook in September. In under two years, the social quiz company has reached over 50 million unique visitors per month. It’s one of the fastest growing websites in the U.S. according to Alexa analytics.
- Consumer Physics: Consumer Physics is behind the handheld molecular scanner: “SCiO.” The futuristic device lets you scan materials or physical objects and instantly provides you relevant information. The company raised over $2.7 million in a hugely popular Kickstarter campaign.
- OrCam: OrCam is developing a device that consists of a smart camera mounted on the frames of your glasses, which can see text, recognize objects and whisper in your ear. The artificial vision company is helping blind people understand the world in a new way. The company recently raised a whopping $15 million from Intel Capital.
- Air: Air provides an app that allows people to broadcast and watch live videos of their friends and themselves. Their platform is exploding in different countries around the world, as live-self video broadcasting becomes more popular. In February they raised a $3.7 million Series A from Aleph and Entree Capital.
- SimilarWeb: An online measurement service, SimilarWeb recently added mobile analytics and app engagement insights to their product. The company has offices in Tel Aviv, London, Dubai and plans on opening one in New York City. They recently raised $15 million from from Naspers and angel investor Lord David Alliance.
- Bringg: Bringg is bringing the Uber effect to every business out there. They give businesses the ability to show you where your pizza, package or cable guy is in real-time, which can save people a huge amount of wasted time. The company raised a $2.5 million seed round this past year.
- Eatwith: Eatwith, the “Airbnb For Home-Cooked Meals,” is growing fast. Hosts from around the world are signing up to offer home-cooked meals to anyone interested. The startup recently raised $8 million led by Greylock.
- Roomer: Roomer is a peer-to-peer marketplace for nonrefundable hotel rooms. The company lets users sell unwanted hotel rooms to avoid paying a cancellation fee. This massive market is a huge opportunity for this young startup. The company recently raised a Series A of $5 million.
- HoneyBook: Honeybook provides professional event organizers with the modern tools that they need. The invite-only platform has seen 100 percent customer retention. The company raised a $10 million Series A in September.
If you have any suggestions for more companies that deserve to be on this list, feel free to comment below.
Ben is the co-founder of Mapme and creator of Mapped In Israel.
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
