Indian and Israeli not-for-profits sign landmark MOU to boost technological innovation

TiE and Start-Up Nation Centralsign historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launcha joint mentorship program for innovation and technology collaboration of

Israeli and Indian startups to address challenges in the AgriFood-Tech sector

TEL AVIV,Israel,Oct. 7,2021 -- Israeli not-for-profit Start-Up Nation Centralsigned a historic MOU with TiE (The IndUS Entrepreneurs),one of the world's largest networks of entrepreneurs. The MOU aims to achieve full implementation of sustainable Israeli and Indian technologies in the Food-Tech sector,particularly in the fields of novel foods,post-harvest solutions,alternative protein,food safety,and packaging.

Avi Hasson,Chief Executive Officer at Start-Up Nation Central (Credit: Vered Farkash)

The MOU entails a special mentorship program consisting of three eight-month cohorts that seek to connect industry leaders to Israeli and Indian startups,in an effort to support their market entry process into India through matching,mentoring,connections,and onboarding strategic stakeholders. The end goal of the program is to reach commercial agreements,which is what differentiates this initiative from previous comparable programs.

TiE President Manohar Reddy and Start-Up Nation Central CEO Avi Hasson signed the MOU during the TiE Sustainability Summit(TSS 2021) held in Hyderabad,India. After the signing,the following four applicants pitched their solutions in order to be selected for the Mentorship Program. The selection process concludes on October 15th; in total,six companies will be participating in the program.

Commercial grasshopper farming company Hargol

Automated cooking manufacturer Kitchen Robotics

Vision-based robotic controller Deep Learning Robotics

Humidity control solution Umigo

Awareness of Israel as a key innovation partner is growing all across Asia,and in India in particular. This MOU between Start-Up Nation Central and TiE is yet another concrete achievement further deepening the relationships that have already been formed with multiple entities in India.

Start-Up Nation Central's MOU with TiE targets technologies addressing sustainability challenges,positioning Israel and India as global leaders in the field of impact tech.

Manohar Reddy,President of TiE Hyderabad and Chairman of the TiE Sustainability Summit 2021:"We are very excited about our partnership with Start-Up Nation Central and the Impact the collaborative cohorts program will create for startups from both India and Israel. It gives me immense pleasure to see this program getting launched at the world's largest sustainability summit for entrepreneurs on October 4th."

Adv. Anat Bernstein-Reich,the founding president of the Israeli branch of TiE: "The program will allow Israeli companies to learn of first-hand how to work in the Indian market. The Indian market is deceptive. People may speak English,but the business codes are different,the market structure is different,and working assumptions made by Israeli companies do not stand the test of India's reality. The joint program will make the market accessible to Israelis and make it easier for them to enter this important market."

Start-Up Nation CentralCEO Avi Hasson:"We are proud and excited to partnerwithTiEon this significant program.Technological innovation and entrepreneurship havethe opportunity to change the face and trajectory of nations.Farmers are facing increasingly harsher weather conditions,environmental pollutants,and soil depletion which,coupled with global population growth and increased product demand,compounds global concerns over food scarcity. Technologies that have the potential to either improve crop yields or transform,preserve,and tailor foods with improved functional and nutritional values will ensure a stable supply of food in the future. Given the size of the market and population,as well as the exciting tech scene inIndia,thispartnershiphas thepotential to offerincredibleopportunities,in particularwhen it comes totheAgriFood-Tech sector."

About Start-Up Nation Central

Established in 2013,Start-Up Nation Central is a non-profit organization that helps tackle global challenges by connecting Israeli technological solutions with multinational corporations,governments,investors,and NGOs from around the world. The Global Finder Network,modelled on Start-Up Nation Finder,is a connectivity tool that enables partners to continuously develop their respective innovation ecosystems,by identifying and mapping regional innovative companies,facilitating local connectivity,and fostering international collaboration.

About TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs)

TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) is a go-to network of 51000+ global entrepreneurs across 61+ cities in 14+ countries,and Hyderabad is a vibrant and most awarded chapter worldwide,each year TiE Hyderabad impacts over 1100 start-ups and 6400+ students,conducts numerous activities under 20+ themes viz. TiE Grad,TiE Young Entrepreneurs,Open Mic,Mentor Advisor,Investor Connect,Thursday Night Talks,Leadership Series etc. to encourage,nurture next-generation entrepreneurs.

During 2020 we hosted TiE Global Summit which is applauded as the world's largest entrepreneurship summit held in a difficult year such as 2020. The Conference received an overwhelming response of over 51000 registrations and enjoyed a cumulative attendees of around 30000+ entrepreneurs & investors. TGS2020 created a new history,had remarkable 250+ marquee speakers,150+ mentors,180+ companies,500+ innovation leaders,234 Incubators,producing 60Hrs of digital content of leaders/innovators/startup founders & Investors. OpenMic event has drawn 250+ founders from 18 different countries pitching to global investors and top corporate,non-stop for 20 hours. For more details,please visit hyderabad.tie.org