2016

5 Incredible Health Tech Companies that Started in Israel

5 Incredible Health Tech Companies that Started in Israel
We’ve all heard of Silicon Valley, the heart of the tech industry. Stories of startups in garages turning into multi-billion dollar enterprises are easy to come across in the Santa Clara Valley, churning out names like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and companies like Intel, Google and Amazon.

Tech might be synonymous with Silicon Valley, but it’s not the only place in the world where startups are thriving. The new setting that is becoming synonymous with tech startups is located halfway across the globe, in Tel Aviv, Israel - and they’re being pretty modest about it.

[caption id="attachment_23867" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Me and the #VibeFitness Tour 2016 family at the tech event hosted in JerusalemMe and the #VibeFitness Tour 2016 family at the tech event hosted in Jerusalem[/caption]

Given the World Smart City Award in 2014, Tel Aviv is commonly referred to as Startup City, with Virgin hailing it as one of the world’s best startup hubs, proclaiming it as having “an almost unbeatable tech startup ecosystem, very strong pool of talent, [and] open business culture.”

Tel Aviv is also home to a burgeoning fitness and health tech market. According to ISRAEL21c , “By 2018, the global wearables market is expected to be worth $19 billion.” But wearable tech is going beyond just tracking health to actually offering direct advice that will help users excel in their activities.

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Earlier this year I had the special opportunity to visit Israel for the #VibeFitness Tour 2016 with the Vibe Israel organization. While on tour, I got to learn about many of the great things that make Israel a beautiful country - and one of the top innovators in the technology space, especially in the health and fitness industries...

https://youtu.be/QH5p-t8mBH4

To learn more about this great initiative, check out Vibe Israel online at Facebook , YouTube , Twitter , and Instagram.

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So, what are are some of the best fitness and health tech startups on the rise in this Smart City?

I’ve created a list below of 5 of the most interesting and innovative tech startups that are focusing on health and wellness. Check out these awesomely innovative Tel Aviv-based companies…

5 Amazing Health-Technology Companies that started in Israel


1. Bitwalking


Wearable tech isn’t just used to accumulate health data, it also operates as an incentive provider. Linking a Fitbit to our health insurer, for example, helps us to increase our performance, stamina and general health through gaining rewards from physical activity. But imagine going one step further (pun intended)...



 

Bitwalking has fused the concepts of wearable technology, incentivised fitness and Bitcoin. In other words, you get paid to walk. That’s right, cash for steps. For every 10,000 literal steps you take, you get paid 1 BW$ which you can then use to purchase items from online stores or even convert into hard cash.

While this concept is still in its infancy and a lot of work needs to be done to measure steps accurately (think of the ways people are cheating to catch Pokemon), this creative idea is disrupting innovation by creating opportunities for those living in rural areas to earn a decent salary for doing something that they do every day.


2. Fitness22


Fitness22 get in shape stay in shape


Fitness22 ’s main philosophy is that keeping healthy should be easy and accessible to all. They’ve therefore created an app, boasting a fitness community of 30 million individuals, that strives to keep its members healthy and active through simplicity.

Members can choose from a variety of apps that cater for their very specific fitness needs, such as the 5K Runner that trains the user to run a 5 kilometer race in 8 weeks by working out for 30 minutes, 3 days a week.

You can download the entire suite of apps here.

[caption id="attachment_23869" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Me and Benny Shaviv (CEO Fitness22)Me and Benny Shaviv (CEO Fitness22)[/caption]

Additional reading: Check out a great article from BusinessInsider.com

3. Makemyplate


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0qJAAH09Fw

When dieting, cutting calories is easier than burning them. Eating right is therefore key to losing weight. But the worst part of this little conundrum is that without a nutritionist or dietician, it’s pretty difficult to keep healthy eating habits. It’s easy to get bored quickly and lose interest fast when eating bland food. It’s also difficult to know the exact portions you need without a guided expert or a fancy scale.

makemyplate app

This is what sets makemyplate apart from other dieting apps. It allows the user to mix and match foods and still get the exact caloric intake needed for a catered and balanced diet. The user can also visually check what their food portions look like on an actual plate on the app. It also has the option to select a specific meal at a restaurant, so you can see exactly what you are putting in your mouth. Pretty handy for the belly, right?

makemyplate screenshots


4. LifeBEAM


Artificial intelligence is becoming more than just a buzzword or an idea in a sci-fi movie, it is pervasive in our daily lives. From Siri to Cortana, AI is helping us to make our busy schedules more controllable. So what about an intelligent personal trainer?



LifeBEAM is a wearable tech company that originally built aerospace gear for fighter pilots and astronauts. They’ve since brought their outer-space tech back to Earth and developed wearable biosensing technology and feedback systems for the modern day fitness fundie.

They’ve created highly-aware devices that measure real-time fitness data through “biometrics into immersive AI personal training experiences.” What they’ve come up with is Vi, described as, “The First True Artificial Intelligence Personal Trainer.” Think Scarlett Johansson’s character in “Her” mixed with your spinning instructor - interesting.


5. PhysiMax


Some fitness companies are focusing on injury prevention and recovery control. One such company is PhysiMax , athletic movement assessment software. In simpler terms, their software captures athletic movements with no special suits or wires connected to the athlete's body, then providing immediate measurements and scores.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJt_c0FSNHE

After searching its vast database of sport-specific injuries, it then captures the dynamic movement of the individual through a camera, and finally provides pinpointed information. Some of the data covered includes, “Symmetry, dynamic range of motion, motor control, stability, and endurance.” PhysiMax is the key to upping your competitive fitness game, while preventing injury and decreasing recovery time.

When looking for new, innovative tech start-ups, look to Tel Aviv


While these are examples of the brilliant stuff coming out of Tel Aviv, these aren’t the only great things to come out of this electric city. Keep following the startups spawning from the Smart City for more brilliant ideas on how you can keep healthy, competitive and fit.

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