JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OurCrowd, the world's leading equity crowdfunding platform and investor in Israeli startups, together with Jnext – the Jerusalem Development Authority program supporting and promoting tech-entrepreneurship in the city, hosted 19 members of the U.S. Pro Football Hall of Fame for an exhibit of the latest technologies coming out of the “Startup Nation.”
The goodwill trip to Israel, coined "Touchdown in Israel: Mission of Excellence,” was organized by New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, in coordination with Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer. The week-long visit kicked off with the technology expo in Jerusalem’s Old City. Members of the delegation received an up close look at the best of Israeli high-tech innovation via ten hand-picked companies, seven of which are funded on the OurCrowd equity crowdfunding platform.
"Jerusalem was recently voted by Time Magazine as one of the world's five emerging tech hubs and that can truly be seen today,” said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. "I think it's a combination of really understanding our past and the beauty and the power of Jerusalem and its history. I believe in a very strong connection between our past and our future. More and more high tech entrepreneurs see their future here."
Patriots owner Kraft said the visit was transformative for the entire delegation. "I don't think there's a better place that you can bring people no matter what their faith might be. They come here and their lives are changed,” he said.
The NFL legends were greeted with a demo of ReWalk, (NASDAQ: RWLK) a wearable bionic skeleton that allows individuals with spinal cord injuries to walk again.
OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved introduced the football greats to a demonstration of OurCrowd portfolio company Elminda, the world’s first FDA-approved neural functional assessment tool to visualize serious brain trauma and illness. Elminda was recently named one of the 50 most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company.
“Elminda is a perfect example of the kind of breakthrough technology coming out of Israel which is close to the hearts of these football greats. It offers a potentially huge breakthrough for mitigating sports injuries, detecting sports based concussions, advancing brain research and changing the lives of the two billion people worldwide living with brain disorders," said Medved.
“Through crowdfunding, the investment world is being democratized and individual investors can now get a stake in Israeli technology meaning they have a stake in Israel,” said Ron Dermer, the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.
Other companies on display included OrCam, an intuitive portable device with a smart camera designed to assist the visually impaired; Glide, the world’s first and only messaging application with streaming video technology; Inpris, technology that recognizes the individual movements of each fingertip anywhere on a touch-screen; MUV Interactive, a state-of-the-art solution for interacting with multiple screens and media sources through touch, remote and voice interaction; BriefCam, the video analysis software keeping our city streets safe; Consumer Physics, makers of SCiO, an advanced optical spectrometer that allows users to identify the chemical makeup of anything around them; Cimagine, the most visually advanced and user-friendly way for consumers to envision and interact with physical products in virtual reality and Highcon, which manufactures the Euclid, a machine that automates packaging production by bringing it into the digital age.
The response of the players to the technology on display was powerful and immediate.
“I think the exoskeleton’s ability to help a paraplegic walk is such an emotional thing to see," said NFL Hall of Famer David Baker. "[We were interested in] every one of these companies, from helping the consumers to helping blind people read, to helping process information better. For a lot of our players, [we appreciated] the ability to understand what’s happening in the brain with a concussion. It was all fantastic.”
“It's been very, very great and exceeded my expectations to a great extent," said NFL Hall of Famer, Curly Culp. "I'm just so glad to be here and learn about the history of Israel and how things are moving forward. I think the hospitality, the people, the history of this place, the holiness of this place you know it's a very spiritual and educational experience for me.”
About OurCrowd: OurCrowd is the world’s leading equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors to invest in Israeli and global companies. Managed by a team of seasoned investment professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital and brings startups to its accredited membership. OurCrowd investors must meet stringent accreditation criteria and invest a minimum of $10,000 per deal of their choice. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigning industry experts as mentors and taking board seats. OurCrowd has raised over $130M in equity crowdfunding for its 70 portfolio companies, which include leading companies, such as: Borro, BillGuard, Consumer Physics (SCiO), BioCatch, Abe’s Market, and ReWalk, OurCrowd’s first portfolio company to complete a successful IPO on the NASDAQ. Visit us online at: www.ourcrowd.com
Photos and video clips of the event can be found here and available for distribution on your media outlet
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NFL Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Participants
| Raymond Berry | End (Wide Receiver) – 1955-1967 Baltimore Colts | |
| Mel Blount | Cornerback – 1970-1983 Pittsburgh Steelers | |
| Tim Brown | Wide Receiver/Kick Returner/Punt Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Curley Culp | Defensive Tackle – 1968-1974 Kansas City Chiefs, 1974-1980 Houston Oilers, 1980-81 Detroit Lions | |
| Chris Doleman | Defensive End/Linebacker – 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers | |
| John Hannah | Guard – 1973-1985 New England Patriots | |
| Mike Haynes | Cornerback – 1976-1982 New England Patriots, 1983-1989 Los Angeles Raiders | |
| Ken Houston | Strong Safety – 1967-1972 Houston Oilers, 1973-1980 Washington Redskins | |
| Paul Krause | Safety – 1964-1967 Washington Redskins, 1968-1979 Minnesota Vikings | |
| Floyd Little | Running Back -- 1967-1975 Denver Broncos | |
| Tom Mack | Guard – 1966-1978 Los Angeles Rams | |
| Curtis Martin | Running Back – 1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York | |
| Ron Mix | Offensive Tackle – 1960-1969 Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, 1971 Oakland Raiders | |
| Jim Taylor | Fullback – 1958-1966 Green Bay Packers, 1967 New Orleans Saints | |
| Thurman Thomas | Running Back – 1988-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Miami Dolphins | |
| Andre Tippett | Linebacker – 1982-1993 New England Patriots | |
| Roger Wehrli | Cornerback – 1969-1982 St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Rayfield Wright | Tackle – 1967-1979 Dallas Cowboys | |
| Jack Youngblood | Defensive End – 1971-1984 Los Angeles Rams |