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The Role of Innovation during Coronavirus: A webinar series in collaboration with UNDP Acceleration Lab Ethiopia After launching a call for solutions tackling the coronavirus pandemic effects, UNDP Acceleration Lab in Ethiopia approached the Israeli Embassy in Ethiopia and the Pears Program to get some inspiration from solutions deployed in Israel or developed by Israeli entrepreneurs, and find a way to foster local entrepreneurship. We organised three online events about Coronavirus and Innovation in three main sectors where the Ethiopian government was seeking innovative solutions: Public Health, Government Functions Continuity and Socio-economic impacts. We invited several impressive ecosystem players or Israeli experts who innovated/ adapted their technology for the times of coronavirus. In the first webinar about Public Health: Yoav Fisher, Head of Digital Health Innovation at HealthIL and Curtis W. Peterson, Startup Consultant and Digital Health expert In the second webinar about the government functions continuity: Yerael Oshrat, Head of Innovation (Government ICT Authority) and Monika Rozalska-Lilo, CEO at CREATORS IDEAtion Lab, And in the last webinar about social and economic impacts: Nadav Yesod, Director of Global Communities at Tikkun Olam Makers and Ali Serag, Co-founder and CTO at Fostrum and COVIDimpact.

COVID-19 pandemic requires rapid action and innovation. Several Israeli companies have managed to move extremely fast on innovating and adapting their technologies to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. What is the role of innovation and technology in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and improving healthcare services during these challenging times? What are some of the existing technologies that can make a difference in combating the COVID-19 pandemic? On May 4th, we have co-organised a webinar with Startup Nation Central and the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry to answer those questions and featuring Israeli startups combatting Covid-19. The webinar showcased relevant Israeli technologies that are ready for deployment in developing countries, specifically in Africa, with the purpose of connecting these innovative solutions to partners interested in collaborating on the ground. We were happy to have participants from over 15 countries around the globe and an active engagement from the audience looking for getting in touch and partnering with the innovators. If you couldn’t join our webinar, you can watch the recording here: The website CoronaTech initiated by SNC and HealthIL is listing all startups that are relevant and have adapted their solution to answer challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Following this great initiative, the Pears Program team has been talking with many partners in the field to understand the specific challenges they are facing. Together with our partners, we have created a short list of Israeli technologies that are relevant, affordable or ready for deployment in developing countries. You can see below, information on the four startups which were presented in the webinar as well as additional technologies in the health field and beyond, which are also at the forefront of the COVID-19 battle: Diagnostics Robotics-  Medical-grade AI triage and clinical-predictions platform Adaptation Covid-19: Diagnostic Robotics is fighting Coronavirus (COVID-19) with a triage and monitoring system for healthcare providers, payers and government agencies. The system provides remote patient screening, triage for symptomatic patients, and population-level monitoring of COVID-19 trends and hot spots.  The system has been successfully deployed by Israel's Ministry of Health and all the HMOs in the country. It has been deployed in the State of Rhode Island and in the State of Odisha, India as part of a global partnership with Deloitte and Salesforce - Explore the solution here. Opensource Ventilator: AmboVent: AmboVent is an open source Ambu based respirator designed by a team of Israeli engineers and medical experts as a response to the worldwide shortages in mechanical ventilation devices caused by the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. The AmboVent respirator was engineered for mass-production at low costs, using off-the-shelf components removing the need for complex assembly lines. The device's entire blueprints, mechanical & electrical designs, source-codes and medical/engineering test reports were published on GitHub as open-source hardware and software on the evening of 1 April 2020 - Explore the platform here Growponics - Agritech company Adaptation Covid-19: A quick and simple mechanical ventilation solution for COVID-19 respiratory patients Growponics has expanded many resources to quickly and most professionally build a Ventilation machine. Growponics has teamed up with physicians experienced in the different aspects of mechanical ventilation in order to develop a quick and simple solution for respiratory patients with COVID-19 in need of respiratory assistance. The device is based on a manual respiratory balloon. The person operating the device squeezes the balloon rhythmically to ventilate a patient in emergency situations. - See more here Beecardia - Beecardia, by Witalize, provides devices for ECG monitoring and analysis. Beecardia's solution consists of high-quality 3–12-lead ECG sensors and an electronic stethoscope designed to record, upload, and interpret cardio signals anywhere and anytime in conjunction with mobile, desktop, and web software - Explore the technology here Earlysense - EarlySense has developed a contact-free monitoring system designed to enhance safety and reduce risk for general care patients. EarlySense can be used by hospitals, healthcare systems, integrated delivery networks, and rehabilitation centres. heart rate, respiratory rate, and movement Adaptation Covid-19: Use of continuous monitoring for isolation patients. Completely Contact-free Continuous Monitoring or Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate, and Motion - Explore the solution here Flight Medical - Flight Medical develops, manufactures, and markets life-supporting portable respiratory ventilators for home care, long-term care, emergencies, transport, hospitals, and subacute environments - See more here Binah.ai: Binah.ai’s technology enables the extraction of a large set of vital signs and mental stress measurements based on the analysis of a video taken with any device equipped with a camera (smartphone, tablet, kiosk, in-car camera and many more). Binah.ai video-based monitoring solutions deliver on the promise of digital healthcare services extended to everyone, everywhere. Removing the need for extra wearables or home medical equipment, Binah.ai puts digital healthcare and personal wellness in anyone’s hand. Adaptation Covid-19: Combat the Spread of COVID-19 with realtime, remote video-based Vital Signs Monitoring Explore the solution here Soapy: Soapy Care has developed an IoT-powered hygiene micro-station designed to provide users with a precise dose of soap and water. The station turns the hand-washing process into digital data, and the company's technology produces data and insights from the device's use. Adaption Covid-19: Soapy hygiene microstations can help to halt the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring that users get an easy and effective wash–the right amount of soap, water, and time, every time. - Explore the solution here Avenews: Avenews creates the connection between financial institutions and agri-businesses through a digital infrastructure that directly links agri-trade activity with financial services. Adaptation Covid-19: Avenews created a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform as an additional product within our business to support small agricultural businesses suffering from the loss of their market. This platform was launched in 10 days in partnership with Strauss Foods with the sole purpose of supporting Israeli farmers during this crisis and ensuring their businesses will survive beyond this pandemic. Check it out here. Explore the platform here Keheala - Keheala is a mobile health company that aims to improve healthcare access and treatment outcomes for patients. By empowering patients with information, motivation, and support, Keheala delivers tools to overcome the non-medical drivers of disease that exist away from health facilities. Healthcare agencies are provided with remote-monitoring capabilities and vital analytics to combat epidemics in resource-constrained environments. Adaptation Covid-19: Keheala has successfully transitioned to a remote-operating model. The tuberculosis patients using Keheala platform have uninterrupted access to information, motivation and support at a time when health facilities have limited capacity and are focusing efforts on a COVID-19 response. Explore the solution here If you are interested in knowing more about Israeli technologies in the COVID-19 response or connect to any of the companies mentioned above, contact us at yarden@pearsprogram.com Stay safe and wash your hands!

On May 4th, we have co-organised a webinar with Startup Nation Central and the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry to answer those questions and featuring Israeli startups combatting Covid-19. The webinar showcased relevant Israeli technologies that are ready for deployment in developing countries, specifically in Africa, with the purpose of connecting these innovative solutions to partners interested in collaborating on the ground. We were happy to have participants from over 15 countries around the globe and an active engagement from the audience looking for getting in touch and partnering with the innovators. If you couldn’t join our webinar, you can watch the recording here:

This month, we are featuring superwoman Tamar Ish Cassit, Co-CEO and CTO of Cassit. What is Cassit's Story? Tamar Ish Cassit, an industrial designer with over a decade of experience designing and producing custom-made products for people with disabilities, decided to address developing country challenges. She discovered that most disabled people around the world don't have access to high-quality assistive technologies such as splints. Plaster or poor quality thermoplastic materials are used to create casts and splints, that are in many cases itchy, collect dirt, uncomfortable or unpleasant. She worked with therapists, orthopedic surgeons and engineers in Israel and Kenya to invent a new transparent splint of the highest quality at an affordable cost. Then Zion Halfon, an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in global sales and marketing, joined Cassit as a Managing Partner. Tamar and Zion share the common vision of promoting a successful business with a vast social impact that answers a basic need: significant improvement in hand function and quality of life. So far, the company has raised nearly $1.5M and has begun mass production and marketing activities. Tamar is a proud Pears Challenge alumni who learned about African country markets in Pears Challenge 2015. Having now piloted its products in Kenya for over 2 years, the company will start sales in 3 months and is currently negotiating with major distributors in the US, Europe, Africa and Israel. Tell us about the technology! Cassit develops and produces innovative orthopedic devices for hand injuries and disabilities, using advanced technologies to reach the mass market to answer basic need: using your hands. It includes recovery after hand injuries such as fractures, sprains, disabilities, wrist pain and more, whilst being a very cool device to wear. The breakthrough development, an innovative transparent splint/cast, is designed to enable people with hand injuries to improve their daily function to be able to gradually write, work and take care of themselves even during long rehabilitation periods. All for an affordable price, with uncompromising quality and an excellent user experience. What is your motivation for doing what you do? Do good while doing well. Check out the video below to better understand our motivation. Out of 440 Million people with hand injuries annually, only 30% have access to splints or casts, intended to enable recovery and improvement in function. That is equal to over 300 Million people without treatment every year, and many of them are children. We aim to make a significant change in the lives of people with hand injuries and disabilities around the world, especially for those who lack the opportunity to obtain education, livelihood, independence and inclusion in society. It is the month of the international women's day, what is your tip to women entrepreneurs? My tip to women entrepreneurs is: Women tend to talk only about what they have tested and verified for 100%, and then they forget to talk about their vision, their dream. Facts are very important, but intuition and vision are as important. We must not forget to talk about what we know in our bones, even though it has not yet happened, and without apologizing. My recent favorite quote is: “No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come” ― Victor Hugo Congrats Cassit, the winner of SharkUp Nation prize AIPAC 2019. Thank you Tamar for this inspiring story! Good luck in accomplishing your great mission!

The whole world has been touched by the Coronavirus outbreak, having consequences on our health but also on our economics. Unfortunately, this crisis will have tremendous effects on the most vulnerable. Our mission at Pears Program for Global Innovation is to enable technologies to positively impact the quality of life of people in developing countries, through supporting innovators and entrepreneurs to develop or adapt relevant technologies. We are determined to fulfil our responsibility. Our team is working remotely but we are available to support and consult in any way we can, to help startups face the crisis, and connect you to relevant actors. Kindly contact us and share with us how we can help your startup prepare for, manage, and help others through COVID-19's disruptions. We are following the news and trends of the Coronavirus outbreak everywhere in the world. Please check below a compilation of challenges and funding opportunities, webinars and articles of interest related of the Coronavirus outbreak. Feel free to contact us for more information, assistance or any relevant matters. Yarden@pearsprogram.com, hagit@pearsprogram.com Stay Healthy everyone! Innovative Government: How to Finally Make the Public Sector More Innovative? Creators IDEAtion Lab is happy to invite you to this webinar. It will cover everything you need to know about how to make governments use technology better and more efficiently, what are the best practices for startup-government collaboration and what can be learned from COVID-19 outbreak in terms of GovTech programs. Date: 9.6.2020 Time: 15:00 CET | 16:00 IDT. Register here SOCAP Series SOCAP is excited to announce a new suite of virtual offerings to stay connected, broaden and engage our community. These events will highlight critical topics and conversations where capital markets, businesses and individuals are creatively responding with market-based solutions to urgent challenges and will share inspirational stories from around the world. Check out the schedule here! DevTalk - Online series check here MIT Solve - Health Security and epidemics challenge at MIT. While scientists and drug developers are rushing to develop vaccines and treatments, there are a lot of existing tech solutions that address other critical aspects of health security—and we want to highlight these innovations and help them scale. This will complement the four Global Challenges that Solve launched on February 25 with over $1 million in funding. Apply before June 18th. Check out here! Elrha is launching an urgent funding call for research proposals to support the COVID-19 response in humanitarian settings. This Call focuses on identified priorities related to the current COVID-19 outbreak in humanitarian settings in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Proposals will be eligible for research that targets: Refugees or IDPs in camps or urban humanitarian settings, or conflict-affected people in humanitarian settings in LMICs Health systems and health care workers supporting the COVID-19 response in humanitarian settings in LMICs. More info here! Openideo: The COVID-19 Reimagine Learning Challenge How might we help educators, parents, and students adapt to remote learning while also using this moment to radically reimagine what we need our education systems to be? Jump into the Challenge and share inspiration and/or ideas. This 2-week sprint will be open until May, 19th 2020. More info here. Submit your idea here! Call for ideas for EdTech Responses to coronavirus (COVID-19) The EdTech Hub, mEducation Alliance, and Global Innovation Exchange (GIE) are launching a call for tech-focused ideas to respond to the learning emergency caused by COVID-19 school closures in low- and middle-income countries. Successful applicants will be invited to EdTech Pitch Days with a global network of potential funders, support in adapting and scaling in response to COVID-19, and connections for onward collaboration and funding. Apply before May 29th More info and apply Here UNDP and Hackster.io: Global Innovation Challenge to tackle COVID-19 The fight against COVID-19 is at a crucial tipping point, so the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Hackster.io, an Avnet company and the largest online open-source technology hardware community, are taking action. The two organizations have partnered to launch the COVID-19 Detect and Protect Challenge to create open-source technology that developing countries can leverage in the fight against this global pandemic. A panel of judges will review and select the top 10 open source solutions on a rolling basis through 2020. Apply before June 30th More info and apply here Marico Innovation Foundation is calling upon medtech entrepreneurs, corporates and innovators who can solve the med-tech challenges faced in the on-going COVID-19 crisis. Looking for Ventilator and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) solutions. Join in this audacious endeavour.here IBM Call for Code - here COVID-19, which is caused by the novel coronavirus, has revealed the limits of the systems we take for granted in a very short period of time. Whether it's the massive increase in demand for information during a time of crisis, educating children when schools are closed, or helping communities best distribute limited resources, technology has a pivotal role to play. Through Call for Code, you can see your idea deployed by a global partner ecosystem. To participate, accept the challenge here. Action against Corona - Are you representing a startup, a project or an initiative that can improve the situation? For the sick, for the health care system, or for the billions of people whose lives are - or soon will be - affected around the world? The Norrsken Foundation is looking to accelerate solution to fight the coronavirus and its implications. It can provide grants or investments, and connect you with the right partners. They can highlight and raise awareness of your important work. Want to increase the likelihood of your success, and mitigate the damage caused by this global crisis. Check the opportunities here. COVID 19 Solution Challenge from the Indian Government: "In order to involve the community in the fight against the Virus, we would want you to share your solutions to help fight #Coronavirus. Submitted solutions will be evaluated for adoption and those selected will be suitable rewarded." Apply here Gates Foundation - COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator. The Gates fou,ndation is joining forces with Wellcome and Mastercard to beef up the response—backed by $125 million in both new funding and money already earmarked to tackle this epidemic. The money will be used to identify potential treatments for COVID-19, accelerate their development, and prepare for the manufacture of millions of doses for use worldwide. Read more here. HealthIL - CounterCorona: HealthIL, the leading Digital Health ecosystem in Israel, is dedicated all of our efforts to help combat COVID-19 ("Corona Virus") by bridging the gap between the unique needs of health organisations dealing with this outbreak, and technological companies and startups that can potentially offer solutions – on a global scale. Submit your solution here! Emergency funding of COVID-19 research among EDCTP 2020 calls for proposals EDCTP is publishing seven 2020 calls for proposals to support clinical research on poverty-related diseases, including neglected infectious diseases, and research capacity development in sub-Saharan Africa. The calls represent an investment of more than €80 million.. Call for proposals info and applications here New fund for COVID-19. Here's what you need to know! COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fundraiser for WHO with $10 Million Match. Donate here! Frontier Tech 4 COVID Action: emerging market ventilation systems: They are looking for an existing, proven technology that can be rapidly adapted to be built in the UK. The winning technology will be adapted for manufacture and use in the UK through UCL’s Institute for Healthcare Engineering with GDI Hub, and will receive a licensing fee. Check out here! Past challenges: Applications welcome from startups and SMEs with innovative solutions to tackle Coronavirus outbreak The European Commission is calling for startups and SMEs with technologies and innovations that could help in treating, testing, monitoring or other aspects of the Coronavirus outbreak to apply urgently to the next round of funding from the European Innovation Council. More info and apply here! Openideo: The COVID-19 Business Pivot Challenge How might businesses of all kinds rapidly adapt to support the immediate needs of the COVID-19 response, and enable a more just and resilient future? Jump into the Challenge and share inspiration and/or ideas. This 3-week sprint will be open until April 30, 2020. More info here. Submit your idea here! Databases CoronaTech - Submit here your Health or Non-Health solution to fight Covid-19 and help during quarantine in order to be listed on the Corona Tech Israel website developed by Start-Up Nation Central Global Innovation Exchange, in partnership with USAID, DFAT and KOICA, has developed the COVID-19 Innovation Hub - a central database to celebrate, source and supply COVID-19 innovations across the globe. We encourage you to submit your innovation- following the instructions here. - Swift action can help developing countries limit economic harm of coronavirus: World Bank Blog article here - Coronavirus is coming for the world's poor. Here are six ways to help - World Economic Forum here - World Economic Forum COVID-19 Action platform - Free COVID-19 Social Impact Assessment Socialsuite is donating its impact monitoring technology to your organization for the purpose of monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on your people. - Coronavirus: WFP ready to rise to the challenge here - Coronavirus and food security. IFPRI is curating a special series of blogposts analyzing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on national and global food and nutrition security, poverty, and development. here - When coronavirus came to Tanzania - The New Humanitarian here - How Will COVID-19 Affect Women and Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries?Here - COVID-19 Pandemic, UNDP here - National relief Platform here - World Bank Coronavirus actions and updates here - Follow the cases in real time here! - Coronavirus Innovation Map here Past hackathons: Ygal Arnon & Runway - #COVID19 VIRTUAL HACKATHON! Application Deadline: Tuesday, March 24,2020 at 23:59 IST. Application is OPEN to anyone working on ANY Coronavirus solution (technological, medical, policy related, etc) at any stage (from ideation to full-working project). Details and registration here Hackathon HackCorona -Online! This event is a unique cooperation between the Birthright Israel Excel, Science Abroad organisation, and 8200 alumni.. Register here! The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and partners are set to host an online #AfricaVsVirus Challenge from 16 to 19 April 2020. The 72-hour competition is a global hackathon – or “ideathon” – to develop effective solutions to the coronavirus pandemic. The Challenge is open to entrepreneurs, companies, civil society organizations and governments with bankable solutions or ventures to address the pandemic. The top pitches will be eligible to win thousands of dollars’ worth of financial, technical and skills-learning support to advance their implementation. Details on competition qualifications and methods of participation can be found here: www.AfricaVsVirus.com. Lumiata COVID-19 Global AI Hackathon Lumiata is inviting data scientists, machine learning practitioners, developers, health IT professionals, public health experts and others around the globe, to participate in the Lumiata COVID-19 Global AI Hackathon. Lumiata Encourages participants to develop solutions for both current challenges posed by COVID-19 as well as longer-term concerns that will result following the immediate effects of the crisis. The challenge is to dream big and focus on tangible solutions that impact population health as well as business challenges. Apply here before May 1st 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗔 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻! 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘖𝘝𝘐𝘋-19. More info and registration here The potential danger of coronavirus is severe in communities that lack the infrastructure to control and contain it. Moreover, remote and rural communities in developing countries are not always connected to electricity or the Internet, which cuts them off from updated and relevant information. Urgently, we must find a way to effectively transmit important disease prevention messages and stop transmission of COVID-19 as much as possible. Past: Openideo - COVID-19 COMMUNICATION INSPIRATION CHALLENGE. How might we rapidly inform and empower communities around the world to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 outbreak? Apply before 11:30pm PST on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. More information here VC4A - Funding and Design Support for COVID-19 Projects: In light of the Coronavirus pandemic and its related consequences in other sectors of various economies across the globe, CcHUB is looking to fund and provide research and design support, via their Design Lab, for COVID-19 related projects. Apply before April 9th here! Israel Innovation Authority - Call for Proposals for Projects in the Development, Piloting and Demonstration stages to cope with the Coronavirus. The Israel Innovation Authority, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Headquarters for the National Digital Israel Initiative are issuing a Call for Proposals to Israeli technology companies (that are not one of Israel's health organizations) to submit R&D plans for systems, products, or technological solutions, including projects in the development, piloting and demonstration stages (as well as semi-commercial installation and implementation. and large-scale deployment in heath organizations) designed to deal with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Check out more and apply before March 26 here. Another call for proposal from the Israel Innovation Authority: Call for Proposals for R&D plans of projects in the Early (Ideation) Stages - to help with the challenges of the Coronavirus - More info and apply before March 26th here. Past Webinars: Boma to Host Online Global Summit on COVID-19 SAVE THE DATE: MARCH 23, 2020 Beginning on Monday, March 23, the Boma COVID-19 Summit will take place in 10 countries on 5 continents — and bring together a wide range of health experts, policymakers and business leaders for more than 20 hours of debate and discussion related to the virus. The summit will take place 100% online. Register now here! Pitango Webinar - Navigating the Medical & Public Health Aspects of COVID -19. Join Dr. Guy Ezekiel, Managing Partner at Pitango Health, in conversation with global Coronavirus experts: Susan Weiss, PhD. University of Pennsylvania, microbiologist & virologist; Coronavirus expert and Eyal Zimlichman, MD, Sheba Medical Center's Chief Medical Officer & CIO, leader in addressing COVID-19 in Israel. Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 4pm IST / 10am EST RSVP How will COVID-19 impact crisis zones? The New Humanitarian Online. Register here! Mar 19, 2020 02:00 PM in Zurich Webinar with WHO: Update on the COVID-19 Outbreak in the African Continent. Check out the summary of the talk here. The Epidemiology and Economics of Coronavirus Mon, Mar 30, 2020 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM EEST This virtual conference event will seek to examine the implications of COVID-19 for public health and the SDGs, as well as make recommendations on science-based responses. Sustainable Development Solution Network Register here! COVID-19 outbreak in the developing world March 31 - 18:00 - 20:00 Join here Openideo Webinar: COVID-19 Communication & Behavior Change COVID-19 has quickly sparked one of the largest behavior change campaigns in history, upon which countless lives depend. To understand which COVID-19 messages are resonating with communities around the world, IDEO launched the COVID-19 Communication Inspiration Challenge, asking people to share their experience with COVID-19 communications thus far. Thousands of people participated from over 80 countries. With so many around the world working tirelessly to share COVID-19 communications at this time, IDEO is publishing a report with findings from this open call, as well as hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 7, at 8AM PST to share and discuss the results with global communications leaders. Register here. SID - Israel Finance Ministry: Corona in the developing world - financial effects Join us to discuss the economic implications of the koruna crisis, in order to understand the challenges, and opportunities following the crisis. 6.04. - 16:00, join here Tamar Golan Africa Center Webinar: Updates from the continent during the corona crisis 6.04 - 18:00, join here DevTalk - Online series check here 6.04 - 18:00: The role of communities in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic - Greece Case study (IsraAID) Tel Aviv University: Corona Crisis 2020 - Learning from the present COVID-19 crisis while looking at the future of disaster management 6.04 - 18:00, join here #GoodAfterCovid19: The Millennial Edition Registration; here Date: Tue, April 21, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM CDT Covid-19 Disruption in Agriculture Lessons from Ethiopia: Digital tools to mitigate COVID-19 on agribusiness COVID-19 is disrupting agriculture and food supply chains by causing a shortage of labor, transport restrictions, quarantine measures and enhanced border controls. The World Bank Group is exploring how digital technologies can mitigate these challenges. The webinar will feature representatives from government and private sector sharing their respective efforts to manage the crisis, with a focus on the positive impact of digital technologies. Registration here Date: April 22, 2020 Time: 14:00 – 16:00 IL time How Can Partnerships Create Rapid Innovation During COVID-19 Crisis? What can we learn from these new partnerships and the innovations they are creating? How can new best practice be established? Can we inspire others to take action and what can we learn from these examples now, that can help us make innovation partnerships the “new normal” in a post-COVID world? Great speakers from AB Indev, Business fights poverty or Endeva. Registration: here Date: APRIL 22, 2020 Time: 14:00 - 15:00 IL time 24 Hour Webinar: Happiness & Sustainability Around the Earth Sustainable Development Solution Network invites you to join our networks around the world, around the clock as we broadcast for 24 hours on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. This webinar will explore the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the lens of well-being and happiness. Learn about solutions being developed in your region, engage with experts around the globe, and celebrate happiness and well-being with your fellow global citizens. Registration: Watch the trailer here and register here Date: April 22nd Time: 24 hours ACCESS TO FOOD & BASIC NEEDS FOR THOSE LIVING IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS AVPA and the Sankalp Dialogues invite you to join a COVID-19 webinar Series. Registration: here Date APRIL 23, 2020 Time: 11:00 IL time COVID-19 Webinar Series: Session 2 SDSN's virtual conference will examine the implications of COVID-19 for public health and the SDGs, as well as make recommendations on science-based responses. Over the course of 3 hours we will discuss successful public health interventions, how to ensure responses promote health equity and reduce inequality, and look at different scenarios for ending isolation and returning to normal. ISGlobal (Spain), Fiocruz (Brazil), and the Public Health Foundation of India will speak. Registration: here Date: Monday, April 27, 2020 Time: 8:00 am to 11:00 am New York / 2:00 pm Tracking National Progress: 2019 Europe Sustainable Development Report In this webinar participants can expect to learn how this report can support mainstreaming the SDGs in EU policy processes in a post COVID-19 world; how to use and interact with the interactive dashboards; and regional sustainable development priorities and policy recommendations. Registration: here Date: April 29, 2020 Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM IDT Global Digital Development Forum Please register here for the Global Digital Development Forum on May 6th, 2020, co-organized by USAID, Chemonics, Digital Impact Alliance, IntraHealth International, CRS/ICT4D Conference, TechChange and Save the Children. Register today Here Date: May 6th Time: 6-22:00 GMT AVPA-Sankalp Dialogues: Covid-19 Webinar Series SERIES 04: ACCESS TO EDUCATION DURING THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC The webinar will showcase how a wide range of stakeholders are responding to the global pandemic, share knowledge and look for solutions that work for Africa, and connect implementers with prospective funders. Today, May 7th, 11:00AM IL time Register here! Impact VC Ecosystem Post-COVID Join Melina Sanchez, Cecile Blilious and Leehe Skuler for this event to learn about the global impact tech industry. How do investors define impact tech? How big is the industry and what are the drivers of success? What is the future outlook of tech companies who are doing well by doing good? Date: May 12 Time: 19:00 - 21:00 Register here ICT4D WEBINAR SERIES This webinar series features experts from public, private and civil society to discuss vital themes around the use of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). Speakers and partners from past and future ICT4D Conferences share their practical knowledge, present new and relevant technologies, answer questions, and engage in a learning environment that is both innovative and informative. Upcoming: Supporting Farmers with Low-Cost Digital Tools During Covid-19, Date: May 19, 2020 Time: 17:00 - 18:00 IL time Register here AI Ethics Webinar Series NetHope, USAID, MIT D-Lab, and Plan International are working together to deliver a set of webinars to equip the social impact sector with the information it needs to implement AI responsibly and ethically. Date: May 21, 2020 Time: 18:00 - 19:00 IL Time Register here Women and Diversity: UK-Israel Women Leading Innovation Network The webinar will focus on what is done or should be done in the public sphere in order to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of digital, data and technology innovation. Date: May 21, 2020 Time: 17:00 - 18:00 IL Time Register here AVPA AND SANKALP DIALOGUES : COVID-19 WEBINAR SERIES SERIES 06: ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS Date: May 21, 2020 Time: 11:00 IL Time Register here THE URBAN VISION AND SANKALP DIALOGUES FUTURE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING Date: May 21, 2020 Time: 9:00 IL Time Register here

This month, we are featuring Simon Schwall, CEO of OKO Finance. OKO provides index insurance and other farming-related services to smallholder farmers in emerging countries. Using state of the art technologies to monitor rainfall and crop evolution, a direct interface with farmers and a unique distribution network, OKO protects farmers and unlocks their access to financing. OKO has partnered with Allianz Africa and Orange Mali to reach out to the smallholder farmers. What is OKO's story? Working in the Telecommunications industry for many years, I have witnessed many incredible solutions that made people's life easier. This is especially true in emerging markets were unconnected and unbanked populations are suddenly able to communicate and transact with the whole world. But one large part of the population is often forgotten: the farmers. They work hard everyday to feed their community (and often us as well) and yet a single drought can destroy their live.Knowing that technologies were available, such as earth observation via satellites and mobile payment, I decided to create an insurance service that automatically helps farmers when we identify a drought or a flood in their area. Tell us about the technology! We use simple technologies and re-purpose them. For example we use SMS to create a text-based menu that anyone can access, even from a feature phone. And we use weather data, that is available globally, to predict risks of adverse weather events. OKO is more about using existing technologies in an innovative way than creating a brand new technology, although we design proprietary algorithms to verify claims. Check out the demo! What is your motivation for doing what you do? We live in an amazing time which has no more physical borders. But it also makes it difficult to ignore the large challenges that we face as humanity. So it only makes sense to me to use the technology for purposes that are meaningful. Creating an app to get your food delivered 5 minutes quicker is nice. But creating a service that can improve the life of millions significantly is far more rewarding. What is your tip for future entrepreneurs of technology for development? Find the right crowd. As an "impact" entrepreneur not many will understand your challenges. You will never fully fit in the traditional start-up business crowd, nor in the development / NGO sphere. Try to find advisors who really understand the specificities of your markets and the entrepreneurs that are facing the same issues as you. What would you say to a FinTech entrepreneur about the opportunities of FinTech in emerging markets? Emerging markets are very exciting for financial services. Entire countries are leapfrogging from cash to mobile payment, or even straight to crypto-currencies. While technology can marginally improve the financial systems in Western markets, it can unlock gigantic opportunities in the global South. So give yourself some time to think how your solution could be used by unbanked or under-banked customers: you might find an interesting market opportunity. Read more about OKO, the latest updates, and the many prizes and grants they won including Seedstars World Challenge and Grant Challenge from the Israel Innovation Authority. Thank you Simon for this inspiring story! Good luck in accomplishing your great mission!

This month, we are featuring Avenews, the future of FinTech for agriculture! Avenews creates the connection between financial institutions and agri-businesses through a digital infrastructure that directly links agri-trade activity with financial services. What is Avenews' Story? Avenews was founded to support the agriculture sector. The co-founders of the company are Shalom and Ishai Ben-Or and Ismail Kharoub. Having grown up in Israeli farming communities they are well aware of the challenges that farmers and other agribusinesses have in Israel and all over the world. Ismail is an Arab Israeli from Jaffa who has been exploring and developing complex information systems, looking to bring IT advancements to developing countries and is one of the few Arab Israeli CTOs leading a FinTech start-up company in Israel. Tell us about the technology! Agribusinesses such as processors, aggregators, manufacturers, farmers, co-operative, input suppliers, etc. use the Avenews digital platform to manage their business, streamline their trade operations, and access financial services, all in one place. Every trade interaction is stored in a verified and vetted asset on the Avenews Blockchain, creating a digital economic identity for every agri-business across the supply chain. This enables them to apply for working capital, loans, insurance, and many other financial services provided on the platform by leading financial institutions. The Avenews platform enables financial institutions to digitize new and existing financial products, such as credit cards, loans, and insurance, and provide them directly on the platform. What is your motivation for doing what you do? We are motivated to solve a significant problem, one that affects millions of people across the world, in a way that is both profitable and purposeful. Figuring out ways to both grow our company and enable agricultural sectors in different markets to thrive is what keeps us focused and excited. How did you adapt your technology in times of coronavirus? One of the biggest challenges in the agricultural trade process is that it is highly reliant on face-to-face interactions and handshake based transactions because of the informal nature of the trade process. Beyond that, when it comes to financing the agri-trade process, especially in developing countries, SME agribusinesses need to go into a bank branch to access working capital financing in order to buy from farmers so they can sell to buyers. In addition, they often need to pay the farmers in cash. The serious challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic to this sector include social distancing protocols which affect the actual trade process as well as banks being unable to provide the necessary finance for the trade process. These create a knock-on effect which means that agribusinesses are unable to buy from farmers, limiting the farmers ability to plant new crops for the next harvest and ultimately contributing to food insecurity in the long-term. In Israel, through our project with the Israeli Innovation Authority, Avenews created a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform as an additional product within our business to support small agricultural businesses suffering from the loss of their market. This platform was launched in 10 days in partnership with Strauss Foods with the sole purpose of supporting Israeli farmers during this crisis and ensuring their businesses will survive beyond this pandemic. Check it out here. In addition, through our partnerships with financial institutions in Africa, agribusiness can pay farmers digitally through the platform for goods purchased and we have also built a digital loan pre-qualification tool and a digital loan application for agribusinesses in Kenya to apply for a loan without needing to go into a branch. Thank you Danielle, Business Design at Avenews, for this inspiring story! Avenews is working in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Israel. Besides the great devtech model, Avenews is an interesting use case of Blockchain and FinTech for impact. On top of it, Avenews is an advocate of diversity and a model of Israeli - Arab coexistence. Good luck in accomplishing your great mission!

We were honoured and happy to participate in FinTech Week Tel Aviv 2020 discussing social impact and FinTech and the opportunities in emerging markets, alongside inspiring experts. Our Project Manager Yarden Haik has an extensive experience in FinTech, as she was the General Manager of Rise Tel Aviv, Barclays' Open Innovation, after spending three years in Mexico and Uganda in an international development NGO. She was alongside Daniel Kalish, Head of Growth at Paypal, Cecile Bilious, Head of Impact and Sustainability at Pitango VC, and Saul Fine, CEO at Innovative Assessment. Some takeaways from the panel: 1) The opportunities of FinTech solutions in emerging markets are unlimited, the need is huge and the infrastructures are ready to welcome such technologies. 2) We need to see impact investments as part of the mainstream market - having a purpose does not conflict with maximising profits! 3) Use the SDGs in order to frame the impact you are making.

This month, we are featuring Jon Rethauser, CEO and founder of Keheala. Jon developed his solution as a member of the first Pears Challenge cohort in 2014. With a Bachelor of Science in Ecological Determinants of Health from McGuill University and a MBA from the Technion, Jon has developed this impressive Digital Health platform from Israel. In only 6 years, Keheala is already operating in Kenya and Zimbabwe, and with a team of 10 people in Kenya alone. Some highlights of 2019: Keheala was featured in the World Economic Forum, New England Journal of Medicine, New York Times among others, following the award of the Nobel Prize in Economics to Michel Kramer, founder of USAID's Development Innovation Ventures (DIV), USAID featured Keheala as one of the promising ventures funded by the program. 2020 is also looking bright for Keheala, with more great announcements coming soon! About Keheala's technology: Despite being curable, TB is the most deadly infectious disease in the world, killing more than HIV and Malaria. With extensive medication regimes and social stigmas surrounding the diagnosis, lack of adherence to TB treatment is one of the main causes of this infectious disease’s prevalence. Fortunately, Keheala utilizes behavioural psychology and technology for tackling TB in Africa through innovative, non-medical support for TB patients. It developed an interactive communication between patients and providers — rather than, one-way reminders about medication - motivating patients to continue their recovery regimens. Thanks to the solution, TB patients can now send a text code to Keheala to sign up for daily messages asking if they had taken their medication - this program helps to hold patients accountable; if they don’t respond or haven’t been actively responding to the texts, then they receive multiple reminders and a staff member reaches out to them and discuss the treatment regime. Keheala focuses on technologies that are accessible from 99 percent of all phones, which means that it can serve some of the most marginalised populations. This innovative two-way system also ensures that the patient has access to resources and mentorship outside of the clinical setting. Keheala has seen positive progress within its program—in a randomised controlled trial at 17 clinical sites in Kenya with 1,200 participants, 96 percent of the patients were able to achieve a successful treatment outcome. As a result, the United States Agency for International Development gave Keheala a grant to expand its trial to 16,000 Kenyans in eight counties. Watch the video to see more about Keheala's impact! Jon's tip for future entrepreneurs of technology for development: "Don’t think about it differently. Solve development problems as you would any other type of problem. Be close to the problem you’re trying to solve or the people you’re trying to serve. Do your homework, find strong partners and make sure you’re passionate about what you do before you get started…. it only gets harder." We asked Jon: what do you benefit from the Israeli DevTech ecosystem? Here is his answer: "Community, or Keheala ("community" in Hebrew), is everything! Keheala has benefited tremendously through access to ecosystem resources, conversations and events. Meeting others working on really tough challenges is inspiring while having other like-minded individuals to speak with is often therapeutic:" Thank you Jon Rathauser, Keheala's CEO and founder for this inspiring story! Good luck in accomplishing your great mission!

We are calling Water, Sanitation, Disaster Risk Reduction and Education startups Application deadline: January 26th Apply now to get a chance to receive: • Mentorship including a short training program and one-on-one support in Israel, to help companies understand the needs on the ground and collaborate towards designing pilot plans • Pilot funding, including: product testing in one of IsraAID’s field offices; pilot implementation led by IsraAID professionals; direct access to pilot hosting communities to ensure local ownership and long-term sustainability measures; an all-expenses paid visit for company representatives to support the pilot in action! • A final report authored by IsraAID detailing the technology’s use and impact Fill out this form to start the application process! Good luck!

12.01 - At the occasion of the call for proposal for the Pilot in Humanitarian settings with IsraAID, we hosted an information session in order to further explain the different steps of the process and the challenges. It was an interesting session in which experts presented IsraAID's activities and needs on the ground. The potential candidates got the chance to meet the teams and gather more information about the selection process, the challenges, IsraAID's work in the field and the benefits of the program.

We wanted to share with you an exciting opportunity we are collaborating with TOV's Innovation Journey! This is a unique program by the JDC for companies and innovators in the field of agriculture looking into the smallholder farmers market in developing countries (with a special emphasis on Ethiopia) You may find all the information on the program in this link In this Innovation Journey, TOV is looking for companies with the following technologies: 1. Solar energy (specifically - solar pumps) 2. Post-harvest treatment (specifically – cold-storage solutions) 3. Integrated Pest Management Please feel free to share this opportunity with your networks and consider applying if relevant for you and your organization. Deadline for application 28/7/2019 For any questions, you may approach Lior Turgeman at: LiorTu@jdc.org