Carmakers Honda and Volvo have opened an Israel innovation center in Tel Aviv. Honda Silicon Valley Lab (HSVL) announced today that it is forming a partnership with Volvo, Hertz Rent a Car International, Israeli telematics company Ituran, and DRIVE, the innovation hub founded by Mayer Group, the Israeli importer of Honda and Volvo cars. DRIVE will foster enhanced collaboration between Honda R&D and Israeli transportation innovators and expand its in-market support of Israeli startups and entrepreneurs,
As a DRIVE partner, Honda said it will actively engage with startups through its Honda Xcelerator open innovation program by providing expertise, funding and rapid prototyping opportunities that may evolve into additional business relationships. These activities will enable startups to receive accelerated validation of their technology and business model and, in turn, allow Honda to deepen its relationships with Israeli entrepreneurs.
"Honda Xcelerator has engaged with a broad array of startups in Israel over the last few years, working on innovative technologies with the potential to transform our future products," said Dennis Clark, Strategic Alliance Lead for Honda Xcelerator. "Our partnership with DRIVE will enable Honda to collaborate even more closely with local innovators and continue to accelerate and drive innovation."
DRIVE will be led by founding partners Omer Shachar, an investment executive from the Mayer Group; Dr. Tal Cohen, an adjunct associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and successful entrepreneur; and Boaz Mamo, a specialist in smart mobility entrepreneurship and founder of EcoMotion and Capsule, a smart mobility accelerator.
"DRIVE was created from a significant need in the world of smart mobility entrepreneurs to hone real market needs through collaboration with market leaders, creation of initial stage prototypes, and the ability to back the collaboration with focused investments," said Boaz Mamo, DRIVE's CEO. "Our partnership with Honda Xcelerator will help the most promising Israeli mobility startups to have quick market validation and access to one of the leading OEM's open innovation programs in the world."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 15, 2017
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