Twenty tech start-ups will be selected from the top six at the International Innovation (II) Awards final to be held next 1 and 2 December in Paris, joining a start up incubator in the French capital and competing for €20,000 first Award. Among the finalists, Pzartech, an Israeli start-up focused on the distributed, on-demand manufacturing of spare parts, will represent 3D printing innovation.
Maybe it's because of the growing widespread awareness that our world needs to shift gears to keep going, maybe it's just because of the faster rate of new technology adoption: either way, as the success of the Shark Tank TV show shows. There are start-up competitions that shows new talent.
The second prize, organized by the Paris Region Lab, will take place at the Cité de la Mode et du Design and will reward the company that will improve city life and contribute to the development of the economic fabric of Paris.
Pzartech will be pitted against a selection of young companies riding on other lucrative trends, such as renewable clean energy, smart wearable technology and a number of innovative software and app developers. The pitches will be heard by a jury of investors, entrepreneurs and advisors, and each start-up will have the opportunity to participate in a private session with members of the Open Innovation Club, made up of 60 large French companies.
Looking to the future one can think of the potential applications of 3D printing for more sustainable means of production, and this is what Pzartech is proposing. The company, founded by Business Lead Jeremy Brabet-Adonazlo, Product Lead Joachim Hagez and R&D Lead Jonathan Aflalo, is building a 3D printer-based distributed manufacturing network focused primarily on replacement parts, which can be used for the benefit of companies and consumers. Provides 2C service.
“Unlike other distributed manufacturing networks we are focused on a very specific vertical,” Jeremy told me. “The primary need in the past was to focus on 3D printing and to help spread the technology and come into its own by addressing the issues of its usability. Now we feel that 3D printing is already an established technology and we Taking a completely different approach, we are using it to meet the market need for fast, on-demand and cost-effective replacement parts.
Jeremy explained that several large companies have already expressed interest in this business model and that Pzartech will enter the private beta testing phase by the end of November. Just in time for the second prizes, which his project can give, and 3D printing in general, gives another significant boost.
This was the first year the competition was held in Israel. The competition is globally sponsored by Pegasus Tech Ventures, and organized locally in Israel by Take It Forward, which conducts marketing consultancy and event coordination for tech companies. Competitions are held in more than 50 regions around the world, with a finalist receiving the grand prize of a $1 million investment.
The award was Matriself's second award in two weeks. In late December, the company was named the winner of the Startup+ competition by Calcalist and Poalim Hi-Tech.
"Matriself is an incredible start-up in terms of innovation, impact, medical achievement and advancement," said Take It Forward founders Jessica Rosner and Jennifer Elias. “Its CEO, Asaf Tokar, is passionate about his vision and mission, and his passion has inspired judges and audiences. We look forward to the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley this coming November, and We believe that, thanks to Asaf, Israel has great potential to win first prize and give people with disabilities the ability to walk again.”
Matriself's platform for autologous matrix and cell implants is designed to treat a wide range of medical conditions, and built on eight years of research and $12m. in grant. The company was founded in 2019 by Professor Tal Dvir from Tel Aviv University's Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and currently has eight employees and two patents.
"I hope we bring the trophy to Israel for the first time, but more importantly, we will help disabled patients with spinal cord injuries to walk again," Toker said after the competition.
Coming in second in Israel was I-BrainTech, an AI-powered brain-training solution designed to increase individual athletes' KPIs and empower coaches using innovative NeuroSport insights.
In third place was Hargol Foodtech, which specializes in growing locusts in captivity in large quantities as an alternative protein source.
The second and third place winners won mentorship hours provided by Take It Forward and Lumitec, as well as memberships to Google for start-ups and The Platform, a Tel Aviv-based entrepreneurship center.
About 100 start-ups applied for the competition, and seven judges met with 58 before finalists were selected.