Rochester's Israeli Opportunity

The ongoing efforts to forge links between Rochester and Israeli companies, which I wrote about Sunday, cannot yet be described as a success. But one thing is for certain: Rochester is getting audiences with some of the more promising Israeli ventures. For instance, Notal Vision Inc. is developing technology for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. The Tel Aviv company visited Rochester as part of the region's first outreach mission. Voice Sense Inc., which is developing software for call centers that senses dissatisfaction in a caller's voice, was part of that group as well, as was Techtium, a fabless mixed-signal semiconductor company developing a new hybrid battery management technology. It could be that some opportunities have slipped away due to continuing challenges from a scarcity of venture capital. For instance, Lumus Ltd., which is developing compact, personal display screens for mobile devices, earlier this year signed a round of funding with Motorola Ventures. One good site to read about Israeli business and other developments in the country other than the Palestinian conflict is ISRAEL21c, a not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of California.