The US-Israel Win-Win, Mutually-Beneficial, Two-Way Street: Amb.(Ret.) Yoram Ettinger
While struggling to turn around an expanding (5%) budget deficit, Israel sustains its unique role as a pipeline of commercial, defense and homeland security technologies to the US and the Free World. Israeli technologies, shared with the US industry, have enhanced the US employment, research & development and exports.
1. Facebook about to acquire Israel’s Waze for $1BN. In January, Waze turned down Facebook’s offer of $500MN (Israel Hayom, May 10, 2013). Warren Buffett completed acquisition of Israel’s Iscar – $2BN for the remaining 20% of Iscar. $4BN were paid for 80% (Globes, May 1). NYC’s KKR Private Equity acquired (from NYC’s Warburg-Pincus Ventures) 75% of Israel’s Alliance Tires Group for $500MN (Globes, April 15). Israel’s Prolor was merged into Miami, FL’s Opko for $480MN (Globes, April 25). San Jose, CA’s Avago Technologies acquired Israel’s Cyoptics for $400MN (Globes, April 12). China’s Fosun Pharma acquired Israel’s Alma Lasers for $240MN (TechTime, April 29). J.P. Morgan sold 21% of Israel’s CaesarStone (held by Israel’s Tene’ Investment Fund) for $170MN, on NASDAQ (Globes, April 15).
2. Japan’s Sonny extends its medical tech investments, investing $10MN in Israel’s Rainbow Medical investment fund, joining prior giant investors: Minnesota’s Medtronic, Illinois’ Abbott and Italy’s Sorin. Sonny is seeking Israeli acquisitions. Israel is a research & development hub for GE Healthcare, Phillips, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific and Switzerland’s Roche, which have acquired Israeli companies and have invested in scores of Israeli start-ups (Globes, May 9). GE inaugurated a software research & development center in Israel (May 1).
3. London’s Amadeus Capital led a $17MN
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