Calling Connecticut Home: 2016 Connecticut-Israel Innovations Showcase to Feature Leading-Edge Israeli Companies Doing Business in State

The advantages that Connecticut offers to overseas businesses grow more and more every year – and Israeli companies in particular are taking notice. An increasing number of Israeli businesses are choosing to locate their international offices in Connecticut, citing the prime East Coast location, excellent quality of life and support from the Jewish community and local economic development organizations.

Several of these companies will discuss the innovative technologies they are bringing to our state at the 2016 Connecticut-Israel Innovations Showcase, to be held Wednesday, May 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Infinity Music Hall and Bistro in Hartford. The Showcase is a joint presentation of the MetroHartford Alliance, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC). The business community and interested members of the public are invited to attend the Showcase, which will feature brief presentations followed by an opportunity to meet the presenters and uncover synergies, customer opportunities and investment possibilities. The Showcase is preceded by an invitation-only VIP reception.

Presenters will include:

• H2O Farm, a Guilford-based lettuce farm that uses hydroponic technology to save up to 80 percent of the water used through re-circulation and eliminate groundwater contamination.
• SolView, a Hartford-based company that uses patent pending image analysis and computer vision technology to help solar companies target and engage customers, increase conversion rates and reduce marketing costs.

Additional presenters will be announced soon.

The 2016 Showcase, the second of its kind, grew from a highly successful partnership between the Alliance, Federation and CERC that began in 2011. Past collaborations include three Technology Summits that attracted hundreds of regional businesses to meet Israeli startups and a 2013 business mission to Israel led by Catherine Smith, Commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The first Innovations Showcase, held last April, drew healthcare industry leaders from across the state to meet with Israeli medical and health information technology entrepreneurs.

Israeli businesses’ desire for collaboration and demand for construction, legal and other services have already had a positive economic impact on Connecticut businesses.

“Technological collaboration and foreign direct investment through global partnerships are critical in ensuring a bright future for the Hartford Region and the entire State,” said Oz Griebel, MetroHartford Alliance President and Chief Executive Officer. “The Alliance is committed to strengthening international business relationships, and our investors are already reaping benefits from their connections to Israeli innovators.”

Sponsors of the 2016 Showcase include DECD and UConn Global as well as Pullman & Comley LLC, which has supported the Connecticut-Israel business relationship for many years and is the Founders Circle Partner for this year’s program. Sponsorship opportunities are still available; to learn more, please contact Rebecca Nolan of the MetroHartford Alliance at (860) 728-2280.

For more information about the Showcase or to register, visit www.metrohartford.com.

About MetroHartford Alliance
The mission of the MetroHartford Alliance is to compete aggressively and successfully for jobs, talent and capital for the Hartford Region and to ensure that the Hartford Region is a premier place for all people to live, work, play, start and grow a business, and raise a family. Through its members’ intellectual capital and financial investment, the Alliance is able to implement key strategies that further our regional goals of job growth, wealth creation, and talent attraction and retention. Visit www.metrohartford.com for more information.

About the Connecticut Economic Resource Center
The Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC) is a nonprofit corporation and public-private partnership that provides economic development services consistent with state strategies, leveraging Connecticut’s unique advantages as a premier business location. Visit www.cerc.com to learn more. 

MetroHartford Alliance Media Contact: 
Brian Boyer VP Communications, Marketing, Media and Public Relations 
860.728.2290 
bboyer@metrohartford.com