Innovating a Millenia Old Industry: Ashdod Port and 500 Global

The maritime industry has historically played a crucial role in global trade, connecting nations and facilitating the movement of goods across borders. However, despite its crucial role, the industry has traditionally been slower to adopt technological advancements, especially in comparison to other sectors. As the world becomes increasingly connected and reliant on more efficient logistics, innovation in maritime technology becomes essential. 

To remain competitive, ports worldwide must continuously innovate. One such port, the Ashdod Port in Israel, has recognized this and is leveraging the power of startups to drive  innovation. By actively engaging with young founders and startups, Ashdod Port is fostering a collaborative ecosystem to drive transformative advancements in maritime tech. 

The Ashdod Port has taken significant steps to foster innovation that encourages collaboration between established players and startups. With the goal to disrupt traditional processes and introduce novel solutions, the Ashdod Port partnered with 500 Global, one of the world’s most active VC firms, to launch a focused accelerator program that empowers startups to run a proof of concept (PoC) at the port. This initiative aims to propel maritime technology innovation, revolutionize port operations, and create a thriving ecosystem for startups in the heart of the Mediterranean.

The accelerator program plays a pivotal role in driving innovation in the maritime tech sector at the port. Startups accepted into the program provide solutions in key areas such as cyber, logistics, equipment maintenance, operations, and security. By enabling startups to run PoCs at Ashdod Port, the program facilitates the development and implementation of technologies that optimize port operations while improving efficiencies, and enhancing safety.

Now in its second year, 500 Global’s accelerator program at Ashdod Port provides a crucial platform for startups to accelerate their growth, refine their ideas, and contribute to maritime tech innovations.  The advancements achieved through this collaboration can ripple beyond Ashdod Port, not only inspiring other ports worldwide to embrace innovation and drive historic change in the industry, but also helping to establish Ashdod Port itself as an innovative leader.

“Ashdod Port, The Port of Israel, is proud to be a leader in the innovation industry, providing beta sites for startups and supporting new technologies in the maritime sector. With a goal of being not only the biggest, but also the smartest port in Israel, Ashdod Port has set itself a goal to support innovation.” said Roy Avrahami, CIO of Ashdod Port.In the recent months, the port has showcased examples of Israeli innovation to ports in the U.S. and Europe, which included Greazly, a grease monitoring system startup that prevents malfunctions and the closure of cranes; Salvador Technologies, a cyber company that enables a quick 30-second recovery period from cyber attacks and malfunctions; and Airwayz, which is in charge of an operating system that controls a fleet of drones.

“Our Ashdod Port Accelerator by 500 is a truly unique initiative, thanks to our partner’s vision and belief that technology can play a central role in modernizing the maritime industry. As a result, Ashdod has managed to serve as a model for other ports. While batch 1 saw startups across a wide range of technologies, we’re seeing a concentration of AI-based software and cybersecurity solutions in batch 2, and we’re excited to see how far the startups can go through this partnership,” said Ee Ling Lim, Executive Director of Market Launch at 500 Global.

A key partner driving this collaborative venture between Ashdod Port and 500 Global is Deloitte Israel. In a recent conversation with 500 Global, Tal Chen, a Partner at Deloitte Israel, and Co-Leader of Deloitte Catalyst said, “The partnership between 500 Global and Ashdod Port is a groundbreaking collaboration to strengthen the port as a key player in the Israeli innovation ecosystem.” Chen went on to say, “The goal of the Ashdod Port Accelerator by 500 is to create a new generation of startups that are able to address the port’s pain points and also be attractive enough to be implemented in other ports around the world.”