Tech in the South“We had to stop some of the activities because our colleagues were murdered in Kfar Gaza”
Tech in the South
“We had to stop some of the activities because our colleagues were murdered in Kfar Gaza”
Kenaf Ventures has joined CTech to discuss how the 7/10 massacre has affected its business in Israel’s southern region.
“For Kenaf Ventures the world changed on October 7, when its home and business partner, Kibbutz Kfar Aza, was devastated in the Hamas massacre of Israeli communities near the Gaza border,” explained the company. “The kibbutz is integral to the company, part of our shareholders alongside the Kafrit Group, they are our strategic partners.”
Since 7/10, the company has been affected in how it continues to raise the capital round it started and has been forced to suspend or slow down the production of its cleantech factory because it had colleagues sadly lost to Hamas.
You can learn about the company and its journey since 7/10 below:
Company Name: Kenaf Ventures
Location: Kibbutz Kfar Aza
Sector: Clean Tech
Founder Bio: Avishay Morg, Aviv Spiner, Gideon Susan, Assaf Ofer, and Ido Hershkovitz.
Year of Founding: 2018
Total Investment (to date): $1.5m
Investors: The founders. Amir Brut Yosef Angel. Kafrit Industries.+ 5 more.
Number of Employees: 6
Open Positions: Yes. At this point, to the workshop and the laboratory.
Website and Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avishay-morag-4050a76/
Product/Service Description:
Kenaf Ventures is an Israeli Clean Tech company focused on capturing and fixating carbon dioxide and reducing the use of polluting industrial raw materials, two of the most challenging environmental problems.
Why is your company located in the south? Please describe your decision and its advantages.
The company deals with fixing carbon dioxide in the soil and reducing the use of polluting industrial raw materials.
In the south, we found perfect areas for the development of a circular economy based on fixing carbon in the soil and industrial plants that support resetting the carbon footprint by using our raw materials for the follow-on products.
How did the events of October 7 impact operations?
For Kenaf Ventures the world changed on October 7, when its home and business partner, Kibbutz Kfar Aza, was devastated in the Hamas massacre of Israeli communities near the Gaza border. The kibbutz is integral to the company, part of our shareholders alongside the Kafrit Group, they are our strategic partners.
Since the 7th of October, we have been hurt in the capital raising round we started, we had to suspend or slow down the production, and we had to stop some of the activities because our colleagues were murdered in Kfar Gaza.
How was the idea born?
The idea was born as a result of acquaintance and deep experience with the wonderful capabilities of the KENAF plant that can respond to the needs of agriculture and industry while supporting the principles and needs of the environment.
Does the product exist already? If not - at what stage is it and when is it expected to hit the market?
The raw materials we developed are applied to a variety of products in various fields:
Plastic compounds: there is a running phase in plastic companies.
Mixtures for the construction sector: green thermal plaster, green blocks in the final stage of patent registration, ready for production.
Insulation products: a green replacement for rock wool panel ready for setting up production lines. A substitute for expanded polystyrene in the development stage.
Who are the main competitors in this sector and how big are they?
Many, in all the areas I mentioned. In some issues, we already have a strategic cooperation.
What needs to be done to promote the tech and innovation sector in this region of Israel?
There is human capital and potential. We lack capital and additional partners in some areas.
‘Tech in the South’ is a new CTech series highlighting Israeli startups who are located in the Gaza Envelope (within 7km from the border) following the Hamas Massacre on 7/10. Companies from the region are invited to complete this form to share their insights and experiences for CTech and its audience.
