The Green Way raises $15-20m from Shaked Global Group

The Green Way, an Israel-based environmental management company, has secured between $15 and $20 million in funding from Shaked Global Group.

Shaked Global previously invested $1 million in Green Way. Its stake values TGW at several tens of millions of dollars, according to Globes.

Founded in 1997, TGW provides a range of consulting and implementation services for landscaping, irrigation, erosion prevention and waste and wastewater treatment. It also collaborates with tech companies that specialize in the field of environmental preservation to design cost-effective solutions for a range of small- to medium-scale commercial, industrial and public infrastructure projects, such as parks, hotels and utilities.

Based in Israel, TGW also operates in Cyprus, Turkey and in the United States. The company employees over100 people and has completed projects for Israel Electric Corp., Highway 6 (Trans-Israel Highway), and Tel Aviv University.

Shaked Global invests in "environment-oriented technology and services companies". In addition to TGW, Shaked Global has invested in Blue I Water Technologies.

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China's Director of Water Resources Management: "We should learn from Israel"

Xinhua News reports that Gao Erkun, China's Director of Water Resources Management, recently made a study trip to Israel. Faced with a severe water supply challenge, Erkun says that China should learn from Israel on water management.

According to Gao Erkun, "The per capita water resources in Israel is less than 370 cubic meters. A bottle of water is worth four bottles of milk there. The country implements a strict system to use water: all the water resources are monitored and dispensed by the government. With seawater desalination and water pollution treatment, it could meet the society's 700 cubic meters per capita water demand."

China contains roughly 20 percent of the world's population but only 7 percent of global water resources. The per capita water volume is one fourth of the world average. The country also has a severe regional water imbalance, with about four-fifths of the water supply in the south.

Xinhua News says that China is fully aware of the problems and is seeking ways to improve the situation. In its 11th Five-Year Plan (2006 - 2010), the country plans to reduce per unit of GDP water cost by 30 percent and increase its agricultural water efficiency coefficient to 0.5.

Last November it was reported that Israel expects "to significantly increase" its water technology exports to China over the next few years following a successful round of meetings between National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Chinese water-technology leaders attending WATEC Israel 2007. It was also reported that Israeli company Blue I Technologies will supply real-time water quality control systems for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Xinhua News is the official press agency of the Chinese government.

Blue I raising funds; company is leading developer of water quality control systems

Sources inform ''Globes'' that Shaked Global Group, the private equity firm of the Shaked family - the controlling shareholders of online gambling company 888 Holdings plc - has acquired the 20% stake of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in Blue I Technologies Ltd. This is the first investment in cleantech by Shaked Global Group, founded by Ohad Shaked. Blue I CEO Tsur Ben-David and Shaked Global Group CEO Shai Onn were not available for comment.

Kfar Saba-based Blue I develops real-time water quality control systems.

The sources added that Shaked Global Group will also participate in a $6 million funding round that Blue I is now holding from current shareholders. The company expects to close this round by the end of March at a company value of $16-20 million before money. The proceeds will be used to finance the company's newly launched platforms, including a comprehensive municipal network water quality control system. Blue I is reportedly about to install the first system in Barcelona.

After the financing round, Blue I plans to enter into a strategic partnership with large international water quality control systems makers. The company already supplies its systems to General Electric Company and Veolia Environnement SA.

Blue I has raised $7 million to date, including $2.7 million in its previous round in 2006, which was one of Israel's most significant cleantech investments that year. In addition to Shaked Global Group, Ben-David and Tene Investments each own 20% of Blue I, Blue Drink (European and Israeli angels led by Blue I chairman Ronen Melnick) owns 18%, and Docor International Management Ltd. and TN Ventures (a private fund owned by Tamar Naor) jointly own 15%. Company employees, including four in China and two in the US, own the rest.

Blue I's Israeli customers include Central Bottling Co. Ltd. (Coca-Cola Israel), Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), Mekorot National Water Company, and Oil Refineries Ltd. Foreign customers include Nestle, an Italian power station, Bayer, and hospitals in France.

In November 2007 it was reported that Blue I will supply real-time water quality control systems for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Market sources estimate Blue I's 2007 revenue at several million dollars. Under a strategic plan prepared by Ernst & Young, the company plans to grow by 80% this year and by more than 100% in 2009. Ernst & Young declined to respond to "Globes"' questions.

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Israeli water tech company Blue I bound for Olympics

Israeli water tech co Blue I bound for Olympics

Globes is reporting that Israeli cleantech start-up Blue I Technologies Ltd. will supply real-time water quality control systems for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The company has an office in China and is participating in a Veolia Water projects with Shenzhen Water Group Company Ltd. and the City of Shanghai.

According to Globes, Blue I has also installed its water analyzers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the South American Water Championships; the Olympic swimming pools in Tokyo; Eurodisney in Paris; a hotel project at Sun City, South Africa; and in Israel, including the water parks Yamit 2000 in Holon and Hamei Gaash.

Established in 2002, Blue I's investors include Tene Capital and Docor International.