Hagit Freud

Insights from the past decade on how Israeli technology companies can build scalable, sustainable and financially successful businesses in Africa. Research Team: Caylee Talpert (Research Lead), Dr. Aya Navon Wurgaft , Yonatan Bukhdruker , Reuven Sebty , Hagit Freud Partners: Israel Africa Relations Institute , SID-Israel , Israeli Forum for Impact Economy (IFIE) , and Nura Global Innovation Lab Executive Summary  Africa’s rapid development and market potential have drawn increasing interest...

Agricultural waste is abundant across the Global South, yet it is too often burned, left to rot, or treated as a liability rather than a resource. At the same time, affordable and sustainable alternatives to fossil based plastics remain out of reach for many markets. Eden Materials is changing that by transforming agricultural byproducts into biodegradable plastics designed for real world conditions and local value creation.  During the Pears Challenge ClimateTech Validation Trip to Kenya,...

Written by Roni Levy and David Mendelbaum This year’s Pears Challenge 2025 ClimateTech cohort has just returned from Kenya - full of insight and opportunities, sharpened strategy, and genuine excitement. Over two intense weeks, our founders met the people, landscapes, and institutions that will shape the future of their ventures. And across every metric- engagement, partnerships, field validation, and concrete next steps- this was our most successful validation trip yet. How We Got Here:...