Here is a private incubator owned by the association for the development of technological entrepreneurship. The incubator was established by a group of entrepreneurs and educators from the Shaar HaNegev community and is supported by the community in San Diego, which is also regularly involved in the Advisory Group team in order to promote investments and help open doors for the ventures in the American market. SouthUp operates an accelerator in collaboration with the “Nursery” fund that encourages innovation and technology in kibbutzim. In this framework, an acceleration plan was developed in the fields of sustainability, agriculture, defense and industry, which helps entrepreneurs and ventures in their initial stages. The entrepreneurs benefit from the support and professional accompaniment of mentors and exposure to strategic partners and investors. The technological incubator is the infrastructural and operational parent for the ventures and helps the companies that are in the seed stage in raising the investment required for the company. In addition, the incubator offers entrepreneurs and start-up companies, a work complex and offices, subsidized services and assistance in starting a business and mentoring from leading industry professionals in the business, marketing and technological fields, as well as access to markets and strategic partners in Israel and abroad.

So far, more than 50 start-up companies supported by the Innovation Authority and other funds and investors have operated in the incubator, the total funding for the incubator companies amounts to about 50 million dollars from the Innovation Authority (in the various tracks) and about 40 million dollars from other investors. Of the 25 mature companies The incubator, 8 companies remained in the area of Sderot and the Negev Gate and 3 more remained in the Negev region, over 90% of the companies completed development, left the incubator and began to produce and sell, some of them continue at the same time in development processes and raising additional investments. Today, there are 25 active start-up companies in the incubator supported by by the Innovation Authority. The incubator provides accompaniment and support to the mature companies that remain in the area: locating a physical space, recruiting investors, connecting with subcontractors and even locating and recruiting personnel from the area.

So far, over 250 jobs have been created in the companies operating in the greenhouse today and in the mature companies that remained in the area. Among the greenhouse’s partners: the Kibbutz Movement Organization and the Nursery Fund, kibbutzim (as partners and investors), the Mata Association and the ICA Foundation, regional agricultural R&D centers: Gilat-Volcani, Gaza Wrap R&D and Southern R&D as well as Angels from the southern region. Greenhouse activities:

Sustainability and agriculture

•AgroS.N.G regional program in combination with the Western Negev cluster and Sapir College which combines certificate studies and training students for advanced agriculture alongside accompanying ventures and start-up companies and implementing new technologies in agriculture.

• An accelerator program that integrates paying customers/supporters of selected start-ups, including the laboratories of the “Hazare” company owned by the international “Limgrain” company that develops seed varieties and crops and the Bayer company – a German international company for the development of seeds, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

• The field of Milk-Tech cooperation for challenges in the milk production market with the organization of cattle breeders and milk producers in Israel.

security

• The SouthupD.tech program is an accelerator program for companies in the defense sector and in the fields of dual solutions, the program in combination with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Defense that assist in financing on a “green track” basis, including Design Partners, connection to customers, research and pilot support.

•Partnership for test and test areas in the fields of security and HLS, including: a shooting range, kennels, and test areas/areas for training, research and testing for activity with animals.

•Management and control infrastructures for the security of educational institutions, the “Sandbox” project – a field of experiments and integration for companies in the fields of HLS, and a regional HML for the management and control of security components in settlements adjacent to the border fence, adjacent to the fence and hinterland settlements.

•Physical infrastructure and an office area classified by the MLA that allows working with materials and in a classified environment with sensitive security knowledge.

P-Tech • – Accelerator for the fields of plastics and polymers – in partnership with a rural plant from Kfar Gaza.

Accompanying ventures in medical fields – in combination with general clinics in Ofakim and Netivot and the development center of a Brazilian hospital