Israeli Economist Manuel Trajtenberg Joins Academic Networking Platform Treebute

Israeli economist Manuel Trajtenberg, who formerly chaired the Council for Higher Education in Israel and served as a parliament member for the Zionist Union list, has joined academic networking platform Treebute.io, operated by Tel Aviv-based Scynapsis Technologies Ltd., the company announced Monday.

Treebute was established in 2018 by CEO Naveh Shetrit, chief technology officer Omer Gazit, and chairman Shai Yarkoni. The company uses an artificial intelligence-powered search engine to read and analyse scientific literature and databases of patents and medical information from hospitals and clinical trials, aiming to make the resources generated by academia accessible to entrepreneurs and industrial players.

Treebute raised $1 million to date from several investors, among them TAU Ventures, Tel Aviv University’s investment arm. The company already has paying customers, including the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Israeli venture funds aMoon and Team8, and innovation centers in Israel and abroad.

Trajtenberg will join the company’s advisory board and assist it with establishing a strategy and integrating quantitative measures for the economic value of the knowledge, for researchers, institutes, and governments. One of Treebute’s goals is to increase the funding academic research receives from industry players.