Annabella breast pump
World‘s only patented tongue-simulating pump - efficient and comfortable!
FDA-approved and marketed in the USA, Annabella is expanding! $1M orders in 2023 in Israel, clinical trial results of 1.5 more milk on average. Selling in Shilav, SuperPharm, and online.
439% of funding target
Highlights
Highlights
Company Achievements and Investment Opportunities
- Successful U.S. Launch: Launched on the company's website and Amazon, with an established sales and customer support network.
- Israel Launch 2023: First product launched in Israel, a single-sided pump available on the company's website, Shilav, and Super-Pharm online.
- Sales in Israel: Orders worth approximately $1 million in 2023, with over 5,500 units sold so far.
- Sales Growth: Increased sales in the breast pump category at Shilav since the pump's launch.
- Clinical Trials: Successful clinical trial at Shamir Medical Center showed the pump produces 1.5 times more milk on average, than a leading market pump.
- Comparison Study: MAM's comparative study showed the pump extracts more milk than a leading pump in the market.
- Patent Granted: Main tongue mechnism patent approved in the U.S, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India.
- Additional Patents: Registered patents for 10 different inventions and trademarks in key markets.
- Regulatory Approvals: Received regulatory approvals for marketing the pump in the U.S., Europe, UK, and Israel.
- Experienced Management: Led by a seasoned management team with impressive achievements.
- Investor Support: Investors include "Sharks" Oren Dobronsky and Yasmine Lukatz, who invested over $1 million together.
- High Reliability: Less than 1.5% malfunction rate in the U.S.
- Innovation Grant: Received a grant of 2.5 million ILS from the Israel Innovation Authority for future developments.
- Future Product Launches: Launch of a double-sided breast pump in the US and development of a wearable pump.
- Recognition: The Cut magazine named Annabella one of the 12 best breast pumps in the U.S. market.
- Accessory Sales: Selling breastfeeding accessories on the company's website in the U.S. and Israel.
Future Plans
- Distribution Agreement: Finalizing and closing a distribution agreement with Babylist.
- Amazon Registry: Registering the company's products for Amazon's baby gift store.
- US Insurance Coverage: Discussions with DME companies to offer the pump to insurance clients.
- Double-Sided Pump: Launching a double-sided pump in the U.S.
- Product Developments: Developing a wearable pump with baby tongue simulation technology.
- Cost Reduction: Continuing to reduce production costs after already achieving over 30% reduction.
- International Expansion: Launching the product in the UK and Europe, followed by Asia and Australia.
Offered securities, as per the supplementary notice attached to the company’s campaign page, will not be listed on the stock exchange.
Pitch
Pitch
The Problem
Despite the significant growth in the breast pump market and the increasing awareness of the importance of breastfeeding for both mother and child, breast pumps worldwide are still based on the same principle established by a patent from 1854, originally used in machines for milking cows. The basic principle of creating a vacuum, similar to vacuum cleaners, has not changed in the past 170 years.
The increase in the percentage of breastfeeding women (and consequently in the purchase of breast pumps) is partly due to initiatives by global organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and government breastfeeding encouragement initiatives in many countries around the world. For example, the WHO recommends breastfeeding until the age of two and emphasizes its importance and contribution to the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as to the health and development of the infant and the health of the mother.
However, a survey conducted in 2016 by MIT revealed that women describe their experience using the pump negatively, using words like: hatred, pain, inconvenience, frustration, crying, and more. This survey is one of thousands of articles describing the difficulties and incompatibility of current breast pumps for modern women.
Annabella's Solution
Annabella has developed a breast pump with a unique mechanism that simulates the wave motion of a baby's tongue just like during breastfeeding. This innovation allows for a more pleasant and efficient pumping experience, closely mimicking natural breastfeeding.
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Clinical Trial Results
In terms of pumping comfort (whether the pump is pleasant to use), Annabella received an average score of 9.6 out of 10.
Key Features of the Annabella Pump
The Annabella breast pump is distinguished by three main features that contribute to a positive and efficient user experience for mothers:
- Tongue Simulation Mechanism: Simulates the natural suckling motion of a baby's tongue, providing a pumping experience that is almost as pleasant as breastfeeding, while increasing the amount of milk expressed.
- Adjustable Tongue Height Mechanism: Allows customization to different sizes without the need to purchase additional accessories.
- Silicone-Coated Breast Shield: Utilizes advanced manufacturing technology to create a unique structure that mimics a baby's mouth, with a silicone coating to protect the mother's breast tissue.
Annabella is the only breast pump in the world that combines suction pulses with the wave motion of the tongue, closely simulating natural suckling motion of a baby.
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The tongue motion creates a compression and stimulation effect, helping the mother produce higher levels of two important hormones: prolactin and oxytocin, which are responsible for milk production and release from the breast.
This results in a pleasant and calm experience, allowing for more milk to be expressed.
Milk Production and Release Process:
Additional Products
In addition to marketing and developing breast pumps, the company offers a range of breastfeeding accessories and pump parts to build the brand and increase market share. Alongside the pump, the company's website in the U.S. and Israel sells around 12 additional products, including: breast milk storage bags, bottles, pump storage bags, pumping bras, and spare parts.
Launch of the Double-Sided Pump
The company recently launched its second product – a double-sided breast pump with tongue-simulating technology.
As part of the preparation for the product launch in the USA, the company launched the double breast pump in the Israeli market in May and has already sold over 800 units!
The double breast pump has already received FDA approval, and its US launch is planned for the third quarter of this year.
It is important to note that double breast pumps constitute the majority of the market in the USA, making the Annabella double breast pump a significant business opportunity.
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Interested in investing
Market Penetration Achievements - USA
- The company launched its products across the United States in January 2024, with direct online sales through the company website.
- In June 2024, Annabella began selling its products on Amazon USA and plans to register for Amazon’s baby gift store, the largest of its kind in the USA.
- The company hired PR firm Scout Labs and has already received significant coverage in several publications, including Business Wire, Motherly, Axios, The Cut, and The Washington Post.
- Annabella established a customer service infrastructure in the USA, and so far, the reviews have been excellent, with product reliability being extremely high.
- Annabella's pump maintains a very high level of reliability and quality, with less than 1% defects in the USA.
Market Penetration Achievements - Israel
- The company successfully launched its first product, a single-sided pump, in Israel in 2023.
- The pump is sold on the company's website, at Shilav in approximately 50 stores, and online at Super-Pharm.
- In 2023, the company received orders worth approximately $1 million and sold over 5,500 units.
- According to Shilav's data, there has been an increase in sales in the breast pump category since the launch of the Annabella pump.
What Moms Are Saying About the Pump
Additional Achievements
- The company received a grant of 2.5 million ILS from the Innovation Authority for future developments, such as a wearable pump, and is currently preparing to apply for another grant.
- Annabella has a highly experienced team and board members, including:
- Uri Yaffe, CEO: Led two companies to successful acquisitions.
- Adi Shapira: Co-founder of the engineering firm "Aran Research and Development."
- Sharon Dover, CMO: Formerly the CMO of 'Sebocalm.'
- Omer Malkin, Marketing Director USA: Formerly the CMO of 'Netflix.'
- Oren Dobronsky, Board Member and Investor: Known as the "Shark."
- Notable investors include "Sharks" Oren Dobronsky and Yasmin Lukatz, who together invested over $1 million, as well as Zohar Gilon, Menachem Winfield, and the owner of Shomrat HaZorea.
- Annabella is currently developing the next product: a wearable breast pump that allows for discreet pumping without the need for holding or using a pumping bra.
- Recently, in discussions for a potential business partnership, global company MAM, which markets baby products worldwide, conducted another comparative trial. According to MAM, the Annabella pump was proven to express more milk than a leading market pump.
Regulation, Trademarks, and Patents
- The company has registered patents for 11 different inventions related to various mechanisms in the breast pump and future developments.
- Design patents and trademarks have been registered in key global markets.
- The first patent for the tongue mechanism has been approved in the USA, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India, with applications pending in other countries such as Israel, Brazil, and Canada.
- The company has received all necessary regulatory approvals to market the breast pump in Israel, the USA, and the UK, including FDA approval, SII safety standard, AMAR certificate, ISO 13485, and CE certification for marketing in Europe.
Future Plans
- Distribution Agreement with Babylist:
- Annabella is about to sign a distribution agreement with Babylist, which reportedly holds 50% of baby gift registries in the USA.
- Launching Products on Amazon:
- Annabella has recently launched its own store on Amazon and plans to register its products with Amazon's baby gift store, the largest of its kind in the USA.
- Sales through Insurance Companies in the USA:
- Annabella is in talks with DME (Durable Medical Equipment) companies to offer its products to insurance company clients.
- Double-Sided Pump Launch in the USA:
- Annabella recently launched its main product, a double-sided pump, in Israel and has applied for FDA approval based on the single-sided pump. The US launch is planned for the third quarter of this year.
- Development of a Wearable Pump:
- To meet market trends and demands, Annabella has begun developing a wearable pump with baby tongue simulation technology. This pump allows for hands-free pumping without the need for a pumping bra.
- Cost Reduction and Profitability Improvement:
- Over the past year, the company has successfully reduced production costs by over 30% and continues to work on further cost reductions, allowing for competitive pricing and significant gross margins.
- Expansion into New Markets:
- The company plans to launch its product similarly in the UK and Europe, starting with major markets like the UK and Germany. Future plans include launching products in Asia and Australia through distributors.
Market Overview
According to Grand View Research, the breast pump market is projected to reach approximately $5.2 billion by 2030, with the market for related accessories expected to reach around $3.89 billion. Overall, the combined market for breast pumps and accessories is anticipated to grow to about $9 billion annually, with approximately 38% of this market in North America and about 25% in Europe. It is worth noting that other market surveys may indicate different market sizes; however, Grand View Research is a well-recognized and respected market research firm and is considered reliable.
Potential
The market is characterized by three types of companies: large, established companies; companies that hold significant market shares in key markets, mainly from the East; and startups or relatively young companies that have funded their activities through investment rounds.
In recent years, there have been acquisitions of medium and small companies by larger ones. For example, in 2006, Philips acquired Avent for €689 million, and in 2014, Goodbaby acquired Evenflo for approximately $143 million.
Additionally, startups show a significant increase in value throughout funding rounds (Series C), according to information received by the company from the investment banking advisory firm Fortunet, based on the Pitchbook database:
- Elvie: Raised approximately $96 million in 2021, with the company's valuation reaching around $268 million post-funding.
- Willow: Raised approximately $75 million in 2022, with the company's valuation reaching around $282 million post-funding.
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Competition
Currently, three companies dominate the breast pump market: Medela, Philips Avent, and Spectra – an American company that primarily sells its products through insurance companies. There are also other companies with smaller market shares, such as Ameda, Ardo, Lansinoh, and several Chinese companies offering cheaper products.
In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards wearable pumps, with companies like Willow, Elvie, and Momcozy gaining traction.
None of the competing companies offer a pump with a baby tongue-simulating mechanism, which is the main and unique differentiating factor of the Annabella pump.
Annabella in the Israeli Media
Annabella in the US Media
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One of the 12 Best Breast Pumps and the Most Comfortable Pump According to The Cut:
- Annabella was highlighted as one of the 12 best breast pumps on the market and praised as the most comfortable option by The Cut magazine.
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Innovative Breast Pump Mention in The Washington Post:
- In an article on innovation in breast pumps, The Washington Post described Annabella as the first of its kind to simulate a baby’s suckling motion.
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Interview with Uri Yaffe, CEO of Annabella in Authority Magazine:
- Uri Yaffe, Annabella's CEO, was interviewed by Authority Magazine on "The Five Things Every Executive Should Know to Be a Leader."
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Feature in Motherly:
- Annabella was featured in Motherly magazine, which stated, "Finally, a more comfortable pump within reach."
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Video Reviews about Annabella from Israel and the US
Team
Team
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Originated the idea of a breast pump with tongue-like mechanism. Studied Law at the Tel Aviv university.
Alongside her studies, she worked as a private tutor and established a learning and academic guidance center for graduates. The center operated for 8 years and at its peak served 90 students and employed 15 staff members.
For the past five years, has been researching the field of breastfeeding with all its various aspects (market, existing products, anatomy, biomechanics, sociology, etc.). Responsible, among other things, for product characteristics, determining the parameters for optimal simulation of a baby‘s tongue and suction action, market analysis and developing the best user experience with the pump.
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Founded Annabella hand in hand with his wife Masha and engineer Ron Edelman and served as its CEO during the company‘s first six months.
Has been active in the marketing scene for 16 years. For 3 years, was the most popular blogger in Israel and built several of the most viral campaigns in the history of advertising in Israel.
Mentored more than 100 companies in Israel and in the USA through building strategic marketing, sales operations optimization, and more. Among the companies he mentored one may find Gillette, Natural Solutions, Pnina Rosenblum, dozens of start-ups, Bank Hapoalim, Amazon stores, and others.
Managed campaigns for the current Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, municipality candidates, and was one of the architects of Zehut party‘s campaign as well as many other campaigns.
Built marketing funnels that generate millions of dollars annually, and successfully optimized closing prices in numerous businesses by hundreds of percent.
Wrote two best sellers in the field of relationships.
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14 years of experience in the field of Lifestyle marketing and sales.
MBA in Business Administration, with honors.
Extensive managerial experience in team management and accountability for business results.
Extensive background in working with global brands at the Est?e Lauder Group in Israel.
Extensive experience in the worlds of e-commerce, marketing strategy, brand management, marketing communications, Digital and E-com strategy for global and local brands.
Has proven experience in supporting sales operations and increasing performance, business development and brand building.
In her most-recent role, she led the establishment and characterization of two e-commerce websites, achieving triple-digit growth in the ECOM websites‘ revenue and profitability over 3 years. Developed customer journeys, focused on customer acquisition and retention, and created an exclusive customers loyalty program. Has experience in marketing on Amazon in the USA.
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With more than 30 years of experience in branding and marketing, Omer Malchin has held various roles in the fields of brand, strategy and marketing in the USA, including his position at Netflix as its first CMO, and serving as VP of Marketing at Wix, Diageo and other companies.
In the early 2000s, Omer founded the Moxie Method, a studio for branding and design with a purpose. Moxie Method works in different industries, including CPG, B2C and B2B, and specializes in the implementation of strategic, creative and analytic thinking for diverse brand, product and marketing initiatives.
The goal is to bring these initiatives successfully to the market, and drive the company‘s growth. Dut to Omer‘s extensive background as CMO, a significant part of his work involves acting as a fractional CMO to CEOs, offering a ready-made marketing department that seamlessly meets their needs.
Moxie clients include companies such as Looker (branded and named by Moxie, acquired by Google) TOA, Dremio, Lemonade (acquired by Oracle), Moovit, Wix, Hippo (branded and named by Moxie, acquired by Intel), SKYY Vodka, PayZen, Vibrant Planet, Mesh Payments, Melio, Trulia, Adobe, Powermat, Lightricks, SkinnyGirl (conceived by Moxie, acquired by Beam Global), Duvel, Glenfiddich and venture capital funds such as 83North, FloraVC, USVP, Scribble, Sequoia and Group 11. Omer Grew up in Europe and in Israel, received his MBA from the Warton School of Business and has been working in the USA ever since, focusing on brand management and development.
In addition to his role at Moxie Method, Omer is a partner at Unlock, an organization that helps start-ups in the early stages of growth, in the fields of digital health, health technologies, biotechnology, and medical devices, to penetrate and grow in the American market. He is also a founding member of the ICON committee, a non-profit organization that connects Israeli entrepreneurs with Silicon Valley investors, and provides a platform for networking, ment
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Leading Strategic Advisor, works closely with the top companies in the baby and toy industries to successfully execute mergers, acquisitions and develop growth strategies.
With over 20 years of experience, including 10 years as owner of the Infantino brand, Mark Silberstein serves as a trusted advisor to executive teams across the industry.
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Co-founder of Eran Research and Development Ltd., one of the leading product development companies in Israel.
At ‘Eran‘ he was responsible for developing countless products, from the conceptual stage through the design and prototype construction to the final product. Adi mentors and advises entrepreneurs and leading companies in developing and designing new products, and participates in some projects as an investor as well. He is also an entrepreneur and partner in various projects in the restaurant and real estate sectors.
Adi is a graduate of the Industrial Design Department at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and is an artist.
Owner and partner at Kendu Solutions Ltd., providing technological and business accompaniment in the development and transition to the manufacturing of physical products.
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Ossi is a co-founder of Newton, a company that developed an innovative propulsion system for engines. As co-managing director, she was responsible for the company‘s business development, including the construction of a business plan and investor recruitment. Over the years, Ossi has served as director in various public companies, mostly in the areas of technology, security and investments, among them:
Aran, ETView ,PriorTech, Elron, PCB, ICB ,XTL Bio, Mehadrin, Alrov.
She also served as director at Leumi Start, Bank Leumi‘s Venture Capital Arm.
Currently she serves as director in several companies.
Co-partner in Kendu Solutions Ltd., a company that provides technological and business accompaniment in the development and transition to manufacturing of physical products.
Ossi is a graduate of the Executive Program at the Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University.
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Holds a B.A. in Economics and Logistics, B.Ed., and a Teacher‘s Certificate. With over 20 years of experience in various roles, including administrative management, team leadership, and product management. Most recently, led operations, sales, and marketing at Bakey Inc. and managed the EDGE Program at the Israeli American Council. Extensive IT training experience in ERP, CRM, and other company custom IT systems, with excellent training abilities, development of course materials and professional literature, and project and team management experience in both the Israeli and international markets.
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Has been working as Lactation Consultant since 2017, advising on a variety of stages and conditions: Newborn, infants, toddlers, twins and premature babies. Specializes in breast pumping as a professional practice and promotes it within the professional community of breastfeeding counselors, lactation consultants and nurses.
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Holds a triple degree in Law, Accounting and Business Administration, with 10 years of experience in the field. For the past two years, has been working independently in the area of lactation consulting, conducting workshops and providing breastfeeding preparation and support.
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Over 7 years of experience in the medical and pharmaceutics industry. Biomedical engineer specializing in mechanics and flow within biological systems.
In her former roles, led verification processes and product development processes for medical and pharmaceutical products within the development departments at WEST PHARMA, and took part in the submission of products to CE and FDA authorities.
Led the construction of product DHFs, by drafting requirement documents and evaluating risk assessment documents; took part in failure investigations and product improvement.
In her current role, Naama serves as product manager in the R&D group. She is responsible for establishing all development processes and creating a DHF for the product. In addition, she manages the development schedule management programs, resource allocation, work with labs in Israel and abroad, drafting product requirement documents, risk management and providing training to development teams.
Naama takes part in setting up the company‘s quality system and in writing internal quality procedures and establishing and planning the company‘s verification laboratory.
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4 years of experience in transitioning from development to production, integration, mechanism design, as well as experience in developing molds for plastic injection.
Experienced in the field of soft polymers such as silicones, polyurethanes, injected through combined injection molding.
Designing parts for multidisciplinary systems that integrate hardware, software and electro-mechanical mechanisms. Experience in setting up development laboratories for running tests, defining test protocols and producing the verification reports required for product development approval. Extensive experience in working with subcontractors, including model production, operation of a 3-D printer laboratory and managing lab technicians.
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6 years of experience in mechanical design and system engineering in the fields of water conduction, consumer products, development of products for the Defense Industry and about 3 years of experience with medical devices.
In-depth experience in designing molds and parts for plastic injection molding. In-depth familiarity with system engineering, final product testing, knowledge of electronic hardware, component specification, and experience in software development and coding.
Oded has experience with multidisciplinary systems, specializing in integrated fluid systems and heat transfer. Took part in the development of medical devices in the field of respiratory care, inhalation devices, automated systems for precise drug dosing and more.
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Holds a Bachelor‘s Degree in Biomedical Engineering
4 years of experience in the field of medical devices.
Has experience in validation and verification, device testing, project management and knowledge of the area of quality and regulation.
Rotem took part in FDA submissions for drug mixing and injection devices as well as for smart feeding tubes.
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6 years of experience as a submariner and mechanic with expertise in pneumatics, hydraulics and air-conditioning.
4 years of experience in modelling and 3-D product printing.
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Holds a Bachelor‘s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Tel Aviv University, with a focus on materials, software, and biomechanics.
Has extensive and diversified knowledge of software development, algorithm design, programing in various work environments and software testing.
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A skilled mechanical engineer in medical product research and development with two years of experience in the field.
Specializes in control systems, electromechanical and pneumatic systems, and has extensive experience in 3-D printing, injection molding and creation of Jigs. His military background includes working with electro-optical and thermal systems. Has strong problem solving skills, and is proficient in troubleshooting and solutions, designing parts for multidisciplinary systems that integrate hardware and electromechanical mechanisms as well as in software development and coding. In addition, he has extensive experience working with silicone and plastic materials.
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Has over 15 years of experience in developing engineering processes and mass production programs management.
Specializes in process management and mold development. Has worked at Fitbit, OSM, SAE. Consults through Knoxie, which had also advised Nokia, HP, Intel, Blackberry and others.
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Holds a Bachelor‘s degree in Mass Communication
and a Master‘s degree in Human Resource Management
Has 15 years of experience in office management and administration in high-tech companies.
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Oren is a "Shark" on the TV show "Shark Tank", through which he first invested in Annabella. Oren founded "Hotbar", a company that developed the first internet toolbar. The company was sold for hundreds of millions of shekels, and since then, Oren has continued to establish companies and invest in start-ups, some of which are valued at billions of dollars. He established the first Humusia (hummus restaurant) in Palo Alto, which quickly became a successful chain and a meeting place for American tech giants.
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Yasmin is a "Shark" on the TV show "Shark Tank". Yasmin completed a degree in Law and Economics. She has made several successful investments in start-ups that have reached valuations in the billions of dollars, and founded ICON, a non-profit organization that brings together top tech executives in Silicon Valley and the USA.
The organization provides Israeli entrepreneurs with tools and guidance for the American market.
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Has 12 years of experience in mechanical engineering across various research and development fields.
Led the engineering team in the company during its early years.
Developed the first Annabella model with a mechanism that simulates a baby‘s tongue.
Specializes in development of integrated mechanical products and creative solutions for physical products.
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