May 9, 2018 – Jerusalem – Today, the Japanese giant, Canon Inc. announced its acquisition of BriefCam, the industry’s leading provider of Video Synopsis® solutions, which is based on technology developed at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The acquisition demonstrates the dynamism of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s research and innovation and comes on the heels of other high-profile start up exits whose technologies were based on research conducted at Hebrew University and licensed through its technology transfer company, Yissum.

BriefCam turns video surveillance into actionable intelligence and dramatically shortens the time-to-target for security threats while increasing safety and optimizing operations. Its remarkable technology was developed by co-founder and Chief Scientist, Prof Shmuel Peleg, from The Hebrew University’s School of Computer Science and Engineering.

President of The Hebrew University, Prof. Asher Cohen said, “We are happy and excited to be a home for talented and trailblazing researchers. This is just another example of how science and academia are creating initiatives that make our world a better and safer place.”

“With the acquisition of BriefCam we are once again witnessing the incredible global and commercial value of the cutting-edge research at The Hebrew University,” said Dr. Yaron Daniely, President and CEO of Yissum. “We are proud to be the bridge between the researchers and industry that facilitates innovation to reach and succeed in the marketplace.”

BriefCam has been deployed by law enforcement and companies around the world. In 2013, BriefCam played an integral role in capturing the suspects of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick offered his gratitude to BriefCam in a letter noting, “BriefCam played an important role in helping law enforcement officers identify and ultimately locate the suspected terrorists. In the days following the Boston Marathon bombings, thousands of photographs and videos, many taken with cell phones, were provided to law enforcement officers. Utilizing software developed by BriefCam, law enforcement officers and investigators were able to quickly review the photographs and videos and locate images of the two suspected terrorists. Undoubtedly, your company and its analytical product greatly facilitated the relatively speedy capture of one terrorist and the death of the other.”

For decades Hebrew University has been a leader in scientific innovation with its technologies gaining worldwide acclaim. Last year, Mobileye, the global leader in the development of vision technology for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving, was acquired by Intel for $15 billion in the largest exit of an Israeli company to date. Earlier this year, OrCam, which harnesses the power of artificial vision by incorporating pioneering technology into a wearable platform to improve the lives of individuals who are blind, visually impaired, and have reading difficulties, was valued at $1billion.

These are some of the most visible examples of the innovation taking place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and they illustrate the Hebrew University’s unparalleled role in creating, fostering and advancing the Start Up revolution in Israel.

Contact:
For further details and coordination of interviews, please contact the University Spokesperson 02-5882812, [email protected]

For more information about Yissum, please contact Estee Yaari [email protected], +972 50 200 7072

About Hebrew University
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel’s leading academic and research institution, where science and knowledge are advanced for the benefit of humankind. For more information, please visit http://new.huji.ac.il/en.

About Yissum
Yissum is the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Founded in 1964, it is the third company of its kind to be established and serves as a bridge between cutting-edge academic research and a global community of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry. Yissum’s mission is to benefit society by converting extraordinary innovations and transformational technologies into commercial solutions that address our most urgent global challenges. Yissum has registered over 10,000 patents covering 2,800 inventions; licensed over 900 technologies and has spun out more than 130 companies. Yissum’s business partners span the globe and include companies such as Boston Scientific, Google, ICL, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Microsoft, Novartis and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il