Your Doorway to the Dulles Business Corridor

“Homeland Security/Defense Market Access Program”
The US Entry Point for Israeli Homeland
Security & Defense Companies

The Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB) in cooperation with the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) and other strategic partners will launch an initiative which will leverage the experience and connections of both entities.  The VIAB recently launched the VIBCC (Virginia Israel Bio Sciences Commercialization Center) within the developed infrastructure of the Virginia BioTechnology R&D Park.  The knowledge and experience gained from that endeavor will be transferred to a partnership with the GRCC.  The program to be developed will be ongoing and is intended to attract a steady stream of well qualified Israeli companies to Reston.
 
It should be stressed that the main emphasis will be the connections and the strength of the Homeland Security and Defense sectors in Northern Virginia and the infrastructure of the GRCC as the main reason for joining the program.

Introduction to financing resources on a relatively small scale will be secondary.  It is understood that this emphasis will reduce the number of qualified companies since many applying for the program will be seeking money as their first primary objective.

Experience suggests that the program will attract stronger, more advanced companies that have financial backing, but lack marketing sophistication needed to enter the US market.   Once again, experience has demonstrated these are the companies which will have a stronger ability to move foreword.

Northern Virginia is a vital center for US Homeland Security efforts and therefore is a natural location for this program.

The challenge will be to rise above the noise level in Israel where approximately 22 different States are aggressively pursuing Israeli companies to embrace their respective localities as a US entry point.  Since our program will be objectively better than the others for a variety of reasons, we will demonstrate in actions the advantage of locating in the booming greater Reston area.  Since Israel is a small country, one success will spread throughout the business market rapidly.  This will lead to a steady flow of companies seeking entry into this program in the future.

The mentors will be chosen from the collective pool known to the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Israel Advisory Board, and the Fairfax County EDA.  They will be selected based on their professionalism, expertise and emotional commitment to the program.

• Interviews will be held with each potential mentor explaining the program and expectations.  They will be briefed on the overall mandate and goals. They must then agree to enter the ongoing Commercialization Center/Program for a predetermined fee in order to continue the development process.

The basic criteria for selection of the 20 Israeli companies will be:

• Product and/or service in the Homeland Security/Defense industry:
  •  Messaging
  • Multimedia
  • Network Equipment
  • Satellite
  • Software, service and management
  • Tracking
  • Wireless
• Post-seed stage.  Must have demonstration model and must be commercialization ready or near commercialization ready.
• Qualified management with industry experience.
• Supportive investor base and one committed to US market entry.
• US expansion is top priority: little or no sales in the US market is a possibility.  However, established companies that either have marginal success and/or want to target US government contracting can be encouraged.
• Companies with future pipeline of new products will be given higher priority.
• Strong internationally protected intellectual property.
• The VIAB will be responsible for organizing the meetings in Israel.  A number of groups in Israel will assist in marketing the program to potential participants
• Mentors will be called on as needed during the preliminary selection process.  It is expected and desired that the preliminary selection will have more false positives and very few, if any, false negatives.  (It is far better to waste an hour of interview time than to miss a truly good, potentially disruptive technology.)
• The GRCC and the VIAB will collaborate on marketing materials. FCEDA may provide assistance in the execution of various aspects of the program.
• All mentors will be invited to travel to Israel (at their expense) for the interview process.  We expect that at least a few will accept.
• The GRCC will assist in the execution of the program.  VIAB will organize the program.
• A mentor(s) will be assigned to a company to help during the preparation cycle.  A classical presentation template will be distributed to each company and at least one online conference call will take place with each company to assist them with their presentation.
• The first day of the program in Reston will include one hour, one-on-one meetings with each mentor and as available and appropriate , additional people from the mentor's company.  Each Israeli company will give a 15 minute presentation with the remaining time for Q&A. 
• Participants will pay for their own travel and lodging.
• The program will solicit sponsors to host evening meals and  appropriate lunch time amenities. 
• Wrap up discussions will be take place with the GRCC and the VIAB with the objective of getting the companies to commit to entering the ongoing program.
• In order to avoid any actual and/or perceived conflicts of interest, no representative of the GRCC, the VIAB or the FCEDA may receive any compensation from a potential company and/or any other incentives.
• The following is a projected time table for executing the program: