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IVC Online classifies technology companies into six distinct sectors, and an additional miscellaneous sector.
Each sector includes a number of sub-sectors based on technological differences and similarities.
Below please find definitions of the sector/sub-sector categorization and a list of suggested relevant key words for each sector.
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Short for Clean Technology, commonly used for products, services and processes designed to reduce or eliminate negative ecological impact and improve the productive and responsible use of natural resources. In this sector you will find companies developing eco-friendly technologies, technologies promoting efficiency and economy in the use of resources, recycling technologies and recyclable materials and technologies for the prevention and treatment of pollution.
Eco, Recycling, Waste, Treatment, Conservation, Purification, Control, Clean, Aqua, Agro, Agri, Farm, Recover, Pollution, Emission, GHG, Air, Quality
Agritech, Agrotech or Agro Technology relates to applied technologies developed by the cooperation of researchers, farmers and agriculture-related industries. These include farming technologies dealing with efficient farming, agricultural equipment, farm-waste management, produce and livestock handling, innovative agricultural methids and pest control.
Please Note: Agrobiotech related technologies, pertaining to organic farming, propagation, genetic engineering and nutrients may be found under Life Sciences/Agrobiotech.
Refers to technologies that promote the use of alternative and renewable energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal, hydro/marine and biofuels), energy storage technologies and devices (fuel cells, advanced batteries and hybrid systems), as well as technologies promoting efficient and economic uses of energy (for lighting, climate controlled environments, conversion etc.) and technologies addressing the needs of the energy utilities and infrastructures sectors.
This subsector refers in generals to a myriad of eco-friendly technologies and processes including technologies for the treatment of solid waste and recycling, various eco-monitoring technologies and emission control, and technologies for pollution prevention or reduction.
This term is used to refer to technologies for the production of advanced chemical and bio materials, as well as technologies promoting the economical use of raw materials and recycled or recovered materials.
Please Note: Nano materials will be included under this category only if developed by a company specializing in advanced materials. Other Nano tech materials will be found under Miscellaneous Technologies/ Nanotechnology.
A special category is dedicated to water-related technologies including water treatment & purification (desalination, filtration, UV treatment and wastewater treatment), water conservation and efficiency (water-efficient products, leakage control, and low-evaporation reservoirs), water infrastructures and supply (flow control, measurement & analysis, extreme conditions supply and water security & pollution prevention) and irrigation (despite some categorizations that view irrigation as agro technology).
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The Communications sector includes technologies that are targeted at the private and public telecommunications markets. It may be easier to define as what it does NOT include, such as Internet technologies, communications software, communications-related semiconductors and new media – all to be found under different sectors in the database. The technologies that ARE included, are mainly related to communications infrastructures on the one hand and specific applications and devices on the other.
Router, Cable, ADSL, LAN, WAN, DSL, SOHO, WiFi, WiMax, Ethernet, Radio, TV, Telecom, Telco, WLAN, GSM, TDMA, CDMA, D-AMPS, Antenna, Wireless, Cellular, Operator, Modem, IP, IR, RF, Telephony, Phone, Television, Carrier, TCP, ISDN, ITU, SIP, Protocol, GPS, SONET, Fiber, PON, OLT, ONU, VDSL, VOD
A signaling method which includes or handles a relatively wide range of frequencies which may be divided into channels or frequency bins. In data communications the term is frequently used in a more technical sense to refer to data transmission where multiple pieces of data are sent simultaneously to increase the effective rate of transmission, regardless of actual data rate. The subsector includes both traditional broadband technologies like cable and DSL technologies, and newer forms including VDSL and fiber optics (also relevant for the Optical Networking sub-sector). Broadband wireless technologies are addressed mainly by the Wireless Infrastructures sub-sector.
Short for Cable TV, CATV involves distributing a number of television channels collected at a central location to subscribers by means of a branched network of optical fibers, coaxial cables or a hybrid fibre-coaxial network, and broadband amplifiers. Companies dealing in relevant technologies may be found under this sub-sector.
A computer network is composed of multiple computers connected together using a telecommunication system for the purpose of sharing data, resources and communication. Computer networks can are classified according to the scale or extent of reach of the network - ranging from networks for small geographic areas (LAN, Ethernet) through to extended geographic areas (WAN), with medium size networks, such as metropolitan area networks (MAN), in between. All networks are made up of basic hardware building blocks to interconnect network nodes, such as bridges, hubs, switches and routers. Protocols used to mitigate the communication between the various hardware components are also part of the defining aspects of networks. Companies developing technologies relevant for any, some or all of the above aspects of telecommunications networks, may be found in this sub-sector.
This sub-sector is dedicated to networking technologies that rely on optical transmission of digital data using fiber optic communications - a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending light through an optical fiber. Companies included in this sub-sector engage in the development of technologies such as lasers, SONET and PON and products such as fiber-optic cables, amplifiers and optical receivers.
Though satellites are used for various purposes, this sub-sector includes mainly companies developing technologies and products for satellite-based communication, mostly telephony and television. However, relevant satellite technologies and applications such as GPS, weather, mapping and reconnaissance may also be found under this sector.
Mostly referring to software either embedded into a system or separately installed on a main computer, for the control, diagnostics and performance analyses of all telecom (mainly networking) hardware, as well as telecom-specific enterprise applications such as ERP, CRM and call center management and end-of-line products such as cable telephony equipment.
Short for Voice over Internet Protocol, this sub-sector refers to technologies (mainly infrastructures) of telephony, Internet telephony, broadband telephony and voice over broadband – all used for the routing of voice conversations over the Internet or through any other IP-based network. Including products based on SIP and H.323 protocols.
Refers mostly to applications, mostly software or hardware with specific software embedded, installed on the enterprise sites (such as cellular operators or DBS broadcasters). It may also refer to individual applications running on end devices such as cellular phones and handheld devices making use of any available wireless communications technology.
While the term wireless infrastructure may technically be used to refer to any type of infrastructure, the term is most commonly used to refer to a telecommunications network where interconnections between nodes are implemented without the use of wires. Relevant technologies include the ones dealing with wireless computer networking infrastructures (WLAN, Wi-Fi, Fixed Wireless Data and WiMAX) and cellular or mobile telephony infrastructures (GSM, D-AMPS/ TDMA, CDMA). Most relevant hardware for the wireless telecom market, such as antennae, routers, hubs, transmitters and amplifiers, are included. The sub-sector may also include companies developing RF, microwave, infra red and Bluetooth technologies and devices.
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The Internet is a collection of interconnected computer networks, linked by copper wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless connections and other networking systems. The World Wide Web is a collection of interconnected documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URLs. The World Wide Web is merely a service accessible via the Internet. The sector includes mostly companies developing software applications and services that are primarily used over the Internet, as well as technologies for the use of Internet Service Providers (ISP) and Internet users.
Please Note that the basic communications infrastructures (hardware mostly) that create what is known as The Internet are to be found under the Communications sector, and the Networking, Optical Networking and Wireless Infrastructures sub-sectors in particular.
ISP, Web 2.0, EDI, P2P, Search Engine, Semantic Web, SN (Social Network), Online, HTML, XML, JavaScrip, Ajax, .NET, Widget, Server, Client, UI, GUI, Flash, PHP, ASP, Browser, e-mail, Website, SaaS (Software as a Service)
This sub sector includes tools and technologies for online marketing and advertising. Among these are marketing analytics and consumer research tools for advertisers and site owners, offering the basis for contextual or behavioral advertising, online advertising tools such as video-embedded-advertising, banners and traffic generating technologies, as well as other forms of online marketing formats.
Internet Applications refer to special software applications dedicated solely for Internet users and publishers. These include web user applications such as online messaging, email or browser add-ons (like RSS aggregators), and website publisher applications such as site building and design tools, traffic analytics, and so on.
* It should be stressed that this sub sector does not include intra or internet based enterprise tools or software. These can be found under the IT & Enterprise Software sector.
Content Management refers mainly to companies developing unique content, to be consumed by either Web or cellular surfers. Not every website offering content would be considered as a “Content Management Company”, a term used to refer to companies developing technologies that are the growth-engines at the base of a content-carrying Website. It may also be used to refer to companies offering user generated content (UGC), blogs, wikis, knowledge sharing, webcasts etc.
This sub sector includes companies offering the technology and means for content-to-users syndication, rather than the generation or storage of the content itself. Companies found under this sub-sector develop products for file/media sharing and distribution such as P2P (Peer-to-Peer) applications; Content coding or syndication protocols such as Javascript, Flash or Ajax; Internet TV through online streaming and webcasting, and so on.
Electronic (e) commerce refers generally to web sites dedicated for commerce via the Internet but also the complete set of processes that support commercial business activities on a network. However, not every online shop is relevant to the purposes of this database, but rather the companies developing the technologies behind the online shelves such as electronic money transfers, billing, shopping comparison and recommendation engines, supply chain management, e-marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), automated inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems.
E-Learning includes companies offering platforms and content (including digital media formats), which enable web users to educate themselves on different subjects without human interaction and tutoring. E-Learning sites include those offering materials in academic fields (student material) and those offering general knowledge and education, such as cooking or stock trading.
Online Entertainment refers to websites offering recreational content, such as internet single and multiplayer games, gambling and gaming sites, music and media files by podcasting, video streaming or VOD (Video On Demand), etc.
Internet Infrastructure relates to technologies addressing consumers aside from private end-users, and may be used by ISPs, ASPs, Internet content providers, and Website owners. These can include – but are not limited to – Internet server-software, messaging protocols, Web browsers and e-mail programs. Web 2.0 related software may also include information storage, creation and dissemination capabilities and hosting services, that go beyond the infrastructures immediately available to users.
Search Engines refers to technologies enabling the search of information by internet users. Included are commonly used search engines, crawlers, meta-search tools and aggregators. Significant importance in this view is given to Semantic web technologies, allowing search engines to deliver more accurate and relevant results for users, based on computer readable metadata assigned to common internet content. Semantic web is considered as ushering the next generation of internet development, Web 3.0.
A Social Network is a map of relationships between individuals, ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial bonds. Web-based social networks allow users to connect with people with similar fields of interest, such as sports, dating, work, etc., by providing a collection of various ways for users to find each other and interact, such as chat, messaging, email, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on. This sub sector includes social networking sites, as well as companies offering specialty applications for such sites.
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This sector groups together various software sub-sectors, emphasizing the aspect of Information Technology (IT) systems for the Enterprise market.
Companies developing software products for enterprises and for business end-users can be found here, as well as some companies developing software for the home market, including various software components for use in PCs – either by an individual end user, or by a business end-user.
It should be noted however that the sector does not encompass all companies where software is the core technology, since companies with software targeted at specific market niches are sometimes more relevant for other Sectors.
Such companies may be found under Internet, Life Sciences/Healthcare IT, Communications/Telecom Applications and Semiconductors/Manufacturing Equipment & EDA.
Also, embedded software technologies and products are more likely to be found by the products’ target market or function, in Cleantech, Communications, Semiconductors, Life Sciences and Miscellaneous Technologies.
CAD, CAM, ERP, CRM, BI
Analytics are defined as the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive modeling, and fact-based decision-making. Business Analytics is used to describe specific enterprise software that gathers and interprets data in order to make better business decisions and to optimize business processes. In some cases the decision making process is automated. Analytics (in addition to data access and reporting) represents a subset of business intelligence (BI) software. Companies developing relevant technologies such as business intelligence and financial software are included in this sub-sector.
Mostly refers to a set of software tools for creating other IT products, like software development tools or software used for analysis and quality assurance in the programming of other software systems. It may also refer to software tools used in the design of non-software products and automated manufacturing systems (CAD, CAM).
Any set of software written for functions performed by an enterprise, from management down to production. These include ERP systems and ERP components such as manufacturing, supply chain management, financials, CRM, human resources, logistics and knowledge management. Also relevant are systems and services offered by the enterprises to internal users, using Intranet or Internet, sometimes referred to as Enterprise 2.0, for making use of concepts originally designed by Web 2.0 companies.
This term is used to define IT system infrastructures on the enterprise level such as servers, storage, network management systems, data warehouses and GRID systems. They are generally the software components managing the enterprise network of computers, linking the hardware and software used by the company into a seamless system.
Applies to software technologies or products not relevant to any of the other sub-sectors including GIS, publishing software, logistics, educational software, graphic software and more.
Security software products either embedded in the computer or available as a software package aimed at protecting computers from viruses, hackers and unauthorized access to data stored in these computers. These include anti-virus software, firewalls, access authorization systems, encryption coders and de-coders and intrusion-detection systems. Also included in this Sub-Sector are non-software security and homeland security technologies.
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Life Sciences is a general term used to refer to biological technologies, medical technologies and healthcare-related technologies. Companies developing products for the healthcare market can be found in this sector, along with companies performing biological and genetic research, and companies developing technologies, tools and materials used in such research.
Agrobiotech is a subset of Agro Technology where biological research and techniques are at the core of the technology developed. Included are companies dealing with biological pesticides and fungicides, growth stimulators for crops, tissue cultures and genetic engineering of crops and seeds. Also relevant are companies dealing in aquaculture and algaculture based-technologies and some companies developing nutritional or food supplements based on biological resources.
The terms bioinformatics and computational biology are often used interchangeably. However bioinformatics more properly refers to the creation and advancement of algorithms, computational and statistical techniques, and theory to solve formal and practical problems inspired from the management and analysis of biological data. Relevant research in the field include sequence alignment, gene finding, genome assembly, protein structure alignment, protein structure prediction, prediction of gene expression and protein-protein interactions, and the modeling of evolution. However, applied research usually focuses on DNA sequencing, and the study of gene regulation using data from microarrays or mass spectrometry.
Biologics or Biological science classifies and describes the various forms of organisms, how organisms function, how species come into existence, and interact with each other and with the environment. The science of biology as a whole includes such fields as botany, zoology, entomology, ecology, evolution and more. However, in the context of applied research and development, the term is generally used to refer mostly to companies active in the fields of microbiology, cellular biology and genetics.
Diagnostics is used to refer to a device or a biochemical process used for medical diagnosis - the process of identifying a medical condition or disease by its signs, symptoms, and from the results of various procedures such as blood or urine tests. Included in this sub-sector are technologies specifically targeted at the diagnosis of a physical situation or a disease such as EKG, EEG, medical imaging, biopsies and various biochemical tests.
Health information technology is any software used by healthcare services which allows comprehensive management of medical information and its secure exchange between healthcare consumers and providers. This includes local systems used by hospitals or healthcare providers, as well as vertical systems used by HMOs and care providers to exchange information about patients and clients.
In the case of Life Sciences this term is used to refer to industrial and consumer goods manufactured holly or in part from renewable biomass (plant based resources) applied to produce lubricants, animal feed, polymers, solvents, emulsifiers as well as natural fiber composite materials. The term may also be used to refer to technologies and prodcuts targeted at the life sciences manufacturing sectors such as equipment for the use of drug companies and research laboratories.
This term is used to refer to an instrument, apparatus, appliance or other article, used on human beings for the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of disease, injury or handicap. It is also used for items with medical purposes such as investigation, replacement or modification of the anatomy (like replacement joints) or of a physiological process (like heart defibrillators and stents). Medical devices may be as simple as a plastic syringe or as complex as an MRI system or a robotic surgical arm. Complex medical device systems may or may not include embedded software and may be used externaly (ultrasound), internally (endoscope) or both (hearing aids). Due to the width of this sector, it is recommended to use medical or technical key words when searching a medical devices company.
Telemedicine refers to any medical situation where a patient and healthcare provider (or even two healthcare providers) communicate in real time via telephone, teleconference or satellite. These include such scenarios as medical consultation via phone or video-conferencing, patient monitoring using tele-otoscopes, tele-stethoscopes and halters, and even robotic surgery in remote or hard-to-access locations, including space.
Therapeutics is the field of the various remedies that can be used to treat disease and promote health. Though this term is normally used to refer to any treatment plan following consultation and diagnosis, IVC Online uses it to refer mainly to pharmaceutical or neutraceutical technologies and products used in the process. Drug companies of all kinds, including generics are included in this sub-sector.
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Semiconductors devices are components that provide the memory, logic and intelligence functions in electronic systems. In this sector there are companies that develop semiconductors for various industries (fabless companies), manufacturer of chips (fabrication companies), develop the equipment for manufacturing the chips and develop software for the developers of the chips.
ICs, chipsets, SoC (System-on-Chip), ASSP, ASIC, SIP (Semiconductor Intellectual property), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) metrology, wafer, lithography, dicing, doping, dopants.
Companies that develop semiconductor devices for the wireless communication industry (GSM, WiMAX, WLAN, Wi-Fi, WPAN), such as cellular handsets, notebook computers and Navigation Devices.
Companies that develop semiconductor devices for the wireline communication industry (such as Telephone, cable TV and ADSL) and companies that develop the devices that distribute high speed IP data throughout the home over existing wires (home networking).
Companies that develop semiconductor devices for network processors such as routers and switches.
Companies that develop semiconductor devices for video, image and audio component – processors and sensors - that are in use in many applications such as entertainment products, homeland security systems, automotive products and communication companies.
Companies that develop the equipment for the manufacturing process of chips such as lithography, dicing and metrology (Manufacturing Equipment) and companies that create the designing tools for developing semiconductors devices (Electronic Design Automation - EDA Tools).
Companies that manufacture chips (Fabrication Companies) and companies that develop processes that inspect semiconductor device performance (Testing).
Companies that develop semiconductor devices for memory and storage solutions such as flash memory cards and USB drives.
Companies that develop semiconductor devices that process data and control the execution of program instructions in computers and electronic devices (Processors), and companies that develop RFID cards – an identification system that can read or write data content using a specified radio frequency (RFID) – used for product tagging and logistics.
Companies that develop semiconductor devices that control security-related processes such as: authentication, encryption/decryption, secure boot, copy protection and digital rights management (DRM).
Companies that develop semiconductor devices for multiple sub sectors, or companies that develop products that are not included in the above sub sectors such as power, DSP and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).
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This sector groups a number of important technological markets that are not easily categorized under any of the other sectors, or may be relevant to more then one sector. These currently include Hardware, Industrial Technologies, Nanotechnology and New Media. It also includes a Miscellaneous sub-sector for companies that may not be categorized at all since they are dealing with unique or esoteric technologies and niche markets.
Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes programs and orders within the hardware. Hardware not only refers to personal computers or servers, but rather to any electronic device or component embedded in advanced systems such as automobiles, microwave ovens, electrocardiograph machines, compact disc players, and other devices. Other examples include Image, video and audio output devices (monitors, displays, stereos, speakers, headsets etc.), and computer peripherals like printers, keyboards, scanners and mouse devices.
Industrial Technology includes wide-ranging subject matter and could be viewed as an amalgamation of industrial engineering. This sector includes companies developing technologies and products for various industrial markets such as electrical, engineering, electromechanical and mechanical equipment. Examples include digital printing equipment, electric generators and transformers, automotive technologies, robotics and more. A manufacturer involved in technologies that are a mix of various other sectors also falls under this category. The sector is also often used to refer to heavy industry and related technologies.
Nanoscale (one billionth of a meter) materials offer unique and commercially useful electrical, optical and mechanical properties due to their size, shape, and composition. This opens up new possibilities for applications in aerospace, automotive, biomedical, microelectronics, semiconductors, pharmaceutical, anti-friction coatings, photocatalysts, energy storage and other fields. Nanotechnologies today lies in the realm between the possible now (nano chemicals for example) and the futuristic (medical nanobots, nanosatellites), and so is on the cutting edge of applicative technologies and research. Though many research projects in nanotechnology are conducted in Israel, only few companies make it from concept to design to product. Only those companies are included in this sub-sector.
New Media refers to companies developing media that is substantially different from current communication and interaction mediums.
The Miscellaneous sub-sector includes companies that may not be categorized under any of the other sectors or sub-sectors, or may be hard to define altogether, since they are dealing with unique or esoteric technologies and niche markets.
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Companies Actively Seeking Capital