Latest news with #Israeli-based
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Israel becomes the first country to down drones in combat with a laser weapon
Israel's military used new laser weapons to kill enemy drones, making it the first country to do so in a war. It marks a major development in the fielding and use of these experimental weapons, which militaries worldwide are developing to deepen their defenses against drones and missiles, reducing the strain on other missiles and other projectiles. Israel's Ministry of Defense announced that soldiers from Israeli Air Force Aerial Defense Array deployed and operated a high-power laser system prototype, which successfully intercepted enemy threats. It is a big step closer to strategists' vision of a future battlefield where the expanding threat of missiles and drones can be countered by the zaps of laser weapons that have an unlimited magazine. A video shared by the Israeli Ministry of Defense showed the laser systems in action, in at least 3 interceptions. One engagement shows the laser igniting the drone's wingtip, causing it to spiral and crash. Brig. Gen. Yehuda Elmakayes, head of the ministry's defense and research directorate, said prototypes have previously been deployed "culminating in the world's first successful high-power laser interceptions on the battlefield." Feedback from the use of the weapons will continue to inform their use and development, he and other officials said in a statement shared with BI. The systems are made by Israeli-based defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. They're directed energy weapons that point an intense beam of light at a target and use heat to damage or destroy it; these processes demand pinpoint accuracy and high power. The defense ministry said the weapons "complement the more powerful Iron Beam system," a larger network of similar systems that's in the works. Iron Beam is estimated to cost $500 million and would add another layer to Israel's layered air defenses — one especially useful against the kinds of drones that Hamas and Hezbollah wield. Laser weapons have been a priority for militaries around world, especially in the Middle East, where countries are racing to field the technology. Besides Israel, Saudia Arabia is using Chinese systems to develop laser air defense capacities, while the United Arab Emirates is working on its own system. The US, too, is actively working on laser prototypes, such as the AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System made by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, as well as microwave emitters and other directed-energy weapons. Officials have suggested lasers are particularly useful for taking out cheaper enemy targets like drones rather than expending expensive missile interceptors. That's been at the forefront of conversations around conflicts in waters around the Middle East, where the US has expended over a billion dollars in munitions to shoot down Houthi drones. With Israel's landmark use of the weapon, Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman said the system "will fundamentally change the defense equation by enabling fast, precise, cost-effective interceptions, unmatched by any existing system." There remain issues, though, surrounding the amount of power and accuracy needed for a laser to destroy its target. Lasers have struggled to work around water or through clouds or smoke, because moisture or other particles diffuse the laser's beam. And even a functional laser weapon requires a high-voltage energy source and an accurate sensor system that are likely to become targets of attack.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYT: Ukraine to receive more Patriot air defence systems, one by summer
Ukraine is expected to receive another Patriot air defence system by the summer, which had previously been stationed in Israel, and possibly an additional one from European allies. Source: The New York Times, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Patriot system stationed in Israel will be sent to Ukraine after undergoing repairs, according to four current and former US officials. Meanwhile, Western allies are exploring the logistics of transferring another system from Germany or Greece. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not comment on President Trump's stance on the transfer or whether the decision was made before he assumed office or during the Biden administration. The previously undisclosed delivery comes amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine, including the 24 April missile strike on Kyiv that killed 12 people. Last year, allies attempted to respond to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for seven Patriot systems. Ukraine currently has eight, though only six are operational; two are under repair, one US official said. With the incoming system from Israel and another potentially from Germany or Greece, Ukraine would have a total of 10 Patriot systems. The Israeli-based Patriot system is an older model, two US officials confirmed, and is expected to arrive in Ukraine by summer. Germany and Greece together reportedly own about 15 Patriot systems. Globally, around 186 Patriot systems are in operation, as reported by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. About one-third belong to the US, which has deployed many to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Several dozen systems have been sent to the Indo-Pacific region due to threats from China and North Korea, although at least one was recently redirected to the Middle East to protect Israel. Europe holds around 40 Patriot systems, eight of which are already deployed in Ukraine. Each Patriot system costs at least US$1 billion to produce and requires about 90 personnel for operation. Background: President Zelenskyy recently suggested that Ukraine may receive the necessary number of Patriot systems as part of the mineral agreement with the US. Ukraine has repeatedly requested Patriot systems from the US and previously offered to buy them via European partners. Commenting on Ukraine's request to purchase the systems, the US President recently implied that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had "started the war". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon's Relentless Expansion In NYC's Bryant Park Keeps Office Real Estate In Midtown Manhattan Smokin' Hot In A Dramatic Turnaround
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has doubled down on its relentless Midtown Manhattan expansion by leasing 330,000 square feet at 10 Bryant Park, also known as 452 Fifth Ave. at West 40th St., The Real Deal reported, further confirming the area's resurgent office market. Formerly the HSBC Tower, the lease keeps the property in the hands of owners, Israeli-based Property & Building Corp. The tech giant will lease nine floors in a 15-year deal. It also has the option to lease another 145,000 square feet at the adjoining 10-story landmarked Beaux Arts property known as the Knox Building. Don't Miss: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – , which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with just a $100 minimum. The move comes after Amazon acknowledged to CoStar News in December that it didn't have enough space to accommodate all its employees who were mandated to return to the office. Thus, the move had to be postponed by four months. Since Amazon then-CEO Jeff Bezos to pulled out of expansion plans in Long Island City in 2016, the company has instead embarked on an intense growth strategy in Manhattan. In 2020, it purchased the former Lord & Taylor flagship store on Fifth Avenue for $1 billion, where it employs 2,000 workers. The company has also purchased space at 330 W. 34th St., 237 Park Ave., and 5 Manhattan West. However, the New York Post's sources speculate that these are short-term leases and that employees will vacate the offices once 10 Bryant Park is ready. Amazon will initially pay $29.5 million in rent for 10 Bryant Park, which is set to increase to $32.2 million in five years, The Real Deal reports. The lease of another prime piece of Midtown Manhattan real estate has put the area at almost maximum occupancy, according to the Post, a situation that seemed unthinkable in the wake of the pandemic shutdown four years ago. Trending: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Amazon also occupies space in the city at Brookfield Properties' 5 Manhattan West, located at 450 W. 33rd St., where it has more than 285,000 square feet, according to CoStar data. The company has also been on a nationwide office expansion. In January, it signed Wynwood's largest office lease ever in Miami, occupying 50,000 square feet in Wynwood Plaza. The development broke ground in early 2023. It will feature a 12-story office tower, as well as 509 residential units, retail and restaurant spaces. "We're thrilled Amazon has selected Wynwood Plaza as its home in Miami," Bryan Lapidus, vice president at L&L Holding, one of the project's developers, told CREDaily in January. "It will continue to attract leading companies seeking a world-class, highly amenitized workspace in one of the most exciting regions in the country."Reconfiguring Seattle Area Office Space Amazon has also reconfigured its office footprint in its Seattle headquarters. At the end of the year, it increased its employee headcount in the Bellevue area of Puget Sound. $108 Billion Amazon Web Services Revenue Amazon Web Services' revenue for 2024 soared to $108 billion, 19% year-on-year growth for the cloud business. In his latest letter to shareholders, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy addressed the company's return to office mandate: "In my experience, it doesn't compare to being in the same room," he wrote. "The energy, the pace, the spontaneous brainstorming, the willingness for people to jump in, the way ideas evolve in real time and the post-meeting iteration is much better when in the same room — and yields better outcomes for our customers and teams." Read Next: Donald Trump Just Announced a $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Deal — Here's How You Can This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to . Image: Shutterstock Send To MSN: 0 This article Amazon's Relentless Expansion In NYC's Bryant Park Keeps Office Real Estate In Midtown Manhattan Smokin' Hot In A Dramatic Turnaround originally appeared on Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
23-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Brenmiller Energy: The Thermal Energy Workhorse the Market Needs to Meet (NASDAQ: BNRG)
The energy transition conversation has become an echo chamber—buzzwords, mega-million-dollar raises, and dazzling investor decks from companies long on promises but short on proof. Batteries, hydrogen, carbon capture—all pitched as silver bullets, yet most are still stuck in pilot mode. Amid the noise, one company isn't pitching the future—it's building it. Brenmiller Energy (NASDAQ: BNRG), the Israeli-based thermal energy storage (TES) pioneer with projects across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, has quietly become a player in clean industrial heat. Not one of many. As of now— the one. That's no exaggeration. While others continue to refine concepts and run simulations, Brenmiller is executing at scale. Its flagship bGen™ technology stores heat from low-cost or renewable sources—such as solar, waste heat, or off-peak electricity—and releases it on demand 24/7/365. It's already being deployed commercially, not in test beds, but in high-volume industrial environments, including Tempo Beverages, a Heineken subsidiary, where it's expected to slash emissions and stabilize energy costs. In other words, Brenmiller Energy isn't a startup chasing relevance—it's a commercial entity with revenue on the books, global contracts in place, and a project pipeline exceeding $500 million. While that's happening, most 'competitors' are still trying to engineer a breakthrough. And as Brenmiller installs systems and gets paid, Wall Street remains asleep at the switch. Video: Video Link: Empowering Industrial Heat is Brenmiller's Sweet Spot That's fine. It keeps the investment opportunity in play at the retail level. And it may deliver a handsome return. Keep in mind that, despite the spotlight on batteries and renewables, over 50% of global energy consumption is related to heat. That number increases in industrial production, noting that heat touches approximately 60% of production. Still, clean industrial heat barely registers in public discourse. That's not an oversight—it's a blind spot. Batteries and alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen, dominate headlines, but neither is yet ready to scale cost-effectively for industrial heat. The result? Factories worldwide remain locked into fossil-fuel systems because the alternatives are either too expensive, too complex, or still in the development stage. The point is— they don't need to be boxed in. Brenmiller's bGen™ system is deliverable today, integrates seamlessly, and decarbonizes heat processes immediately by turning renewable or surplus energy into steady, on-demand thermal power all day, every day. The better news is that it doesn't compete with solar or wind—it enhances them. Bridging a Gap Left by Other Clean Energy Sources bGen™ fills the service gaps of sources like wind or solar, which can be an unreliable chain of energy custody when conditions aren't right. Not the case for bGen. In all conditions, it stores cleanly generated excess power and discharges it as usable heat, which, by the way, also solves a major bottleneck in grid flexibility. It's not just heat storage—it's grid strategy. Better still, the model scales, offering dual revenue streams through Heat-as-a-Service and infrastructure deployment. Also, remember that in a sector littered with 'potentials,' Brenmiller is already in motion, with major brands on board, partnership support in place, and manufacturing capacity ramping. In other words, the gap between idea and implementation no longer exists—it's been bridged. And while the company is carving a first-mover advantage through crushed rock, it welcomes competition. As its COO recently said, TES isn't a niche—it's a multi-billion, someday trillion-dollar market opportunity. Even a sliver of that future can mean exponential returns for early players and their stakeholders. For now, though, the key difference between Brenmiller and potential competitors is that Brenmiller isn't positioning itself to be one of those on-boarding players—it's already in the game. The World Gets It—But the Market Hasn't Yet And it's being noticed. While U.S. markets remain slow to connect the dots, global accolades are pouring in. Brenmiller has racked up a trophy case of prestigious awards—each a validation of execution, not potential. Highlights include the European Commission's Seal of Excellence, a finalist at BloombergNEF Pioneers 2024, TIME's Best Inventions of 2023, and, most recently, a 2025 Gold Edison Award for Energy Storage and Management. These are not handed out for white papers or pitch decks. They are awarded to companies with technology that has proven to be effective, scalable, and already making a positive impact on the planet. Yet, despite the recognition, the contracts, the partners, an aggressive plan to monetize new, competitively innovative systems through 2030, and the millions in assets on the ground, Brenmiller trades with a market cap of about $11.4 million at press time Tuesday. That's not a typo. In the same space where private TES companies are raising hundreds of millions on projections and pilot systems, Brenmiller is already commercial—with less than 10 million shares outstanding. As of now, it's the only pure-play public TES company available to retail investors, and it's priced like a startup without revenue. Consolidating at under $2/share, the discrepancy between valuation and value is staggering. A recalibration toward private-sector comps would justify a share price north of $50. Just place Brenmiller's technology alongside development-stage startups—that proposition, while it implies a massive gain from its current share price, is supported. And it's not just about the upside—it's about inevitability. With a growing pipeline, a clear path to profitability, and tangibles that warrant value, Brenmiller Energy is more than positioned for growth—it's delivering it. Therefore, don't misunderstand or miscalculate the opportunity—as industrial clients and governments confront decarbonization deadlines, the demand for clean heat solutions will surge. When that moment hits—and it will—investors won't be asking if Brenmiller can deliver. The only question will be why they didn't see it coming and, perhaps more importantly from an investor perspective, didn't capitalize when they had the chance. Additional Disclaimers and Disclosures:Hawk Point Media Group, LLC. (HPM) has not been compensated to produce and distribute this content. It should be expressly understood that HPM is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment adviser. It should also be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. HPM reports/releases are commercial advertisements and are for general information purposes ONLY. The information made available by HPM is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, investment advice or recommendations. The contributors do NOT buy and sell securities covered before or after any particular article, report and/or publication. HPM holds ZERO shares in Brenmiller Energy Ltd. Always do your own due diligence prior to investing in any publicly traded company. While HPM has not been compensated for creating and syndicating this content, HPM discloses having a prior services agreement with the company and third parties that expired in April 2025 and 2024, respectively. HPM is a digital marketing and consulting company. Therefore, it is possible that HPM will be retained in the future to create and syndicate digital content for Brenmiller Energy. Accordingly, while fact-based and sourced, our content may portray featured companies in only the most favorable way. A complete disclosure for all services provided and compensated for is linked Statements: Media Contact Company Name: Hawk Point Media Contact Person: Editorial Dept. Email: [email protected] Country: United States Website: Press Release Distributed by To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Brenmiller Energy: The Thermal Energy Workhorse the Market Needs to Meet (NASDAQ: BNRG)
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Check Point Software Q1 profit tops estimates, sees no impact yet from tariffs
By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM: Check Point Software Technologies beat first-quarter profit expectations, boosted by sales gains in its AI-driven products to protect corporate networks from cyber threats, and said it has not yet seen an impact from global market volatility. The Israeli-based network security company on Wednesday reported $2.21 per diluted share excluding one-off items for the January-March quarter, up 9% from $2.04 a year earlier. Revenue grew 7% to $638 million. That beat the $2.19 a share on revenue of $636 million expected by analysts, LSEG data from Refinitiv showed. Product and licence revenue rose 14% to $114 million in the quarter, while security subscription revenue gained 10% to $291 million. Chief Executive Nadav Zafrir said the company has not seen any direct implications stemming from President Trump's global tariffs plan that has shaken world markets and raised fears of a trade war and weaker global growth. "I want to be very prudent and careful to not assume that we know what's coming, because nobody does, obviously, and things are changing very, very fast, but we haven't seen any specific direct impact on supply chains or in demand as we look at the world right now," he told reporters after the results were issued. Zafrir also said Check Point's plan to partner with fellow Israeli cybersecurity firm Wiz is on track despite a planned $32 billion purchase of Wiz by Google. "Even after the integration into Google, we think that the open platform approach is the right approach," he said referring to the integration of Check Point and Google's software. "We'll see how it goes forward, and perhaps it's an opportunity for us to get closer to Google afterwards." Shares of Nasdaq-listed Check Point have slid 7% in April but are up 14% so far in 2025.
