One of the leading Israeli- related funds has recently raised 155 million U.S. dollars in the initial closing of the Israel-China Fund, enhancing the investment platform for high-tech companies.

The fund completed on Monday exceeds the original 150 million U. S. dollars target size announced in October 2006, Marjie Hadad from the Media Liaison of Infinity told Xinhua.

As a result of the positive response to the new fund, the strong interest in its novel business model and the number and size of existing investment opportunities, the Fund management has decided to significantly increase the target size of the Fund from the original 150 million dollars to 250 million dollars, she said.

The Fund's core strategy is to make large investments in later- stage Israeli technology companies and established Chinese businesses that license, develop and market Israeli technologies for the Chinese market.

The new Fund will leverage on the team, network, track-record and brand that Infinity has built in China over the past four years.

Participants in the first closing are comprised of investors in Infinity's previous funds as well as a large number of new investors, including private investors and large institutional investors from the United States, Britain, Canada, Switzerland, South Africa and Israel.

The new Infinity Israel-China Fund is Infinity's second fund operating under its Israel-China business model.

Infinity, founded by Clal Industries and Investments from the IDB Group, invested in January in Mate Intelligent Video, marking the first investment of the new fund.

This Israeli company develops and sells advanced intelligent video surveillance, content analysis and transmission as well as management products for security, safety and retail applications.

China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Ventures, Infinity's Chinese partners, will also invest along side Infinity in future investments.

This allows for a much larger investment pool as well as an alignment of interests at the shareholder level between the Israeli and Chinese investors, a key success factor for Chinese- related investments involving foreign money.

Source: Xinhua