Konnect is the Innovation Hub of the Volkswagen Group in Israel, founded in 2018 and based in Tel Aviv – the heart of the Startup Nation.
Konnect’s mission is to spearhead the discovery, evaluation, and integration of Israeli pioneering technologies in the Volkswagen Group vehicles and factories.
Konnect activities support the Volkswagen Groups mission: “Shaping Mobility for Generations to come.”
OUR FOCUS TOPICS
Sustainability
Electrification, Sustainable Materials, Circular Economy, Carbon Economy
Mobility
Autonomous Driving, Mobility Services (MaaS/TaaS), Safety, Robotics
AI/Digitalization
Driving Experience, In-cabin Sensors, Digital User Interface
Our Test Days
Advanced LiDAR technology
Our team tested a novel LiDAR sensor for autonomous driving applications, developed by the startup Lidwave. The test was executed on a closed test track and public roads. The sensor was put through several testing scenarios, according to the VW Group protocols, to evaluate its performance with noise, blooming, long-range separation, detection of small objects on the road, detection of obstructed pedestrians, and more.
Driver’s vital signs monitoring
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the driving experience in our vehicles, our team tested an innovative touchless driver’s biometrics sensing suite, based on a camera & laser sensor and a complimentary AI engine. The test focused on the driver’s heart rate (HR) monitoring, comparing the touchless sensor’s HR measurements to a polar belt’s HR measurements, while driving in changing road environments with various driver profiles.
Detection of DUI
During an extraordinary test day in a closed track in Israel, our team validated the life-saving technology of the startup Corractions, which aims to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol via sophisticated analysis of the subject micro-muscle movements. The test subjects were driving at different DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) levels while collecting their micro-movement data from existing sensors installed in the vehicle. The data was then analyzed by Corractions to define if a driver is over a certain blood-alcohol level.
Our Success Stories
Our Team
MEET OUR TEAM
Hemdat has been the Managing Director of Konnect since 2023, and one of its founders, establishing the company in Israel in 2018.
She has over 12 years of experience in senior managerial, strategic, and business development roles in the private and government sectors.
In her previous roles, Hemdat headed the Israeli branch of HY- the Axel Springer ecosystem firm, consulting German companies on digitalization and transformation projects and later on worked as an advisor to Volkswagen Group and Audi AG in Israel.
Between 2012 and 2016, Hemdat served as a Commercial Attaché and Head of the Economic Department in the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, promoting German-Israeli economic, business, and innovation ties.
Hemdat is a lawyer by training and has a postgraduate diploma in Advanced Management from ESMT Business School in Berlin.
Maayan is the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Director at Konnect.
Supporting the Managing Director in the company’s operational and strategic activities, and responsible for the overall planning, monitoring, and execution of the technical projects, PoCs, and the Konnect test-vehicle lab.
Prior to joining Konnect, Maayan served as an officer in an elite unit at the Israeli Air-force for 12 years, leading complex operations, technical projects, aerial planning, and management in various units.
Maayan holds an MBA in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from the Reichman University.
Benny is the Head of Sensors and AI technologies at Konnect where he covers a wide range of areas such as Autonomous driving and Health & Wellbeing.
Benny brings over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, covering the automotive, semiconductor, and defense sectors. In his previous role, Benny was a product manager at Innoviz, a direct LiDAR supplier of our Groups' software brand, Cariad.
Benny holds an M.E. in Systems Engineering from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Tel Aviv University.
Benny brings over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, covering the automotive, semiconductor, and defense sectors. In his previous role, Benny was a product manager at Innoviz, a direct LiDAR supplier of our Groups' software brand, Cariad.
Benny holds an M.E. in Systems Engineering from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Tel Aviv University.
David is Konnect's Tech and Business Development Analyst; his main responsibilities are scouting and evaluating new technologies, managing projects, and assisting with business development activities.
Born and raised in Germany, David moved to Israel after his degree in International Business and gained professional experience in e-commerce and automotive Startups. David is especially passionate about connecting German corporates to the thriving Israeli startup ecosystem.
David holds a B.Sc. in International Business from Maastricht University.
Noa is the Decarbonization & Electrification Innovation Manager at Konnect, identifying and validating technologies that drive progress towards a more sustainable future of mobility.
Leveraging her experience as a Senior Innovation and Tech Strategy Manager at OPPO, Noa brings her knowledge of Open Innovation and passion for consumer technology to her current role at Konnect. In addition, her diverse experience across corporations, startups, investors, and government agencies has equipped her with a strong foundation in the fast-paced tech landscape to drive impactful Climate Tech projects with startups.
Noa holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University, Israel, and a B.A. from Peking University, China. As a Native Chinese, she is fluent in Mandarin, English, and Hebrew.
Daria is in charge of administration at Konnect and plays a pivotal role in supporting the organization's bookkeeping efforts.
With 15 years of administrative experience in both large corporations and small Fintech companies, she has vast expertise in administration, employee welfare, talent acquisition, event planning, marketing & financial operations.
Additionally, Daria adeptly manages relationships with suppliers and clients, ensuring a smooth financial operation.
Her main role is to make things happen and provide 360-degree support to all team members of Konnect.
Daria holds a BA in Political Science and Government from The Academic College of Tel-Aviv, Yaffo, Israel.
Angelika Handelsmann is the Head of Procurement at Konnect, connecting suppliers and startups to procurement departments and tenders in the Volkswagen Group and brands. Angie provides regular guidance and support to startups onboarding to the VW Group B2B platform.
Angie moved to Israel from Germany 35 years ago and became a “Kibutznik” for 12 years.
With more than 15 years of experience working as the Israeli representative for the Regional Sourcing Office of the Volkswagen Group, Angie holds extensive knowledge of the Israeli OEM supplier market.
Angie moved to Israel from Germany 35 years ago and became a “Kibutznik” for 12 years.
With more than 15 years of experience working as the Israeli representative for the Regional Sourcing Office of the Volkswagen Group, Angie holds extensive knowledge of the Israeli OEM supplier market.
Angelika holds a Business Administration and Management degree from the IHK Business School in Munich.
Our Advisory Leadership
MEET OUR ADVISORY LEADERSHIP
Stephanie Reimann Izhak works in a management role within Volkswagen Group Innovation, where she is responsible for global venturing activities and strengthening collaboration with startups across the Volkswagen Group. In this strategic role, she fosters partnerships with startups worldwide to drive innovation across all Group brands.
From 2018 to 2021, Stephanie served as the first Managing Director and a founding member of Konnect, Volkswagen Group’s innovation hub in Israel. During this time, she contributed to establishing the Group’s first fully owned entity in the country, establishing a strong presence in one of the world’s leading tech ecosystems.
With over 15 years at the Volkswagen Group and more than 6 years in senior management roles, Stephanie was involved in shaping the foundation of Leitmotif, the Group’s independent venture capital fund. In previous roles she led projects focused on the Group's digital transformation, particularly in digital marketing and innovation.
Her professional experience spans different areas of the Group, including Group Marketing Communication and Group Procurement, and she has worked closely with multiple brands to help foster a collaborative innovation culture.
She holds a Master’s degree in Business from the University of Osnabrück. She is a German citizen with a global outlook, Stephanie has lived and worked in the United States, Japan, and Israel, bringing a unique international perspective to her work.
Jessica Persson is Head of Scania VC & M&A and a board member for Scania Growth Capital.
With a diverse background from venture capital, M&A, strategy and finance, Jessica has led strategic JVs, partnerships, M&A —both Greenfield and acquisitions—across EU, Asia, Middle East and Africa. She has spent over a decade abroad in different continents. Her sharp focus on execution, operations and strategy has guided complex deals and high-impact collaborations, including securing the TRATON–Hino (part of Toyota Group) strategic alliance.
With a diverse background from venture capital, M&A, strategy and finance, Jessica has led strategic JVs, partnerships, M&A —both Greenfield and acquisitions—across EU, Asia, Middle East and Africa. She has spent over a decade abroad in different continents. Her sharp focus on execution, operations and strategy has guided complex deals and high-impact collaborations, including securing the TRATON–Hino (part of Toyota Group) strategic alliance.
Jessica has served as CFO for Scania Financial Services in the Asia-Pacific region and held board positions at Scania Invest, Scania Growth Capital, and Scania Financial Services. Her experience spans senior roles at TRATON as well as Scania Group, driving the shift to a sustainable transport system.
Our Global Innovation Network
Tel Aviv KONNECT INNOVATION HUB
Wolfsburg INNOVATION CENTER EUROPE
Beijing | Shanghai INNOVATION CENTER ASIA
Tokyo INNOVATION HUB
Singapore INNOVATION HUB
Knoxville INNOVATION HUB
Belmont INNOVATION CENTER CALIFORNIA
Tel Aviv KONNECT INNOVATION HUB
Wolfsberg | Potsdam INNOVATION CENTER EUROPE
Beijing INNOVATION CENTER ASIA
Tokyo INNOVATION HUB
Singapore INNOVATION HUB
Knoxville INNOVATION HUB
Belmont INNOVATION CENTER CALIFORNIA
For more information visit the Volkswagen Group website here
Konnect BLOG
February 2025: Venture Client Roundtable
At the end of February, Hemdat and David traveled to Barcelona to engage with colleagues across the Volkswagen Group, deepening collaboration and exchanging on best practices. The visit included in-depth discussions with the predevelopment teams of Seat, a Group internal workshop on Venture Client, led by Christine Schütz, Venture Client lead at GI, and the Venture Client Roundtable #9 at Seat CODE which was co-organized by Cariad and included external European corporate partners.
Some of the key takeaways we learned from our visit:
- Communicating innovation activities and projects in a transparent way across the organization.
- Top Management support is a main driver of venture client activities in the organization.
- Defining clear, achievable, and measurable KPIs to assess the success of Innovation projects.
March 2025: KONNECT InnoCar Launch
In march we had the Konnect Innocar Launch Event, marking a key milestone in Konnect's journey. The Innocar, a fully electric Audi Q4 test vehicle, serves as a dynamic platform for quick validations, PoCs, and integration of external technologies. As the twin of the CARIAD InnoCar, it supports collaborative prototyping and streamlines the path from innovation to deployment within the Volkswagen Group.
Key Highlights:
• New Location in Rishon LeZion – The launch took place at Konnect's new innovation space, designed to foster collaboration between VW Group and Israeli startups.
• Strong Industry Attendance – Over 80 participants, including industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and tech partners, joined the celebration.
• Key Speakers – Hemdat Sagi, Dr. Nikolai Ardey, and Maayan Ekstein emphasized the Innocar's strategic role in shaping future mobility.
March 2025: Nikolai Ardey visit to KONNECT
We had the honor of hosting Dr. Nikolai Ardey, Head of Volkswagen Group Innovation, in Israel from March 9–14. The visit was packed with startup meetings, strategic discussions, and meaningful follow-ups.
Highlights included:
• A deep-dive session with the Konnect team on ongoing PoCs in Israel.
• A keynote speech at the launch of the Konnect Innocar.
• Meetings with top Israeli startups and VW Group suppliers, including Mobileye (where he joined an autonomous test drive in the ID. Buzz), Mentee Robotics, Inpris, Hydrox, and BabyArk,
Focus areas throughout the visit included Autonomous Driving, Sustainability, and Quantum Computing.
A special moment was Nikolai's meeting with 25 professionals from the WOMEM Group—the Israeli CEO Academy for Women in Mobility, Manufacturing, and Energy. As a leading partner of the Academy, Konnect supports the inclusion of more women CEOs in these traditional sectors.
The visit concluded at Yad Vashem's Legacy and Collection Center in Jerusalem. In 2020, Volkswagen Group, along with Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bahn, Mercedes-Benz, and Borussia Dortmund, donated €5 million toward the center's establishment.
September 2024: ELNET Delegation Visit
In September at our office in Tel Aviv, Hemdat welcomed 8 German Bundestag members, led by the Chair of the Committee on Economic Affairs, Michael Grosse-Brömer.
We had the pleasure to share the story of Konnect and exchange on the German-Israeli economic and innovation affairs.
The delegation was organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET), headed by Carsten Ovens
We appreciate the support and welcome visits to our Hub.
