OurCrowd Founder Invests in Israeli Startup Producing Coronavirus Vaccine

JERUSALEM, Israel – OurCrowd, one of Israel’s leading funding organizations, is taking on the challenge of beating the coronavirus and recently announced a major step to help provide a vaccine for the world.

Several weeks ago, CBN News reported on the work by the Migal Research Institute to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. 

“We’ve reached a winning formula for vaccination of poultry which worked very, very nicely," said Dr. Ehud Shahar, Director of Migal Research Institute.

Since they worked on a vaccine for poultry coronavirus since 2016 that’s very similar to the virus in humans, Migal had a four-year head start.

OurCrowd Founder Jonathan Medved chose to fund this research under a new company called Migvax.

“We're now backing this project and we're just beyond ourselves in terms of hope and optimism that this kind of project coming out of Israel's Galilee can bring potentially very, very good news to the world," Medved told CBN news, adding that their formula has several advantages.

"This is not their first rodeo. They've been working on a variety of coronavirus vaccines in this area now for some time, but on top of that, this is an oral vaccine, which is pretty much unique in terms of the other candidates that are out there. It doesn't require a shot. It'll work in hot climates, in parts of Africa," Medved explained. "We need a vaccine for everybody … it doesn't use actually [a live] virus or dead virus in the vaccine. So people who are immuno-compromised, who are afraid of catching it, don't have to worry about taking a vaccine that has small attenuated amounts.”

Medved said since the pandemic began OurCrowd has been on a mission.

“I've been working harder than ever before … we're working globally so we go, you know, often to two or three in the morning and then, you know, back at it in the am. And I'll tell you, it keeps you young. It keeps you motivated. It keeps you excited," he said.

Medved believes it’s all part of Israel's biblical calling.

“I feel very much that we're all here for a purpose and the purpose of Israel renewed, Israel rebuilt, Israel established and not just as a strong member of the family of nations is that we are supposed to do this stuff.   We are supposed to be out there working on cures for cancer and to feed the world and cure and prevent the coronavirus. This is our calling and our ability at our crowd is to help support these brave entrepreneurs and to link them to supporters and investors around the world. It doesn't get better than that," he said.

Medved is calling other investors to join the effort.

“What's great about it is it's democratic so that any of your viewers who meet the criteria of accredited investors worldwide can now join together with us and fund this important development and hopefully profit from the results.”

FOR CBN NEWS CONTINUING COVERAGE ON COVID-19, CLICK HERE.