Ordinarily, the Techstars global network of startup accelerators runs one 13-week program at a time in the 50 cities where it operates.

But that wasn’t sufficient in the heart of the Startup Nation, so in its fifth year the Techstars Tel Aviv Accelerator has made history by expanding to two cohorts annually and doubling the number of participants.

Companies handpicked from hundreds of applications for the October to January cohort get an investment of up to $120,000 each, experienced mentors, and access to Techstars’ global network of industry professionals and strategic investors.

“It is the first time, internationally, we are opening two programs for the global accelerator in Tel Aviv in the same year,” said the director of the program, serial entrepreneur Hilla Ovil-Brenner. “I see it as an honest vote of confidence in the local program, in the Israeli ecosystem, and in Israeli startups in general.”

Companies in the newest cohort of Techstars Tel Aviv include:

AgadoLive – a flexible, easy to use platform that lets you design and create a two-way video application in one place, using a drag-and-drop visual editor and cloud-hosted service – no coding. Based in Tel Aviv.

Autority.io – a free car-owner’s app that uses APIs to centralize services (insurance, parking, tolls, fines, maintenance, tires, registration, gas consumption) under one system, allowing customers to consult, pay and renew services easily as they create a digital history of their car. Based in Quito, Ecuador.

Binsight –AI-based shopping and household inventory management system to identify what you currently have at home, what is about to run out, and what you should buy. Based in Tel Aviv.

EyeKnow – an AI-based platform protecting children and seniors from caregiver abuse and neglect using security cameras. Based in Tel Aviv.

EZCheck.me – automated attendance tracking and analytics for schools. Based inTel Aviv.

Insuretax – making tax liability insurance available to mid-sized and small businesses. Based in Tel Aviv.

optimusQ – an automatic cross-campaign management and optimization platform for digital marketers. Based in Tel Aviv.

Ovvio – a shareable and collaborative notebook that enables employees to take meeting minutes and assign trackable tasks, shared automatically with the relevant projects, stakeholders or clients. Based in Tel Aviv.

Renbizz – a platform enabling retailers to join the rental model and create an ecosystem of rental businesses that supports itself by providing logistic services to other members of the network. Based in Tel Aviv.

reTravel — an autonomous cross-selling technology for the travel industry designed to maximize traveler loyalty and value. Based in Tel Aviv.

Sea Analytics — augmented video analytics and performance management for outdoor sports. Based in Tel Aviv.

YieldX — an AI/IoT-based precision biosecurity data security platform for agtech. Based in Haifa.