jay-z to invest in powermat recharging station

Always attuned to the latest and coolest trends, hip-hop master Jay-Z is betting on the success of a product developed in Israel that eliminates wires when recharging devices.

Israeli hi-tech is going Hollywood. First it was Leonardo DiCaprio, who invested a large sum (nobody’s saying how much, but you know how much he’s worth!) in Israeli Israeli startup Mobli, which enables users to see real-time events that others are watching. And now, hip-hop legend Jay-Z is investing in the Duracell Powermat, a product developed in Israel that allows for wireless recharging of all sorts of electronic devices. Powermat, which has been selling the product for over 5 years, struck a deal with battery giant Duracell to produce and sell the system, which lets you recharge your device – cellphone, MP3 player, even electronic toys – by just placing it on an electric recharger mat!

The recharger connects to a special “grommet” that is embedded in the device, so it gets its juice in the same way as it would with a regular electrical connection – sans wires, which are now unnecessary. Instead of placing your phone on a desk, you would place it on the Powermat, so that it recharges while it “rests.” Duracell Powermat (a jointly owned subsidiary of Powermat and Proctor and Gamble, owners of the Duracell brand) make gromets for a host of devices, such as replacement back panels or covers for cellphones that turn an ordinary iPhone, for example, into a really “smart” smartphone.

The Powermat is thin enough to roll up and take on the road – and the company has a deal with several companies to add mats to existing products or infrastructure, to enable users to more easily make use o of the technology. Among the partnership deals Powermat and/or Duracell Powermat already has is one with GM, which will install Powermats in Chevy Volts and other cars; Teknion, maker of desks and office equipment, which will see Powermats embedded on desks and in cabinets; and Madison Square Garden, where fans of the Knicks and Rangers will be able to juice up on Powermats installed on arena seats while they enjoy the game.

It’s all very cool – and where cool is, you would expect to find someone like Jay-Z, who, like DiCaprio, knows a smart investment when he sees it. “I believe in the future of wireless energy and I believe that Duracell Powermat is the company to bring on the revolution,” the entertainer (also known as Shawn Carter) said. “I’m partnering with Duracell Powermat because they’re providing the solutions for the future.”

Ran Poliakine, CEO of Powermat, is happy over the investment – and the name recognition, too. “JAY Z is power personified. He inspires millions of people all over the world on a daily basis with his music and his story,” he said. “There is no better face or voice that can move people to adopt a new paradigm in power delivery.”