About Barak Rosen
Barak Rosen is an Israeli businessman, entrepreneur, founder, and owner of Canada-Israel and the Israel-Canada group, the fastest growing entrepreneurial real estate company in Israel. He is also the Owner of Tikun Olam-Cannbit, which operates in medical cannabis and cannabis research.
Early Days
Rosen started his path in the real estate field with his childhood friend and business partner, Asaf Touchmair, the co-owner of Israel Canada and Canada Israel. Together they opened a real estate agency called “Penthouse Real Estate” in 1995, which expanded rapidly until it employed over ten full-time realtors.
In 1998, they turned their eyes to Toronto, Canada, where they established themselves as real estate pioneers. Rosen and Touchmair purchased buildings, made extensive renovations to apartments, and sold them at handsome profits. This move was the origin of the name Canada-Israel, the privately held company of the two entrepreneurs.
Going Public
In 2006, they acquired a public company and changed its name to “Pangaea Real Estate”. Through the new company, they raised capital for new ventures. During the second decade, Pangaea Real Estate changed its name to “Israel-Canada” and was listed on the Tel Aviv stock exchange. Since then, it has been involved in building luxury towers and high-rise offices.
During the last few years, Israel Canada has expanded exponentially. The company is currently traded at a value of NIS 6.2 billion after rising by 226%, 22%, and 111% in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively.
Noteworthy Projects
Sponsorship of Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club
In 2021 Israel Canada signed a three-year deal to become the Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C’s main sponsor.
Israel Canada Hotels
In addition to residential and commercial real estate, Israel Canada, headed by Barak Rosen, has created a synergy between residential and commercial real estate and the hotel sector Towards 2022, Israel Canada Hotels is expected to manage approximately 1,350 rooms, after one year of operation:
Play Midtown Hotel in Tel Aviv
A hotel for business people that presents an innovative concept and offers a hospitality culture that allows for experiential interaction and real interpersonal communication.
Gali Kinneret Hotel
Israel Canada invested NIS 20 million in renovating the hotel, intending to turn it into a luxury hotel.
Lake House Kinneret Hotel
A gem located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, in an open and green area that extends over 220 dunams with a breathtaking view.
At the end of 2019, Israel Canada Hotels leased the Soleil Hotel in Eilat and its lease for 20 years in a deal valued at NIS 24 million.
Other projects in the hotel field are the Nofei Gonen holiday village and the Harlington Hotel in Ashkelon. As another step in establishing its position as a significant player in the hotel world, “Israel Canada Hotels” announced in 2020 the acquisition of the Tamers Hotel Chain in the amount of approximately NIS 155 million.
It was reported in April 2021 that Israel Canada would establish the first hotel in Israel of the Four Seasons hotel chain in the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo is a complex where three 35-45-story towers will be built, including residential, hotels, and commercial.
The Field of Cannabis
In parallel with his activities in the real estate industry, Rosen entered the medical cannabis field when in 2019, he completed, with a group of investors led by him, the takeover of ‘Cannbit’, a company engaged in the clinical research of cannabis and developing the cannabis industry in Israel.
Later, Cannbit acquired ‘Tikun Olam’, the leading medical cannabis company in Israel, for NIS 140 million. Cannbit chose Tikun Olam thanks to its vast knowledge and expertise in medical cannabis, developing more than 42 award-winning proprietary strains, four licensed IPS, and 35 clinical and preclinical studies conducted in collaboration with leading doctors, hospitals, and universities in Israel. Tikun Olam-Cannbit raised NIS 191 million by issuing shares to the public.
In 2021 Teva Israel and Tikun Olam-Cannbit signed an exclusive and mutual collaboration agreement. Tikun Olam-Cannbit will produce several medical cannabis products, administered as oils rich in THC and CBD, for Teva Israel and later for Teva Ukraine.
Technology and High-Tech
In 2021, Israel Canada established Israel Canada Tech Investments, which invests in corporations and startups operating in innovation with an affinity for real estate, including PropTech, ConstrucTech, and renewable energy in all investment stages. ICT assists startups in their establishment and expansion processes, from POV and POC on numerous sites – through connections with global partners.
As reported by Israeli Media, Israel Canada Group has an ambitious plan to integrate its innovative ProTech operations into the stock exchange triangle project in Ramat Gan that it is establishing. The first vertical city in Israel – will include a complex with 40,000 visitors a day, which will rise to a height of 450 meters, with a park of 4,000 square meters on the roof, 10 thousand square meters of commercial areas and hotels, plus 800 apartments.
