AOL Inc said on Sunday it is starting a programme in Israel to assist start-ups, and that it will invest at least $100,000 in as many as 10 projects at a time.

The Internet giant already has a development center in Israel, and its new project, called Nautilus, is meant to give "maximum freedom to entrepreneurs" and "grant them access to all the tools and connections of a global company," said Hanna Laschover, chief executive of AOL Israel.

AOL will escort each start-up, which will be chosen from a variety of fields that are connected to its global activities, for a period of a year, the company said.

The first investment will be in Take& make, AOL said in a statement, a start-up that has developed a platform for "do-it-yourself" videos.