CTECH – Israel’s Latest Technology and Innovation News
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It’s time for Israel to capitalize on its strategic location, says DP World chairman. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem tells Calcalist about his prior visits to Israel and his plans to make Haifa a bridge between continents. Read more
Interview | Co-founder of Team8: “Success requires that the stars align for you. We know how to align them.” In the seven years since his discharge from the command of the Israeli army’s elite intelligence Unit 8200, Nadav Zafrir has turned Team8, the cyber company group he established, into a mini-ecosystem. Now he’s warning about the gap exposed by the coronavirus pandemic between cyber attacks and the defense systems meant to repel them. Read more
Analysis | Once you POP you can’t stop? The POP surges of tech shares on their opening day of trading are showing no signs of slowing down, but not everyone agrees this is a good thing. Read more
Israeli tech’s successful first half is an illusion, travel constraints will stifle the sector, warns investment banker. Edouard Cukierman isn’t one to ring the alarm bells for no reason, but the current Covid-19 crisis in Israel and the belief by many people that Israeli tech is immune has got him deeply concerned. Read more
Interview | If you regulate them they will come: “Israel can be a leader in setting the stage for autonomous vehicles.” Former Deputy Attorney General Avi Licht warns Israel not to fall behind in the race to be an early adopter of the technologies of the future. Read more
The 3 layers that affect human capital during Covid-19, according to Minute Media’s Chief People Officer. Continuing our Post-Covid HR series, Liat Shahar joins CTech to outline three challenges that impacted human capital at Minute Media. Read more
Israel’s LGBT tech sector is finally being seen. The organization offers members of the LGBT community opportunities to network and celebrate their identities without fear of discrimination. Read more
Touchless.ai’s speech-enabled technology will make touchscreens touch-proof. The technology can be used on menus or kiosks to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Read more
Celebrity content platform KRE8TV raises over $1 million seed round led by Benson Oak Ventures. KRE8TV’s platform allows users to order custom made video content from their favorite creators, who can register for the application for free and have the freedom to charge as much as they choose. Read more
Now more than ever, Israel’s trade attachés are proving their worth.
The Foreign Trade Administration directs Israel’s trade policy and promotes Israel’s tech and traditional industries worldwide by supporting and boosting Israeli exports and attracting foreign direct investment to Israel. Read more
The FinCEN Files: Israeli journalists expose local fallout from leaked bank documents. The Shomrim – Center for Media and Democracy – and Israeli journalist Uri Blau revealed on Sunday the involvement of Israeli companies and businessmen in suspicious money transfers exposed by thousands of leaked documents. Read more
Ionir raises $11 million led by JVP for cloud service. The company, formerly known as Reduxio, announced the launch of a platform that allows the transferring, copying, restoration, and management of data of any size from the different cloud platforms. Read more
PipelBiz partners with the American-based Republic to fast track Israeli funding. The collaboration between PipelBiz and Republic will help ventures raise awareness to potential investors and consumers. Read more
Opinion | Best Practices on how to approach investors during Covid-19. As the cliché says, this is exactly the right time for the best to prove how great they really are and to rise above all odds. Read more
Covid-19 has got Israeli soldiers asking to remain in the military.
Even graduates of elite tech units find the balance of power shifting as employers are spoilt for choice. Read more
Study finds two-thirds of us would augment our bodies using tech. A report from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky explores the future of human augmentation – and with it, worrying questions surrounding regulation, cybersecurity, and class divisions. Read more
Israeli cyber startup Hysolate raises $10 million for development of remote work security solution. The company announced a new product that will allow organizations to create complete separation between the office workspace and the private workspace to ensure safer and more productive work from home. Read more
With over 500,000 people jobless, Israeli employers hire celebrities to promote open positions. Game of Thrones star Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is just one of the many entertainers to recently star in recruitment ads for Israeli companies. Read more
INSIDE LOOK: How 24H Bootcamp TLV gave rise to 100 startups in one day. CTech was invited to 24H Bootcamp TLV to watch the operations in real-time from their WeWork operations building. Here’s how it played out. Read more
Opinion | Why I think JFrog is such a leapin’ success. “There are great teams and there are huge markets and opportunities, but there is one JFrog,” writes Boaz Dinte, managing partner of Qumra Capital, one of JFrog’s early investors. Read more
Israel-based Fintica signs ‘first of its kind’ investment from Emirati investor. Coming off a historic peace deal, UAE-based Mohammed Al Beloushi, CEO of Barker and Booth Commercial Agency LLC, leads strategic investment in the Israeli fintech firm. Read more
Kando wins Seagate’s Innovator of the Year competition for its smart sewage system. The company’s smart algorithm can be installed in sewage systems to process water quality and identify Covid-19 cases. Read more
Moshe Hogeg sued for defrauding investors in cryptocurrency initiative Zodiac. Plaintiffs claim Hogeg misled them regarding the involvement of Bittrex, a well-known crypto exchange, in the platform. Read more
“We’ll save entrepreneurs the trouble of founding failing companies.”
Newly launched Team8 Fintech, which is focused on founding and scaling fintech companies, is aiming to fix the inefficient and wasteful process of founding a startup. Read moreJFrog ready to enter Nasdaq with a bang.The Israeli DevOps company is selling shares to the public at $44 per share, which gives the company a valuation of almost $4 billion and makes it one of the largest IPOs of recent years by an Israeli technology firm. Read moreA new $10 million MBA scholarship will support dozens of Israeli students at Wharton University. The Friends of Israel MBA Fund was established by Wharton alum Yuri Milner and his wife, Julia. Read more
Interview | “We’re not yet seeing millions of delivery drones take to the skies, but we’re taking giant strides to get there.” Flytrex CEO Yariv Bash talks about his company’s pilot program with retail giant Walmart and taking on Google and Amazon. Read more
Radiology AI startup Aidoc raises additional $20 million for B round.
Aidoc develops artificial intelligence-based medical imaging software designed to quickly analyze medical scans and help doctors prioritize the most urgent cases. Read more
Tech experts agree: Covid-19 created growth opportunities for those who were quick to adapt. Israeli tech executives took part in a panel discussion on the future of Software as a Service. Read more
Firewall pioneer Check Point acquires Tel Aviv-based Odo Security. Odo Security developed cloud-based, clientless SASE technology that offers secure remote access to company assets by an unlimited number of users. Read more
Life after oil: UAE aiming to tap into Israeli tech to meet future challenges. Edouard Cukierman, managing partner at Catalyst Funds and the chairman of Cukierman & Co Investment House, is convinced the relations between Israel and the UAE have a very bright future. Read more
The importance of finding and establishing your product-market fit according to Gigi Levy-Weiss. CTech presents a full chapter from Build Brilliant Brands, a new book released by Facebook, featuring articles by 22 tech executives from around the world. In this chapter, NFX co-founder Gigi Levy-Weiss explains the meaning of product-market fit, why it is so essential, and how both startups and major companies can go about achieving it. Read more
Horizon GreenTech Ventures 10-company portfolio acquired by SIBF. The deal is valued at $7 million, with part of the money going to the companies and the rest to GE. Read more
Opinion | Tech entrepreneurs, it’s time to set your sights on Portugal. The government’s pro-startup strategy makes it a contender to become a global tech hotspot. Read more
Venture capital firm Hetz Ventures closes $77 million second fund, despite Covid-19 restrictions. Hetz invests in Israeli entrepreneurs operating in the AI, Big Data, cybersecurity, fintech, and DevOps space. Read more
Medigate completes $30 million series B round to expand Tel Aviv R&D center. Medigate’s solution addresses patient safety and privacy by automatically locating, identifying, and managing the security posture of all devices connected to the network. Read more
Israeli Big Data startup Varada raises $12 million in series A round.
The company’s goal is to create a new data infrastructure that will provide full control over performance, costs and flexibility, and replace long and cumbersome processes of transferring data. Read moreHR Post Covid | Working from home means we could meet each other’s families, says IntSights’ HR Director.Efrat Dror joins CTech for its HR Post Covid series, where she discusses how WFH created a new personalised way of working. Read more
Israeli startup Blue White Robotics raises $10 million for autonomous vehicle platform. The investment will enable BWR to expand its global presence, services and customers, and actively recruit new employees to its R&D center in Tel Aviv. Read moreIsrael-based Sternum raises $6.5 million in series A for IoT devices cyber protection. The round was led by Square Peg and joined existing investors Merle Hinrich, BTOV, and private investor Eyal Shavit. Read more
Intel expanding Ignite startup program on back of Israeli success.
“Israel is such an important part of our company,” said Intel CEO Bob Swan, describing Israel as “a microcosm of Intel as a whole.” Read more
BMW to incorporate Israel-based Tactile Mobility tech in all new models. Tactile Mobility develops technology that analyzes data from car sensors and enables autonomous vehicles of different levels to get a feel of the road, using tactile data and artificial intelligence. Read more
Behavioral recognition system viisights selected by Mexican city to help track Covid-19. The technology will help citizens comply with social distancing measures and alert police of violent behavior. Read more
“Bored young hackers are responsible for part of the dramatic increase in cyberattacks amid Covid-19.” Israeli cybersecurity experts discuss the latest threats and how to overcome them at a panel during Calcalist and Google’s Startup Week. Read more
Israel’s QEDIT awarded $2 million funding in DARPA cryptography research program. The research project is geared towards harnessing advanced cryptography to preserve the integrity of complex software programs. Read more
