CTECH – Israel’s Latest Technology and Innovation News
Opinion | Israel is missing Covid-19’s biggest opportunity. The government should have set a goal to get thousands of business leaders, entrepreneurs, engineers, brilliant minds and investors to immigrate. Israel has as much or more to offer than Miami or Austin. A 10x acceleration of the Israeli economy was within reach. Perhaps, it still is. Read more
HR Post Covid | Lusha grew 40% despite the pandemic – but how did its HR manage the onboarding? Managing the onboarding processes is hard enough during hyper-growth – but Lusha had to battle lockdowns and social distancing, too. Read more
Israeli medical-device startup offers a breath of fresh air. BreezoMeter wants to monitor the air you breath, and has developed a platform to keep track of air quality to help those with lung conditions. Read more
Israeli scientists get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to send their experiments to the International Space Station. Call for proposals offered a detailed list of requirements for Israeli scientists and researchers to send their projects into space in 2021. Read more
CaringApp launches in Israel, offering remote support and assistance for the elderly. The app was created by The Caring Company as a result of Covid-19 and the effect of social distancing on older populations. Read more
Israel’s Rafael announces $200 million weapons deal. The destination for anti-tank missiles and guided bombs is reportedly India, which has faced border clashes with Pakistan and China. Read more
Round B | A chance encounter got me to open the door to the idea of remote work. Shaul Olmert shares his internal deliberations on the pros and cons of working from home. Read more
Unicorn School Lesson 6: Making an exit: when you fly too fast, the plane shakes. The founders of Tipalti, Gong, and Next Insurance, whose companies’ valuations have leaped beyond $2 billion offer insights and tips for building unicorns. Read more
Payoneer in advanced talks to enter Nasdaq via SPAC. The Israeli fintech company has eyed going public twice in the past already. Read more
Israel’s Moon Active, the developer of Coin Master, acquires Melsoft in deal valued at over $100 million. The Israeli gaming company is looking to build on its success by adding mobile games Family Island and My Cafe to its catalog. Read more
Intel says high demand has led to increased production of 10nm chips. “We are continuing to invest into factory capacity to ensure we can keep up with the growing needs of our customers,” says manufacturing chief. Read more
Interview | NetApp’s Israeli VPs leading the company’s cloud service forward. Roy Alon and Assaf Levy have been at NetApp since it acquired their startup 13 years ago and have built the U.S. company’s successful cloud offering from Tel Aviv. Read more
HR Post Covid | Ex Libris: Remote working had a ‘significant impact’
on diversity. Covid-19 pushed the EdTech company to hire remotely and expand their candidate pool to a range of locations across the country. Read more
Gilat founder on course for another satellite company IPO. Yoel Gat is aiming to take SatixFy public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange at a valuation of $500 million. Read more
Israeli BlazePod raises $8.5 million to transform gyms and exercise routines. Its lighting pods, which are partnered with an app, are already used for training purposes by pro soccer players, Formula 1 drivers, and the Israeli military. Read more
Investors reveal: How to raise money for early-stage startups.
Representatives of leading investment firms provide tips about how to approach Seed and series A financing and what’s hot on the market right now. Read more
ICON’s SV101 program announces 10 startups for its 9th cohort. The program acts as an introductory course to Silicon Valley over an intensive two weeks. Read more
Unicorn School Lesson 5: Don’t turn down money that hits you in the face. The founders of Tipalti, Gong, and Next Insurance, whose companies’ valuations have leaped beyond $2 billion offer insights and tips for building unicorns. Read more
“We needn’t be afraid of mutated British Covid-19 strain,” says senior Israeli researcher. “Scientists identified over 10,000 mutations in the coronavirus, and the existing vaccines can identify them and respond accordingly,” says Prof. Michal Linial. Read more
Israel is the number one country on hackers’ target list, new study reveals. Whether it be for geostrategic purposes or simply out of greed, hackers have Israel directly in their sights. Read more
Silicon Valley VC Group 11 going public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The Dovi Frances-led VC and Veev were announced as the first two listings on TASE UP, a new platform in which companies remain private and are not subject to any reporting or prospectus publishing requirements. Read more
IVC’s Israeli Tech Review finds 2020 marked by fewer exits, increased investments in growth companies. This year saw a total of 578 transactions at an accumulated investment of $9.9 billion, marking a 14% increase from the previous year. Read more
Meet Syn-rg-ai: the crisis management team that saved Israel’s Bnei Brak. At the height of the Corona pandemic in March, the mayor of one of Israel’s most religious cities called in special forces to help with the outbreak. Today, they advise governments around the world. Read more
Food app 10bis to double its R&D operations in Israel. The company, which employs 80 people, will be expanded to develop additional products for restaurants after revenue plummets due to pandemic. Read more
HR Post Covid | Social interactions are part of our DNA, says Accenture Israel HR leader. Even though Covid-19 forced all 100 employees to work from home, Accenture Israel found a way to still maintain its dedication to interactions and work culture. Read more
Israel launches national AI program, but lack of budget threatens its implementation. The five-year national program has a NIS 5 billion budget, but political turmoil and the lack of a state budget are holding it back. Read more
Survey: 70% of eCommerce companies prioritizing site performance improvements for 2021. According to a study by Israel-based Namogoo and Astound Commerce, companies have finally realized that remote shopping and online purchasing are here to stay. Read more
Unicorn School Lessons 3 and 4: Stick to a business model and don’t indulge in frivolous luxuries. The founders of Tipalti, Gong, and Next Insurance, whose companies’ valuations have leaped beyond $2 billion offer insights and tips for building unicorns. Read more
Netanyahu urges to seal the skies amid fears of coronavirus mutation. The Israeli prime minister said the price of shutting down air traffic was negligible compared to the risk of a new strain breaking out; Effectiveness of vaccines uncertain. Read more
“The unlimited computing capabilities of cloud technology enabled the rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines.” Over the past year medical teams have been developing solutions for digital health at faster rates due to cloud technology, say leading professionals in Israeli health sector. Read more
Covid-19 brought “positivity and evolution” to the employment world, says SafeBreach VP of HR. The pandemic may have brought uncertainty and confusion to companies around the world, but SafeBreach found ways to combat them. Read more
Pay2Key hackers claim they breached IAI servers. Major defense contractor is the most recent victim in a string of cyberattacks on Israeli companies. Read more
Interview | ‘Tis the season to be cautious: ’Cyber 5’ is peak period for fraudsters warns PerimeterX co-founder. “This is an ongoing race and you need to run just to keep up with the pace, not to mention remain ahead of the curve,” explains Ido Safruti. Read more
“The planet’s future looks amazing” and it’s because of millennials, says UBQ Co-Founder. With young people in the streets and now in the offices too, there’s a lot to be optimistic about, says maker of climate-positive raw materials. Read more
Interview | The world’s smartest girl: Colorado teen is solving life’s big problems. At age 11, Gitanjali Rao, developed a revolutionary device to detect hazardous substances in drinking water; at 14 the Gen Z teen made an app to battle cyberbullying, and was chosen by Time as “Kid of the Year.” Read more
NuTek awarded $100,000 prize from Merage Institute’s ‘45+ Entrepreneurs’ Competition’. The annual competition helps Israeli entrepreneurs aged 45 and over, as well as female entrepreneurs of all ages. Read more
The company guiding Israeli businesses through the U.S. investment bureaucracy minefield. “Because I came from the missile defense sector, we developed a multi-layered defense system, made up of four levels,” says Eyal Bar-Or. Read more
Interview | Taking Israeli Chutzpah to the Moon: Its next lunar mission aims to land not one, but two vessels. “Failure isn’t an option,” says Shlomi Sudri, General-Manager of the Space Division at Israel Aerospace Industries about plans for Israel’s next lunar mission and how this time will be completely different. Read more
Opinion | Is it time to finally kill tech? Our modern world has become so inundated with hyphenated techs that the term has become cliched, essentially meaningless. Read more
Moovit’s CEO explains why there’s more to its new public transport payment scheme than meets the eye. After two exits in one year, Nir Erez talks about what keeps him motivated and his vision for the future of transportation. Read more
Armis Security: We survived Covid-19 because of our culture. Joining CTech as part of its HR Post-Covid series, Yael Koch Warschawski shares how Armis Security’s organizational culture kept the company afloat during Covid-19. Read more
Israel is ending its cellphone surveillance to track Covid-19 next month. The method has faced challenges in courts and parliament because of privacy concerns and questions about its efficacy. Read more
Kenshoo to acquire Signals Analytics to help brands in ‘the era of digital acceleration’. The intelligence platform will help brands make smarter and faster decisions by connecting insights with performance. Read more
Ecoppia’s robots to clean one million solar energy panels in India in multi-million deal. Israeli company lands 450MW project that is set to go live in the first quarter of 2021. Read more
Ride-hailing service Gett partners with smart-911 service Carbyne for safer journeys. With the collaboration, users will have access to video, chat, and location services with Israel’s United Hatzalah. Read more
Iguazio signs strategic agreement with Sheba Medical Center for real-time Covid-19 treatment. The data science platform will be facilitating Sheba’s transformation using AI to help predict and mitigate Covid-19. Read more
Israel’s technology is a ‘gift to the world’, says Nikki Haley amid recent Arab peace agreements. Haley made the comments speaking with former Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, at DiploTech 2020.
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Round B | “Occasionally Bill Gates and Warren Buffett got it right.”
Shaul Olmert, though he hates to admit it, has learned something from the world’s top entrepreneurs. Read more
