Cider Security founder nets $28M in Seed funding for stealth cyber startup. Less than two years after selling Cider to Palo Alto Networks in a $300 million deal, Guy Flechter has raised a significant sum for his new cybersecurity project named Sola Security. Investors include S Capital, S32, and Michael Moritz. Read more

“People are very suspicious of Israel. But we have to show the world that our drones are still ahead of the curve.” As the private sector expands civilian use of drones, history shows Israel’s past prominence in their development but scrutiny in their present. “No doubt that we were the pioneers” in the military drone industry, noted former Israeli Air Force Commander Eitan Ben Eliyahu. Read more

Economic challenges squeeze non-tech positions in high-tech sector. Despite the challenging economic environment, some high-tech companies are still growing and recruiting for non-tech positions such as marketing and sales. However, as efficiency becomes paramount, companies carefully consider each new hire. Today, there are more candidates than positions, making the competition for such roles tougher than ever. Read more

NICE CEO’s $8 million exit bonus blocked by shareholders, but board overrules decision. The shareholders of the Israeli technology company did not approve the request to grant retiring CEO Barak Eilam a package of blocked shares worth over $8 million. However, the board stated that it plans to still award Eilam the bonus after making certain changes to the terms of the bonus. Read more

CogniFiber raises $5 million to develop processors that perform AI tasks 1,000 times faster than Nvidia. The Israeli startup is developing DeepLight processors that utilize multi-core optical fibers to process data at the speed of light as it travels through the fiber, aiming to increase processing speeds up to 1,000 times during AI inference while using only about 1% of the energy. Read more

“Taiwan and Israel must defend themselves against aggressors.” “Both countries are at the forefront when it comes to the protection of democracy. Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran are attacking Israel. This is not a war between countries but a war between civilizations and ideologies,” noted Ya-Ping (Abby) Lee, Representative at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv. Read more

Voter beware: The era of deep fake democracy. As over 50 countries prepare to vote, AI-generated disinformation looms large. Read more

Opinion | CV to VC: How to land your next dream job. Job seekers get frustrated when they send out their resumes and don’t get results, Eran Bielski, General Partner at Entrée Capital, suggests a different approach, sending your CV to a VC. Read more

Google’s AI ambitions threaten carbon neutrality pledge. Data center expansion leads to 48% Increase in emissions since 2019. Read more

Israel’s high-tech paradox: boom conceals looming crisis. While capital raises return to 2022 levels, startups continue to register abroad, risking future growth. Read more

SendBlocks raises $8.2 million Seed round to streamline blockchain data management. The company is creating a platform that can handle Taylor Swift-levels of demand in the blockchain space. “The backend isn’t optimized for The Swifties,” says CEO. Read more

PayPal VP: “We have 430 million customers who would be happy to buy from Israelis.” Efi Dahan, Vice President, General Manager Central Eastern Europe & Israel at PayPal, was speaking at the Google and Calcalist e-commerce conference. According to him, a third of the Israeli businesses that sell abroad started doing so in the last year. Read more

Google Israel Country Director: “E-commerce has transformed into the lifeblood of Israel’s business landscape.” Barak Regev also added at the Google and Calcalist e-commerce conference that “During crises, we observe a surge in demand as Israelis increasingly embrace online shopping.” The Director General of the Ministry of Economy, Amnon Merhav, noted: “Through our business agency, we provide comprehensive support, including consultancy to develop strategic plans and establish online commerce capabilities.” Read more

New AgriTech startup wants to blend solar power and smart farming. Elad Levy, former CEO of Roboteam, is behind agRE.tech, which has developed a system that latches onto the photovoltaic infrastructure, using AI to enable robotic operations in the agricultural space. Read more