CTECH – Israel’s Latest Technology and Innovation News
Mind The Tech 2020 | Covid-19 is a dream for the cyber sector, say Transmit Security executives. Joining Calcalist and CTech’s Meir Orbach at Mind The Tech NY 2020, Mickey Boodaei and Rakesh Loonkar talk about the impact that Covid-19 has had on cybersecurity. Watch full video
MTT | Markets may recover from pandemic soon, says CapitalG investor. Vaccine announcements, possible removal of U.S. travel ban and other factors will contribute to economic recovery, senior investors say in Mind the Tech virtual conference. Watch full video
MTT | Walmart turns to Israeli software to create interactive shopping experience. British-born CCO of Walmart and Israeli musician-turned-software-startup-founder create ways to improve traditional shopping experience. Watch full video
MTT | We’re heading to financial services aided by AI, says JP Morgan senior executive. JP Morgan’s Apoorv Saxena and StageOne VC’s Tal Slobodkin spoke with Ron Friedman about how artificial intelligence is transforming the banking industry. Watch full video
MTT | Covid-19 has transformed the online game for SMBs, says Contentsquare CFO. Speaking to Dina Pasca Raz, Shlomi Hagai discusses how small and medium-sized businesses changed their market strategies. Watch full video
Shlomo Kramer’s Cato Networks completes $130 million funding round. Founder says he doesn’t care about reaching unicorn status and is only concerned with building a substantial company and revolutionizing the market. Read more
Israel’s Foretellix teams up with Japanese automotive conglomerate Denso. The world’s second-largest mobility supplier will use Foretellix’s Foretify platform and the newly announced ADAS & Highway solution to advance safety in its new products. Read more
Japanese firms are on the hunt for Israeli talent now more than ever. The new collaboration between Japan’s NTT DATA and Sompo Digital Lab will help the companies collaborate with Israeli startups. Read more
Wix brings in renowned chef to feed its staff. Assaf Granit wins tender to open six restaurants and cater three meals a day for 3,000 employees at the new complex being built by the Israeli online giant. Read more
Future Israeli astronaut to pay $50 million for space excursion. Eytan Stibbe will pay the sum to travel aboard the SpaceX rocket. At 63, he will be the oldest person to reach the ISS. Read more
2020 BCG Tech Challenges Report highlights Israeli startups among emerging markets. Citing 100 ‘emerging-market tech challengers’ the report highlights nine from Israel, second only to China. Read more
Chinese VC RunYoung launches $50 million fund to invest in Israeli life science startups. The fund will invest sums starting at $250,000 in basic research projects and up to $5 million in early-stage companies. Read more
Unbound Tech raises $20 million series B round. “The completion of this funding round marks a significant milestone as we enter our next growth phase,” says Israeli founder Yehuda Lindell. Read more
Opinion | Big Tech continues to gain dominance while limiting our freedom of choice. In the Information Age, public discourse moves even faster than technology – and the monopoly power of Big Tech deserves public discussion. Read more
In the absence of acquisitions, IPOs are swooping in to save the tech scene. PwC expert offers three explanations for why going public is replacing M&As as the main route to the coveted tech exit. Read more
Interview | Moderna’s chief scientist says company initiated vaccine deal with Israel. Israeli scientist Tal Zaks says Israel will be among the first to receive doses from the company’s European plant. Read more
Israeli startups in New York raised more than $1 billion during the pandemic. A map of 350 Israeli tech companies in the Big Apple reveals what the hottest trends are and why now is the time to open a NY office. Read more
Former air force pilot slated to be the second Israeli in space. Eytan Stibbe is currently undergoing training in the U.S. and Europe ahead of a 2021 mission; “this is a day of great happiness and national pride,” says President Reuven Rivlin. Read more
Nvidia unveils the next generation of Mellanox’s InfiniBand. The world’s leading server manufacturers — including Atos, Dell, Fujitsu, Inspur, Lenovo and Supermicro — plan to integrate Mellanox NDR 400Gb/s InfiniBand solutions into their enterprise network offerings. Read more
Global event promoting female entrepreneurship kicks off in Israel.
Panel hosts women from several countries, inspiring female business leaders to take the helm and discuss any obstacles they may face. Read more
How does coffee make it to your mug? An Israeli startup uncovers the trail. Brandmark’s app provides transparency to reveal coffee traceability, uncovering its route from the field to your kitchen. Read more
We’re never going back to a full office workweek, confirms Payoneer. Speaking with CTech for its HR-Post-Covid series, Payoneer’s Michal Adam discussed Covid-19, pivoting to remote working, and what the future holds. Read more
Israeli investment activity to continue despite Comcast Ventures being folded in. The company is represented in Israel by Daniel Czertok who is expected to stay on as part of the business development division. Read more
Israeli cultural festivals are taking over the web. Many festivals have gone online in a new format, drawing record numbers of viewers. Read more
We’re not stealing jobs from Israelis, insists company helping startups outsource tasks to programmers in Bulgaria. With Covid-19 forcing everyone to work remotely, GreatApp offers young companies more bang for their buck, hiring cheaper labor in Eastern Europe. Read more
Boaz Levy wins contested race to become the next CEO of the Israel Aeronautics Industries. The head of the IAI’s missiles and space division was named to the top job after 30 years at the company. Read more
Interview | Meet the Swiss banker handling the exit bonanzas of Israel’s tech elite. Hyposwiss’s Solly Alain Lawi is convinced tech stocks will not come crashing down and offers up three reasons. Read more
Travel is now a ‘psychological challenge’, says SQream’s HR Manager.
According to Saray Ben-Meir, flights are ‘crucial’ for their business.
So how did SQream cope during Covid-19? Read more
SkyX to open R&D center in Israel, hire 50 people. Founded by Israeli Didi Horn, SkyX develops long-range drones for aerial scanning and data analysis. Read more
The battle between Sony vs. Microsoft will determine the future of gaming. Can Sony’s exclusive games be enough to keep dominating a market in the face of GamePass and the casual gamer appeal of Xbox’s Series S? Read more
Despite Covid-19 crisis, average Israeli programmer salary closing on $10k. Companies that suspended the hiring of new recruits at the beginning of the crisis are back in the market, and yet the supply of jobs hasn’t returned to pre-Covid levels. Read more
Reinhold Cohn and Calcalist to host 2021 startup competition. Contest is open to startups at seed and series A stages, top three winners will be awarded strategic, digital marketing, and storytelling services worth up to NIS 100,000. Read more
Ever-changing tech job market presents surprising opportunities.
Despite the abundance of candidates for every position, companies are more inclined to recruit employees not just based on their past experience. Read more
Opinion | Hyperloop is not only radical in its technology, but also in its intellectual property strategy. Ultimately, the goal is to merge the hyperloop system with an autonomous uber system, seamlessly connecting a human-free transportation system. Read more
Hagai Topolansky backs out of the race to be IAI’s next CEO, accuses selection committee of prejudice. The retired general wrote a letter explaining his decision and citing concerns about the selection process; IAI flatly denies accusations. Read more
Analysis | Who owns a startup’s funds, the company, or its investors?
A court case into Israel’s forfeiture of a founder’s assets in a criminal proceeding may have wider implications for the tech investment scene. Read more
Israel’s WSC Sports enters partnership with China-based Tencent to develop AI sports content. The deal, which is understood to span multiple years, will provide Tencent with automated and personalized sports content for their digital platforms. Read more
Global event promoting female entrepreneurship kicks off in Israel.
Panel hosts women from several countries, inspiring female business leaders to take the helm and discuss any obstacles they may face. Read more
Opinion | You don’t need a global pandemic to disrupt a market. Tech expert highlights 5 industries that are ripe for a breakout. Read more
Check Point tracks Bitcoin ransom payments from new cyber attack to Iranian nationals. Dubbed Pay2Key, the sophisticated new ransomware encrypts an organization’s entire network in an hour, with 12 Israeli companies so far falling victim. Read more
Despite Covid-19, we had a chance to thrive, says Fyber HR manager. Not all companies saw 2020 as a chance to thrive on a personal and professional level. According to Fyber’s Global HR Manager, it was one of their best years ever. Read more
KMS Lighthouse acquires startup Reps AI. Reps AI is currently valued at $20 million and used by companies such as EasyJet and Monday.com. Read more
Wix revenue jumps, but so do its losses. The Israeli company which helps businesses build and operate websites ended the third quarter with revenue of $254.2 million, but losses reached $56.8 million. Read more
Helping users express themselves is key to technological adoption, says Snap’s principal researcher. Dr. Andrés Monroy-Hernández is on a quest to understand self-expression and believes Augmented Reality can help it reach the next level. Read more
“Covid closures will cost Israeli students 3% of their lifetime earnings.” OECD education director Andreas Schleicher said most countries chose to keep schools open, suggests teachers’ lack of remote learning skills are a cause for concern. Read more
Shell investing in Ori Sagie’s electric car startup Envoy. Startup announced the completion of an $81 million investment round, including an $11 million series round A, led by Shell Ventures, the investment fund of one of the largest energy corporations in the world. Read more
Sticks and Stoned: Cannabiz startup StickIt turns regular cigarettes into spliffs. The toothpick-sized product slips into existing cigarettes to help amateur rollers microdose their marijuana. Read more
Storage is the key to taking renewable energy to the next level, say experts. The future of the sector and the way in which electricity can be stored and supplied on demand was the focus of a panel at Calcalist and Eilat-Eilot’s Cleantech conference. Read more
Round B | Job market power shift exposes the Israeli tech scene’s rotten recruiting practices. Shaul Olmert laments the way employers are treating job applicants now that the tables have turned and demand outweighs supply. Read more
Corona-bot: See the rise of the robots in the Covid-19 era. Robots have had their moment to shine this year as they step in to be our waiters, cleaners, doctors, and delivery agents. Let’s see how humans are using them in the Covid-19 era. Read more
Messaging giant Snapchat to acquire Israel’s Voca.ai for $70 million.
Calcalist has learned that all 35 employees of the American Express Ventures-backed company will be integrated into Snap Inc. Read more
Israel’s indy game industry is ready for its big breakout. Digital distribution has transformed indy developers into dominant forces; after years out in the cold, a new generation of Israeli creators is heating things up. Read more
Covid-19 is an opportunity to support local business, says Spot HR head. As small businesses around the world closed down and faced bankruptcy, Spot saw an opportunity to help others. Read more
Valued at more than $3 billion, SentinelOne completes $267 million financing round. Founder Tomer Weingarten says the company is prepared to go public in 2021. Read more
Video creation and distribution company Kaltura mulling multi-billion IPO. The Israeli-founded company is holding meetings with investment banks ahead of a possible offering after backing out of the move three years ago. Read more
Limaca Medical raises $1.25 million for precision biopsy device. The medical device company’s solution refines ultrasound-guided biopsies to improve tumor detection and other cancer diagnoses. Read more
Clenching by day grinding at night – How is the pandemic impacting women’s teeth? Study finds the pandemic is stressing Israeli women out and they’re taking it out on their teeth, 50% suffering from Bruxism. Read more
HRH The Prince of Wales donates to Israel’s Peres Center. Prince Charles attended the funeral of former President Shimon Peres in 2016, commenting on the efforts Peres made for peace. Read more
8200 Alumni Association’s ‘The Hybrid’ accelerator helps promote Arab-led startups. Each cohort helps eight companies grow from single ideas into companies looking for additional VC investment. Read more
“We have allowed the state to claim a monopoly on the sun.” Chen Herzog, Chief Economist and Partner at BDO Consulting, spoke about the challenges of creating a carbon-free economy at Calcalist’s Cleantech conference. Read more
Israeli Foodtech company Amai Proteins wins “Call for Wellness Innovations” award at the Global Wellness Summit. Broadcast remotely from Palm Beach, Florida, the Israeli company beat out finalists from the U.S., Italy, Canada, and other Israeli rivals. Read more
“Israel’s greatest resource isn’t natural gas, it’s solar power.” “The sun belongs to us,” says CEO of renewable energy company Eilat-Eilot Dorit Banet, calling for widespread government support of solar energy. Read more
