CTECH – Israel’s Latest Technology and Innovation News
Qumra Capital closes third growth fund at $260 million. Qumra is the first growth fund set up in Israel and has invested in 15 Israeli companies to date, including Fiverr and JFrog, who both completed an IPO in the U.S. Read more
BigID reaches unicorn status after raising $70 million series D.
Co-founder Nimrod Vax says the company didn’t really need the money, but excellent terms by investors offered them a chance to leap ahead of the competition. Read more
U.S. giant Unity acquires Israeli 3D scanning startup RestAR. The Israeli company’s technology allows users to create quality 3D models by scanning products in under one minute with a mobile device and without requiring any technical background or having to use any special hardware. Read more
Israel’s Zoomin raises $14 million series B. “Companies are seeking any way possible to retain their clients and offer them a personalized experience,” said Zoomin’s co-founder and CEO Gal Oron. Read more
Elbit Systems complete three deals, worth $92 million in two days. Two contracts with the Netherlands and an additional one with Romania, make for a productive week for the Israeli defense contractor. Read more
How to create a stable of unicorns: J-Ventures panel debates investments in the biggest tech companies. Michael Rolnick, Merav Weinryb, Jake Sein, and Brett Rokhind discuss their investment strategies at J-Ventures’ annual Investors Conference. Read more
“Israeli high tech has found a home at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange,”
says Chairwoman of the Israel Securities Authority. “Capital markets are enjoying a renaissance period,” Anat Guetta said during Calcalist’s investment conference. “High tech has returned to Israel. It’s no longer aiming to raise money in foreign markets.” Read more
The rise of FinTok: TikTok fraught with danger for fledgling investors. Financial advice videos have been gaining steam on the preferred social network of Generation Z, but should someone be regulating who is educating youngsters on investing? Read more
Analysis | Can, or should, Facebook be broken up? After 46 US States took the social media giant to court over antitrust laws, CTech spoke with M. Firon & Co.’s head of the Competition, Antitrust and Regulatory Affairs to discuss its future. Read more
Opinion | Israeli startups can become major players in the quantum computing ecosystem. Some applications, especially in optimization and quantum chemistry, will potentially be ready for implementation in the coming years. Read more
Competition regulators are looking into Facebook Israel’s 2018 acquisition of Redkix. The social media giant did not submit notice of merger documents before buying two Israeli startups in the last three years. Read more
Noname Security launches from stealth with $25 million to help secure APIs. The continued digital transformation of businesses has left them exposed to threats and attack – something Noname hopes to stop. Read more
Covid-19 was one of the biomed industry’s finest hours, says Israeli Silicon Valley veteran. Aya Jakobovits, a trailblazer in the biomed sector who is participating in J-Ventures’ annual investor’s conference, speaks of how the coronavirus vaccines showcased the depth of new technology. Read more
Artlist to add new features with acquisition of Motion Array for $65 million. With focus on video content for creators, the Israeli company says it is ready to give Getty and Shutterstock a run for their money.
Read more
Despite Covid-19, Tel Aviv remains among ten most expensive cities in the world for expats. Tel Aviv fell into seventh place out of the world’s top most expensive cities, with Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York City, taking the top slots. Read more
Start-Up Nation Central launches ‘UAE-IL Tech Zone’, a shared innovation community. The community, in collaboration with Nobex, Hybrid, and Fusion LA, will promote innovation and ties through regional and business partnerships. Read more
Iron Dome proved capable of intercepting cruise missiles in latest test of multilayered air defense system. IMDO head said the Defense Ministry is examining proposals for systems that can intercept hypersonic missiles. Read more
Israeli air filtration company creates car filter capable of removing
Covid-19 viruses. Vootto has engineered an air filtration system that shows 99.9% efficiency at removing viruses, including Covid-19 out of moving vehicles. Read more
Employer Branding | Employer branding “combines storytelling with the employee’s needs,” says WeissBeerger. To help them attract their team of data scientists and product experts, WeissBeerger employed the help of employing branding expert Raz Mitzna. Read more
MediWound to supply pineapple-based burn treatment to UAE’s Ghassan Aboud Group. “GAG, through its healthcare arm, has extensive knowledge and experience in wound care and has a strong reach into the major clinical institutions in the UAE,” said Sharon Malka, CEO of MediWound. Read more
Israel’s Netafim offers rice farmers an alternative to flooding their paddies. Demand for rice is expected to rise 25% by 2050 and rice paddies leave too big a footprint, says director of U.N.-backed Sustainable Rice Platform. Read more
“It’s about making the world a better place,” says multilateral investor in Israel’s SeeTree. After a lead investment in Israel’s SeeTree, IFC’s William Sonneborn joined CTech to discuss the impact of Israel’s technologies on emerging markets. Read more
Beitar Jerusalem’s new Emirati co-owner partners with ex-Unit 8200 officers. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan’s latest collaboration with Israelis is set to focus on cyber defense, including setting up a cyber academy. Read more
OrCam sets sights on $3 billion valuation in 2021 IPO. The artificial vision company, set up by the founders of Mobileye, joins ironSource and Monday.com, among others, in ever-growing list of Israeli unicorns targeting a lucrative public offering. Read more
Israeli companies at risk after suspected Russian hackers spied on U.S. Treasury emails. Hackers got into U.S. government systems by surreptitiously tampering with updates released by IT company SolarWinds, which also serves companies and governmental bodies in Israel. Read more
Indications suggest that Iranians are behind a string of cyberattacks on Israeli companies. The nature of the hacks and the fact that no ransom requests were made strengthens the assessment that Iranian-linked hackers are involved. Read more
Ayalon joins insurtech revolution with launch of joint accelerator with BrokerTech. The accelerator is set to run two cohorts a year, with 4-5 startups taking part in each round and receiving investments ranging from NIS 150,000 to NIS 500,000. Read more
Israel’s Montfort expands its brain-monitoring app to test for Post-Covid symptoms. The FDA-approved smartphone technology can help patients after their battle with Covid-19 symptoms. Read more
The pandemic has caused “growing mental and emotional exhaustion,” observes Trax HR head. While Trax wasn’t too impacted by Covid-19, its Chief People Officer, Flóra Bondici, noted the effect it had on its hundreds of employees’ mental health. Read more
Orthodox Jewish woman creates startup to promote water conservation and lower bills. DrizzleX uses a water metering solution combined with AI; raises half a million dollars from U.S. investment fund. Read more
Employer Branding | Remote working opened our talent pool to Israelis across the country, says Moburst. To help attract Israeli top talent, Moburst knew it could reach the entire country instead of just the Tel Aviv bubble. Read more
Google Down: Alphabet’s Gmail, Google Drive, and Youtube services were down for almost an hour for millions around the world. The outage appeared to have affected Israelis as well as a lot of angry internet users from a variety of regions. Read more
These startups create innovative products for everyday use. Reducing the risk of bodies’ rejecting implants, easy-to-use information about real estate data, and a support network for abused women are just some of the tech solutions featured in Calcalist’s Startup+ competition that can be used every day. Read more
Cyberattack on Intel Israel: Hackers claim they breached the network of chipmaker Habana Labs. Pay2key account posts images of breached materials on Twitter; attack seen as criminally motivated. Read more
Israel’s supply chain targeted in massive cyberattack. A hack into the servers of software company Amital Data led to an attack on some 40 of its clients, including some of the country’s largest in the logistics and importing sectors. Read more
Despite hacking fiasco, Israeli government has gone back to conducting business with Shirbit. Even after the insurance company’s system was hacked, and government employees’ private data was leaked, the government has decided to renew its tender with Shirbit. Read more
Israeli supermarket chain to feature in-store vertical farms. The Ramy Levy supermarket chain will partner with Vertical Field after a successful pilot program. Read more
Interview | “When it comes to space, Israel has its own new frontiers to conquer.” Isaac Ben-Israel, head of Israel’s Cyber Center and Chairman of the Israel Space Agency shares his thoughts about cybersecurity, his predictions for the Israeli space industry, and the country’s upcoming space endeavors. Read more
Nothing can replace the personal touch, says Israel’s #1 Startup to work for. Even though BigID was ranked by Dun & Bradstreet as the best startup to work for, its Head of HR, Dana Fischer, revealed how the company struggled with Covid-19. Read more
DiplomaTech | Israeli tech companies have no more excuses to overlook Canada. Could Covid-19 end up being what finally unfreezes the dormant trade between Israel and Canada? Read more
Interview | “We’ve never shared information with China,” says general manager of TikTok-Israel. Assaf Sagy addresses the criticism over the Chinese social media TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, and its alleged involvement in data gathering. Read more
Analysis | Morocco is thirsty for Israeli investments. Normalization of ties between Morocco and Israel are the result of U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; but Morocco also hopes economic ties with Israel will help relieve its deep recession. Read more
Will the quickly developed vaccines deliver Covid-19 a knockout blow? An urgent global crisis, near-limitless funds, and a scientific development ripe for use combined to produce rapid results, but will today’s vaccines eradicate the pandemic? Read more
Opinion | It’s time for the university system to embrace the spirit of Hanukkah. Postgraduate education, like Hanukkah, might be a great opportunity for proof of concept in applying a truly personalized experience. Read more
