CTECH – Israel’s Latest Technology and Innovation News
eToro’s CIO: GameStop is not the story, but rather the rise of a new generation of investors. “We shouldn’t be asking how this will end, but instead, realize that this is only the beginning,” says Gil Shapira. Read more
Intel Israel’s export up to a record $8 billion in 2020. Israel’s largest tech employer is responsible for 14% of the country’s tech export. Read more
Moovit founder: Israel likely to see autonomous vehicles within a year. Nir Erez shares his vision for full mobility as a service at Calcalist’s Innovation Conference. Read more
vFunction completes $12.2 million funding round led by Israeli investor Oren Zeev. The company’s technology allows apps to be rewritten in Javascript, automatically and efficiently to the cloud. Read more
Israel’s Pixellot partners with SportsEngine, an NBC company, to provide video and data solutions for young athletes. Pixellot offers athletes, coaches, and families automated and affordable video capturing solutions to track player performance. Read more
Innoviz has the lidar technology Tesla and Apple need for their autonomous vehicles, says CEO. Omer Keilaf believes Tesla will need to adopt lidar tech to keep up with the competition and is confident his company’s products will also end up in Apple’s autonomous vehicles. Read more
Future Meat completes $26.75 million Series B to market chicken substitute. “Cultured meat technology is the Apollo program of the 21st century,” said founder Prof. Yaakov Nahmias. Read more
HR Post Covid | Leadership means showing compassion in hard times, argues WeissBeerger’s Head of HR. As bars and restaurants shut around the world due to Covid-19, the world’s largest brewery had to make some difficult decisions. Read more
Tesla pricing rocks Israeli auto market. Unlike other car exporters, Tesla has announced the price of its cars in Israel without taxes, allowing consumers to see exactly how much of the ultimate cost of the vehicle ends up in the state’s coffers. Read more
Verint completes spin-off of its defense activities into new company Cognyte Software. Cognyte will consolidate the company’s intelligence and cyber activities, while Verint will focus on customer engagement. Read more
Verint Systems supplied South Sudan with surveillance technology says Amnesty. Amnesty International obtained documents that prove that between March 2015 and February 2017, the South Sudanese government paid the company $762,000 for surveillance equipment that was used to illegally wiretap citizens’ phones. Read more
Opinion | Rethinking data usage in a post Covid-19 reality. I advise everyone to carry out a thought process for their organization’s data strategy. Read more
SOSA releases report warning against lack of transparency in AI. The open innovation company addressed the need for transparency, accountability, and diversity in AI. Read more
Appointments | Dr. Tomer Simon appointed Chief Scientist of Microsoft Israel R&D. Dr. Simon will transfer from Microsoft Israel’s marketing and sales organization, where he served as National Technology Officer. Read more
Opinion | Ethical aspects in Artificial Intelligence. The adoption, use and applications of AI will only intensify in the near future and we are obliged to consider the unique ethical aspects, argues Microsoft Regional Corporate Counsel, CELA Middle East, and Africa HQ, Ben Haklai. Read more
Covid-19 Big Bang sending trillion-dollar shockwaves through media market. Gilad de Vries, SVP at content recommendations platform Outbrain, believes the public is losing faith in what it is reading on social media, pushing advertising dollars back towards traditional media websites. Read more
Israel’s Otonomo to raise $280 million at $1.4 billion valuation via SPAC. “Auto companies cast aside their technological developments and they will have to search for solutions after the crisis is over,” says CEO. Read more
“We are concerned about the over-exuberance we’re seeing in the markets.” ISA’s Sarah Kendler is glad to see tech companies call Israel home, but expresses worry over riskier investment practices arriving to Tel Aviv. Read more
Earlysense sells its intellectual property rights for $30 million.
Company’s technology can be used to treat patients and hospitalize them at home. As part of deal, it setback Hillrom from primary to secondary shareholder. Read more
Facebook’s new dilemma: Is Zionist an offensive term? The social media giant admitted that the term “Zionist” is under review as it attempts to determine how it should moderate against anti-Semitism. Read more
HR Post Covid | For HR leaders, one of the most important things “is to see the people,” says StackPulse. It’s one thing for companies to adapt to social distancing and remote working, but StackPulse was founded in it. Read more
Opinion | Top 9 tech areas that are changing sports in 2021. The sports industry is one of the last industries to be truly disrupted by technology and the recent crisis is the catalyzer that will introduce radical innovation in the sports world. Read more
Analysis | Even without earnings, BladeRanger is the stuff of dreams for investors. The Israeli company develops robots to clean solar panels and is only expected to begin yielding revenue in 2022, but its stock leapt by 156% since its December IPO. Read more
Opinion | From survival stagnation to proactive thinking in the
post-Covid-19 era. The distance between survival stagnation and proactive thinking that sees the crisis as an opportunity is shorter than we think, argues Amdocs’ Gil Rosen. Read more
Israel’s tech envoys identify challenges and opportunities of the post-covid world. Bareket Knafo, Shai Zarivatch and Esti Ayalon Kovo discuss the biggest lesson they learned from the pandemic and what they believe will be the trends of 2021. Read more
Rapid 7 acquires Israeli cyber startup Alcide.IO for $50 million. This is the first acquisition of an Israeli company by the U.S.-based and Nasdaq-traded Rapid 7. Read more
“I’m betting my life on it”: Yoni Bloch’s vision for the future of video. With eko, viewers can experience choice-driven entertainment where their decisions directly impact the narrative of the stories they watch. Read more
“The cloud is the biggest technological revolution of the past century.” The pandemic has convinced many companies to rely on IoT innovative technologies like the cloud, AI, and robotics in order to work from home, says Accenture Labs CEO Shimon Elkabetz. Read more
Data tracking of athletes tests ethical boundaries. From sleep patterns to biometrics, teams and brands are seeking new revenue streams to capitalize on stars’ most intimate info. Read more
Clal Insurance invests $35 million in FinTLV’s second fintech fund.
Israeli fund FinTLV invests in fintech and insurtech startups and has led a fundraising round together with Psagot Investment House and Poalim Capital Markets of $20 million. Read more
“Covid-19 revealed supply chain holes for hundreds of thousands of companies.” Speaking at Calcalist and Accenture’s Innovation Week, SAP Labs Israel managing director talks about the urgency of going digital. Read more
Sarona Partners’ 365x Accelerator opens two new courses for mature startups. The startups will take part in four months of programs and an additional two months to build on business opportunities. Read more
“Space will be the dominant economy in the next 20 or 30 years.”
During Israeli Space Week event entrepreneurs, scientists, and educators gather to discuss the impacts of the space sector, which is expected to become a $1-$3 trillion industry. Read more
Don’t let SimilarWeb’s growth fool you, its startup vibe is alive and well. SimilarWeb’s CTO Ron Asher assures CTech it’s the same company it has always been – albeit with a few more millions in the bank. Read more
HR Post Covid | Samsung NEXT: “Full return to the office is unlikely, and that’s ok.” With no end in sight, organizations around the world are accepting that Covid-19 will change company culture for years to come. Read more
Report: Israeli startup Otonomo eyeing merger with SPAC. U.S.-based Software Acquisition Group, Inc. II raised $172.5 million in a Nasdaq IPO. Read more
GreenQ’s Internet of Garbage solution makes cities smarter about their waste. Israeli company provides cities with real time data on garbage collection, allowing them to cut down expenses and pollution. Read more
Opinion | Automation, AI, and Blockchain: Here’s how B2B payments may change in 2021. It’s possible now for companies of any size to catch up to current trends and transform their B2B payments in a matter of days, explains Stampli CTO, Ofer Feldman. Read more
OwnBackup makes it three new Israeli unicorns in a week, raises $167.5 million at $1.4 billion valuation. SaaS data protection company’s valuation continues to climb following five years of triple-digit growth. Earlier this week both Melio and DriveNets also attained unicorn status. Read more
New details emerge about Israeli astronaut’s upcoming space mission. The January 2022 mission will be dubbed “Rakia,” after the diary of fallen astronaut Ilan Ramon written aboard the Columbia shuttle; two North American entrepreneurs to join Stibbe in flight to ISS. Read more
Expert | Why are Chinese investors shying away from Israeli tech? New study reveals a sharp decline in investments since 2018 due to Beijing’s shifting priorities and a watchful Washington. Read more
Cybersecurity firm reveals Hezbollah-linked hack of hundreds of global companies. ClearSky Cyber Security confirmed that ‘Lebanese Cedar’, the cyber unit of Hezbollah, has been behind hundreds of cloud and hosting provider hacks. Read more
University of Haifa and TikTok address Holocaust awareness during International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event featured students from the MA Program in Holocaust Studies, addressing the lack of knowledge about the Holocaust among today’s youth. Read more
Israel-Scandinavia trade yet to realize its full potential. Automobile, telecom, energy, cleantech, biotech and maritime among sectors primed for Israeli innovation. Read more
The Corona Effect: Israelis spend half their lives in front of a screen. A survey by Telecom company Bezeq breaks down the numbers on the digital transformation of Israeli households. Read more
Israel’s UBQ Materials and Clairion declared winners of SustainIL Startup Competition. The companies were selected from more than 100 applicants in the Cleantech space. Read more
HR Post Covid | For Melio, it’s all about the People… Analytics. To get a better understanding of how to care for its employees, the fintech startup makes data-driven decisions based on human experiences. Read more
Opinion | Internet Privacy: A necessity, not a luxury. An aware customer-base demands and expects from businesses a proper and holistic consumer experience, which includes protection of privacy, explains Orna Kleinmann. Read more
“In 10 years we’ll see people start settling on other planets,” says SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell. Leading space experts speak during an all-female panel at the Ramon Spacetech Conference sponsored by Calcalist about their hopes for the growing space tech industry in Israel and abroad. Read more
“Spacetech is a $500 billion industry,” says head of Ramon Foundation. Ran Livne, head of the foundation, believes that the spacetech industry will triple over the next decade, as satellite companies plan to connect three billion people to the internet. Read more
“Israel is paving the way for private-public partnerships in space.”
Panelists discuss the challenges and opportunities of private spaceflight during Israel Space Week. Read more
Israel’s Yad Vashem commemorates Holocaust victims with IRemember Wall. The initiative allows people to participate in an online commemorative marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Read more
Israel’s Run:AI completes a $30 million series B. Run:AI has developed an orchestration and virtualization software layer tailored to the unique needs of AI workloads running on GPUs and similar chipsets. Read more
“In the not too distant future, Taboola will be worth $10 billion.”
Taboola CEO Adam Singolda and ION CEO Gilad Shany share their thoughts on carrying out the first fully Israeli SPAC. Read more
India’s Reliance Group acquires millions of Covid-19 breath tests in
$15 million deal with Israel’s Breath Of Health. B.O.H developed a breath test system that identifies Covid-19 at a success rate of over 95%. Read more
Kardome wins the Reinhold Cohn Startup Competition with its better ‘ears’ for robots. 2nd and 3rd place winners in the 2021 Reinhold Cohn Startup Competition, in collaboration with Calcalist, are TuneFork and PicUp. Read more
Israeli startup Beamr wins Tech Emmy for video compression device.
Beamr joins Israeli sound startups SoundRadix and Valens who won the prize in recent years. “Winning will help us gain worldwide exposure during a time when video is the heart of online activity,” says CTO. Read more
Analysis | New kids on the block displacing Wall Street old timers as social media influence grows. Young investors, with their growing volume in trading, especially in tech and cleantech shares, are approaching a critical mass and are beginning to disrupt the old order. Read more
Mercedes Benz invites Israelis to take part in its In-Car Coding Community for new apps. Through the company’s R&D center in Tel Aviv, the car manufacturer has invited Israeli developers to participate in the international competition to offer innovative ideas. Read more
Israeli biopharma startup Omnix Medical awarded €10.8 million from EU to fight drug-resistant bacteria. The novel agents developed by Omnix are designed as an alternative to classical antibiotics. Read more
HR Post Covid | “We are more connected than ever” after Covid-19, says Centrical HR head. Even with the pivot to online and remote work, members of the employee-centric platform felt more connected than ever, says Ella Davidson. Read more
Opinion | Why and how should CSPs engage the enterprise market?
Enabling and supporting enterprises in their digital journey represents an important opportunity for revenue growth for the service providers, argues Alon Berman. Read more
