CTECH – Israel’s Latest Technology and Innovation News
Outbrain announces $200 million investment from The Baupost Group. The announcement by the Israeli company came just one week after Outbrain’s prospectus for its first Nasdaq offering was published by the SEC. Read more
Harel to invest $65 million in Silicon Valley Bank’s $375 million fund. “We are adding a third leg to our technology investments through a connection with one of the largest entities in the high-tech world,” said Sami Babkov, who manages the investment division of the Israeli insurance company. Read more
Ministry of Defense taps VCs to fund weapon development. MoD representatives have held talks with venture capital funds regarding making joint investments in startups that are developing technology that can be used both in the defense and civilian sectors. Read more
MeaTech has announced cultivated pork, allowing millions to bring home the bacon. Pork is the most popular meat in the world, followed by poultry, beef, and goats/sheep. Read more
FinTech 2021 | Earnix: The transformation of banking will come from technology. Speaking at Calcalist’s FinTech2021, Earnix CEO Udi Ziv shares how he thinks technology will influence legacy banking institutions. Watch full video
Appointments | Cybersecurity company Morphisec appoints Ron Reinfeld as CFO. “This company is growing exponentially; the last quarter has been the strongest in its history and is bringing a complete and comprehensive solution to a complex problem that is relevant to most businesses around the world,” said Reinfeld. Read more
The New Tech Millionaires | Words can also be a means of wealth. When the new tech industry reality contradicts life itself, a new language is constructed to describe the unimaginable. Read more
When millennials get rich. Techies with newfound wealth are often practical with their money, but can also lose friends and relationships along the way. Read more
Opinion | The SPAC phenomenon: Two-way democratization of the U.S. capital markets. “The SPAC wave may present mid-size Israeli companies with an alternative path to the U.S. public markets. And, this path provides greater deal certainty than in a traditional IPO,” writes Jonathan M. Nathan of Meitar Law Offices. Read more
“Innovation occurs when differences come together.” Erel Margalit, Founder & Executive Chairman at JVP and Margalit Startup City, speaks at JerusalemTech about some of the developments coming out of Jerusalem. Watch full interview
Israel’s Ministry of Finance promotes a bill to encourage local fintech activity. According to the legislation, fintech companies that will test their services locally will receive regulatory relief. Read more
NanoVation receives $5.9 million from European Innovation Council Fund for its respiratory monitoring device. It is the first Israeli company to receive both a grant and equity funding from the EIC. Read more
Wisesight raises $4 million in Series A to create ‘a world without parking tickets’. The company aims to make Israel the country with the lowest rate of parking tickets per capita. Read more
A Day in a Life | The gamer behind an army of automated tests. Daniel Lewinski, web test automation developer at Redis Labs, has fully embraced work from home but is delighted to have room to be innovative, learn, and suggest new ideas at the Israeli unicorn. Read more
What I Learned | Talkspace IPO: When doing good does so well. Qumra Capital’s Erez Shachar: “Talkspace is the first and only publicly traded virtual behavioral health company and will stay true to its mission of being exclusively focused on behavioral health.” Read more
SJM Group and INMED will partner to create advanced digital health platform in Dubai. INMED provides a digital health platform that combines patient management, continuous monitoring, remote examination, and bot services. Read more
The New Tech Millionaires | Running a country like a startup. Nexar founder and CEO Eran Shir explains why Israel is no longer a “cheeky startup nation” and what it needs to do to become “a nation of technology giants.” Read more
Grow more high-tech professionals. The goal: preserve the high-tech industry’s contribution so it continues to grow while avoiding widening social gaps. The solution: Excellent education for all. Read more
Opinion | In the new age of VC, transparency is the name of the game. “The new age of VC’s candor may have been brought on by a market shift and a need for VCs to focus on value add. But what it has created is a far healthier, far more beneficial framework for our founders and companies,” writes Noa Matz of F2 Venture Capital. Read more
Orca Security raising $150 million from Singapore’s Temasek. Shareholders and investors in the Israeli cybersecurity company are headed for a hefty payday, with Orca in the midst of raising funds at a $1.75 billion valuation, just three months after its $210 million Series C. Read more
Former combat soldiers fight tech’s human capital shortage. Cyber4s, a new program that helps turn former IDF fighters into much-needed tech workforce, concludes its second cohort with five women among the graduates. Read more
Israeli unicorn Riskified heading to Wall Street. The online payments fraud prevention company filed a registration statement with the SEC after already reaching a $1 billion valuation in 2019. Read more
In today’s data-driven world, “privacy is a marketing tool.” With companies collecting constant data about their customers, BigID’s Co-Founder and Head of Product Nimrod Vax shares how organizations can help build trust. Read more
Analysis | $26 billion in 4 IPOs, all in one week of work for Israeli tech. Four Israeli companies launched on Nasdaq and NYSE over the past week as the market seems to refuse to cool down. Read more
American Israeli experts share insights on US Independence Day. As Americans celebrate their independence, CTech spoke with three Israelis who live their lives in both nations. Read more
Medical device startup Cardiac Success closes $5.2 million Series A.
Proceeds will be used for pre-clinical testing and the completion of a First-in-Human trial of the company’s innovative “V-sling” heart failure therapy. Read more
Israeli startup SecuredTouch acquired by Ping Identity. “Ping has a commitment to invest in Israeli talent. The acquisition of SecuredTouch is a significant landmark in our efforts to expand our development activity in Israel,” said Shmulik Benshemen, Ping Identity GM. Read more
The New Tech Millionaires | The real cost of the new tech millionaires. “The gaps are widening, and the rest of the workers are being left behind, unable to keep up with the increasing prices, unable to keep pace with their friends in hi-tech,” writes Galit Hemi. Read more
High-tech workforce, own your privilege. Algorithm developer Ariel Greisas calls on his colleagues to “develop the necessary awareness of their place in our society, and accept some basic responsibilities.” Read more
New money with a new attitude. BLEND CEO, Yair Tal, believes that a new generation of Israeli wealth will create new norms and see the new tech millionaires change and advance society. Read more
FinTech 2021 | TripActions’s new Israeli R&D Center is “like joining Amazon 20 years ago.” At Calcalist’s FinTech2021 conference, Co-founder and CEO Ariel Cohen talks about the possibilities and future plans for the company. Watch full video
“The more that Fintech will mature, the more impact it will have.”
Speaking at Calcalist’s FinTech2021 conference, CEO and co-founder of Sunbit, Arad Levertov, discusses how the sector can change the world. Watch full video
Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquires cloud data management company Zerto for $374 million. The Israeli company’s journal-based continuous data protection (CDP) technology includes disaster recovery, backup, and data mobility in a single cloud data management and protection solution. Read more
Rapyd acquiring Icelandic payments company Valitor for $100 million. The Israeli company’s purchase of Valitor, which supplies payments solutions for businesses across Europe, comes six months after Rapyd’s $400 million funding round at a $2.5 billion valuation. Read more
Taboola CEO: “This was my first job and now I’m ringing the Nasdaq bell.” Adam Singolda said that despite going public in New York, Taboola’s heart will remain in Israel. “I believe that we will continue to grow in Israel and are proud to invest in Israel. That isn’t going to change.” Read more
What I Learned | Three lessons I learned from Taboola’s IPO. Chemi Peres, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Pitango and an investor in Taboola, tells CTech about the company’s 14-year journey from a dream to Wall Street. Read more
Juno Journey raises $19 million led by Insight Partners. The Israeli AI startup customizes the learning and personal development experience for employees. Read more
Israeli VC JVP leads $35 million funding of INSHUR. The INSHUR app automatically retrieves and processes relevant pricing data to finalize insurance coverage in minutes. Read more
floLIVE secures $15.5 million investment led by Intel Capital and launches new global 5G service. The Israeli-founded IoT company, which offers advanced 5G network solutions, intends to invest the new funds in strengthening its technology stack, upgrading its global network to 5G and building a global SIM2Cloud offering. Read more
Appointments | Melio hires SBA leader from Obama administration as it targets America’s 31 million small businesses. “I’m happy to join a team so committed to helping small businesses, an issue that is close to my heart,” said Sarah Bard, who will head Melio communications after also previously serving as an adviser to Hillary Clinton and as the Director of Communications for Triventures Venture Capital Fund. Read more
Minute Media expands Voltax Video offering for publishers. Voltax Video is an online video platform that provides publishers with a suite of video technology tools designed to grow engagement, content, audience and monetization. Read more
JerusalemTech | “Jerusalem will be the most fascinating city in the Middle East.” Erel Margalit, Chairman and Founder of JVP and Margalit Startup City, added during Calcalist’s JerusalemTech conference that “in Jerusalem, people pray in mosques, synagogues, and churches, and these connections are Israel’s biggest and most successful startup.” Read more
FinTech 2021 | How does Sorbet turn Paid Time Off problems into a win-win? Speaking at Calcalist’s FinTech 2021 Conference Sorbet Co-founder and CEO Veetahl Eilat-Raichel shares how the company transforms the concept of PTO. Watch full video
Israel’s Fintech success lies in ‘Israeli ingenuity,’ says Tipalti Co-Founder and CEO. Tipalti Co-Founder and CEO Chen Amit shares what he believes is the cause of Israel’s fintech success. Watch full video
Revolutionary MR startup Multinarity emerges from stealth with record $28 million Seed round. After raising the biggest-ever Seed round for an Israeli startup, the founders of Multinarity believe they can revolutionize the world of mixed reality with their secret product. Read more
“It is a wonderful feeling to be the biggest cyber IPO.” SentinelOne CEO and co-founder Tomer Weingarten spoke with Calcalist ahead of his company’s historic day. “For me, the important part of this is the joy that I see in our people.” Read more
API security startup Noname raises $60 million led by Insight Partners. The Israeli company took its total funding in a little more than six months to $85 million as it aims to solve API vulnerabilities. Read more
Outbrain next up as Israeli tech companies continue Wall Street onslaught. The Israeli internet recommendation company submitted a pre-IPO prospectus, showing 29% growth and a $10.7 million profit in the first quarter of 2021. Read more
AI startup AutoBrains partners with Continental to disrupt ADAS and AV marketplace. The Israeli company’s unsupervised AI technology is at the center of the leading Tier 1 supplier’s growth strategy in the ADAS and AV market. Read more
A Day in a Life | Taming the hi-tech beast one motorcycle ride at a time. Tal Beck, Customer Support Expert at Kryon, is happy solving problems from home or the office, but loves more than anything else her motorcycle trips to clients. Read more
8200 Impact’s accelerator program is now inviting applicants for its 7th cohort. The accelerator now includes two more tracks dedicated to Healthtech and Climate & Energy. Read more
FinTech 2021 | “Regulators will have to give fintech companies incentives, otherwise, they won’t operate in Israel.” Team8 Fintech Managing Partner Rakefet Russak Aminoach discussed why fintech companies do not enter the local market at Calcalist’s FinTech 2021 Conference. Read more
“Companies are more interested in protecting their technological assets than physical assets.” Parametrix co-founder Neta Rozy explained at Calcaist FinTech 2021 how technological malfunctions can cost companies millions, even if it was not their fault. Read more
JFrog acquires Vdoo for $300 million in all-Israeli deal. One of the biggest deals ever between two Israeli companies will see Vdoo help accelerate JFrog’s vision of becoming the company behind all software updates and creating a world of Liquid Software. Read more
Accel announces new $650 million European and Israeli early-stage fund. The VC giant has made 20 investments in Israel to date, including in unicorns Snyk, Melio and Fiverr. Read more
Riding the ironSource dragon all the way to Wall Street. CEO of Clal Industries’ ClalTech, one of ironSource’s notable investors, tells Calcalist about the road that led to the biggest public offering ever by an Israeli company. Read more
Home365 closes $16.3 million Series A and acquires SlateHouse. The Israeli-founded company developed an AI-based platform for investment and management of residential real estate properties with a guaranteed monthly rate of return. Read more
Zencity raises $30 million for community insights and analytics platform. The Israeli startup offers government organizations insights from resident feedback through the analysis of millions of pieces of anonymized and aggregated data points alongside continuous, community-based polling. Read more
Israel’s Gong expands to Europe due to high demand abroad. The growth also sees the appointment of Wendy Harris as its new VP of EMEA. Read more
MDI Health announces $6 million seed round, launches personalized AI medication platform. Recent clinical trials at Hadassah University Hospital in Israel showed that the Israeli startup’s AI platform presented up to 40% more life-saving patient insights than the clinical pharmacists had identified. Read more
Otonomo and AWS to accelerate vehicle data-based innovation through new collaboration. “Together with AWS, Otonomo provides a solution for the automotive industry to fully leverage the value of connected vehicle data,” said Ben Volkow, CEO of Otonomo. Read more
