CTECH: Latest Israeli Innovation & Tech News April 20, 2026
Meta plans sweeping layoffs, Israeli staff brace for impact. Unclear how cuts will affect company’s 800 employees in Israel. Read more
Israeli startup aims to cool the planet through agriculture. New technology developed by Cooling Crops lowers crop temperatures and restores degraded soil. Read more
Israel’s defense diplomacy faces mounting challenges in Europe. Italy, France and others signal growing discomfort with current policies. Read more
Navan IPO lifts Group 11’s fifth fund after years of losses. Dovi Frances’ publicly traded vehicle returns to profit on unrealized gains. Read more
The AI cybersecurity boom may be creating a bigger problem than it solves. “The gap between when a vulnerability is understood and when you can actually eliminate it from your systems is about to become more visible, more frequent, and more operationally expensive,” writes Eilon Elhadad, co-founder and CEO at Echo. Read more
“The era of immunity for high-tech workers is over.” Study links AI to rising unemployment in programming and sales roles. Read more
Printing giant Shutterfly to shut Israel operations, lay off 80 employees. Haifa-based center to close as company restructures global operations. Read more
Founders shift strategy, raising more capital earlier in funding cycle. Entrepreneurs are raising larger early checks through flexible instruments while delaying priced rounds until traction improves. Read more
Anthropic’s revolution is a wake-up call for Israeli cyber. The Israeli market remains strong, but the question of whether cyber is still an “excellent” investment now yields a complex answer. Read more
“What worked for one person is often impossible to replicate or irrelevant to your own journey.” As part of the Growth+ project by Calcalist and Poalim Tech, Amos Peled, co-founder and CEO of Guardio, met with Guy Manzur, founder of Lunair: “I suddenly had to take on a lot of other responsibilities outside my field, such as marketing, sales, economics, and business.” Read more
Molex acquires Israeli optical chip startup Teramount for $430 million. Founded in 2015 and backed by Grove Ventures and Koch Disruptive Technologies, Teramount will remain an independent engineering center under Molex. Read more
Cyber startup Artemis raises $70 million just six months after launch. The Israeli-founded company targets AI-driven attacks with new defense platform. Read more
eToro acquires crypto wallet provider Zengo for $70 million. The deal aims to expand digital asset capabilities and support self-custody. Read more
Taboola lays off 100 employees, 5% of workforce. The company continues hiring as it accelerates DeeperDive expansion with major media partners. Read more
Intel Capital, Greenfield and founders headline winners in DustPhotonics exit. Early backers reap outsized returns from Credo’s up to $1.3 billion acquisition, with Greenfield poised for a roughly 10x gain, Intel Capital securing a strong exit from its early stake, and the company’s founders each set to receive tens of millions as the silicon photonics bet pays off. Read more
Credo to acquire Israeli chip startup DustPhotonics for up to $1.3 billion. The Israeli company’s photonic chip technology enables faster, lower-cost data transfer in next-generation AI clusters. Read more
Palo Alto Networks completes $400 million acquisition of Koi. The Israeli startup strengthens the company’s push into AI and endpoint security. Read more
Wiz and Cyberstarts take over Landmark Tower B in major Tel Aviv leasing deal. Full occupancy deal values offices at roughly $40 million annually. Read more
How a low-profile billionaire keeps winning the chip game. Avigdor Willenz strikes again as DustPhotonics sells for up to $1.3 billion. Read more
DualBird CEO Amir Gilad dies unexpectedly. Young Israeli startup faces a profound loss following the death of its co-founder. Read more
