CTECH: Latest Israeli Innovation & Technology News Jan. 22, 2025
Sam Altman-backed Apex Security in advanced talks to be acquired by Varonis for up to $40M. The acquisition would strengthen Varonis’ AI security capabilities. Apex denies the negotiations. Read more
Mitiga raises $30M Series B to defend cloud services from cyberattacks. The Israeli company aims to expand into North America and Europe while enhancing its attack investigation tools. Read more
What went wrong at AnyVision? Lessons from a $352M flameout. Big investors, bold promises, and why the Israeli AI startup strugged to commercialize. Read more
Meta forced to unmask anonymous Facebook users in defamation lawsuit. Tel Aviv court ruling sets precedent, bypassing user objections to disclosure. Read more
Opinion | Exit dreams and corporate reality: Untold challenges of Israeli tech acquisitions. “Despite challenges, Israeli startup acquisitions remain vital for driving global innovation and economic growth. Success requires proper preparation, cultural sensitivity, and strategic foresight,” writes Itamar Tal, VP Engineering at Akamai Technologies and former VP Engineering at Guardicore. Read more
Facial recognition firm Oosto, formerly AnyVision, sold for $125M after raising $352M. Controversy and market challenges brought the Israeli startup’s ambitions to a halt and resulted in a sale to parking lot company Metropolis. Read more
Trump’s second term begins with crypto, controversy, and sweeping reforms. The former reality star turned president will be sworn in on Monday after launching a $72 billion cryptocurrency, appointing polarizing cabinet members, and pledging mass deportations and trade wars. Read more
2025 VC Survey | “The incoming US administration will have a positive impact on the high-tech industry.” SYN Ventures Venture Partner Marcio Lempert joined CTech to share predictions in the cyber arena of Israel’s high-tech ecosystem. Read more
TikTok’s US shutdown: a high-stakes game of geopolitical chess. As the app goes dark, Trump and Xi weigh diplomatic moves for a resolution. Read more
“Everyone will be a manager” – what the world of work will look like with AI agents. AI agents are reshaping roles, empowering employees, and redefining leadership in the workplace. Read more
Survey finds 50% of high-tech startups in Israel may exhaust funds in six months. As a result of financial constraints, around 20% of companies reported in the Israel Innovation Authority’s survey that they relocated activities or staff abroad, and approximately 40% reported deliberately reducing their cash burn rates. Read more
Israel introduces regulatory sandbox to boost innovation. The Ministry of Justice aims to remove bureaucratic barriers, allowing companies to test new technologies under flexible regulations. Read more
Quantum computing will “be the next big thing after AI,” says AT&T VP. “We can create an amazing impact on the overall ecosystem that is working on Quantum,” said VP of Technology Rinat Zilberstein at Tech TLV. Read more
“Wiz is the world’s fastest-growing cyber company and together we can build the largest security company to come out of Israel.” Dazz CEO Merav Bahat was speaking on a panel at Tech TLV two months after being acquired by Wiz for $450 million. The panel also included Alon Huri, Managing Partner at Team8, Fiona Darmon of Senvest Capital, Emanuel Timor of Vertex Ventures, and Shira Eting from Vintage. Read more
2025 VC Survey | “Israeli entrepreneurs are some of the best in the world and are poised to take advantage of 2025.” Chaim Schiff, CEO of Elephant Secondary Market Platform, joined CTech to predict how the markets are expected to shift and what that may do to Startup Nation in 2025. Read more
Lenovo acquires enterprise storage company Infinidat in its first Israeli acquisition. The Chinese tech giant plans to establish a development center in Israel, expanding Infinidat’s team and strengthening its global storage solutions portfolio. Read more
eToro files for US IPO, targeting $5 billion valuation. Israeli trading platform plans New York listing as early as Q2 2025. Read more
NetApp sells Spot to Flexera for $100 million, four years after $450 million acquisition. The move marks a significant shift as NetApp refocuses on its core data infrastructure business. Read more
Microsoft’s $1B climate fund hasn’t backed any Israeli startups despite opening a local office two years ago. Despite opening a dedicated office in Israel to support climate-tech innovation, Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund has yet to invest in any local startups, leaving the country’s burgeoning climate-tech sector without promised support. Read more
Nilus nets $10M for AI-powered treasury management platform. The Israeli startup’s platform provides organizations with one tool to collaborate on for treasury, accounting, and FP&A. Read more
