CTECH: Latest Israeli Innovation & Technology News Oct. 2025
“I hope the AI bubble bursts soon. I need it to happen for my startup to succeed.” After being ousted from RapidAPI, former teen unicorn founder Iddo Gino returns with Datawizz, aiming to cut AI costs, challenge industry giants, and navigate the fevered Silicon Valley landscape. Read more
Descope closes $88M Seed round with $35M extension. The company launched from stealth in February 2023 with $53 million in Seed funding and has since grown to serve thousands of organizations. Read more
Commcrete raises $29 million to shrink satellite communications to the palm of a hand. Israeli defense veterans say their technology delivers secure links where conventional systems collapse. Read more
HoneyBook acquires AI startup Fine.dev to accelerate vibe coding for small businesses. Acquisition strengthens HoneyBook’s platform with agentic AI and hyper-personalized tools for entrepreneurs. Read more
Israeli tech raises $11.9B in 2025 as M&A soars to $71B, five times last year. Despite a 22% drop in deal volume through the first three quarters of the year, funding climbed 13% year over year, while exits hit $41 billion and cybersecurity dominated record-breaking acquisitions. Read more
The unlikely path to a $497 million Israeli exit: “I want to be remembered as someone who positively affected many patients.” A chance encounter at university led Dr. Eyal Orion to the Zisapel brothers’ RAD Biomed incubator, setting him on a path to found five medical device companies, including one sold for $100 million. This month, he achieved a second exit with the $497 million sale of Vectorious, developer of a heart failure–detecting sensor. Read more
“Out of the pain grew the roots of an idea”: How one soldier built an Israeli startup to redefine recovery. Founded by former combat medic Asaf Ventura after a life-altering injury, Israeli startup apa wellness has raised more than NIS 4 million via Fundit to transform everyday pools into AI-powered smart gyms, targeting a $36 billion global aquafitness and rehabilitation market. Read more
Trigo founder launches Gain with $12 million Seed round to bring AI ‘employees’ into procurement. The startup, headed by CEO Michael Gabay, targets the hidden costs of “long-tail” purchasing, where hundreds of small transactions drive up expenses across supply chains. Read more
Elbit lands $120 million drone deal amid growing pressure on Israel’s defense exports. The Hermes 900 sale highlights the paradox of Israel’s defense industry, where global demand persists even as European governments suspend contracts. Read more
Disruptions at European airports: Not a technical glitch – but a global wake-up call. “So what must airlines do to prevent cyberattacks? Above all, they must adopt a proactive approach. This means deploying multi-layered protection that integrates cloud-based scrubbing services, advanced WAF systems, bot protection, and rate-limiting capabilities,” writes Rona Amram, VP of Business Management at MazeBolt. Read more
Defense startup Kela acquires AI firm Pelanor for tens of millions. The deal marks Kela’s first acquisition as it expands its next-generation military platform. Read more
Nice board confronts institutional backlash over $9M CEO payout. Institutions prepare for this week’s vote after the company bypassed shareholders to grant former CEO Barak Eilam a $9m package. Read more
“They need our weapons more than we need them”: Israel faces arms export freeze. Spain cancels contracts worth €600 million as global pressure mounts over Gaza. Read more
“The layoffs at Fiverr are just the beginning”: AI is coming for white-collar work. From call centers to consulting firms, artificial intelligence is replacing service providers across a $4 trillion industry. With $1.5 billion raised in two years, Israeli entrepreneurs are betting on “Service as Software” to replace traditional providers. Read more
“Our drone is a one-way ticket”: Inside UVision’s deadly marriage of surveillance and strike. As part of CTech’s series on Israel’s unmanned aerialscape, UVision EVP Itzik Huber explains how loitering munitions merge the intelligence of UAVs with the strike power of missiles, and the way that combination is reshaping modern warfare. Read more
Shashua’s stealth AI startup raises hundreds of millions at over $1 billion valuation. AAI, which the Mobileye and AI21 Labs founder co-founded in 2023, has quietly secured major backing as it pursues superintelligence research. Read more
Microsoft cuts off Israel’s Unit 8200 from cloud services after surveillance revelations. Guardian report triggers investigation; Brad Smith cites misuse of Azure for mass monitoring of Palestinians. Read more
Datavant acquires Israel’s DigitalOwl for over $200 million. The AI startup’s technology will streamline medical record analysis for insurers and law firms. Read more
Mapping the 70 Israeli startups shaping the future of semiconductors, AI, and computing. From chip design to AI acceleration, Israel’s startup ecosystem is punching far above its weight in the global semiconductor race. With $5.5 billion raised collectively, these startups are positioning Israel as a key player in next-generation chips and AI models. Read more
Israel weighs deployment of Iron Beam in Eilat after Houthi drone strike. Mayor says laser defense system could arrive within two months, marking first operational use of world’s only field-ready laser interceptor. Read more
From collapse to Nasdaq: Navan files for IPO after pandemic reinvention. The Israeli-founded travel and fintech company nearly collapsed in 2020, but eyes $5–7B valuation in Wall Street debut. Read more
Passwordless authentication startup OwnID acquired by Brazilian unicorn Unico. OwnID, which specializes in passwordless identity verification, was founded in 2020 by Dor Shany and Rooly Eliezerov, both former employees of Gigya, which was bought by SAP in 2017. Read more
“Despite it all, Israel entrepreneurs are just unstoppable.” Yair Snir, Managing Director, Dell Technologies Capital, spoke to CTech during Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s Mind The Tech conference in London. Read more
Intel’s employees win breathing room; its strategy remains in crisis. The Nvidia partnership boosts stock value and morale, but Intel’s design-and-manufacture model remains under pressure. Read more
Via teams up with Waymo to power autonomous taxi service. Fresh off a $4B Wall Street debut, the Israeli company will integrate its transit platform into Waymo’s driverless fleets. Read more
Why Nvidia’s Intel investment says more about Trump than about AI chips. A $5 billion investment that boosts Intel’s stock may reflect U.S. geopolitical priorities more than technological strategy. Read more
Uber bets tens of millions on drone deliveries with Israel’s Flytrex. The Israeli startup is one of only four companies cleared by the FAA to fly beyond visual line of sight. Read more
Roche strikes $3.5 billion deal for U.S.-Israeli biotech 89bio. Founded in 2018 from Teva’s pipeline, the biotech firm is set to become a centerpiece in Roche’s obesity strategy. Read more
JFrog signs $195M lease for new Tel Aviv headquarters. Software company takes 60% of East& Tower as part of a potential 13-year agreement, cementing its long-term presence in the city. Read more
$82B and counting: A new generation of Israeli cyber exits. “2025 will be remembered not just for record-breaking exits, but for the polarization and maturation of the sector,” writes Dorin Baniel, Head of EMEA Office at NightDragon. Read more
