CTECH – Latest Israeli Technology and Innovation News
OpenWeb raises $150 million to earn unicorn status. The Israeli company formerly named Spot.IM was valued at $1.1 billion in the Series E, of which $20 million will be allocated to secondary deals. Read more
Israeli startup valuations surging at record pace, but early-stage
rounds are down. Some 93% of Israeli companies that raised money during the first half of 2021 did so at a higher valuation than their previous round, compared to 84% throughout 2020, according to analysis by Israeli law firm Shibolet & Co. in cooperation with Fenwick & West LLP. Read more
SafeBreach raises $53.5 million for cyberattack simulation platform.
The Israeli startup’s security validation platform automatically executes thousands of attack methods to validate network, endpoint, cloud, container and email security controls against its hacker’s playbook. Read more
Anodot acquiring fellow Israeli cloud startup Pileus. The combined
technology of the companies will integrate visualization, analytics, and cost savings recommendations. Read more
Traffilog, SafeRide negotiating $1 billion SPAC merger. The newly-merged Israeli autotech company is in advanced negotiations to go public in the U.S. by merging with a SPAC. Read more
Upstream Security receives strategic investment from BMW i Ventures. While the size of the investment was not disclosed, it will be added
to the $62 million raised in its most recent Series C round. Read more
Blink secures $14 million in Series A for eye-tracking solution. “We
use our proprietary AI-based, eye-tracking software solution to simplify digital experiences across any device and any operating system,” said CEO Oren Yogev. Read more
Lemonade boosts auto insurance offering with $500 million acquisition of Metromile. The Israeli-founded insurtech company is turning its focus to car insurance after initially highlighting home and pet. Read more
Appointments | TailorMed bolsters leadership team with three strategic hires. The company has appointed Naama Geva as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Vince King as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), and Noa Inbar-Hershkovits as Vice President of People. Read more
Appointments | eBay Israel appoints Amir Di-Nur as new General
Manager. Di-Nur has been at the company since 2020 and will be replacing Ishai Froind. Read more
Opinion | How the digital transformation leveled the playing field for
SMBs. “Small businesses and single entrepreneurs went digital, offering services online via various platforms, and more often than not, it’s what kept them afloat,” writes Itzik Levy, CEO and Founder of vCita. Read more
Tech TLV | How At-Bay keeps SMBs safe from the 300% jump in
cybercrime. Speaking with James Spiro at Calcalist’s Tech TLV, At-Bay Founder and CEO Rotem Iram offers advice on how companies can stay safe. Watch full interview
“Perimeter 81 is democratizing cybersecurity,” claim execs. Speaking
at Tech TLV, Amit Bareket, Co-Founder and CEO; and Sagi Gidali, Co-Founder and CPO, spoke about the challenges faced by small and large companies. Watch full interview
Israeli startup acquisitions reach $9.5 billion for the year. Since the beginning of the year, some 86 Israeli tech companies have been bought, contributing to the fact that so far in 2021 local tech has generated no less than $40 billion, with private funding rounds creating 28 new unicorns and 20 firms going public on Wall Street. Read more
StageOne Ventures raising new $120 million fund. The Israeli VC has
previously invested in the likes of Epsagon, sold to Cisco in August for $500 million, and Avanan, bought last summer by Check Point for $300 million. Read more
DeepCure raises $40 million Series A for AI drug discovery engine. The Israeli-founded Boston-based startup is developing drugs that are fully designed, synthesized, and tested by AI. Read more
Fyllo closes $40 million Series C for compliance platform for highly
regulated industries. The Israeli startup develops compliance, data and marketing solutions to enable companies in highly regulated sectors like cannabis to scale effectively. Read more
Swimm raises $27.6 million Series A led by Insight Partners. The Israeli startup’s technology help teams simplify the process of creating, finding, and maintaining relevant documentation as part of the existing development workflows. Read more
Hong Kong University (HKU) establishes innovation hub in Tel Aviv. The first program will begin at the end of December and will focus on Desertech challenges faced by companies in the vertical. Read more
“If blockchain will wait for banks, it will have to wait for many years.” According to Tomer Michaeli, General Partner at Viola Fintech, “the interesting blockchain solutions will come from innovative technology startups.” Read more
Spotlight | NanoScent develops device to detect Covid-19. The Israeli medical device startup’s sensor is capable of detecting a variety of diseases through scent, including coronavirus. Read more
Opinion | IP not as a burden, but rather as a crucial business tool. “Early-stage startups have limited financial and human resources to invest in IP. Together with the inherent problems in evaluating IP assets, startups do not always prioritize IP protection. However, as sometimes realized, the costs of lacking IP are higher,” writes Saleit Shahar. Read more
Tech TLV | Foodies of all diets can ‘rejoice’ with Redefine Meat’s
plant-based menu. Speaking at Tech TLV, Co-Founder and CEO of Redefine Meat Eshchar Ben Shitrit talks about flexitarian desires. Watch full interview
Covid-19 “shrunk the distance between Israel and the rest of the
world.” Armis Security spoke with CTech at Tech TLV to discuss how the pandemic shifted Israel’s place on the global landscape. Watch full interview
bring justice to all. The Israeli startup is focused on locating violations that have caused damage to millions of people on average – the threshold for a potential class-action lawsuit. Read more
“The SPAC tool is misused, the market for PIPEs is dead.” “We have
databases on dozens of Israeli companies that are SPAC-ready, perhaps not with multi-billion dollar valuations, but certainly half a billion to a billion dollars,” says Ezra Gardner, who raised $115 million for the Gesher I Acquisition Corp. SPAC, which is seeking to merge with an Israeli tech company. Read more
Traffilog, SafeRide join forces in Israeli autotech merger. The merged company, which is set to be valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, will provide an AI-based telematics solution to identify malfunctions and required maintenance according to actual wear and tear. Read more
The Israeli startup translating potential to purchases. “In order to
step out you need to blend in,” says BLEND CEO Yair Tal, a company that provides translation services for companies to help them expand globally. Read more
Opinion | Real World Data key to drug discovery, reducing carbon
footprint of clinical trials. “If employed effectively, the use of RWD in clinical studies has the potential to be potent in many aspects of the drug discovery and regulatory pipeline,” writes Dov Greenbaum. Read more
Opinion | The rise of thematic investing. “For many, thematic investing represents a fundamental shift in their approach to portfolio management,” writes Jay Jacobs, Head of Research & Strategy at Global X ETFs. Read more
Tech TLV | TIPA’s message to governments on battling the plastic
crisis. Daphna Nissenbaum, co-founder and CEO of TIPA, urges governments to take a stand against plastic producers. Watch full interview
REE: The electrification of vehicles needs to go commercial. Speaking at Tech TLV, REE Co-founder and CEO Daniel Barel highlights how only 1% of vehicles are electric. Watch full interview
After $475 million exit, Ido Susan is going all the way with
Drivenets. The co-founder and CEO of Drivenets spoke at Calcalist’s Tech TLV conference about his drive to change industries, and the reason he looks to the east for new markets. Read more
“We’re on it.” SAP addresses privacy efforts during the holiday season. Orna Kleinmann, Managing Director at SAP R&D Center Israel, spoke to CTech about keeping customers safe. Watch full interview
Amdocs explains the ‘inflection point’ of the digital revolution. Avishai Sharlin, Division President at Amdocs Technology, Product, spoke to James Spiro at Tech TLV about what factors are at play as technology changes our lives. Watch full interview
Wall Street reality pushing Israel’s tech unicorns back into private
stables. The numerous Israeli companies to go public over the past year have discovered that the public market is far less forgiving than the private one, and their drop in valuation has also served as a warning sign to other unicorns. Read more
UpWest announces new $70 million seed fund. The fund is building on the success of its portfolio companies highlighted by the recent SentinelOne $10 billion IPO and is also expanding its presence in Tel Aviv with a new office. Read more
Obligo raises $35 million Series B to streamline rental experience.
The Israeli startup aims to build trust between renters and landlords and includes free certified electronic move-in payments, a flexible credit-backed deposit alternative, and automated electronic deposit refunds. Read more
Blings.io crowned as winner of StartUp+ competition. The Israeli
company has developed a platform for creating dynamic and interactive
videos and beat out second-place finisher Luminescent, which manufactures a small, efficient, and inexpensive engine. Read more
Opinion | How banking on your company’s people steers innovation. The key to implementing innovation and a successful digital transformation depends on innovative workers and not technological solutions, argues Michal Simler, CSU lead, VP at Microsoft Israel. Read more
Tech TLV | Google Cloud affirms its commitment to privacy and security at Tech TLV. Google Cloud’s Country Manager Boaz Maoz spoke to James Spiro about some of the ways the tech giant keeps customers safe from attacks. Read more
Here’s why CYE was called ‘the Spotify of Cybersecurity’ by its investors. Speaking at Tech TLV, CYE Founder and CEO Reuven Aronashvili explains the similarities it has with the music giant. Read more
