October 25, 2016 | Israeli startup FireLayers, which develops cyber-security solutions for cloud IT, has been acquired by US cyber security company Proofpoint Inc. for $55 million. Proofpoint will pay $46 million in cash and $9 million in shares for the Herzliya based company. FireLayers, which formally launched in 2014, was co-founded by CEO Yair Grindlinger and president Doron Elgressy.
News Briefs
October 25, 2016
Cyber Security Co. FireLayers Bought For $55M
October 20, 2016
Israeli Startup Kampyle Acquired
October 20, 2016 | American customer experience management company Medallia has acquired Israeli startup Kampyle, which develops software for capturing customer feedback on digital and mobile channels. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2009 by Eran Savir and Eylon Steiner, the company raised $1 million prior to the acquisition.
October 20, 2016
HearMeOut To Raise $4.2M On Australian Bourse
October 20, 2016 | Israeli social networking startup HearMeOut has requested the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to trade on the Australian Securities Exchange, in hopes to raise at least $4.2 million (5.5 million Australian dollars). Founded in 2014 by Moran Chamsi, Yaki Gani, Issy Livian and Lior Menashe, the company – which has been dubbed “the audio version of Twitter” – has so far raised $750,000.
October 20, 2016
Oryx Raises $17M To Develop Vision For Driverless Cars
October 20, 2016 | Israeli startup Oryx Vision, a developer of vision solutions for autonomous cars, has raised $17 million in a financing round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Maniv Mobility and Trucks VC. Founded in 2009 by David Ben-Bassat and Rani Wellingstein, the company provides driverless vehicles a detailed 3D view of their environment.
October 19, 2016
Neomatix Wins Shell’s Energy Challenge
October 19, 2016 | Neomatix, an Israeli startup specializing in computer vision and big data analytics for vehicle tires, is the winner of Shell’s Bright Energy Ideas Challenge. It was chosen over 218 other mobility startups from 36 countries, receiving a prize of €25,000 in cash and a €100,000 convertible loan. According to Geert van de Wouw, managing director of Shell Technology Ventures, the winning startup was selected thanks to its potential effect on sustainability and road safety. Founded in 2011 by Kfir Wittmann, Neomatix has already raised $3 million.
October 19, 2016
Eldan To OIW: Key To Israel’s Startup Success “Not Being Afraid To Take Chances”
October 19, 2016 | Speaking at Oslo Innovation Week (OIW), a five-day event bringing together startups, established companies, government organizations and investors, Anya Eldan, the GM of Early Stage Companies and Incubators at Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist and one of the leading women in Israel’s innovation ecosystem, explained how Israel, a small country, is competing with much larger ones. “We are very innovative and entrepreneurial,” Eldan told the large gathering. “We have about 1,000 new startups each year and about 7,000 operational at any given time – with a very large venture capital industry. Eldan believes the growth and global attraction of Israeli businesses has a lot to do with not being afraid to fail. She and the government encourage entrepreneurs to not shy away from it. “We as a government should encourage people in every sector to take chances, that is what innovation is all about. Also, one of the most important contributions a successful entrepreneur can make is to help others – and one thing we see a lot in Israel is the mentoring network.”
October 16, 2016
Restaurant Management Co. SimpleOrder Raises $2.75M
October 16, 2016 | Israeli startup SimpleOrder, which develops a management platform for restaurant owners, has closed a $2.75 million series A financing round led by Lazarus Israel Opportunities Fund and Foodlab Capital, with participation from existing investors Cyrus Angel Fund and private angel investors. Founded in 2012, by Arik Mazan, Amir Zelig and Guy Even Ezra, the Tel Aviv based company has raised $4.45 million, including the latest financing. SimpleOrder’s platform allows restaurant owners and managers to keep track of accounting and other financial data in real time, providing for more transparency in order-placing and making the service industry more efficient.
October 13, 2016
Norway Bound: NoCamels In Exclusive Media Delegation To Oslo Innovation Week
October 13, 2016 | After a preliminary meeting with Jon Hanssen-Bauer, the Norwegian Ambassador to Israel, an exclusive group of Israeli media, representing NoCamels, The Jerusalem Post and Calcalist, will be traveling to Norway this Sunday as guests of The Norwegian Embassy in Tel Aviv, for Oslo Innovation Week, a week long-event aimed at entrepreneurs, investors, creatives, developers and visionaries across an extensive variety of sectors. The event serves as a bridge connecting industries, accelerating businesses and as a platform to network. Oslo Innovation Week gives an overview of new ideas in the start-up scene both in Norway and globally. One of the Israeli speakers at the event is Anya Eldan, a seasoned high-tech executive and one of the leading women in Israel’s innovation ecosystem. Eldan was chosen by Israeli Chief Scientist Avi Hasson to manage the early-stage and incubator programs that have become a world-class model for 21st-century idea labs. Among the other notable speakers at the event are Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, and Mike Butcher, Editor At Large at TechCrunch.
October 13, 2016
Frutarom Buys Nardi Aromas For $1.6M
October 13, 2016 | Frutarom Industries, the Israeli flavors and specialty fine ingredients giant, has acquired Brazilian company Nardi Aromas for $1.6 million. This is Frutarom’s seventh acquisition this year, and part of its global expansion strategy. Frutarom, which was founded in 1933 by Yehuda Araten and Maurice Gerzon, has production and development centers on all six continents, and sells 52,000 products to more than 29,000 customers in 150 countries. Frutarom’s products are intended mainly for the food and beverages, flavor and fragrance extracts, pharmaceutical, health food, food additives and cosmetics industries. The company employs more than 4,500 people worldwide.
October 09, 2016
Bedouin Drama Sand Storm Is Israel’s Oscar Entry
October 9, 2016 | Sand Storm, a family drama based in a Bedouin community in the Negev Desert, is Israel’s entry for best foreign-language film for the Oscars. In January, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce its 2017 shortlist of foreign-language film nominees. Israel hopes its first-ever Arabic-language submission will be on that list. The film tells the story of two Bedouin women struggling to change the patriarchal rules of their society. Sand Storm won six Ophir Awards – the Oscars equivalent in Israel – from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. Honors included best director for Elite Zexer and best film. Sand Storm is Israel’s 49th submission for the best foreign-language film category at the Oscars. Ten of these films have made the shortlist – the last in 2012, Footnote by Joseph Cedar. The Oscars will be held in Los Angeles on February 26, 2016
October 09, 2016
Israeli Startup NewsTab Raises $1.5M
October 9, 2016 | Israeli RSS reader platform NewsTab has closed a $1.5 million financing round with investors including former VMWare CEO Paul Maritz and former Pelephone Communications Ltd. CEO Eyal Levy. The company will use the proceeds to develop new features. The Tel Aviv-based startup was founded by CEO Arnon Catalan. NewsTab provides a cross-platform service that offers dependable RSS reader functionality, where users can find, follow and organize and browse their favorite news sources, on an intuitive user interface. Users can also follow any Twitter user or hashtag, as well as Google News topics and Google Alerts, to get the best articles through Google’s algorithm. The company also announced the launch of its Android app and Web service while the iOS launch is planned for later this fall.
October 06, 2016
eBay Buys Israeli Visual Search Co. Corrigon
October 6, 2016 | eBay has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Israeli visual search technologies developer Corrigon Ltd.. No financial details about the deal were disclosed but media reports suggest that eBay will be paying $20-30 million for the Tel Aviv based startup. Corrigon helps identify objects within an image, matching both visual and textual elements to ensure that the image is recognized, correctly classified and best-matched to its corresponding product. Corrigon is eBay’s second acquisition in Israel in 2016 following the purchase of SalesPredict, which uses advanced analytics to predict consumer-buying behavior, for about $40 million.
October 05, 2016
Israeli Digital Payment Company Payoneer Raises $180M
October 5, 2016 | Israeli digital payments company Payoneer has raised $180 million in growth equity financing from TCV (Technology CrossOver Ventures) with the participation of former investor Susquehanna Growth Equity. The financing includes $90 million for expanding the company while shareholders sold a stake worth a further $90 million. This is the largest-ever investment in an Israeli FinTech company. Payoneer transforms the way businesses send and receive cross-border payments. The company was founded in 2005 in Israel by president Yuval Tal and former CTO Ben Yaniv Chechik and has raised $235 million to date including the latest financing round. Payoneer is headquartered in New York and has its development office in Tel Aviv, which houses 560 of the company’s 760 employees worldwide.
September 29, 2016
Emergency App Reporty Raises $5.15M
September 29, 2016 | Israeli smart city startup Reporty has raised $5.15 million in a Series A financing round led by its chairman, former Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Ehud Barak. The Tel Aviv based homeland security company has raised $7 million to date with the participation of investors from the US, Asia, Europe, and Israel. Reporty provides a national system to enhance first response to emergency events through real time video and audio. Founded in 2014, Reporty is led by CEO Amir Elichai and CTO Alex Dizengoff, their app is now launching in 160 countries.
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September 28, 2016
AgTech Startup Centaur Raises $1.3M In Round Led By OurCrowd First
September 28, 2016 | Centaur Analytics, a Greece-based AgTech IoT startup that provides real-time stored agriproducts monitoring and protection solutions, announced today it has raised $1.3 million during a recent funding round, which was led by Israeli seed-stage venture fund OurCrowd First. The company stated the funds will be used to accelerate the commercialization of its proprietary wireless sensors and cognitive services platform for monitoring and protecting post-harvest product quality.
