September 24, 2015 | Israel’s Ben-Gurion University announced it has officially opened its new startup accelerator Inno-Negev, which will provide high-tech entrepreneurs with the essential tools needed to increase viability and develop abilities to advance their ventures. This will be accomplished by providing professional services to startup teams with an emphasis on project development and by ensuring the teams are well prepared to present their projects to potential investors.
News Briefs
September 24, 2015
BGU Opens New Startup Accelerator
September 24, 2015
WIPO: Israel Among Most Innovative Nations
September 24, 2015 | Israel was ranked 22nd on a list of innovative nations compiled by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Topping the list are Switzerland, the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands and the US. Rather than looking at startup ecosystems, WIPO’s Global Innovation Index looks at “effective innovation policies for development,” according to the organization.
September 21, 2015
ZOLL Acquires Kyma For $35M
September 21, 2015 | American medical device company ZOLL Medical has acquired Israeli startup Kyma Medical Technologies for $35 million plus milestone payments in the future. Kyma Medical has developed a radio frequency-based device that remotely monitors patients for chronic heart failure. Kyma Medical was founded in 2008 by Assaf Bernstein and Uriel Weinstein.
September 21, 2015
Study: Valuation Of Israeli Startups On The Rise
September 21, 2015 | The valuation of Israeli startups is on the rise, according to a study conducted by Israeli law firm Shibolet. The research found that 83 percent of startups are raising money at higher valuations in current rounds, compared to previous funding rounds.
September 21, 2015
Report: Sky Fund Buys 50% Of Gestetnertec
September 21, 2015 | Israeli private equity firm Sky Fund is acquiring 50 percent of Gestetnertec, an Israeli printing company valued at $33 million, according to a Calcalist report. Gestetnertec, founded in 1931, is the local distributor for global printing powerhouse Gestetner.
September 21, 2015
Report: Santander InnoVentures To Invest $10M in Israeli FinTech
September 21, 2015 | London-based venture capital firm Santander InnoVentures plans to invest up to $10 million in Israeli FinTech startups, according to a Globes report. Earlier this year, the firm invested $5 million in Israeli startup MyCheck.
September 21, 2015
Sagi Named GM Of Cisco Israel
September 21, 2015 | Oren Sagi has been named Cisco Israel’s general manager, replacing Boaz Maoz, who was recently appointed a senior executive in the global headquarters of Cisco Systems. The information technology giant, founded in San Francisco in 1984, opened a center in Israel in 1997.
September 20, 2015
VCs Prefer US, Israel For Investment
September 20, 2015 | Israel is second only to the US when it comes to investments by venture capital firms. According to a new survey conducted by consulting firm Deloitte, Israel is No. 2 on the list of countries they prefer to invest in, following the US. In the second quarter of 2015, Israeli startups raised $1.12 billion from investors, the largest quarterly investment in the history of the Startup Nation, according to IVC Research Center.
September 20, 2015
Report: Advertising Giant IPG Buys Israeli Company Pursway
September 20, 2015 | Israeli company Pursway, which uses “socializing data” to target opinion leaders for marketing purposes, has been sold to advertising giant IPG for $15-$20, according to a Calcalist report. Founded in 2005 by Elery Pfeffer, Ran Shaul and Guy Gildor, the company reportedly laid off more than half of its workforce following the sale.
September 20, 2015
Can-Fite Raises $9M On NYSE
September 20, 2015 | Can-Fite BioPharma, an Israeli biotechnology company developing drugs that treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, has raised $9 million from institutional investors in a registered direct offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Based in Petach Tikva, Can-Fite went public in 2013.
September 17, 2015
Compass Raises $50 Million From IVP
September 17, 2015 | Real estate search engine Compass has raised $50 million in a private funding round led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), after raising $40 million in July 2014. So far, the company has raised $123 million. This tech-driven real estate brokerage firm was founded by Israeli entrepreneur Ori Allon in 2012.
September 17, 2015
UBS: Tel Aviv Among World’s Most Expensive Cities
September 17, 2015 | Tel Aviv is among the 30 most expensive cities in the world, according to the latest UBS Prices and Earnings report, issued by the Swiss bank annually. Tel Aviv was ranked at No. 24 on the list of priciest cities; topping the list are New York City, Zurich and Geneva.
September 17, 2015
Report: Gaming Giant Zynga To Open R&D center in Israel
September 17, 2015 | Gaming giant Zynga, based in San Francisco, plans to open a research and development center in Israel, according to a Calcalist report. Earlier this week, Zynga acquired Israeli gaming startup Rising Tide Games for an estimated $50 million.
September 17, 2015
Drahi’s Altice Acquires Cablevision For $17.7B
September 17, 2015 | Telecom group Altice, controlled by French-Israeli cable mogul Patrick Drahi, has acquired Cablevision, a New York-based cable television group, for $17.7 billion. Altice Group is a multinational cable and telecommunications company with a presence in France, Israel, Belgium, Portugal and Switzerland.
September 17, 2015
Report: Israel To Invest $100M In New Cyber College
September 17, 2015 | The State of Israel will invest more than $100 million in a new college campus for cyber-security studies, according to a Calcalist report. The new cyber center will be built in the southern town of Dimona and is expected to enroll 1,000 students initially. Construction is slated to begin in the coming year.
