March 23, 2015 | Israeli medical equipment company SteadyMed Therapeutics raised $40 million in its initial public offering (IPO) on Nasdaq this week. The company’s flagship product is PatchPump, which is a new method of drug delivery. SteadyMed was founded in 2005 by Yossi Eldar and the Zisapel Family.
News Briefs
March 23, 2015
SteadyMed Raises $40M In IPO
March 23, 2015
Alibaba To Invest In Israeli Startups Through JVP
March 23, 2015 | Online shopping giant Alibaba will invest tens of millions of dollars in Israeli startup companies through Israeli venture capital firm JVP, according to a Calcalist report. Earlier this year, Alibaba reportedly invested roughly $7 million in Israeli startup company Visualead, which develops QR scanning technologies. JVP (Jerusalem Venture Partners) was founded in Israel in 1993 by entrepreneur-turned-politician Erel Margalit.
March 22, 2015
Israeli Starup Meerkat Raises $12M From Greylock
March 22, 2015 | Israeli startup Meerkat, which allows users to stream live video from their smartphones to Twitter, has raised $12 million from venture capital firm Greylock Partners, according to a TechCruch report. So far, the startup has raised $16.2 million and is valued at $40 million. Formerly known as Yevvo, the company was founded in 2012 by Ben Rubin, Roi Tirosh and Itai Danino.
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March 22, 2015
Facebook Israel Is Expanding: Will Grow Staff By 53%
March 22, 2015 | Facebook is expanding in Israel. The social-networking giant announced plans to recruit 40 new employees to its Tel Aviv office. They will join some 75 developers and marketers currently working for Facebook Israel, which is led by Adi Sofer-Teeni. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004.
March 22, 2015
Israeli Startup E2C Raises $1.3M
March 22, 2015 | Israeli startup E2C, which develops easy-to-use smartphones for senior citizens, has raised $1.3 million from the Israeli Chief Scientist, startup incubator Explorer, Curious Minds and TMT Investments. The investment will go toward launching a new tablet computer, which will also feature a simplified interface. E2C was founded in 2012 by Amir Alon, Nimrod Kimchi and Eyal Hakner.
March 22, 2015
UK Fund Taurus To Invest In Israeli Startups
March 22, 2015 | UK-based financier Taurus Asset Finance will invest in Israeli startup companies through its fund Wekix II, according to a Reuters report. The fund specializes in cloud, internet, mobile and e-commerce companies. The minimum investment in the fund will be $7,500 and the closing date is June 30, 2015. Wekix was founded in 2013 and is led by Israeli Shay Hasson.
March 19, 2015
Israeli Fintech Startup Fundbox Raises $40M
March 19, 2015 | Israeli startup Fundbox, which developed a cash flow optimization tool for small businesses, has raised $40 million in a financing round led by General Catalyst Partners. Fundbox advances thousands of invoices weekly, offering small business owners the ability to optimize their cash flow by advancing payments for unpaid invoices. The company was founded in 2012 by fintech veterans Eyal Shinar, Tomer Michaeli and Yuval Ariav.
March 19, 2015
Israeli Quiz Publisher PlayBuzz Raises $16M
March 19, 2015 | The popular online quiz provider PlayBuzz has raised $16 million in a financing round led by venture capital fund 83North. The new investment will go into expanding the company’s operations and into developing additional formats. PlayBuzz was founded in 2012 by Tom Pachys and Shaul Olmert, son of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.
March 19, 2015
Check Point To Buy Israeli Startup Lacoon for $80M
March 19, 2015 | Israeli cybersecurity giant Check Point is in talks to buy Lacoon Mobile Security, an Israeli startup company that develops firewall technologies for smartphones, for an estimated $80 million, according to a report in Calcalist. Last month, Check Point acquired cyber security firm Hyperwise for a similar amount. Check Point was founded in 1993 in Tel Aviv by Shlomo Kramer and Gil Shwed.
March 18, 2015
Mobileye To Issue Secondary NYSE Offering
March 18, 2015 | The developer of camera-based driving assistance systems, Mobileye, filed with the US Securities & Exchange Commission for a secondary offering. The company and its investors will sell 14.5 million shares at a closing price of $41.63 per share, in an attempt to raise over $600 million. Mobileye initially went public with its shares on the New York Stock Exchange at a share price of $25 per share, with the shares reaching a height of $57.70 at their peak. Mobileye was founded in 1999 by Hebrew University Prof. Amnon Shashua and Ziv Aviram.
March 18, 2015
Teva And Ignyta Cooperation On Oncology Tech
March 18, 2015 | The Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced that it will sell four targeted oncology development programs to Ignyta. In exchange, Teva will have a six percent holding in the company responsible for developing precision oncology biotechnology. The companies have also entered into stock purchase agreements according to which Teva will purchase an additional 1.5 million shares in Ignyta for a 12 percent stake in total. Teva was founded in 1901 and is currently headed by President and CEO Erez Vigodman.
March 18, 2015
David Wiessman Resigns From CEO Position At Alon Blue Square
March 18, 2015 | Alon Blue Square announced that its Chief Executive Officer David Wiessman has resigned from the company. He will remain the director of the company. Chairman of the Board Amit Ben Yitzhak commented: “Mr. Weissman served the Company as its Chief Executive Officer over the past 2 years. The Board of directors wishes to thank him for his contribution and devotion to the Company and its employees.” Alon Blue Square was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Yakum, Israel.
March 18, 2015
TechFinancials Raises $5.13M In AIM IPO
March 18, 2015 | The Israeli-founded options trading firm TechFinancials went public on London’s AIM stock exchange at a company value of £18.4 million ($26.9 million). The company succeeded in raising £3.05 million ($5.13 million). Founded in 2009, TechFinancials provides binary trading options technology.
March 18, 2015
Israel To Provide Water Tech Solutions In Kenyan County
March 18, 2015 | Israeli investors and members of the Embu County government in Kenya will work together on water saving technological solutions, a serious problem for Embu County. Embu Governor Martin Nyaga Wambora received the President of Goodwill Ambassadors for Israel Don Esposito in a meeting in which they discussed viable water and agritech solutions for Embu County residents.
March 18, 2015
Cannabliss And Canadian Bioceutical Corp. Sign Cooperation Agreement
March 18, 2015 | The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation’s subsidiary BioCannabis Products announced that it entered into an agreement with Tel Aviv-based company Cannabliss. According to the agreement, the two companies will cooperate on the conception, research, development and production of cannabis-related medicinal products and technologies with the eventual goal of consummating licensing and distribution agreements for the Canadian medical marijuana market. Cannabliss is an Israeli company specializing in development, manufacturing and marketing of high-end standardized medical cannabis-based products, under a license from the Ministry of Health since 2009.
