June 8, 2014 | The Israeli-based company responsible for developing zero emissions metal air energy technologies, 
Phinergy announced late last week that it will partner with Alcoa, the world’s third largest producer of aluminum. The companies will create a new battery that they say will make electric vehicles as cost effective as gas-fueled vehicles and extend their vehicle range. One worry of electric vehicle purchasers is range limitation, meaning that the battery of the car, which entirely eliminates the need for conventional fuels, won’t have enough power to get them to their destination. Now, Phinergy and Alcoa say their standard lithium-ion batteries will contain aluminum-air batteries that will extend the car’s range by 1,000 miles in a single charge.
News Briefs
Phinergy Partners With Alcoa To Extend Range of Electric Vehicles
Leading Software Distributor ironSource Opens Office in China
June 5, 2014 | Leading software distributor ironSource, one of Israel’s web powerhouses, announced this week that it will open its first office in Beijing, China to be staffed by both Israeli and Chinese employees. According to a report in the Times of Israel, ironSource hopes that bringing its technology to China will help meet the needs of local companies.
Founded in Tel Aviv in 2009, ironSource is one of Israel’s most successful software distribution and monetization companies that is best known for its InstallCore platform, an installation platform responsible for over 100 million software installations each month.
[sharethis-inline-buttons]Teva Acquires Labrys Biologics For As Much As $825M
June 5, 2014 | Teva Pharmaceutical Industries acquired Labrys Biologics for up to $825 million, according to Globes. The leading Israeli pharmaceutical company reportedly payed Labrys $200 million in cash upfront and will pay up to $625 million in contingent payments following launch.
Labrys Biologics is a private biotechnological company focused on treatments for chronic and episodic migraine headaches. The acquisition of the company aids in Teva’s goal of becoming a world leader in pain by the year 2020.
[sharethis-inline-buttons]SingTel In Talks to Buy Kontera For $160M
June 5, 2014 | According to a report by “The Wall Street Journal”, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), the largest mobile operator in Singapore, is in advanced talks to buy the Israeli digital advertisement company Kontera for $160 million. The report suggests that a deal between the two companies could be closed within the coming days, but there is still a chance that the talks could fall through. SingTel appears to be following a buying pattern after the telecommunications company purchased Amobee, another digital ad provider, in March 2012 for $321 million in cash.
Kontera, a digital advertisement company that tracks popular content on social media sites and hyperlinks words to external content in order to optimize exposure, was founded in 2000 by CEO Yoav Shaham and COO Assaf Henkin. The company has its offices in San Francisco and its development center in Herzliya Pituach, Israel.
[sharethis-inline-buttons]CyberX Software Security Program Secures $2M In Seed Funding
June 5, 2014 | CyberX, a software security program launched last year in Israel with UpWest Labs accelerator announced that it has secured $2 million in seed funding. The round of funding was led by Glilot Capital Partners as well as Swarth Group, GlenRock and angel investor Gigi Levy-Weiss.
CyberX has created technology that protects industrial internet networks in important sectors like energy (gas and oil), manufacturing and medicine. The company recently opened offices in Palo Alto, California and hopes to use the new funds to hire more staff and reach customers in the United States.
[sharethis-inline-buttons]Social Game Creator Dragonplay Sold For $100M to Bally Tech
June 5, 2014 | The Tel Aviv-based social game creator Dragonplay was sold for $100 million to Bally Technologies, according to an exclusive report in “Calcalist”. The value of the sale is still dependent, however, on the achievement of predetermined sales goals for the company.
Founded in 2012, Dragonplay is best known as the creator of the highly popular social poker game for Android “Live Holdem Poker Pro”, which was downloaded by tens of thousands of users. In the year of its founding, the company raised $14 million from Excel Partners, a major investor in Facebook and Roxio.
[sharethis-inline-buttons]Taboola Marketing Platform Partners With Yahoo Japan
June 5, 2014 | The content discovery and marketing platform based in Israel, Taboola, will partner with Yahoo Japan on a white label basis. As CEO Adam Singolda told Beet.TV, Taboola will begin to embed links from its marketplace at the bottom of pages on Yahoo Japan on a white label basis, meaning that the Taboola logo will not be displayed. The news of the partnership with Yahoo Japan comes as Google is expected to develop a marketing and content discovery platform similar to Taboola’s in the coming months.
Orthopedics Company Premia Spine Raises $7M of $10M Goal
June 3, 2014| Premia Spine, formerly known as Impliant, announced this week that it was able to raise $7 million of its $10 million financing goal for the development of its artificial lumbar plates for the spine. According to Globes, the company, which is active in the UK, Germany, Austria, Italy and Israel, has already made NIS 5-8 million in sales after only two years on the market. Although not currently available in the United States, Premia Spine hopes to use recent investments to seal American marketing approval and begin sales there.
will.i.am Considers Investing in Five Israeli Startups
June 3, 2014| During a recent visit to Israel, Black Eyed Peas founding member and rapper, will.i.am (William Adams) met with five Israeli startups that he is considering investing in. According to Globes, the famed musician met with representatives from Tonara, an interactive sheet music app developer, WiShi, a crowd-styling fashion platform, and Fashioholic, a mobile fashion game developer, among others.
In 2011, will.i.am was named director of creative innovation at Intel Corp and while in Israel, sought out application and mobile developers for his latest endeavor, a smartwatch that acts as a fully functioning phone.
[sharethis-inline-buttons]Intel Invests $10M In Israeli Cyber Security Firm Fortscale
June 2, 2014 | The Israeli intelligence analytics company Fortscale, whose technology helps protect companies against cyber attacks using big data, raised $10 million in funding from Intel Capital and Blumberg Capital, it was announced on Monday. The investment will be used by the cybersecurity company to open Fortscale’s new headquarters in Silicon Valley, California and to fund the growth of the Israeli-based R&D and analytics teams. Founded in 2012, Fortscale specializes in helping large companies and enterprises defend themselves against cyber attacks targeted at intellectual property and financial assets using big data analytics.
Microsoft Ventures And JVP Launch Cyber-Security Accelerator In Tel Aviv
June 1, 2014 | Microsoft Ventures, an accelerator, and Israeli venture capital JVP will launch a cyber-security-focused program on September 14th in Tel Aviv. The four-month program is looking for startup companies presently running cyber-security products and services and will grant oversight and expertise from industry executives, as well as free tools and support.
Nokia Acquires Israeli Tourism App ‘Desti’
Nokia has acquired Israeli tourism app Desti for an undisclosed sum, it was announced. Desti uses artificial intelligence to sift through thousands of accommodations, attractions, activities and dining spots for tourists. Nokia, which was itself bought by Microsoft last year, aims to integrate Desti’s artificial intelligence and natural language technology to create more personalized location searches on its maps services.
PTC And The Technion Sign Agreement To Establish $7M Robotics Center
May 29, 2014 | American software company PTC has signed an agreement with the Technion to support the establishment of a center for robotics and digital content in the department of Education in Science and Technology, investing $7 million. Within the framework of this agreement, PTC will finance the creation of the center and its operational costs for the first 3 years.
Mobile Wallet Services ‘Check’ Acquired For $360M By Intuit
Intuit, a US based software company that develops financial and tax preparation software and related services for small businesses, has acquired the Israeli-American bill-payment service ‘Check’ for $360 million. Check, founded in 2008, is a multi-award-winning app that alleviates the hassle and stress associated with financial management, with over 10 million active users.
TabTale Aquires Chinese Kids’ Game Company Coco Play
May 28, 2014 | Israeli startup TabTale, which develops children’s games, has acquires Chinese game developer Coco Play. Financial details were not disclosed. The acquisition gives TabTale a crucial foothold in the Chinese market. TabTale, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Israel is the creator of interactive books, games, and educational apps released over 250 apps for children on both iOS and Android devices and has achieved over 300 million downloads and five million active monthly users.
