Israel High Tech Scene April 20 – May 3
New Startups / VC Funding
New Fund Will Stimulate Hundreds Of Millions In Startup Nation Israel Investments
The Israel Innovation Authority and Israel’s Ministry of Finance launched the Yozma Fund 2.0, a new program aimed at encouraging investments by institutional entities in Israeli venture capital funds that support Israeli companies. The fund targets institutional investors such as insurance companies, pension funds, and provident funds, providing them with a “unique mechanism to enhance returns on their investments” in Israeli venture capital funds over the next 20 months.
Notably, the program will operate without any direct intervention from the Innovation Authority, which will refrain from influencing the investment… Read More Here
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Oasis Security Raises $75 Million For Cybersecurity
Oasis Security, an Israeli startup that offers non-human identity management (NIM) solutions, raised a Series A Extension of $35 million, just three months after emerging from stealth. The round was co-led by existing investors Accel, Cyberstarts and Sequoia Capital, doubling the company’s Series A valuation. Oasis has raised a total of $75 million to date.
Non-human identity management (NIM) solutions are becoming increasingly important as the number of non-human identities, such as service accounts, API keys, tokens, and certificates, explodes in modern hybrid and multi-cloud environments. These identities lack the traditional usernames … Read More Here
Israeli Startup Nagomi Security Offers Proactive Defense Platform
New Israeli startup Nagomi Security offers a platform for security and threat exposure management. The company came out of stealth with a $30 million Series A funding round.
Nagomi Security boasts that its “Proactive Defense Platform” enables customers to maximize the effectiveness of their security stacks to defend against emerging, relevant attacks that are being carried out in the wild. The platform transforms fragmented best-of-breed solutions into best-of-suite security… Read More Here
IPOs and Unicorns
Israel’s Island Security Hits $3 Billion Valuation
Island Security, an Israeli startup and a unicorn that created the Enterprise Browser, has now hit super-unicorn status, hitting a $3 billion valuation. The new status came after the firm completed a $175 million Series D round of financing led by new investor Coatue and existing investor Sequoia Capital. Island doubled its value in less than a year and has raised $487 million in outside investment to date.
Island Security was founded in September 2020 by serial entrepreneur CTO Dan Amiga, and CEO Michael Fey, who previously served as President of Symantec and Blue Coat Systems which was acquired by Symantec for $4.5 billion…. Read More Here
Gauzy Goin Public
Gauzy, an Israeli startup that develops liquid crystal glass panels for use in a variety of industries, filed for a NASDAQ IPO. Once the IPO is completed, the company will trade under the ticker “GAUZ.” The specifics regarding the timing of the offering, the number of ordinary shares to be offered, and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined.
Barclays is acting as lead book-running manager for the proposed offering. TD Cowen and Stifel are acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering… Read More Here
Politics
Israel Braces For Possible ICJ Arrest Warrants
Now that the Passover holiday has ended (it lasts a day longer outside of Israel), the Israeli government is bracing for the possibility that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) may issue arrest warrants for certain senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged ”war crimes” in Gaza. Israel stands accused of such crimes in its war against Hamas terrorists who embedded themselves in civilian areas in the Gaza Strip, including schools and hospitals.
The charges, if any, would include allegations that the Israeli military’s attacks on Hamas positions in such places violate international law and even the false allegation that Israel has blocked aid shipments to Gaza… Read More Here
Mergers and Acquisitions
Permira To Acquire Majority Of Israeli Unicorn BioCatch At $1.3 Billion Valuation
BioCatch, an Israeli biometrics and behavioral unicorn that helps to fight against bank fraud, is being acquired by Permira Growth Opportunities II. Permia will acquire a majority stake in BioCatch, which will give the firm a $1.3 billion valuation.
Permira is a global investment firm that backs successful businesses with growth ambitions. Founded in 1985, the firm advises funds with a total committed capital of approximately €80 billion and makes long-term majority and minority investments across two core asset classes, private equity and credit…. Read More Here
Nvidia Is Taking Over Israeli AI, Buys Run:Ai And Might Get Deci AI Too
Nvidia, a chip maker best known for its video/graphics cards, is acquiring two Israeli startups: Run:ai and Deci AI. And yes, as their names imply they both deal with artificial intelligence. Run:ai was already bought out for an undisclosed amount, but Israel’s Calcalist reported that the deal could be for as much as $700 million and that a deal to acquire Deci AI is close at hand.
The moves make sense, especially when it comes to Deci AI. Just last month… Read More Here
Other Business Stories
Israel Bonds Surpasses $3 Billion In Global Sales Since October 7 Hamas Massacre
Israel Bonds broke records for sales in a short period of time, surpassing the $3 billion mark, after the barbaric Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, in which more than 1,000 innocent people were massacred. The organization described its surge in retail, government, and institutional sales offers in the first six months after the attack as “unprecedented” and a “powerful display” of international support for Israel.
In addition, within the first 30 days after the October 7 massacre… Read More Here
Science
Technion Scientists Harness Ultrasound For Drug Delivery And Tissue Implantation
Israeli scientists from the Technion in Haifa have found a way to harness ultrasounds for drug delivery and tissue implantation. The researchers were led by Prof. Shulamit Levenberg and they developed an “innovative non-invasive method” for bio-printing live cells and tissues deep within the body using external sound wave irradiation.
You have probably heard about how an ultrasound is best known for checking on the baby when a woman is pregnant. But what is it, actually?…. Read More Here
New Scientific Study Accurately Dates Ancient City Of David In Jerusalem
Israeli archeologists carried out a new scientific study they described as being of “unprecedented scope” that succeeded in accurately dating antiquities from the First Temple period that were discovered in the City of David the ancient city of King David from 3,000 years ago. The archeologists said the study shed light on events mentioned in the Bible.
Among the conclusions of the research conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute of Science is that already in the 10th century BCE – the days of King David – extensive activity was carried out in Jerusalem; by the 9th century BCE – the days of King Jehoash… Read More Here