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Israel Tech Daily

Startup to Follow

A short daily briefing on Israel's tech industry, in English: the funding rounds, acquisitions, IPOs, product launches, layoffs and scandals from the last day, explained in about six minutes. From Startup to Follow. Written from the day's reporting in English and Hebrew, with every source linked in the show notes, and voiced by AI hosts.

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#14
Yesterday · 6 min
Proofpoint buys Varonis for $6.3 billion, researchers tie Discover-Tech ads to spyware, and Axonica raises
Thoma Bravo-owned Proofpoint agrees to buy Varonis for about $6.3 billion in cash, researchers say Israeli ad firm Discover-Tech helped deliver Candiru spyware, and Axonica Labs, Skapion and Zenzap raise money. Proofpoint, owned by Thoma Bravo, agrees to buy Varonis for about $6.3 billion in cash - The $49.75 a share price is a 52% premium over the price before sale rumors began in June. Sources: Globes, CTech, Times of Israel, Bizportal Researchers say Israeli ad firm Discover-Tech used online ads to track users and deliver Candiru spyware - Citizen Lab says 45 Al Jazeera devices were compromised; Discover-Tech did not respond. Sources: Reuters, The Economic Times, The SOFX Report AI chip company Axonica Labs raises up to $80 million in a pre-seed round - Amplify Partners, Wing VC and Qualcomm Ventures lead; it has already raised $50 million. Sources: Globes Skapion, building a system against drone swarms, raises a $36 million seed round - UP Partners and Khosla Ventures lead; Iron Dome veteran Pini Yungman is founding architect. Sources: CTech Zenzap raises $44 million for a workspace where people and AI agents work together - Bessemer Venture Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round. Sources: Globes, Geektime BloomX raises $13 million for robotic crop pollination Sources: CTech Pilat Group plans to list in Canada through a reverse merger Sources: Globes Gil Shwed says he does not see the economic models that justify AI spending at this scale Sources: CTech What to watch: Whether US or European regulators open an investigation into Discover-Tech and Candiru, as Citizen Lab has asked them to. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-16-proofpoint-varonis-discover-tech-axonica Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#13
Tuesday · 7 min
CrowdStrike in talks to buy Orion for $500 million, Salesforce buys Loops, and Freshworks buys Torii
CrowdStrike is in advanced talks to buy Israeli data security startup Orion for about $500 million, Salesforce and Freshworks sign Israeli acquisitions, CVC takes 40% of Fibrotex, and Microsoft cuts jobs at its Israeli R&D center. CrowdStrike is in advanced talks to buy Israeli data security startup Orion for about $500 million - Orion was founded in 2024 and has raised $38 million. Sources: CTech Salesforce signs a deal to buy Israeli AI analytics company Loops, its tenth acquisition in Israel - CTech estimates the price at about $30 million; Loops will join Tableau. Sources: Globes, CTech, Maariv Freshworks signs a deal to buy Torii, which tracks companies' software and AI spending - Terms were not disclosed; Torii has raised $65 million. Sources: CTech CVC buys 40% of Petah Tikva camouflage maker Fibrotex - Calcalist puts the price at about $350 million; the FT at about 250 million euros. Sources: CTech, European Business Magazine Microsoft calls about 50 Copilot Studio employees in Israel to pre-dismissal hearings - About half are expected to keep their jobs. Sources: Ynetnews Bank Leumi and Aspire set up a joint trust company for employee shares and options Sources: CTech Aliyah Ventures, a pre-seed fund for immigrant founders, completes its first close Sources: Ynetnews Ondas and Palantir set up Regna AI to build AI models for defense and government customers Sources: CTech What to watch: Whether CrowdStrike and Orion sign a deal, which Calcalist says is in advanced talks but not yet complete. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-13-crowdstrike-orion-salesforce-loops-torii Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#12
Monday · 7 min
Amazon eyes Decart at $7 billion, HUB Security faces an insolvency petition, and One Zero cuts jobs
Amazon is reported to be in talks to buy Israeli-founded AI startup Decart for around $7 billion, a creditor asks for insolvency proceedings against HUB Security, One Zero lays off about 25 people, and Smotrich rejects a higher tax on stock options. Amazon is in talks to buy Decart, an AI startup founded by three Israeli engineers, for around $7 billion - Anthropic had discussed buying Decart for about $6 billion before deciding against it in September. Sources: Bloomberg, TradingKey, Israel Hayom A creditor asks the court to open insolvency proceedings against HUB Security - Consulting firm Asiag says HUB owes it close to $500,000. Sources: Globes One Zero lays off about 25 employees in its third round of cuts since 2024 - The digital bank says AI and automation let it run with a leaner structure. Sources: CTech DIG Ventures closes a $120 million third fund for enterprise and AI startups in Europe and Israel Sources: Pulse 2.0 Finance Minister Smotrich rejects a higher tax on high-tech employees' stock options - Globes says the recommendations target the 2027 Arrangements Law, which the next government will pass. Sources: Globes Similarweb proposes a pay package of up to $10 million in shares for incoming CEO Michael Ackerman Sources: Globes San Francisco AI insurance startup Corgi opens a business presence in Israel Sources: TheMarker IAI unveils POINT@AIR, an aerostat-based radar, in Washington Sources: CTech Maris-Tech receives a $10 million order, its largest ever, for airborne video systems Sources: Israel Defense What to watch: Whether Amazon and Decart sign a deal, which the Wall Street Journal says could come quickly if talks hold. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-12-amazon-decart-hub-security-one-zero Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#11
Sunday · 7 min
Treasury weighs a tax break for founders, Mashinsky settles in New York, and Israeli cyber raises $2.4 billion
Israel's Finance Ministry is examining a capital gains exemption for tech founders, Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky settles with New York's attorney general, Israeli cyber startups raise $2.4 billion in a quarter, and Israeli defense firms exhibit in Morocco. The Finance Ministry examines a capital gains exemption of up to about NIS 45 million for tech founders - The ministry is also considering raising the tax on employee options under Section 102. Sources: Bizportal, TheMarker Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky settles with New York's attorney general and accepts a lifetime industry ban - The settlement carries up to $35 million in conditional payments. Sources: Geektime, crypto.news Israeli cyber startups raise at least $2.4 billion in the third quarter, nearly half the global total - About 20 of 26 disclosed Israeli rounds went to companies securing AI agents and machine identities. Sources: CTech Israel opens its first national pavilion at the Marrakech Airshow as IAI reportedly negotiates a LORA sale - No contracts were announced at the show. Sources: CTech, Yabiladi US Army fields the first Bradleys with Elbit's Iron Fist, while French cargo workers refuse an Elbit-bound shipment - Elbit declined to comment on the French shipment. Sources: CTech, CTech Limy, which helps brands appear in AI answers, has raised $10 million from Andreessen Horowitz - Globes profiles founder Aviv Shmani. Sources: Globes Chip startup Positron sets up a development operation in Israel - Positron was recently valued at $5 billion. Sources: TheMarker Israeli app Fisherman filters spam and phishing texts, including election messages Sources: Geektime Swaptix lets Israelis trade unwanted event tickets for platform credit Sources: Geektime What to watch: How the Finance Ministry defines who qualifies for the founders' exemption, and whether it raises the tax on employees' stock options at the same time. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-11-treasury-founder-tax-mashinsky-cyber-funding Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#10
October 9 · 7 min
PCB Technologies buys Gorilla Circuits for $120 million, Rein Security raises $25 million, and HoneyBook cuts jobs
PCB Technologies agrees to buy Silicon Valley's Gorilla Circuits at a $120 million enterprise value, Rein Security raises $25 million to secure AI agents, HoneyBook and Silk cut jobs, and MonsterCloud's founder is charged in New York. PCB Technologies agrees to buy Silicon Valley's Gorilla Circuits at a $120 million enterprise value - The deal needs CFIUS approval and is expected to close within eight months. Sources: CTech, PR Newswire Rein Security raises $25 million Series A to secure the AI agents companies build - The round was co-led by Glilot Capital and Sienna Venture Capital. Sources: CTech, Geektime HoneyBook lays off about 14% of staff, and Silk cuts about a quarter of its R&D team - Both companies link the cuts to AI; most of HoneyBook's affected employees are in Israel. Sources: CTech, Globes MonsterCloud founder Zohar Pinhasi charged with wire fraud in New York - He pleaded not guilty and was released on $2 million bail. Sources: The Jerusalem Post Finance Ministry report rejects an AI tax but proposes taxes on capital gains and digital services - The interim report was led by chief economist Dr. Samuel Abramzon. Sources: The Times of Israel Phantom GI raises a $5 million seed round for a needle-based ostomy device - Pitango led the round, with RAD Biomed and RUNI Ventures. Sources: CTech, citybiz Privacy regulator finds the Education Ministry broke the law over a leak of 21,000 special education students' data - The authority did not specify a fine. Sources: The Jerusalem Post The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange examines buying the Cyprus Stock Exchange - The move is at an initial stage. Sources: Globes What to watch: Whether US regulators at CFIUS clear PCB Technologies' purchase of Gorilla Circuits, the main condition for a deal expected to close within eight months. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-09-pcb-gorilla-circuits-rein-honeybook-silk Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#9
October 8 · 6 min
A2Z Cust2Mate closes its Hedia deal, Silentium files for a New York IPO, and Link11 sues Reblaze's sellers
A2Z Cust2Mate completes its purchase of Israeli retail media firm Hedia, Silentium files to raise about $15 million on NYSE American, Link11 sues Reblaze's former owners, and Google settles two Israeli location-tracking class actions. A2Z Cust2Mate completes its acquisition of Israeli retail media company Hedia - A2Z paid about $8.4 million in cash plus 833,333 shares, with up to about $6.7 million more tied to 2027 and 2028 targets. Sources: Pulse 2.0, Stock Titan Silentium files to raise about $15 million in a NYSE American IPO - The Nes Ziona company's first-half 2026 revenue fell 44% to $1.5 million, and its prospectus carries a going concern note. Sources: Globes Link11 sues the former shareholders of Reblaze, alleging misrepresentation in its 2024 acquisition - The sellers call the claim baseless; the case is in the Tel Aviv District Court. Sources: TheMarker Google to pay about $2.6 million to settle two Israeli class actions over location tracking - The settlements include no admission of liability. Sources: CTech At least 20 Israeli-founded startups compete to secure AI agents, with about $900 million raised - Nikesh Arora says about 40 companies are being funded in agentic security. Sources: CTech Square Peg raises more than $1 billion across two new funds - The firm has had an office in Tel Aviv since 2014. Sources: Forbes Australia Aqua Security founder Dror Davidoff joins Team8 as a managing partner - The appointment has not been officially announced. Sources: TheMarker Oracle cuts another 70 jobs in Ireland while its Israel operation keeps hiring - Oracle lists 33 openings in Israel. Sources: CTech Quantum Machines holds its Chicago conference over Israel's election day - The company says the event was planned before the election date was set. Sources: Calcalist Messages posing as Google security alerts target Israeli users with fake support numbers - Some numbers use the 1-809 prefix, which can carry international call charges. Sources: Globes What to watch: Silentium's IPO pricing, aimed at $6 to $8 a share, as a test of whether a small Israeli tech listing can get done on Wall Street now. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-08-a2z-hedia-silentium-ipo-link11-reblaze Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#8
October 7 · 7 min
Capitolis raises $220 million, Eon in talks at $7.5 billion, and BridgeWise weighs a Tel Aviv IPO
Capitolis raises $220 million from Citi and other banks at a $1.9 billion valuation, Eon negotiates a round at $7.5 billion or more, BridgeWise examines a Tel Aviv listing, and Covenant opens a factory in Germany. Capitolis raises $220 million in equity and debt at a $1.9 billion valuation, led by Citi - Last week Capitolis agreed to buy eSecLending for $200 million, and says the new money will help complete the deal. Sources: Globes, CTech, Calcalist, ice Eon in talks to raise hundreds of millions of dollars at a valuation of at least $7.5 billion - Eon's last round, in December 2025, valued it at $4 billion. Sources: TheMarker BridgeWise examines an IPO on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange instead of an exit - The company says no final decision has been made. Sources: Globes Covenant opens a factory in Leipzig to build long-range strike systems for NATO allies - Covenant aims to produce 5,000 missiles a year by 2028. Sources: CTech NextVision shares fall after Fidelity's sale, and an investor questions the timing Sources: CTech Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike and Fortinet hit record highs Sources: CTech Unit 42 says Iranian-aligned hackers posed as Dubai Airports recruiters and targeted an Israeli entity Sources: CTech Crypto trader arrested on suspicion of hiding tens of millions of dollars in trading Sources: CTech HOT Group completes the sale of HOT Mobile at an enterprise value of about NIS 1.88 billion Sources: Israel Defense What to watch: Whether BridgeWise goes ahead with a Tel Aviv IPO, a test of the local market as an alternative to an exit. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-07-capitolis-eon-bridgewise-covenant Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#7
October 6 · 6 min
Fidelity sells NextVision shares for $426 million, Advent's reset at Sapiens, and high-tech pay falls
Fidelity sells most of its NextVision stake for about $426 million, Advent's chairman on replacing Sapiens' management and 800 layoffs, high-tech pay falls 6.2% in July, and Revolut hires for an Israeli bank. Fidelity sells most of its NextVision stake for about $426 million - Fidelity sold 5.7 million shares through Goldman Sachs and keeps about 3.1 million, under 5% of the drone camera maker. Sources: CTech, Bizportal Advent's Mike Ettling on replacing Sapiens' management and laying off about 800 people - Advent bought Sapiens for $2.5 billion last December and delisted it in Tel Aviv and the US. Sources: CTech Average high-tech pay falls 6.2% in July after months of double-digit growth - Central Bureau of Statistics figures also show high-tech jobs down 0.3% from a year earlier, at 397,300. Sources: CTech, Bizportal Revolut hires for banking roles in Israel as it seeks a lean bank license - The licence would let Revolut offer deposit accounts and compete with the five banks that dominate Israeli banking. Sources: CTech Remitly names Maya Roisman general manager of its Israeli operations - She succeeds Guy Kashtan, who founded Rewire, the startup Remitly bought in 2022. Sources: CTech, Calcalist Nikesh Arora says Palo Alto Networks will not cut its roughly 6,000 engineers over AI Sources: CTech Israeli startup Moonshot renames itself Shuttlebase after a clash with China's Moonshot AI Sources: Geektime Hetz Ventures' Judah Taub publishes Moonshots for Israel Sources: PR Newswire What to watch: Next month's Central Bureau of Statistics figures, which will show whether July's 6.2% fall in high-tech pay was one odd month or a trend. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-06-nextvision-fidelity-sapiens-revolut Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#6
October 5 · 6 min
A trustee takes over at OpenWeb, HiBob's revenue climbs 44%, and the state owes defense firms NIS 17 billion
A Tel Aviv court appoints a temporary trustee for OpenWeb, HiBob's UK filing shows $237 million in 2025 revenue, Israel's big defense companies wait on more than NIS 17 billion, and Qtrex Quantum jumps 40%. A Tel Aviv court appoints a temporary trustee for OpenWeb, which owes about NIS 177.5 million - Last week the court put a temporary receiver over OpenWeb's Israeli assets at its lender's request. Sources: CTech, Calcalist HiBob's UK filing shows $237 million in 2025 revenue, up 44%, with losses growing too - HiBob is registered in the UK and files annual accounts with Companies House. Sources: TheMarker Israel's Defense Ministry owes Rafael, IAI and Elbit more than NIS 17 billion as exports hit a record - Israeli defense exports reached $19.2 billion in 2025, 36% of it to Europe. Sources: CTech Qtrex Quantum, formerly Inspira Technologies, jumps 40% on a deal with an unnamed quantum computing company - The company changed its name and business from biomedical devices to quantum computing infrastructure in May. Sources: Globes Deepcut reports alleged safety breaches after Pixellot cameras livestreamed a women's basketball game in Australia - Pixellot did not respond to Deepcut's questions. Sources: Deepcut A Toronto mayoral campaign defends its use of the Israeli-made Victory App Sources: Toronto Sun Simon Leviev, the convicted 'Tinder Swindler', says he will release a dating app called Safe Love Sources: New York Post The merged Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will be called Skydance, with Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO Sources: The Forward What to watch: The temporary trustee's first report on OpenWeb, due in court within ten days with recommendations on what happens next. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-05-openweb-trustee-hibob-defense-qtrex Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#5
October 4 · 6 min
Palo Alto tops NIS 1 trillion in Tel Aviv, HyperGuest raises $25 million, and Amnesty on Pegasus in Morocco
Palo Alto Networks becomes the first company worth over NIS 1 trillion on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, HyperGuest raises $25 million from Apax, Amnesty details Morocco's use of NSO's Pegasus, and Haredi women struggle to find tech jobs. Palo Alto Networks becomes the first company worth over NIS 1 trillion on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange - Palo Alto has traded in Tel Aviv since February 2026, after completing its $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk. Sources: CTech, Globes, Ynetnews, CTech Hotel distribution company HyperGuest raises $25 million from Apax's mid-market arm - HyperGuest says it has processed more than $1 billion in transactions since it was founded in 2020. Sources: CTech, Techloy Amnesty says Morocco's intelligence service used NSO's Pegasus against journalists and activists - The report relies on a former Moroccan intelligence employee, leaked records and journalistic investigations; Morocco denies using spyware on its citizens. Sources: Amnesty International, Africanews Haredi women are over-represented among Israel's high-tech job seekers, an Employment Service report finds - About 70% of Haredi women looking for tech work are in software roles the report calls particularly exposed to AI. Sources: Calcalist A SentinelOne AI engineer uses GPT-6 Astra to solve an 1809 Napoleonic cipher Sources: CTech Indictment says an Israeli man consulted ChatGPT while allegedly carrying out tasks for an Iranian handler Sources: The Jerusalem Post IAI and Elbit win $127 million in US Navy contracts Sources: CTech What to watch: How much one company now moves the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, with Palo Alto worth about a third of all the shares traded there. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-04-palo-alto-trillion-hyperguest-pegasus Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#4
October 2 · 7 min
Nebius buys Inferize, enso raises $15 million, and Snyk's layoffs in numbers
Nebius acquires ten-month-old Tel Aviv startup Inferize, enso raises a $15 million Series A, a UK filing details Snyk's 20% layoff, and an OpenWeb co-founder blames the founder's ouster for its fall. Nebius acquires ten-month-old Tel Aviv startup Inferize for an estimated $100 million to $150 million - Inferize cuts GPU cold-start time; its team and technology join Nebius's Token Factory inference platform. Sources: Globes, CTech, CTech, ice, GuruFocus RapidAPI co-founder Mickey Haslavsky's enso raises a $15 million Series A led by MoreTech Ventures - enso builds AI agents for marketing and sales and has raised $23 million in total. Sources: CTech, Forbes Israel, ice Snyk cut 20% of its workforce in June and wrote off technology from Israeli acquisitions Helios and Enso Security - A UK filing puts the layoff cost at $12.8 million to $13.8 million and the write-off charge at $3.2 million. Sources: CTech OpenWeb co-founder Ishay Green says the company's decline began when founder Nadav Shoval was ousted - CEO Jim Daily says OpenWeb is operating as usual while a temporary receiver is in place. Sources: Globes, Adweek Israeli startups raised $13.2 billion in the first nine months of 2026 - CTech's count covers 192 disclosed rounds, about 85% of 2025's full-year $15.6 billion. Sources: CTech Microsoft ranks Israel the second most targeted country for cyberattacks - Israel drew 7.6% of global threat activity and 39% of Iranian state-backed operations, per Microsoft's report. Sources: CTech Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz is named co-CEO of the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery - Kreiz will run day-to-day operations and integration alongside David Ellison once the $110 billion merger closes. Sources: Ynetnews, Haaretz What to watch: What Nebius builds next in Israel after Inferize and Tavily, and whether a buyer comes forward for OpenWeb while the receiver is in charge. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-02-nebius-inferize-enso-snyk Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#3
October 1 · 7 min
Nebius eyes another Israeli acquisition, a receiver for OpenWeb, and $2.77 billion raised in September
Nebius explores a $100-150 million Israeli acquisition, a Tel Aviv court appoints a temporary receiver for OpenWeb, Israeli startups raise about $2.77 billion in September, and Snyk's UK filings show slower growth. Nebius explores buying an Israeli company for about $100 million to $150 million - Nebius already bought Israeli AI search startup Tavily for an initial $275 million, partners with AI21 and is building an AI data center in Modi'in. Sources: CTech, ice Tel Aviv court appoints a temporary receiver for OpenWeb at its lender's request - Mars Growth Capital says it is owed about $20 million; the lien covers OpenWeb's Israeli bank funds, receivables and intellectual property. Sources: Globes Israeli startups raise about $2.77 billion across 28 rounds in September - Five mega-rounds made up about 69% of the month's total, with AI agent security the dominant theme. Sources: CTech Snyk's revenue passes $300 million as growth slows and losses widen - UK filings show 11% growth in 2025, a net loss of $197.9 million and founder Guy Podjarny back as chairman. Sources: CTech Israeli founder says he was barred from a San Francisco AI hackathon for being Israeli - Adam Levi says Andreessen Horowitz investors told him they withdrew their sponsorship of the event. Sources: The Algemeiner Pagaya's AI-driven real estate fund is down 54.5% since 2022 - SmartResi Fund I now holds 888 US homes, down from 1,400 a year ago. Sources: CTech Foresight Autonomous will voluntarily delist from the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange - Its shares will keep trading on Nasdaq; the last Tel Aviv trading day is January 1, 2027, the company says. Sources: GlobeNewswire Google unveils Gemini 4 Argon, with Wiz among its first security partners - Google says Wiz used the model to find a critical vulnerability in a system used by hospitals. Sources: Geektime OpenAI makes its first go-to-market hire in Israel - Motti Hadas, formerly a vice president at Matrix, joins OpenAI. Sources: Globes What to watch: Whether Nebius confirms an Israeli acquisition and names the company, and what OpenWeb's temporary receiver does with its Israeli assets. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-10-01-nebius-openweb-receiver-snyk Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#2
September 30 · 7 min
Capitolis buys eSecLending for $200 million, Cato's $100 million secondary, and Reco raises $50 million
Capitolis acquires US securities lender eSecLending, Cato Networks staff and investors sell about $100 million of shares, Reco and Protego Ventures raise new money, and OpenWeb's court filing blames its lender. Capitolis buys US securities lending firm eSecLending for $200 million in cash - The sellers are Parthenon Capital and eSecLending's management, and Parthenon is investing in Capitolis as part of the deal; it is Capitolis's fourth acquisition in five years. Sources: Globes, CTech, TheMarker, Geektime Cato Networks completes a secondary deal worth about $100 million, its second in just over a year - Globes reports hundreds of employees and existing investors sold shares; Cato's annual recurring revenue has passed $415 million. Sources: Globes AI agent security company Reco raises $50 million, with AT&T Ventures as a strategic investor - Forestay and Quadrille Capital joined the round; Globes puts Reco's total funding at $135 million, while Israel Defense reports the round as $55 million. Sources: Globes, Geektime, Israel Defense Protego Ventures closes a $125 million debut fund for Israeli defense tech - Led by Lital Leshem and Lee Moser, the fund invests $5 million to $15 million per company and backed drone maker XTEND before its NYSE listing. Sources: TechCrunch, Ynetnews OpenWeb's insolvency filing alleges its lender demanded $20 million and took control of its accounts - Geektime reports the filing and the CEO's letter to staff, which says a sale process with a potential buyer was paused; the company says it is still operating. Sources: Geektime Smart Shooter wins a US counter-drone contract with a ceiling of $150 million Sources: CTech Rig Security emerges from stealth with a $12 million seed round Sources: CTech, Crypto Briefing Meitav Trade says an outside party accessed customer data through a vendor's API Sources: CTech, Escudo Digital Phoenix adds nearly $1 billion of exposure to Israeli chip equipment makers Nova and Camtek Sources: CTech What to watch: Regulatory and antitrust clearance for the Capitolis deal, and whether a sale of OpenWeb comes back on the table in court. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-09-30-capitolis-eseclending-cato-reco Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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#1
September 28 · 6 min
Paragon heads for Nasdaq, Bluevine sells for $340 million, and OpenWeb files for insolvency
Spyware maker Paragon agrees a SPAC merger at a $1.25 billion valuation while its CEO plans a new startup, Valley National buys Bluevine, OpenWeb seeks court protection, and Wix's Base44 takes on Claude Code and Cursor. Paragon, the spyware maker founded by former 8200 commanders, agrees a SPAC merger at a $1.25 billion valuation - Paragon and its US sister company REDLattice will merge with Nasdaq-listed Bold Eagle, with $335 million of committed capital. Paragon brings over $200 million of the combined $267 million in revenue. Sources: Globes, CTech, Reuters, The Business Journals, TheMarker Paragon CEO Idan Nurick is leaving to found a new cyber company, with top US funds lining up - Globes reports investors including Sequoia's Sean Maguire and Omri Casspi's Swish Fund are ready to back it at a valuation in the hundreds of millions. Sources: Globes, CTech Valley National buys Israeli-founded fintech Bluevine for $340 million - 75% cash, 25% stock. Bluevine serves 175,000 US small businesses, and about 180 engineers and R&D staff, including in Tel Aviv, move to the bank. Sources: Globes, CTech, Geektime, Bizportal, ice OpenWeb, once valued at $1.5 billion, files for insolvency and asks for a stay of proceedings - Founded in 2012 as Spot.im, the company raised about $400 million. CEO Jim Daly told employees in a letter, according to TheMarker. Sources: TheMarker, Calcalist Wix's Base44 launches Base Code to compete with Claude Code and Cursor - A cloud environment that connects to a team's GitHub repositories, so product managers and designers can change code by chat and submit pull requests for review. Sources: CTech Ibex Investors closes an $87 million secondary fund for mature Israeli tech companies Sources: Pulse 2.0 Former hostage Noa Argamani joins Vine Ventures to help Israeli startups break into the US Sources: CTech, Ynetnews Maris-Tech wins a record $10 million order for airborne defense video systems Sources: GlobeNewswire via The Manila Times Nvidia launches an AI agent safety platform, with its Sentry monitor running on chips from its Israeli R&D Sources: Ynetnews, BigGo Finance What to watch: OpenWeb's court filing: what happens to its staff and the publishers that run its comment platform. Full transcript: https://www.startuptofollow.com/israel-tech-daily/2026-09-28-paragon-spac-bluevine-openweb Israel Tech Daily is written from the day's reporting and voiced by AI hosts. Corrections: editor@startuptofollow.com
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