CTech’s Daily Israeli Tech News Roundup

The Israeli government invites Walmart to open a local branch. Following a Davos meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, American retailer Walmart will be sending representatives to Israel to look into the possibility of opening a branch in the country. Walmart will also look for possible collaborations with some of Israel’s many cybersecuirty startups to support its e-commerce ambitions. In November, Calcalist reported Amazon is planning to set up local retail operations in Israel. Read more

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neyanyahu. Photo: Reuters

Alternative financer Behalf raises $150 million in debt financing. A private investment fund managed by Soros Fund Management led the round. Behalf offers businesses instant working capital of up to $50,000. Viola Credit, the growth and venture lending arm of Israel-based Viola Group, also participated in the round. Both funds also made a private equity investment in Behalf. Read more

Pornography is a selling point for this ICO. If cryptocurrencies weren’t popular enough on their own, one startup is promising that its token will be accepted by ImLive.com, a live webcam pornography site. Read more

The Boxee Box outlived the company that created it, says company co-founder. Once the company behind one of the hottest streamers on the market, Boxee was bought by Samsung in 2013, only to be shut down in 2015. But the Boxee Box itself lived on, says co-founder Idan Cohen, proving that engineering smarts is not always the best thing for a company. To allow companies to make profit, hardware products must have a relatively short lifespan, he says in an interview. Read more

How one lawyer is fighting brand hijackers on Amazon’s marketplace. Based on fake reviews and complaints by competitors, Amazon suspends some seller accounts. Israeli lawyer Yael Cabilly fights back. Read more

Fearing leakage to the local market, an Israeli Ministry works against the country’s planned cannabis export reform. More than six months after an Israeli parliament committee recommended to approve the export of medical cannabis from the country, the bid has yet to become law. Concerned by possible leakage to the local market, Israel’s Ministry of Public Security is blocking the reform. Read more

Israel-based medical data startup MDClone raises $10 million. MDClone creates datasets that combine information about real and fictitious patients, allowing researchers to conduct tests without compromising patients’ privacy. Read more

Israeli ALS treatment developer BrainStorm recruits Kite Pharma's CSO as board member. BrainStorm develops stem cell therapies for degenerative neurological conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease. Read more

Frutarom acquires ingredients company IBR for $21 million. The IBR deal is the latest acquisition made by Frutarom. Since 2015, the flavor and fragrance completed a staggering total of 32 acquisitions. Read more