CTech's Wednesday Roundup of Israeli Tech News
Chips, electronics components exports from Israel to China nearly doubled in 2018; Netanyahu data collection chatbot irks Facebook
Intel's Kiryat Gat facility. Photo: PR
Netanyahu data collection chatbot irks Facebook. Over the past week, Facebook's policy team has been in touch with Likud campaign managers over the use of a Netanyahu chatbot asking users about their voting intentions ahead of Israel’s general elections. Read more
Nvidia partners with autotech startup Cognata on autonomous technology. Cognata develops a system capable of simulating various situations a self-driving car may encounter within a specific city. Read more
Teva Sells Jerusalem Land Tenure Rights Ahead of Factory Closures. Teva currently has two manufacturing plants in Jerusalem, both slated for closure by the end of 2019. Read more
Copaxone-competitor developer Mapi Pharma gets funding for Jerusalem plant. The clinical-stage company develops more efficient versions of existing successful drugs, including a long-acting version of Teva's multiple sclerosis cash cow. Read more
Seedo partners with Israeli kibbutz on commercial automated cannabis farming. Seedo estimates that the project will produce at least 14 tons of dry cannabis buds generating $24 million in revenues within three years. Read more
Pop the champagne: Tel Aviv is the tenth most expensive city in the world. A survey released Monday by the Economist compared the prices of more than 160 products and services in cities around the world, found Paris, Singapore, and Hong Kong to be the most expensive. Read more
India's Anthill Ventures opens Tel Aviv accelerator. Ventures plans to invest up to $1 million in Israeli startups with the goal of helping their expansion into Asian markets. Read more
E-scooter-sharing service LEO officially launches in Tel Aviv. LEO will deploy 300 scooters throughout Tel Aviv and 1,000 additional vehicles across Israel within the next two weeks, according to co-founder Kfir Ben Shoshan. Read more
Israel Innovation Authority announces nine recipients of impact grants. Among the startups to receive grants of up to $277,000 are companies developing anti-malaria tools, water purifiers, smart soap, and food waste reduction solutions. Read more
ERP developer Priority Software acquires Belgium’s IT services firm Optimize Group. The Israel-based developer of enterprise resource planning (ERP) management software says the deal is part of an expansion effort in Europe. Read more
