CTech’s Wednesday Israeli Tech News Roundup

Microsoft brings home the management of its startup outreach program. Called Microsoft for Startups, the program operates accelerators in eight locations worldwide, and the company’s cloud startup outreach program BizSpark. First started in Israel in 2012, the program was managed from the country until recently. On Tuesday, Microsoft shut down the Israeli management team, as part of a decision to transfer the operation to its Redmond headquarters. Read more

Intel CEO highlights autonomous cars push in visit to Israel. At a Tuesday event held by Intel’s Israeli research and development employees, CEO Brian Krzanich announced he intends to spend Wednesday testing Mobileye's autonomous vehicle with Mobileye co-founder and CEO Amnon Shashua. Intel acquired the Jerusalem-based automotive chipmaker in 2017 for $15.3 billion, taking a big step forward in the driverless car race. Read more

Samsung President and Chief Strategy Officer Young Sohn. Photo: Amit Sha'al

Samsung doubles down on Israeli auto tech. The company waded into the competitive domain in 2016, with an $8 billion acquisition of connected car and audio technology company Harman International Industries, completed in March 2017. Samsung plans to showcase collaborations with Israeli auto tech companies in a Tel Aviv event planned for next week. Samsung President and Chief Strategy Officer Young Sohn will head the company’s delegation to Israel. Read more

Samsung's Harman partners with Groupe PSA on vehicle cybersecurity. In 2016, Harman acquired Israel-based automotive cybersecurity company TowerSec, setting it up as its cybersecurity division. At the Geneva International Motor Show Wednesday, Harman, and Groupe PSA revealed they are collaborating on a cybersecurity strategy for Groupe PSA’s next-generation connected and autonomous vehicles platform. Read more

Cisco’s Chuck Robbins launches tech hubs in Israel. Cisco’s CEO launched an initiative to digitize Israel’s peripheral communities and connect them with the country’s economic and technological center in Tel Aviv. Read more

Spotify to launch streaming service in Israel on Monday. Last week, the music streaming company announced a plan to list on the New York Stock Exchange. On Tuesday, Forbes reported that Spotify is expected to launch its service in South Africa this month. Read more

Predictive patient care startup Medial EarlySign raises $30 million. The company's algorithms analyze electronic health records to identify "red flags" that could point to individuals at high risk of developing medical conditions like cancer and diabetes. The round was led by life science fund aMoon Partners, with participation by Li Ka-Shing's Horizon Ventures. Read more

Zebra Medical gets CE Mark for brain bleed detection algorithm. Established in 2014 and based in Israel, Zebra Medical uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for the automated analysis of radiological scans such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRI. The company's technology is already capable of identifying bone conditions such as fractures and low mineral density, liver diseases, lung conditions and cardiovascular problems. Read more

Air India launches direct five-hour flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv. On Wednesday, India’s national carrier began selling direct five-hour flights between Delhi and Israel’s Ben-Gurion international airport. The flight’s shorter-than-usual haul is due to the fact that Air India received permission to fly over Saudi Arabian airspace. Read more