CTech’s Monday Roundup of Israeli Tech News

KLA-Tencor buys electronics parts manufacturer Orbotech for $3.4 billion. Israel-based, Nasdaq-listed Orbotech develops and markets equipment for manufacturers of electronic components. As part of the agreement, KLA-Tencor will pay approximately $69.02 per Orbotech share, reflecting a rise of 17% of Orbotech’s stock value, which was priced at $59.02 per share by market close on Sunday. Read more

Israeli venture capital firm asserts its stance on sexual harassment. Last week, a media report brought forth allegations of sexual harassment against prominent Israeli venture capitalist Rami Beracha, forcing the local tech sector to confront for the first time since the rise of #MeToo the culture of sexual misconduct. On Friday, Rona Segev, managing partner at Tel Aviv-based venture capital firm TLV Partners published an anti-abuse policy. Read more

Nasdaq. Photo: PR

Cyber company Forescout wants to raise $160 million by new offering. Forescout develops and markets software for monitoring organizational networks that carry multiple devices. The company was founded in 2000 in Israel and employs around 170 people in its Tel Aviv research and development center. The company raised $116 million in a Nasdaq IPO in October. Read more

Blockchain-as-a-Service company Orbs raised around $106 million. Orbs, a 40-person startup based in Tel Aviv, wants to build customized blockchain infrastructure for companies, similar to how Amazon Web Services offers cloud-based computing. The company has raised roughly $106 million from unnamed customers and strategic partners, the company’s co-founder, Tal Kol said. In 2017, Orbs helped Kik with an initial coin offering, which netted Kik $98 million. Read more

Technology allows us to unleash deep-seated needs and desires, says Google executive. As innovation unlocks new technologies, people still feel the need to connect it to their everyday lives, Abigail Posner, head of strategic planning at Google said at Calcalist’s Mind the Tech conference, held in New York last week. Watch the video

Desilu Studios buys Israeli video streaming company Vonetize. The U.S. film studio that produced the classic television show “Star Trek” paid in cash for a 10% stake in the Tel Aviv-listed over the top (OTT) premium content company, according to a market value of $50 million. Read more

Probed Bezeq CEO to step down in July. On Monday, Israel’s largest telecommunication provider announced the impending resignation of CEO Stella Handler, in connection with the investigation conducted against her and other senior executives in the company by the Israel Securities Authority and Israeli police since June 2017. Read more

Israeli tech workers to get iRobots, portable espresso machine for holiday. Passover is right around the corner, and employees throughout Israel are expecting to get their Passover gifts, a local equivalent of Christmas bonuses. According to a recent survey, the five most popular gifts for tech employees are iRobot autonomous vacuum cleaners, portable rechargeable espresso machines, Bobby Anti-Theft backpacks, double-sided grill pans and Dyson vacuum cleaners. Read more

Israeli urban insight company Madlan launches pilot in New York. Buying a house or an apartment is the largest financial deal most people will undertake during their lifetime. Even after contracting an appraiser, talking with the neighbors and taking a look around, there are many unknowns involved. Will a high-rise be built nearby a few years in the future, blocking the view? Will the comfortable public transportation layout change? Is the air quality set to worsen due to increased traffic? Madlan’s U.S. branch, called Localize.city, will attempt to help urban dwellers answer a most important question: where should I buy an apartment? Read more

16 semi-finalists of JVP’s startup competition presented their technologies at Calcalist’s Mind the Tech Conference in New York. The winning company will receive a $1 million investment offer. JVP is planning to open a New York office, chairman and founder Erel Margalit said in an event held on Tuesday at a New York restaurant. Read more

Israel named one of the most interesting markets for investment by venture capitalist Jeff Horing. Speaking at Calcalist's Mind the Tech conference in New York, Mr. Horing said that more and more investors, including Insight, are more interested in investing outside Silicon Valley. Watch the video

Artificial intelligence lets storytellers focus on the story, says CEO of video automation startup Wibbitz. Automation minimizes production time, reduces costs and increases creativity, Zohar Dayan, co-founder and CEO of Wibbitz, said at Calcalist's Mind the Tech conference in New York. Watch the video