CTech's Wednesday Roundup of Israeli Tech News

New report trails the rise of Israeli fintech. Over the last 18 months, 16 multinational financial firms have started operating in the Israeli tech hub, or increased their local footprint. Read more

3D imaging company Mantis Vision buys Israeli AI startup BrainVu. BrainVu’s technology uses machine vision to identify the mental state of a person from an image captured by a smartphone camera. Read more

PepsiCo-SodaStream deal took just five weeks to sign, says SodaStream CEO. Speaking at Calcalist’s National Economic Conference, Daniel Birnbaum said SodaStream’s continued independence was a precondition for the deal. Read more

Wide adoption of driverless cars is still decades away, says Paris Motor Show CEO. The 2018 Paris Motor Show will feature, for the first time, the Mondial Tech, a new event that will bring together businesses across the entire automotive value chain. The event’s first day will be dedicated to showcasing Israeli technologies and innovation. Read more

Regulator to try and make Israeli brokerage market more competitive. Speaking at Calcalist’s National Economic Conference, Israel Securities Authority Chairwoman Anat Guetta said the authority’s strategy is to encourage businesses like JP Morgan to enter the local market. Read more

Israeli Arrow 3 missile production moves to the U.S. By moving some of its production to the states, Israeli IAI is preparing for a day, a decade from now, when Israel must spend all its U.S. military aid money on U.S.-made weapons. Read more

Israel finalizes privatization of Bank Leumi. The Israeli government has sold its 5.4% stake in Bank Leumi, one of the country’s largest banks, to multinational investment bank Citigroup for approximately $520 million. Read more

Available cash prompts Teva to make $400 million debt tender offer. The drugmaker is offering to pay senior notes due 2019 and 2020 in cash. Read more

Israeli Officials Cozy Up to Philippine President Duterte. Currently on a four-day state visit to Israel, Duterte has met with Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, and signed collaboration agreements between the two countries. Read more