CTech’s Weekly Roundup of Israeli Tech News

What Walmart’s new content initiative means for interactive videos. Last week, Walmart announced a joint interactive video venture, partnering with Eko, the company behind the critically acclaimed music video for Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” Read more

SoftBank, Walmart, Airbus partner with Israeli startup foundry Team8. The Israeli startup foundry announced it has raised a second $85 million fund from an “international coalition” of strategic partners in a New York City event. Read more

Eco Co-Founder Yoni Bloch. Photo: Nadav Neuhaus

Booking CEO Glenn Fogel to deliver keynote at Calcalist’s digital and mobile conference. Other key speakers include Ehud Schneerson, former commander of Unit 8200, the Israeli military's NSA equivalent, and Assaf Rappaport, general manager of Microsoft Israel. Read more

A hologram of deceased Israeli leader Shimon Peres inaugurates eponymous center celebrating Israeli innovation. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu co-hosted the Israeli Innovation Summit together with Wang Qishan, the Vice President of the People's Republic of China. Read more

U.S., Israel to appoint a joint task force to review bilateral tax treaty. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin visited Israel for the third time this year to discuss sanctions on Iran, terrorist financing and investment opportunities. Read more

Alexa, please vacuum seal these strawberries. Israel-based startup Silo swept Kickstarter with a promise for Alexa-activated food vacuum-sealing device. Read more

Microsoft overtakes Intel on list of best workplaces in Israeli tech. Microsoft came in third, displacing Intel, which dropped to the 7th place. Last year, Microsoft came in 13th. Read more

In Israel, tech wages just keep climbing. The average pay for software professionals in Israel in the third quarter of 2018 has increased by 6% year-to-year. Read more

Boston Scientific signed a distribution deal with Israeli Allium Medical. Minimally invasive products maker Allium announced the agreement in September in a filing to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, identifying its partner as a "leading international company.” Read more

M&A and IPOs

Check Point acquires cloud cybersecurity company Dome9. Read more

LogicBio Therapeutics underperforms with $70 million Nasdaq IPO. Read more

Canada's FSD Pharma to acquire Israeli Therapix Biosciences for $48 million in stock. Read more

Customer success company Gainsight acquires Aptrinsic. Read more

Startup funding

Gesture recognition startup EyeSight raises $15 million. Read more

Employee recognition and incentive startup Snappy closes $10 million funding round. Read more

Fintech startup FundGuard raises $4 million. Read more

AI-based talent recruitment startup Stellares raises $3.5 Million. Read more

Workload management startup Workiz raises $2 million. Read more