CTech's Monday Roundup of Israeli Tech News

Citing crypto downturn, Bitmain closes Israeli R&D outpost. The Chinese bitcoin mining equipment manufacturer opened an Israeli operation in 2016. Read more

Mind the Data | These are the 12 finalists of Calcalist’s AI and big data startup competition. Microsoft will host representatives of the winning startup at the company’s Seattle headquarters. Winners will be announced Tuesday at Calcalist’s “Mind the Data 2018” conference in Tel Aviv. Read more 

Netanyahu greenlights floating of Israel’s largest aerospace and defense company. Israel is looking to list state-owned defense contractor IAI in mid-2019. The plan is to sell 25% of the company’s shares according to a $4 billion post-IPO valuation. Read more

WeWork nabs CEO of Israeli state-owned real estate company. Uzi Levy was CEO of Apartment for Rent, an Israeli government-owned real estate company founded in 2014. Read more

El Al launching direct Tel Aviv-Las Vegas route. Flights to Vegas will take off on Friday morning and return to Israel on Saturday night. Flight duration will range between 11 and 13 hours. Read more

More Hezbollah hideout tunnels running within Lebanon, according to Israeli military. The Israeli military has briefed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon forces (UNIFIL) about the whereabouts of at least one such tunnel and requested that the matter will be investigated. Read more

News Briefs

Fosun Pharma subsidiary Sisram Medical leases 11,000-square-meter building in Caesarea. Read more

Israel and Brazil sign R&D collaboration agreement. Read more

Natural language startup Voca AI raises $2.6 million. Read more