CTech's Weekly Roundup of Israeli Tech News

Israeli cannabis companies setting sights on Toronto exchange. The Canadian cannabis market is perceived as having great potential, thanks in large to the recent legalization of recreational use of the drug in the country. Read more

This wearable clip will remember faces and names so you don't have to. OrCam Technologies expects to ship its life analytics wearable device MyMe in March. Co-founder Amnon Shashua calls it “the ultimate AI personal assistant.” Read more

Conversation analytics startup Gong.io wins Calcalist’s AI and big data startup competition. Gong.io gives sales representatives insights into their interactions with customers by analyzing recorded phone calls and tracking keywords and conversation topics. Read more

Israeli execs weigh in on big data and AI impact. Entrepreneurs and executives convened to discuss how big data and artificial intelligence can be used to tackle the challenges faced by industry and society at Calcalist’s annual Mind the Data conference. Read more

Lab beef company Aleph Farms announces first steak. Israeli lab beef company Aleph Farms has unveiled a minute steak grown from single cells—the world’s first, according to the company.Read more

Sirin Labs states it remains loyal to hardware. The downturn in the crypto market has not only tanked Sirin Lab’s token but also affected some other businesses affiliated with its CEO. Read more

Alibaba backs Israeli public transportation startup Optibus. The company develops a fleet management software for public transit operators. Read more

Israeli edtech companies inspired by recent China-Israel deal. TAL Education Group—one of China’s largest education service companies—announced it acquired Israeli game-based learning startup Codemonkey at the Global Education Summit held in Beijing last week. Read more

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

To make inroads into the local market, Yandex partners with an Israeli taxi firm. The taxi-hailing service by Russian technology company Yandex began operating in Israel Monday. Read more

Netanyahu: “horrific” Khashoggi murder balanced by Saudi influence in the Middle East. Netanyahu is working to formally establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, Israeli broadcast news reported Saturday. Read more

Startup funding

Online used-car retailer Vroom raises $146 million. Read more

Conversation analysis startup Chorus.ai raises $33 million. Read more

Israeli medical device company WhiteSwell raises $30 million. Read more

SaaS startup Quali Systems raises $22.5 million. Read more

Tech customer support startup TechSee raises $16 million. Read more

Nazareth-based medical device company Alpha Omega raises $7 million. Read more 

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

Singapore’s VisVires backs Israeli shrimp-health startup ViAqua. Read more