CTech's Weekly Roundup of Israeli Tech News

Local security officials want Israel set up a CFIUS-like foreign investment review entity. Israel's national security council intends to push forward a plan to set up an entity that will review incoming foreign investments, to be operated much like the CFIUS committee in the U.S. Read more

37,600 kilometers from Earth, Israeli spacecraft Beresheet takes a selfie. After a faltering start, the Israeli spacecraft took a picture Tuesday as it passed above Australia. Read more

Beresheet's selfie. Photo: Beresheet

Airbnb highlights commitment to Israel following backlash over settlements ban. In November, Airbnb announced it will be removing “approximately 200 listings” in Jewish settlements in the West Bank from its service. Read more

These AR cycling glasses will help you get a grip. The glasses provide riders with real-time data such as heart rate, speed, and distance, a built-in GPS system, and come equipped with Bluetooth speakers. Read more

China's AliExpress is bringing Turkey and Israel together. Turkish online clothing brand Trendyol Group opened a store on AliExpress two months ago. Its second largest market so far? Israel. Read more

Via’s Tel Aviv public transport service to launch in late March. Founded in 2012, Via operates in 32 cities across 11 countries, offering different modes of operation in different places. In November, the company announced its intention to launch the service in Tel Aviv. Read more 

LiDAR maker Innoviz is raising a new round of around $100 million. The company raised $82 million to date from investors include Delphi Automotive, Samsung Catalyst, Naver Corporation, and SoftBank Ventures Korea. Read more

Opinion | Can a golem have a birthday? After ruling on the legal personhood of corporations and animals, courts must decide whether artificial intelligence should have legal accountability, as well as rights. Read more

Maersk’s investment arm sets sights on Israel’s tech ecosystem. Set up in 2017, Maersk Growth invests mainly in the domains of food waste management, smart logistics, and next-generation trading. Read more 

M&A

Taboola acquires unit from mobile marketing service provider Celltick. Read more

China’s TUS completes acquisition of Telit’s automotive unit. Read more

Israeli travel tech companies Fornova and HotelsBI announce merger. Read more

Online gambling company 888 Holdings buys sports betting platform. Read more

Startup funding

Samsung SDS backs data company Iguazio. Read more 

Railway safety system developer Rail Vision raises $10 million. Read more

Predictive analytics startup Mintigo raises $7 million. Read more

Healthcare financing startup TailorMed raises $6 million. Read more 

Autonomous vehicle startup Vayavision receives $2.77 million grant. Read more

Portuguese power company EDP backs cybersecurity startup Sepio. Read more

Gamer-coaching startup Novos raises $750,000. Read more