CTech's Wednesday Roundup of Israeli Tech News

Starboard divests Mellanox stake ahead of deal completion. On Monday, Nvidia announced an acquisition agreement to buy Mellanox for $6.9 billion. On Tuesday, Starboard revealed it has sold its remaining stake. Read more

Lightbits emerges from stealth with $50 million in funding. Co-founded by celebrated Israeli entrepreneur Avigdor Willenz, the datacenter software company counts heavyweights Cisco, Dell, and Micron as backers. Read more

Israeli police cracks down on Telegram marijuana operation. Police arrested 42 people suspected to be top management of Israeli drug buying network Telegrass. Read more

SodaStream CEO buying into cannabis sector. Cannabis farming startup Seedo announced Tuesday that the CEO of the PepsiCo-owned water carbonation company will be joining its board. Read more

Nearly half of Israel's largest exporters are foreign-owned. Of the 20 largest Israeli exporters, each with over $1 billion in annual sales, nine are owned by foreign entities. Read more

Israel’s planned national committee on foreign investments up for rediscussion. The amended proposal will be discussed by the cabinet Sunday after the ministries raised objections to the initial proposal submitted by Israel’s National Security Council. Read more 

Tel Aviv hackathon to tackle the unique struggles of overpaid tech workers. The hackathon, scheduled for early April, will be held by Tel Aviv-based tech support software company Soluto in collaboration with popular Israeli Facebook page "High Tech Problems." Read more

Xiaomi's Israeli franchise holder to market brand in England, Belgium. Until now, Xiaomi products were sold in both countries unofficially, but Hemilton Group will be the first official master franchisee. Read more

Israeli HMO partners with poop tech startup to launch blood glucose control service. Gut microbiome analysis startup DayTwo partnered with one of Israel’s largest health maintenance organizations. Read more

Automated broadcasting startup Pixellot scores extended contract With PlayOn! Sports. Israel-based Pixellot develops automated production technologies that provide live, multi-angled, panoramic HD broadcasts of sporting events. Read more

Israeli scooter-sharing service LEO to put anti-theft tracking devices on vehicles. As part of the $2.7 million deal, Nasdaq-listed Ituran will provide LEO with 20,000 units of its GPS tracking device as well as retrieval services in case a vehicle is stolen. Read more 

Tnuva launches startup accelerator program. Dubbed Capsule, the program will scout startups and entrepreneurs for strategic collaborations, offering them access to Tnuva’s facilities, business advisement, and mentorship. Read more