CTech's Weekly Roundup of Israeli Tech News

Vinsent aims to democratize the centuries-old tradition of trading in wine futures. An Israeli startup has drawn inspiration from a Bordeaux tradition to create a blockchain-based platform for buying—and trading—in wine that has yet to be bottled. Read more 

Chips, electronics components exports from Israel to China nearly doubled in 2018. Intel exports most of its Israel-manufactured components to China, where it has several testing and assembly facilities. Read more  

Netanyahu data collection chatbot irks Facebook. Over the past week, Facebook's policy team has been in touch with Likud campaign managers over the use of a Netanyahu chatbot asking users about their voting intentions ahead of Israel’s general elections. Read more  

Palestinian landowners sue Israeli settlers suing Airbnb. In November, a group of 18 American citizens, some of them Israeli nationals who live in West Bank settlements, filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Airbnb following the company’s November announcement that it will be removing approximately 200 listing in Israeli settlements in the West Bank from its service. Read more  

Israel is mulling a tourist tax. Israel’s mounting budget deficit is leading the country’s Ministry of Finance to consider a revenue stream already in practice in many countries worldwide—a tourist tax. Read more  

M&As and Startup Funding Rounds 

Stryker buys orthopedic device company OrthoSpace for up to $220 million. Read more  

MinuteMedia acquires The Big Lead from Gannett. Read more  

Guesty raises $35 million to make life easier for hosts in online vacation rental services. Read more

Migraine treatment startup Theranica raises $35 million. Read more

Dell backs cancer diagnosis startup Ibex. Read more  

Rail Vision announces $10 million investment from Knorr-Bremse. Read more  

Customer engagement startup Yellzz raises $1 million. Read more