CTech's Thursday Roundup of Israeli Tech News

In Israel, AI pays off, new survey shows. A recent survey conducted via Facebook group Machine and Deep Learning Israel has generated some interesting insights about the sector. Read more

Let Israel's election begin (in Wellington, New Zealand). More than 5,000 state employees in 77 countries will vote on Thursday, 12 days before the rest of Israel’s citizens head to the polls. Read more Chinese e-car brand Aion to set up Tel Aviv showroom in early 2020. The models to be sold in Israel include Aion S, a compact electric sedan and Trumpchi GE3, the company’s subcompact crossover SUV designed in collaboration with Japanese car manufacturer Mitsubishi. Read more

Bloomberg Foundation launches Israeli innovation hub network. Each network location will work alongside a team of city employees on a dedicated project selected by the mayor. Read more

Controlled drug release company Polypid raises $50 million. In March, clinical-stage Polypid backed out of its planned Nasdaq IPO. Read more

Stage Fund acquires Cymmetria. The deal is valued at “a few tens of millions of dollars,” according to one person familiar with the matter. Read more

App engagement analytics startup Neura raises $16 million. Neura develops an app engagement analytics software that analyzes how users respond to certain app features such as push notifications. Read more

Cannabis marketing startup Fyllo raises $16 million. Fyllo offers online marketing services to cannabis brands including data analytics and ad campaign management. Read more

Citi backs fintech startup T-REX. T-REX develops a cloud-based service that digitizes and analyzes financial data and investments of complex assets for financial institutions. Read more

Deutsche Telekom, Salesforce back information security startup PerimeterX. PerimeterX develops a system that identifies and blocks malicious bots to prevent the spread of fake news as well as phishing and fraud attempts. Read more

Freelance work management startup Stoke raises $4.5 million. Stoke develops an online service that enables companies to find, hire, and manage freelancers on a large scale. Read more

Israeli cannabis company BOL lays off 20 employees. In June, BOL backed out of its planned IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange after failing to secure its target valuation. Read more