Israel Active

Israel’s Cardo Systems has developed a next-generation headset intercom that allows motorcycle riders to communicate without distractions. Cardo has just been acquired by European private equity fund EMK Capital for $150 million.

Updated news on Israel’s SuperSmart (reported previously). Its supermarket shopping scanning system has now expanded to Germany, Brazil, and the U.S. and the startup has just raised $10 million of funds. At the same time, Amazon Go has shrunk from a target of 3,000 stores to just 25.

Yum! Brands – owner of Pizza Hut, KFC and more, has taken over Israel’s Tictuk. It gives Yum! customers the ability to order fast food via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, SMS, QR codes, and email, via Tictuk’s omnichannel ordering and marketing platform.

The app from Israel’s Osu helps UK freelancers, sole traders and self-employed accept and manage payments. It has no transaction fees and allows its users to capture 100% of each sale. Osu has already collected hundreds of thousands of pounds of payments for 1,000 UK professionals.

Israel’s Phinergy (reported previously) is partnering Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to make Aluminum-Air battery systems. India’s Prime Minister Modi wants electricity to “de-carbonize mobility”, to recycle used Aluminum and increase made-in-India products.

Israel’s Voyager Labs (reported previously) has announced that its suite of AI cloud-based security solutions is now also available on Microsoft Azure. Also, the Microsoft One Commercial Partner program gives Voyager Labs the facility to sell to Microsoft customers in 170 countries.

Israel’s Gloat (reported previously) has deployed its smart recruitment system to its first Arab bank. The UAE’s largest bank - First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) – has partnered with Gloat to launch its internal “Talent Marketplace” and enhance its career development program.

The latest International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Global Economic Report has revised Israel's growth forecast for 2021 upwards from 4.1% to 5% due to the successful rollout of the country's vaccination drive.

Israel's Composite State of the Economy Index for February increased by 0.4 percent, due to the easing of restrictions in the third lockdown. Positive factors were more job vacancies, services revenues, building starts and retail trade revenues.  A survey also showed increased optimism amongst business leaders.

Israel’s Yotpo (see ) has just raised $230 million to give it a market valuation of $1.4 billion. Simultaneously, Israel’s Orca Security (see ) raised $210 million for a $1.2 billion valuation.