Happy New Year from IsraelTech

From Rosh Hashana to Rosh Hashana: IsraelTech Milestones

This past year has been nothing short of incredible for IsraelTech. Together with our community, here’s what we’ve achieved:

🎙️ Content & Community

• 32 new long-form conversations with founders, VCs, and ecosystem leaders.

• Launched This Week in IsraelTech and Today in IsraelTech to democratize access to ecosystem updates.

• Published our first edition of this very IsraelTech Newsletter!

• Covered major events including Cybertech 2025, Axis 2025, Ignite DeepTech Selection Day, and more.

• Welcomed our first three partners: HaGesher Group, The Recruitery, and our first big sponsor, Deel!!

• Recorded our first in-person live session at Sarona with Alon Leibovich of Ignite DeepTech.

• Had our first in-person event with panelists like MK Sharren Haskel, Ignite DeepTech, and The Israel Innovation Authority.

• Surpassed 104,000 views on YouTube and 1 Million views on all other social channels in the last year!!

This has been a hugely successful year, solidifying IsraelTech’s position as THE new media brand for the Israeli tech ecosystem. It’s been a year of growth, reach, and real impact - and this is just the beginning. Here’s to an even bigger 5786!

Please join us and make sure you are following us on all your favorite platforms to be a part of this incredible community.

This week’s newsletter is made possible thanks to Deel.

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the all-in-one payroll and HR platform for global teams.

Deel helps companies simplify every aspect of managing a workforce, from onboarding, compliance and performance management, to global payroll, HRIS and immigration support. Deel works for full-time employees and independent contractors in more than 150 countries, compliantly. And getting set up takes just a few minutes. For more information, visit Deel.com/israeltech.

Shorts of the Week

Scaling Like NVIDIA: Key Takeaways for Israeli Startups ft. Nati Amsterdam of NVIDIA Israel

Contracts Can Slow You Down ft. Allen Greenberg

Betting on People, Not Just Ideas ft. Adi Levanon of Selah Ventures

Great Marketing Looks a Lot Like 8200 ft, Danny Cohen of Sticker VC

This Week in Israeli Tech News

1. Glilot Capital Raises $500M for AI and Cybersecurity Bets

   One of Israel’s biggest VCs just reloaded. Glilot Capital secured $500M across two new early-stage funds, with half earmarked for fresh investments and half for follow-ons. The focus: startups at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, where threats are evolving faster than ever.

   

2. D-ID Expands With Simpleshow Acquisition

   AI video pioneer D-ID is joining forces with Berlin-based Simpleshow, strengthening its position in enterprise video creation and avatar technology. The move brings together 1,500+ global clients and a combined team of 140 across Berlin, Tel Aviv, and the U.S.

3. Remedio Secures $65M In First-Ever Funding Round

   Cybersecurity scale-up Remedio (formerly GYTPOL) has been profitable since day one, protecting enterprises like Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Colgate with its autonomous real-time security remediation platform. Now, with fresh capital, the company is set to accelerate U.S. expansion and aim for $100M ARR.

4. NextVision To Raise $400M Amid Global Demand For Drone Tech

   NextVision Stabilized Systems (TASE: NXSN), a leader in stabilized cameras for drones and defense vehicles, is set to secure a $400M raise as it eyes entry into the Tel Aviv 35 Index. With soaring share growth and rising defense budgets worldwide, the company is positioned at the heart of the "defense decade."

5. MetalBear Raises $12.5M To Power Cloud-Native Development

   Tel Aviv-based MetalBear, creator of the open-source tool mirrord, is helping developers run local code in production-like conditions instantly—boosting speed and reliability for teams worldwide. Already serving thousands of developers at Fortune 100 companies, the startup is scaling fast.

6. Ray Security Raises $11M To Launch Predictive Data Protection

   Tel Aviv-based Ray Security is pioneering AI-driven defenses that predict and protect enterprise data use in real time—claiming to reduce risk by up to 90%. Already working with Fortune 500 companies, the startup is emerging from stealth with big ambitions in cybersecurity.

7. Check Point Acquires Lakera in $300M Deal to Expand AI Security

   Check Point has acquired Lakera, a startup specializing in AI-native security for AI applications, in a deal valued at around $300 million. This acquisition positions Check Point at the forefront of securing AI environments, offering an end-to-end AI security stack to protect enterprises as they adopt and scale AI technologies.

8. Terra Security Lands $30M to Reinvent Pen Testing with Agentic AI

   Tel Aviv and New York-based Terra Security is ditching outdated point-in-time tests for a continuous agentic-AI swarm guided by human experts. The result: offensive security that actually keeps pace with attackers.

Culture Corner

US and Israeli officials gather for Pilgrim Road Grand Opening

After years of excavation, Pilgrim Road, a first-century era route in the City of David, made its grand opening to the public this week. The ceremony was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ambassador Huckabee designated this site as a joint American-Israeli heritage site, citing the unwavering commitment the U.S. has for Israel, and praised the excavation as a moment that “lets the stones speak.”

Archaeologists say the road was the main passageway for pilgrims to reach the Second Temple during the period. The Israel Antiquities Authority, which leads the City of David organization and national park, led the big dig. The stretch of road runs through the Pool of Siloam in the Tyropoeon Valley to the foot of the Temple Mount is about 600 Meters long and 8 meters wide and is open from end to end.

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