Author: OurCrowd

AvaTrade acquired for $105M, top 4 startups from Microsoft’s Demo Day, & OurCrowd’s singular successes [OurCrowd Newsletter]

AvaTrade acquired for $105M, top 4 startups from Microsoft’s Demo Day, & OurCrowd’s singular successes [OurCrowd Newsletter]

Jul 6, 2015 |

Last week saw another big acquisition for an Israeli company. Four top Israeli startups fresh out of Microsoft’s accelerator. Find out OurCrowd’s secrets to its singular success. Read on for the latest from the Startup Nation! Start getting this weekly newsletter via email: Subscribe now Playtech buys Israeli company AvaTrade for $105M It turns out that early May reports about Playtech buying AvaTrade have had substantial merit. Playtech, founded by Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi, announced that it has agreed to buy currency trading platform AvaTrade for $105 million to expand its online trading platform. Playtech, which provides software used in sports betting and online casino games, is aiming to carve a niche in currency trading using its technology, as the gambling industry comes under pressure from higher taxes and tougher regulation. Learn more. OurCrowd & Portfolio Companies in the News  ElMindA featured in Times of Israel BioCatch featured in Israel21c Jon Medved interviewed on Voice of Israel ReWalk featured in WSJ MST featured in DealmakersHub Boatbound featured in Los Angeles Magazine Consumer Physics featured in Times of Israel Highcon featured...

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[BioCatch in TechCrunch] Pre-Crime Startup BioCatch Authenticates Users Via Touch And Your Phone’s Accelerometer

Jul 5, 2015 |

It’s not often that I write about a startup being granted a patent. However, the latest successful filing from Israeli startup BioCatch caught my attention. Essentially it offers a way for app developers to authenticate users based on how they interact with their phone’s touch screen and accelerometer. Backed most recently by $10 million in Series A funding led by OurCrowd, and Blumberg Capital, the company has developed what it calls “behavioural biometric authentication and threat detection” technology — tech that helps banks and e-commerce companies stop online fraud before it happens. Read more in...

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Checkmarx raises $84M, NFL stars visit Startup Nation, & rulers of Israeli investment landscape [OurCrowd Newsletter]

Checkmarx raises $84M, NFL stars visit Startup Nation, & rulers of Israeli investment landscape [OurCrowd Newsletter]

Jun 29, 2015 |

The latest from the Startup Nation: the movers and shakers of the Israeli investment landscape; multi-million dollar investment rounds; visiting delegation of US Pro Football Hall of Famers get a peek at the latest Israeli technologies; and more… Start getting this weekly newsletter via email: Subscribe now Israeli cyber startup Checkmarx nets $84M investment Israeli cybersecurity startup Checkmarx announced that it had received an $84 million investment from New York-based venture capital and private equity firm Insight Venture Partners. Checkmarx was founded in 2006 with the vision of providing comprehensive solutions for automated security code review. The new round of capital will be primarily used to further accelerate growth through product innovation and global expansion. Learn more. OurCrowd & Portfolio Companies in the News  CropX featured in TechCrunch Crosswise featured in AdExchanger OurCrowd featured in NoCamels Cimagine featured in the Times of Israel OurCrowd featured in Crowdfund Insider Consumer Physics featured in VentureBeat Your face on a latté? Israeli startup SteamCC makes it possible Part tech startup, part design studio, Israeli firm SteamCC’s invention called the “foam printer” brings a sense...

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OurCrowd’s portfolio company Consumer Physics featured in VentureBeat

Jun 26, 2015 | ,

OurCrowd’s portfolio company Consumer Physics was featured in VentureBeat, a leading technology website. Consumer Physics has developed the world’s first affordable molecular sensor – the SCiO – that fits in the palm of your hand. Consumer Physics wowed everyone last year when it announced the Scio, a handheld device that used light to scan food, pills, or plants and tell you the chemical makeup of the object. Now the Tel Aviv, Israel-based company has shown a miniaturized version of the Scio that it is preparing to ship to developers and early supporters of its successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Seeded by OurCrowd and top tier Silicon Valley VC Khosla Ventures, Consumer Physics raised $3,300,000 from OurCrowd investors in its 2nd round of funding in May 2014. Read more on...

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OurCrowd’s portfolio company Consumer Physics featured in Wired

Jun 26, 2015 | ,

OurCrowd’s portfolio company Consumer Physics was featured in Wired, a popular news site and magazine covering technology, culture, business and politics. Consumer Physics has developed the world’s first affordable molecular sensor – the SCiO – that fits in the palm of your hand. Scio, the pocket-friendly molecular sensor that was a 2014 Kickstarter sensation will soon be shipped to backers, Consumer Physics — the company that makes it — has announced. With promises of being able to identify food and distinguish between types of pills just by scanning their molecular fingerprints, it’s little wonder the sensor was popular on Kickstarter. Not only can Scio identify objects, but it can also give a breakdown of many of the chemicals within. Seeded by OurCrowd and top tier Silicon Valley VC Khosla Ventures, Consumer Physics raised $3,300,000 from OurCrowd investors in its 2nd round of funding in May 2014. Read more on...

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