Israel Tech Startups and Innovations: Weekly Roundup March 16 – March 22, 2025
New Startups / VC Funding
Israeli Defense Tech Startup Kela Secures $39M in Funding to Revolutionize Military Tech Integration
Israeli defense technology startup Kela has successfully raised $39 million in total funding, strengthening its mission to modernize military systems with cutting-edge commercial technology. The funding includes an $11 million Seed round led by Sequoia and a $28 million Series A round spearheaded by Lux Capital.
Founded in July 2024, Kela has developed an open military technology platform that enables Western defense forces to… Read More Here
Utila Secures $18M Series A to Scale Institutional MPC Wallets and Global Expansion
Utila, an Israeli startup providing institutional-grade Multi-Party Computation (MPC) wallets, has raised $18 million in a Series A funding round to accelerate its global expansion and R&D initiatives. The round was led by Nyca Partners, with participation from Wing VC, NFX, and funds such as Haymaker Ventures, Gaingels, and Cerca Partners.
Since emerging from stealth… Read More Here
257 Secures $9.2M Seed Funding to Revolutionize the $500B Residential Energy Market with AI
257, an innovative Israeli startup software and AI company, has raised $9.2 million in a Seed funding round to drive the transformation of the $500 billion residential energy sector. The round was led by F2 Venture Capital, with participation from top energy and AI investors, including Mike Fallquist (founder of Crius Energy), Jeff Hammerbacher (co-CEO of Open Athena), and Gil Golan (former head of GM Ventures).
257 aims to redefine how energy… Read More Here
Orion Security Secures $6M Seed Funding to Revolutionize AI-Powered Data Protection
Orion Security, an Israeli startup that offers an advanced AI-driven data protection platform, has successfully raised $6 million in a Seed funding round. The investment was led by Pico Partners and FXP, with additional support from Underscore VC and prominent cybersecurity experts, including the founders of Perimeter 81 and the CISO of Elastic.
Founded in 2024 by CEO Nitay Milner, former product leader at Cisco-acquired Epsagon, and CTO Yonatan Kreiner, former… Read More Here
Mergers and Acquisitions
Munich Re Acquires Israeli Unicorn Next Insurance in $2.6 Billion Deal
Munich Re, a global leader in insurance and reinsurance, is acquiring Next Insurance, a startup and a unicorn originally founded in Israel. The companies have finalized an agreement for the full acquisition, with Munich Re’s primary insurance subsidiary, ERGO, purchasing Next Insurance for $2.6 billion in cash. This strategic move strengthens Munich Re’s position in the digital insurance market while expanding its footprint in small business coverage.
Founded in 2016, Next Insurance says that… Read More Here
Armis Acquires Israeli OT Security Startup Otorio for $120M to Strengthen Cyber-Physical Protection
Armis, a global leader in cyber exposure management and security, has acquired Israeli startup Otorio, a specialist in operational technology (OT) and cyber-physical systems (CPS) security. The deal, valued at approximately $120 million in cash and shares, enhances Armis’ capabilities in safeguarding critical infrastructure and industrial networks. This strategic acquisition positions Armis as a dominant force in OT and CPS cybersecurity, reinforcing its commitment to securing connected environments against evolving… Read More Here
Alphabet in Advanced Talks to Acquire Israeli Cybersecurity Startup Wiz for $30 Billion
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has reentered negotiations and is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup and a unicorn Wiz for $30 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report, published yesterday, indicates that the deal is close to completion, barring any last-minute obstacles.
If finalized, this acquisition would mark one of the largest cybersecurity deals in history, strengthening Alphabet’s position… Read More Here
Other Business Stories
Israel Successfully Tests Enhanced Iron Dome Defense System Against Advanced Threats
The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), in collaboration with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, has successfully completed a series of interception tests for the Iron Dome defense system. These tests evaluated the system’s performance against a wide range of advanced aerial threats, including rockets, cruise missiles, and UAVs.
Building on real-world operational experience from the… Read More Here
Armis Cuts Over 50% of Israeli Startup Otorio’s Employees After $120M Acquisition
Armis, a global leader in cyber exposure management and security, has already let go of 45 employees from Israeli startup Otorio, a specialist in operational technology (OT) and cyber-physical systems (CPS) security, which it acquired just one week ago. Israeli publication Calcalist broke the news, saying that this constitutes about one half of Otorio’s total workforce.
Most of those fired worked in the areas of sales… Read More Here
Israel Ranks Among the World’s Top Arms Importers and Exporters – SIPRI Report
Israel remains a major player in the global arms trade, ranking among the world’s largest arms importers and exporters, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The latest data, covering 2020-2024, places Israel as the 15th-largest arms importer, dropping one position from its 2015-2019 ranking.
Israel accounts for 1.9% of total global arms imports, with the United States as its primary supplier, providing 66% of its military… Read More Here
Gal Gadot Makes History as First Israeli Actor to Receive Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Gal Gadot has officially cemented her legacy in Hollywood! On Tuesday, the acclaimed actress received a prestigious star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making history as the first Israeli actor to earn this honor. However, anti-Israel protestors marred the actress’s big day, holding u signs at the ceremony that read “Heros Fight Like Palestinians,” “Viva Viva Palestina” and more.
Best known for her iconic role as… Read More Here
