Startups have raised $1 billion in the first two months of 2019, after the record $6.4 billion raised by startups in 2018.
Israeli startups raised nearly $550 million during February, according to press releases issued by companies that have completed financing rounds. The figure may be more as some companies prefer not to publicize the investments they have received. After raising $450 million in January, Israeli startups have now raised $1 billion in the first two months of 2019.
This figure is below the pace for 2018, when according to IVC-ZAG, Israeli startups raised a record $6.4 billion, up from $5.24 billion in 2017. However, it beats the sluggish start to 2018, when Israeli startups only raised $760 million in the first two months of the year.
As usual, most of the money raised last month, was in large financing rounds by a small number of companies. $420 million was raised by just nine companies.
Telco network company DriveNets led with a $110 million financing round. Big data company Redis Labs raised $60 million, and cybersecurity company PerimeterX raised $43 million. Robotic process company Kryon Systems, fintech company Rapyd and AI assisted CRM company Gong.io each raised $40 million.
Three healthcare startups also completed handsome financing rounds in February. Microbiome company Biomx raised $32 million, medical imaging company Cathworks raised $30 million, and AI blood testing company Sight Diagnostics raised $27.8 million.