Amnon Shashua Overview
Prof. Amnon Shashua has published over 160 papers in computer science and holds over 140 patents. Shashua holds the Sachs Chair at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for computer science. His expertise lies in AI which has led him to win the Dan David Prize in 2020. In 2022 he was selected Mobility Innovator by the Automotive Hall of Fame. Shashua is an entrepreneur who has founded and led four companies that apply AI in various fields. He is the founder of Mobileye and is currently serving as the president and CEO of the company. Additionally Shashua serves as an angle investor for multiple companies such as AI21, Drill, DigitalOwl, and Sunbit
Latest News
growth-positive
Amnon Shashua urges strict separation of powers
Mobileye CEO Prof. Amnon Shashua expressed his views on the Israeli governments planned judicial overhaul during the Israel Prize ceremony. He emphasized the importance of respecting the separation of powers and all state institutions. Shashua, along with other tech industry leaders, did not join the protests against the judicial reform. He also discussed the impact of AI on professions and industries, highlighting the need for countries and societies to understand and adapt to technological transformations. The article does not mention any specific customers, partners, investment or acquisition amounts, layoffs, or the date of the event.
Management Changes
growth-positive
Amnon Shashua invests as Chinese EV co Zeekr raises $750m
Mobileye CEO, Prof. Amnon Shashua, led a $750 million pre-IPO Series A financing round for Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Zeekr. The financing round gave Zeekr a valuation of $13 billion. Other investors in the round were Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), Yuexiu Industrial Fund, Tongshang Fund, and Xin’an Intelligent Manufacturing Fund. Zeekr was founded in April 2021 and has already delivered over 80,000 vehicles. The article was published on February 13, 2023.
Investment
growth-positive
Amnon Shashua's new baby raises $64 million. They now have millions of users
AI21 Labs, the startup behind the Wordtune plugin and a large language model, has raised $64 million and is now valued at $664 million. The fundraising round was led by Ahren Innovation Capital and included participation from other investors. AI21 Labs develops language products and models based on natural language processing, with Wordtune being their best-known product. They have also launched other projects, such as a language model tool and a development platform called AI21 Studio. The company plans to launch more products in the future. The article highlights the companys growth in users and revenues, which has excited both the company and investors.
Investment
growth-positive
Amnon Shashua's A21 Labs raises $20 million from Walden Catalyst at $400 million valuation
Walden Catalyst, a venture capital firm, has invested $20 million in Israeli AI startup A21 Labs. The company has also closed its inaugural $550 million fund focused on deep-tech investments. The fund includes investors such as Silver Lake, GIC, Temasek, and SoftBank. Walden Catalyst has made six investments to date, including in AI21 Labs and Israeli startup Speedata. AI21 Labs develops comprehensive language models, including the Jurrasic-1 model. The investment by Walden Catalyst will support the growth and development of A21 Labs.
Investment
growth-positive
Shashua's Digital Bank eyeing $100 million funding round
Israels first Digital Bank, controlled by Amnon Shashua, plans to raise $100 million from foreign investors at a valuation of several hundreds of millions of dollars. The funding round is underwritten by The Rothschild & Co bank. The bank has already invested $65 million and will remain the controlling shareholder. The funds will be used for various costs of founding the bank, including R&D and marketing, as well as meeting capital adequacy requirements. The bank is currently in pilot mode and aims to be launched to the public in January 2022. It predicts profitability by 2023 with projected revenue of $125 million. The digital bank differentiates itself with AI-based technologies and aims to offer basic services at a set price without extra commissions.
Investment