Israel's High-Tech Figures

Israel has become one of the world’s most highly regarded and 

important high-tech centers and high-tech is the main growth 

engine of Israel’s economy. In 2004, Israeli high-tech sales 

exceeded $15 billion, including $12.9 billion in exports. In the 

peak year of 2000, no less than 3,000 high-tech start-ups were 

active in Israel – one start-up per 2,000 residents. 

This chapter presents the figures standing behind the impressive 

activities of Israel’s high-tech industries. Israel’s high-tech 

community is characterized by a high concentration of talent, 

energy and innovation. We’ve chosen to focus on a number 

of issues important to Israeli high-tech, featuring some of the 

personalities. 

Founding Fathers 

Efi Arazi – The “wonder kid” of the Israeli economy, is best 

known as the founder (1967), President and CEO of Scitex, 

which led the global digital printing field and reported hundreds 

of millions of dollars in sales each year. In 1988, Arazi handed 

the company’s reins over to Arie Rosenfeld, and became 

Chairman of the Board. 

In 1989, Arazi ceased his active involvement in Scitex, and 

established EFI (Electronics for Imaging), which developed a 

chip that transforms standard digital color copiers into networked 

color printers. Arazi handed over the CEO position to Dan Avida 

(1995), and became a “silent” chairman in EFI, which also posted 

revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars a year. 

Uzia Galil – Founder 

of Elron, served as its 

President & Chairman of 

the board until 1999. 1962, 

the year in which Uzia 

Galil established Elron 

Uzia Galil Doron Birger Electronic Industries, can be 

considered the birth year of 

the Israeli high-tech industry. For dozens of years, Galil served 

as Chairman or board member in Elron’s subsidiaries, which 

include Elbit Systems; Elscint, a medical imaging company 

(which he founded together with Dr. Avraham Suhami); and 

EMI. Galil also served as Chairman of Zoran (which was founded 

by Dr. Levy Gerzberg). In the course of his brilliant career, Galil 

won numerous awards and titles. The group develops defense 

electronics products, navigation systems, scanners, and a wide 

variety of ultrasound, digital and video chips. 

Doron Birger has been serving as Elron's President & CEO since 

High-Tech Industries 

Israel’s High-Tech Figures 

42 

2001. He joined the company in 1994, and is serving as a director 

in some of Elron's subsidiaries. 

Davidi Gilo – One of the most important inventors and 

entrepreneurs of the Israeli high-tech industry. Gilo is also the 

man responsible for one of biggest high-tech deals in Israeli 

history – the purchase of DSPC (DSP Communications), a 

wireless communications chip designer, by Intel (1999), in a deal 

worth $1.6 billion. 

Gilo established the DSPC Group in the United States, but its 

R&D centers were located in Israel. 

Benny Peled (deceased) – Major General (Res.) Benny 

Peled, former Commander of the Israeli Air Force (1973-1977), 

served as president of Elbit and its subsidiary Elscint. Peled 

turned Elbit into one of the most important providers of defense 

systems and equipment in Israel and abroad. Elbit’s sales revenue 

reached a record of $830 million in 2002. In 1999, Elbit completed 

a merger with El-Op, one of the most important electro-optical 

companies in the world. In 1982 Joseph Ackerman joined Elbit 

Systems, where he now serves as President and CEO, bringing 

the company to record achievements. 

Dr. Felix Zandman – Founder, President, CEO, and driving 

spirit behind Vishay Intertechnology, one of the world’s 

largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive 

components. Zandman founded Vishay in 1962, and turned it 

into a company that employs 25,000 workers worldwide. The 

company began its activities in Israel in the seventies, with the 

establishment of four factories in Holon, Migdal Ha’emek, Be’er 

Sheva and Dimona. 

Leaders of International Corporations in 

Israel and Abroad 

Shai Agassi – Senior executive member of the Germany-based 

software giant SAP, which purchased TopTier, the company 

Agassi founded and managed, for $400 million (2001). Agassi 

also founded Quicksoft and Menahel. SAP operates an R&D 

center in Israel. 

Ra’anan Biber 

Ra’anan Biber – General Manager of Dell 

Israel. In 1999 computer giant Dell Inc. 

established a branch in Israel. Biber previously 

worked for Motorola Israel, serving as general 

manager at Emet Michshuv. Biber has boosted 

sales in Israel by thousands of percents.

Shlomo Catran – In 2001 he was appointed General Manager 

of Philips Medical Systems Israel, a developer of medical 

imaging technology and manufacturer of CT scanners. Catran 

also serves as Chairman of the Medical Equipment Forum of the 

Israel Association of Electronics Industries. 

Ayal Bar David – Qualcomm’s Vice-President of engineering. 

Qualcomm is one of the most important digital wireless 

communications companies in the world. 

Prof. Dov Frohman – He initiated the Israeli activities of 

Intel, the leading company in the 

semiconductor industry, and turned Intel 

Israel into the largest Israeli exporter. In 

the early seventies, Frohman invented 

the revolutionary EPROM chip, the 

basic component of flash memory 

technology. 

Frohman established Intel’s R&D 

center in Haifa, and has been the 

driving force behind Intel Israel for 20 

years. In 1981, he established Intel’s 

chip-making factory in Jerusalem. In 

2000, he relinquished the CEO position 

to Alex Kornhauser, manager of Intel’s 

chip-making factory in Kiryat Gat, 

David (Dadi) Perlmutter, manager of 

Ofer 

Greenberger 

Intel’s R&D center in Haifa, and Amir Elstein, manager 

of Intel Electronics in Jerusalem. In 2004, Intel exported 

$1.17 billion and employed 5,800 workers in Israel. 

Ofer Greenberger – KLA Tencor Israel’s CEO. In 

the United States, Mr. Greenberger managed SemiTech, 

a subsidiary of Kulick and Soffa. From 1998-2001, Mr. 

Greenberger managed Microswiss in Israel. In 2003, with Avi 

Cohen’s appointment as KLA President in the United States, 

Ofer Greenberger joined KLA-Tencor. 

Dr. Eli Harari – Founder, President and CEO of SanDisk, 

a world pioneer in the field of non-volatile memory and 

semiconductor systems design. SanDisk operates an R&D center 

in Israel. 

Moshe Horev – The Israeli managing director of Oracle, the 

world’s largest supplier of information management software. 

Oracle Israel was established in 1996, and serves over 2,000 

customers locally. 

Vered Liberman – Serves as General Manager of Novell Israel 


םש 

Moshe Horev 

Dr. Dan Maydan Meir Nissensohn Arie Offner 

Kobi Paz 

43 

since 2001. Novell is the world’s leading developer of secure 

identity management information solutions and multi-platform 

service applications. 

Dr. Dan Maydan – A senior executive at the international 

giant Applied Materials, a leading supplier of semiconductor 

equipment. Together with Israeli scientist Dr. Sasson Somekh, 

and Dr. David Wang, Maydan invented a revolutionary device 

for producing silicon chips. The invention of the Precision 5000 

device by Maydan and his colleagues increased the company’s 

sales from $200 million in 1987 to a billion dollars within 

6 years. Maydan became a President 

Emeritus of Applied Materials (2003) 

together with Dr. Sasson Somekh, and 

has won a number of important global 

awards. Applied Materials entered the 

Israeli market after it acquired Opel 

Vered Liberman 

and Orbot (1997) for $286 million, and 

established a factory in Rehovot two 

years later. 

Amos Michalson – CEO (since 

1995) of Creo, which was established 

by Dan Gelbart (1983). Creo, the 

world's largest supplier of prepress 

equipment, develops solutions for the 

graphic arts industry. The company 

offers over 3,000 products, and employs over 4,000 

workers around the world. 

Amos Michalson was the CEO of Creo Products until its 

sale to Eastman Kodak Inc. in 2005. 

Meir Nissensohn – CEO (since 1996) of IBM Israel, 

one of the country’s most important computer companies 

(since 1949). IBM Israel employs 2000 workers who specialize 

in software, hardware, investment and research. Its Israeli R&D 

centers are the most important of their kind in the world, and are 

responsible for major technological breakthroughs. 

Arie Offner – CEO of CA Israel, a subsidiary of the software 

giant CA. CA Israel operates the company’s largest development 

center outside the United States, and one of the most innovative 

centers in the world. CA Israel has 300 employees, including 

200 engineers developing information security and storage 

solutions. CA Israel’s customers include 90% of Israel’s 100 

largest companies. 

Kobi Paz – Served as Chairman and CEO of Alcatel Telecom 

Israel since 2002. Alcatel is a leading international manufacturer 

of innovative telecommunications equipment.

Yair Pecht – General Manager of EDS Israel, the local branch 

of Electronic Data Corporation, one of the world’s leading 

information technology (IT) services companies, which operates 

in 60 countries. Pecht began working for EDS Israel when it was 

founded in 1995, becoming general manager in 2000. 

Dr. Abe Peled – President and CEO (since 1995) of NDS, 

a leading supplier of digital pay-TV solutions for the secure 

delivery of entertainment and information to televisions and 

IP devices. The company’s R&D center in Israel employs 600 

specialists, which account for one third 

of the company’s personnel. IBM’s 

first DSP chip was designed according 

to Abe Peled’s architecture, while he 

was serving as IBM Vice President for 

Systems and Software in the eighties. 

Noga Perry – CEO of SunGard 

Business Integration (SBI), a 

subsidiary of SunGard Data Systems, a 

leading global developer of integration 

software and business solutions. 

SunGard Israel is the company’s 

development center for the MINT 

Knowledge family of solutions. Ms. 

Perry has over 20 years experience in high-tech. 

Bina Rezinovsky – Served as Country Manager of 

Cisco Systems Israel since 2001. Cisco Systems is the 

world’s largest developer of Internet equipment. The 

company’s development center in Netanya is the largest 

of its kind outside the United States. 

Arie Scope – Founder (1989) of Microsoft Israel, and its 

CEO until 2005. Danny Yamin was appointed his successor as 

General Manager. Microsoft Israel was one of the first Microsoft 

branches outside the US. Microsoft Israel conducts marketing, 

support and R&D activities. Microsoft has already invested $80 

million in adapting its software programs to Hebrew. 

Yitzhak Sitton – General Manager of Agilent Israel, the local 

branch of Agilent Technologies Inc., a developer of innovative 

communications, electronic, scientific, and chemical analysis 

technologies, solutions and services. 

Gil Weiser – Served as the Managing Director (1973-1993) of 


Dr. Abe Peled Noga Perry 

Yitzhak Sitton Elisha Yanai Dr. Giora Yaron 

Yair Pecht 

44 

Digital Israel, a fully owned subsidiary of the Digital Equipment 

Corporation (DEC), which was acquired by Compaq Computer 

Ltd. Weiser established and headed many high-tech companies, 

including Negev Software Industries, Digital Semiconductors 

Center (VLSI), Wiztec, SIT CMS, Orlink and Fibronics. He also 

served as the general manager of HP Israel (1995-2000), one of 

the largest computer companies in Israel. In 2002, Compaq Israel 

was merged into HP Israel, following the acquisition of Compaq 

by the HP Corporation. 

Elisha Yanai – Chairman and CEO 

of Motorola Israel (since 2002) and a 

corporate vice president of Motorola 

Inc., the world’s leading provider 

of integrated communications 

and information solutions. The 

Arie Scope company’s Israeli R&D centers 

(former CEO Hanan Achsaf) 

are responsible for the Networks 

Communications Department of 

Motorola’s Semiconductor Division, 

and developed chips for cellular 

phones and base stations. Today, 

the next generation of processors 

for Motorola’s palm devices is 

being developed in Israel. In 1998, Motorola and 

PageCall established Pelephone, Israel’s first cellular 

carrier. Pelephone created the large market of cellular 

communications in Israel, which was later expanded 

by Cellcom, Orange-Partner, and MIRS, which was 

established by Motorola and Ampal (1998). Elisha Yanay 

also serves as Chairman of the Israel Association of 

Electronics and Information Technology Industries. 

Boaz Yehuda – Manages the Israeli branch of the software 

giant Sun. The company’s R&D center in Herzliya has developed 

important Java software products. 

Dr. Giora Yaron – Initiated and headed National 

Semiconductors’ activities in Israel (1979-1992). Yaron also 

served as the President of the digital printing company Indigo 

(1992-1995), President and CEO of the medical technology 

company Itamar Medical (1997-2000), and Chairman and CEO 

of the computerized storage company ExaNet (since 2001). 

Dr. Giora Yaron founded P-Cube in 1998, together with Benny 

Schnaider and Yuval Shahar. Cisco Systems acquired the 

company in 2000 for $200 million.

Founders and Directors of Leading Israeli 

High Tech Companies 

Hanan Achsaf – one of the pioneers of the electronics industry, 

especially the telecom sector, brought the cellular phone to Israel. 

He is one of the most influential and visionary personalities in 

Israeli high-tech. He worked for Motorola in 15 senior positions, 

serving as President of Motorola Israel 

and its Chairman of the Board, and 

as Vice President of Motorola. His 

activities created thousands of jobs in 

the electronics and communications 

industry in Israel. In May 2001, he 

resigned from Motorola after 36 years. 

Dr. Avidan Akerib – Serves as 

President and CEO of NeoMagic 

Israel, a developer of next-generation 

Associative Processor Array (APA) 

technology for video and 3D graphics. 

Kobi Alexander – One of the 

founders of Efrat (1983) and its parent 

company, Comverse (1984) – one 

of the flagship companies of Israeli 

high-tech and a global pioneer of voice 

mail technology. Alexander served 

as Comverse’s President since its 

inception until the beginning of 2001, 

and as company CEO since 1987. 

Alexander later founded Comverse 

subsidiary Verint Systems, which 

has become another success story. 

Itsik Danziger succeeded Alexander 

as CEO of Comverse Technology. 

The current CEO is Zeev Bregman, a 

veteran of the company, with over 15 

years of service. 

Kobi Alexander 

Zvi Alon – Founder, Chairman and CEO of NetManage (1990), 

a global expert in host access and host integration solutions. For 

over a decade, NetManage has helped global enterprises make 

valuable corporate data easily accessible via the Internet. Zvi 

Alon is a pioneer of commercial Internet in Israel, and global 

pioneer in home Internet use. Alon has served as Chairman of 

the California Israel Chamber of Commerce since 1997, and is a 

founder and Chairman of the Israel21C non-profit non-political 

organization dedicated to informing Americans about Israel. 

Ruth Alon – President and first CEO of NetVision, Israel’s 


םש 

Dr. Menashe 

Benjamin 

Zvi Alon Ruth Alon 

Rafi Amit Dr. Viktor Ariel 

Eli Ayalon Eldad Bar-Adon 

45 

largest Internet provider, which was established in 1994. Ravit 

Bar-Niv has been serving as NetVision's CEO since 2000. 

Shimon Alon – Former CEO of the Israeli software company 

Precise, which was sold to software giant Veritas for $609 

million (2003). 

Hanan Achsaf 

Ravit Bar-Niv 

Dr. Avidan 

Akerib 

Rafi Amit – Chairman and CEO of 

Camtek, which designs, manufactures 

and markets automatic optical 

inspection systems for printed circuits 

and silicon wafers. 

Dr. Viktor Ariel – Founded 

TransChip Inc. in 1999 and serves 

as Chairman and CEO. TransChip 

develops miniature cameras for 

cellular telephone handsets, and was 

the first company in the world to 

develop a solution on a single chip, 

including sensor, processor, and 

compressor. 

Reuven Avi-Tal – Served as 

President and CEO of Telrad 

Networks, one of the most prominent 

Israeli technology companies, which 

was established over 50 years ago. 

The current CEO is Dror Pockard, 

and the Chairman is Yuval Cohen. 

Eli Ayalon – Chairman and CEO 

of DSP Group, the global pioneer 

in digital transceiver applications 

and leader in the development of 

sophisticated wireless telephony 

Zeev Bregman processors, especially for home 

wireless communications. The 

company dominates 70% of the 

American market in its field. 

Dov Baharav – President and CEO (since 2002) of the Israeli 

software giant Amdocs, which provides software solutions and 

services to large communications companies all around the 

world, and employs over 9,000 workers. 

Eldad Bar-Adon – Made the One1 group - One1 Software 

Technologies and One1 Systems Integration – into one of Israel’s 

largest software groups.

IDF Col. (res.) Dr. Menashe Benjamin – Founded and 

serves as President and CEO of Algotec Systems, a global leader 

in the development and marketing of medical imaging systems. 

Algotec was acquired by Eastman Kodak Health Imaging Group 

in 2003. 

Reuven Ben-Menachem – Founded Fundtech in 1993 

and serves as its CEO. A subsidiary of Clal 

Industries and Investments, Fundtech is a global 

leader in financial transactions and foreign 

currency clearing software. It has a development 

center in Ramat Gan and 14 offices worldwide. 

The company’s customers include the six largest 

banks in the United States. 

Naftali Bennett – Co-founded 

Cyota and serves as its CEO. Cyota is a 

leader in anti-fraud and online security 

software solutions for the banking 

industry. Headquartered in New York, 

Cyota has offices worldwide and a 

development center in Herzliya. 

Dan Bodner – President and CEO of Comverse 

subsidiary Verint Systems, which develops 

surveillance, security, textural video information 

analysis solutions from voice, video and IP 

networks. Verint has 1,400 employees and five 

development centers worldwide. It has achieved 

a market cap of $1.2 billion within ten years. 

Yehuda and Yehudit Bronicki – The controlling shareholders 

in Ormat Industries, a global leader in geothermal and alternative 

energies. The company builds, owns and operates geothermal, 

recovered energy, biomass power stations. 

General (Ret.) Herzl Bodinger – Former Commander of 

the Israeli Air Force, is the President and Chairman of Rada 

Electronics Industries. 

Alon Cohen and Lior Haramaty – In 1995 established 

VocalTec, which made a significant breakthrough in the field 

of Voice over Internet technology. Since then, the Israeli 

company’s solutions have been installed in over 130 countries, 

and account for one quarter of the global revenues generated 

from international phone calls over the Internet. Elon Ganor, a 

physician and one of the world’s leading developers of packet 

telephony technology, is the company’s CEO and Chairman. 

Hilik Cohen – Founder of MTC Industries & Research, which 


Reuven Ben- 

Menachem 

Hilik Cohen Shalom Daskal 

Aryeh Finegold Dr. Shimon 

Eckhouse 

46 

uses advanced technologies to develop and manufacture scientific 

devices for the medical and defense industries. Cohen’s patented 

devices make dental treatments and surgery easier. 

Shalom Daskal – Served as CEO of Power Paper Ltd., a pioneer 

micro-power source technology, until 2005. Prior to working for 

Power Paper, he was Vice President of Formula Systems and 

CEO of Sapiens International Corporation NV. 

Shlomo Dovrat – Founder of Tecnomatix, a 

leading global provider of solutions for digitizing 

manufacturing. Dovrat served as the President 

and CEO of Tecnomatix from its inception in 

1993 until 1995. In 1993, Dovrat founded Oshap, 

Naftali Bennett 

a European-Israeli investment group (1982), and 

served as its President and CEO (1983- 

1996). In 1999, Oshap was purchased 

by SunGuard. Today, Dovrat is a 

founding partner (2000) at the venture 

capital fund Carmel Venture. Shlomo 

Dovrat was appointed head of the 

Dovrat committee on education reform 

Shlomo Dovrat 

in 2003. 

Yaki Dunietz – Has been a successful high- 

tech entrepreneur since 1978. Dunietz was the 

founder, owner and manager of several public 

high-tech companies, including the Magic 

software company, which was listed on the 

NASDAQ. Dunietz also established a number 

of successful start-up companies. David Asia 

serves as Magic's Chairman of the Board. 

Dr. Boaz Eitan – Chairman and CEO of Saifun Semiconductors, 

which he founded in 1998 and led to a NASDAQ IPO in 

November 2005. Saifun develops NROM flash memory 

processors. Eitan, a former Israel Air Force combat pilot, was 

a prisoner of war in Syria for three years. Saifun is traded on the 

NASDAQ, and in November 2005 it achieved a market value of 

$1 billion. 

Dr. Shimon Eckhouse – Founded and was President of ESC 

Medical (now Lumenis), and currently serves as Chairman of 

Syneron Medical, which he also founded, and which rapidly 

achieved a market cap of $1 billion. 

Aryeh Finegold – Founded Ready Systems, and Medicom, an 

Israeli company that developed computer-embedded software. 

He founded Mercury Interactive Corporation, and turned it into 

a world leader in the software testing market, and into one of the

must successful Israeli companies in the world. Mercury went 

public on the US Exchange, and Finegold went on to establish 

Tegrity, which provided systems for meeting documentation. 

Amnon Landan – was appointed Mercury's CEO in 1997 and 

Chairman in 1999. He resigned in November 2005, and was 

succeeded as CEO by Anthony Zingale. 

Zvi Friedman – CEO of Alvarion, a leading 

international provider of wireless broadband 

networking infrastructure. Alvarion, an Israeli 

company, is traded on Wall Street (since 2000). 

Zvi Friedman succeeded Zvi Slonimsky as CEO 

in 2005, following the latter’s resignation after 

four years at the helm of the company. 

Yoel Gat – One of the founders of the 

publicly traded company Gilat Satellite 

Networks (1987), the developer of the 

VSAT satellite technology. Gat served 

as Gilat CEO since its establishment 

and as Chairman since 1995. In 1998, 

Gilat acquired the US-based company 

GE Spacenet. Gat is a two-time winner 

of the prestigious Israel Security Award 

(1979, 1988). The current Chairman & 

CEO is Amiram Levynberg. 

Itzhak Gat (Brig. Gen. Res.) 

– General Manager of the Elisra Group, 

previously held an impressive variety 

of positions, among them: Deputy 

President of the “Etgar” Fund, General Manager of Rafael, Head 

of the Israeli Air force’s Equipment Division, and before that as a 

fighter pilot and commander in the air force for 27 years. 

Dr. Levy Gerzberg – Zoran Corporation Founder, President and 

CEO. He has over 25 years of experience in high-tech. Zoran is a 

leading supplier of digital processors for the home entertainment 

equipment and imaging industries. Zoran subsidiary, Zoran 

.Microelectronics Ltd. is based in Haifa 

Baruch Glick – Served as General Manager of Semi-Conductor 

Devices (SCD), a developer and manufacturer of a full range 

of infrared detectors and laser diodes for civilian and military 

applications, since 2000. It is the largest company in its field 

outside the United States. 

Danny Goldstein – One of the major “drivers” behind the 


Dr. Levy 

Gerzberg 

םש 

Danny Goldstein Joseph Goren 

47 

growth of the Israeli software market, and was named "Israeli 

High-Tech Ambassador" by Newsweek magazine (1998). 

Goldstein founded, together with Yossi Gal-On, the software 

company Formula (1982). In 1987, Formula began to expand 

through a series of mergers and acquisitions, and in 1991, 

it began to raise capital from the public. Since then, Danny 

Goldstein and his younger brother Gadi have purchased many 

companies at a low price, upgraded them, and then sold their 

technology and took them public in Israel or 

the US. Goldstein also merged and reorganized a 

few companies of the Formula group under the 

name Matrix. 

Moti Gutman 

Hezi Hermoni 

Shraga Katz Moshe Keret Itzhak Gat 

Moti Gutman, who led the company’s 

foundation and merger with Formula, serves as 

Matrix CEO. He previously served as CEO of 

Liraz Systems, and managed its sale to 

Electronic Data Corporation. 

Joseph Goren – Founded Gamatronic 

Electronic Industries in 1970, and 

serves as CEO. The company is a hightech 

pioneer in Jerusalem, developing 

and producing uninterruptible power 

systems for the information technology 

market, and power systems for the 

communications industry. 

Yossi Hollander – In 1999, 

American software giant BMC 

announced the $675 million purchase 

of New Dimension Software, a premier 

developer of management software for complex distributed 

systems. The people who profited most from the deal were New 

Dimension founders Yossi Hollander, Roni Einav, and Dalia 

Prashker. The company’s CEO at the time was Dan Barnea, 

who later became a senior vice president for Research and 

Development at BMC. 

Hezi Hermoni – CEO of Tadiran Communications, a developer 

and manufacturer of military communications systems. 

Doron Inbar – Succeeded David Rubner as President (since 

2000) and CEO (since 1999) of ECI, one of the most important 

Israeli high-tech companies. 

After bringing ECI Telecom back to profitability, Doron Inbar 

retired in 2005 after 22 years at the company, including six as 

CEO. His successor is former ECI Telecom COO, Rafi Maor. 

Shraga Katz – Founded Ceragon Networks, in 1996, and

served as its President and CEO until July 2005. Ceragon is 

a global vendor of broadband wireless telecommunications 

systems. Katz has twice won the Israel Defense Award. 

The late Prof. Yitzhak Kidron – Considered the father of 

Israel’s microelectronics industry, and 

founded the Microelectronics Research 

Center at the Technion – Israel Institute 

of Technology. 

Moshe Keret – President and CEO 

of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), 

which was established in 1953 by Al 

Schwimmer. 

IAI is one of Israel’s largest exporters. 

80% of the company’s production is 

for overseas markets. Keret joined 

IAI in 1955, became an engineer at 

the company in 1959, and rose to his 

present position in 1985. 


Dov Moran Gavriel Meron 

Benny Landa – Founder (1977), 

Chairman and CEO of the digital 

printing company Indigo. In 2001, 

Indigo was purchased by the computer 

giant HP in a stock deal worth $726 

million, and became a HP division. 

Landa is one of the most important 

inventors of Israeli high-tech, and 

Aviv Sofer Ora Meir Sofer 

holds about 500 patents in the digital printing 

and electronic ink fields. 

Yanki Margalit – Chairman and CEO of 

the data security company Aladdin, which he 

founded in 1985. Margalit was one of the first 

developers of the hardware-based software protection product 

known as HASP. 

Eli Mashiah – In 1998, the American software company 

Platinum Technologies announced the acquisition of Memco, 

an Israeli software company, in a stock deal worth $430 million. 

A few months after the Platinum shares were transferred to 

Memco owners, Platinum was purchased by software giant CA. 

Memco founders, Eli Mashiah and Israel Mazin were the major 

shareholders of the company. 

Dov Moran – President, CEO and Co-Founder of M-Systems 

(1989), a company specializing in flash-based data storage 

products known as flash disks. M-Systems is a public company 

with over 600 employees and $348 million in sales (2004). 

Eitan Naor Shlomo Nir Oren Nissim 

Benny Landa Yanki Margalit 

48 

Accumulated orders for 2005 amount to $450 million. 

Gavriel Meron – Given Imaging President and CEO Gavriel 

Meron founded the innovative company that has developed 

and manufactures the PillCam video endoscopic capsule 

for diagnosis of disorders of the 

gastrointestinal tract. The PillCam is 

praised by both the medical profession 

and international media. 

Ron Nagar 

Ron Nagar – Founded and serves 

as President of Glucon Medical 

Ltd., which develops non-invasive 

glucose monitoring devices for 

diabetes patients. Nagar also founded 

UltraGuide, and has numerous patents 

to his credit. 

Eitan Naor – served as President and 

CEO of ECtel since 2004. Previously, 

Naor held executive positions at 

Amdocs and Oracle Corporation. 

Shlomo Nir – General Manager 

of Controp Precision Technologies. 

Founded by four entrepreneurs, 

Eli Reifman 

Controp develops electro-optical 

equipment and mobile precision 

systems, including cameras for 

unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by the 

Israel Defense Forces and the United States 

Army. 

Zvi Nitzan – Co-founder and CTO of 

Power Paper, a pioneer in micro-power source 

technology that has achieved worldwide success. The company’s 

patented cell energy cells are made from environmentally 

friendly materials and can print directly onto paper, plastics or 

other surfaces. 

Oren Nissim – CEO of Telmap, a software company 

developing a range of innovative applications for the mobile 

mapping market. 

Aviv Sofer – Chip PC Technologies President, and his wife, 

CEO Ora Meir Sofer. Chip PC develops and manufactures 

innovative solutions for server-based-computing technologies to 

replace traditional PCs. 

Gilad Rabinovitch – Malam Systems CEO, previously served

as an executive at NetVision. 

Eli Reifman – Born in 1970. CEO of Emblaze. He is also the 

controlling shareholder in the group, which has 600 employees 

worldwide, developing and producing next-generation software 

solutions for telecommunications infrastructures. Its subsidiary, 

Emblaze Mobile, designs and manufactures mobile 

telephones. In the finance arena, Eli has gained vast 

experience in public offerings and investor relations, 

raising over $1 billion through the years and taking the 

company public on AIM and the Main Listing at the 

London Stock Exchange (LSE) as a FTSE 250 company. 

As an integral part of Emblaze 

activities, Mr. Reifman has lead 

corporate merger and acquisition deals 

valued at over $200 million. 

Dr. Kobi Richter – Owns 

Medinol together with CEO Judith 

Richter. Medinol is a developer 

and manufacturer of revolutionary 

coronary stents with flexible spring 

inserted in an artery allowing for regular 

blood flow to the heart. The Richters 

co-founded Medinol with Gregory 

Pinchasik, a former Israel Air Force 

squadron commander. Pinchasik, Dr. 

Kobi Richter and other partners cofounded 

Orbot, which later became 

Orbotech. Medinol had a marketing 

agreement with Boston Scientific Corp. 

to market Medinol’s stents in the United 

States until a legal dispute ruptured 

the relationship. Boston Scientific paid 

Medinol $750 million in a settlement. 

Roni Ross – Founder of Panorama, a software company that 

was purchased by Microsoft (1996), and of Metalsoft, which 

develops software. 

Efraim Sagi – Co-founded Nisko High-Tech Group with Arie 

Kidron. 

Yuval Shahar – Founded InfoGear Technology Corporation, 

which was sold to Cisco Systems Inc. InfoGear developed the 

world’s first Internet Protocol (IP) telephone for the provision of 

online banking services in 1995. Shahar handled development 

at VocalTec Communications, and co-founded P-Cube and 

Pentacom with Benny Schnaider and Dr. Giora Yaron. 

Haim Shani – President and CEO (since 2001) of NICE 


םש 

Giora Yaron Haim Shani 

Yedidia Yaari Gil Shwed 

Jacob (Kobi) 

Toren 

Efraim Sagi 

Dr. Yossi Vardi 

49 

Systems, an Israeli company whose principal founder was Benny 

Levin. NICE, whose sales totaled about $224 million in 2004, is a 

worldwide leader of multimedia digital recording solutions. 

Shaike Schatzberger – Celletra CEO, also managed Galil 

Medical. 

Barry Shaked – Chairman, President and CEO of 

Retalix, a developer and manufacturer of open software 

solutions for the retail food and fuel industries. 

Karen Sarid – CEO of Orex Computed Radiography, 

sold to Eastman Kodak Co. Health 

Group in 2005, develops and 

manufactures Computed Radiography 

(CR) systems for the digital X-ray 

market. 

Karen Sarid 

Ofer Shofman – Founded Valor 

Computerized Systems in 1993 with 

four partners, and has served as 

President and CEO since 2002. Valor 

is a global leader in the development 

and supply of software solutions for 

streamlining design processes. 

Haim Ruso Gil Shwed – Founder, President 

and CEO of one of the largest Israeli 

software companies of all times – 

Check Point. Shwed, who served in a 

technological intelligence unit in the 

IDF, established Check Point (1993) 

with two friends, Marius Nacht and 

Shlomo Kramer. The three founders 

Ofer Shofman developed the groundbreaking 

information security product Firewall 

(1994), and turned it into a world leader. Firewall is a utility that 

forms a virtual barrier between organizations’ computers and 

the Internet. In 1996, Check Point went public at a $450 million 

valuation. Shwed has been the company’s president and CEO 

from its inception. Its market value in 2005 ammounted more 

than $ 5 billion. 

One of the first people to invest in Check Point was Nir Barkat, 

who founded and managed the BRM Investment Fund together 

with his brother Eli Barkat. The two brothers also founded 

BackWeb, a software company. Barak is a member of the 

Jerusalem City Council. 

Izhak Tamir – Has been the President of Orckit, a leading 

provider of advanced broadband telecom solutions, since its 

inception (1990).

Raviv Zoller Amotz Yarden Eran Wyler 

Yehuda Zisapel 

Zohar Zisapel 

Jacob (Kobi) Toren – During his tenure as CEO of El-Op 

Electro-Optics Industries, between 1989 and 2001, he turned the 

company into the leading international manufacturer of electrooptical 

systems. In late 2001, Toren was appointed Chairman of 

Rafael Armament Development Authority, entrusted with the 

task of leading it as a new government company. In September 

2005, he was appointed director general of the Ministry of 

Defense; and Major General (res.) Yedidia Yaari was appointed 

President, and General Manager. Haim Russo has served as 

CEO of El-Op since 2001. 

Dr. Yossi Vardi – Founded and invested in many high tech 

companies, but he is best known as the founder and former CEO 

of Mirabilis, which was purchased by AOL (America Online) 

for $400 million. Beside Dr. Vardi, the other founders of the 

company were all youngsters in their twenties: Vardi’s son, Arik 

Vardi, Sefi Vigiser, Yair Goldfinger and Amnon Amir, who left 

Mirabilis before it was sold to AOL. Mirabilis developed the 

Internet instant messaging system ICQ. 

Dr. Yossi Vardi founded International Technologies (Lasers) 

(now ITL Optronics) together with Yoram Almog. Vardi also 

founded Granite Hacarmel Investments and numerous start-ups. 

Avigdor Willenz – Founder (1993) and CEO of Galileo 

Technologies, which was sold to the American giant Marvell 

in a stock deal worth $2.7 billion. Within 6 years, Willenz 

turned Galileo into a leading provider of complex data 

communications systems on silicon. Marvell, one of the largest 

global manufacturers of ASIC chips, has also acquired the Israeli 

Radlan group for $150 million, and today the group employs 

hundreds of workers in Israel. 

Eran Wyler – Founded Infogin in 2000 and serves as 

CEO. Infogin is a global pioneer in bridging the Internet and 

telecommunications industries. The company’s flagship product 

Intelligent Mobile Platform (IMP) automatically optimizes the 

reformatting of Internet content for mobile devices written in 

various Markup languages in real time. 


50 

Amotz Yarden – CEO of Sintecmedia, a developer of television 

broadcast management software. 

Zohar & Yehuda Zisapel – Founded the Rad Group. Yehuda 

Zisapel served also as the CEO of Bynet at the time. Under the 

Rad-Bynet group, which became one of the most dominant in 

the Israeli market, the two brothers established many companies, 

which were later sold, merged, or turned into public companies. 

The Rad Group, which specializes in data communications, 

generated sales of hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Raviv Zoller – President and CEO of Ness Technologies, one 

of Israel’s largest IT companies. 

Ron Zuckerman – Co-founded Precise Software Solutions, 

which was sold to Veritas Software in 2002 for over $500 

million. 

Telecommunication Figures 

Amikam Cohen – CEO of Partner Communications Company 

Dr. Yitzhak Peterburg – Former President & CEO of Cellcom 

(2002-2005) 

Amos Shapira – President & CEO of Cellcom since 

October 2005 

Yaakov Gelbard – CEO of Bezeq 

Gil Sharon – CEO of Pelephone 

Avrasha Burshtein – CEO of MIRS 

We appreciate the help of Amir Ben-Arzi, the editor of 

Electronica Magazine. 

Amikam Cohen Dr. Yitzhak 

Peterburg 

Amos Shapira 

Yaakov Gelbard Gil Sharon Avrasha Burshtein

Israel's High-Tech Figures

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