Early Life and Education
Amnon Shashua was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, on May 26, 1960. From a young age, he was fascinated with computers. He attended the ORT school in Givatayim for early education in computer engineering. Shashua received a B.Sc. in mathematics and computer science from Tel-Aviv University in 1985. He also earned a M.Sc. in computer science in 1989 from the Weizmann Institute of Science and a Ph.D. from MIT.
Rise to Success
Shashua's career is distinguished by his entrepreneurial ventures and academic achievements. In 1995, he founded CogniTens, which was later sold. In 1999, he co-founded Mobileye, which develops systems-on-chip and computer vision algorithms for driving assistance and autonomous driving technology. Mobileye's IPO in 2014 was the largest Israeli IPO in the US at the time. Intel acquired Mobileye in 2017 for $15.3 billion. In 2010, he co-founded OrCam Technologies, which creates AI-based assistive tools. In 2017, he co-founded AI21 Labs. In 2022, Mobileye went public again. Furthermore, in 2022, he co-founded Mentee Robotics. In January 2026, it was announced that Mentee Robotics would be sold to Mobileye for $900 million.
Key Business Strategies
Shashua's key business strategy revolves around innovation in AI and computer vision, focusing on creating advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving technology. His leadership at Mobileye and other ventures demonstrates a commitment to developing cutting-edge technology and bringing it to market through strategic partnerships and acquisitions. His focus is on applying AI to create safer, more efficient vehicles and address other challenges via ventures like OrCam, AI21 Labs, and Mentee Robotics.
Philanthropy
Amnon Shashua and his family are committed to philanthropic endeavors. They have donated approximately $60 million to various charitable causes as of 2024. These include supporting economic opportunities, women in STEM, Israeli-Arabs, ultra-Orthodox communities, and peripheral communities within Israel. The Shashua Family Foundation also funds scholarships at Tel Aviv University. The family established a $35 million fund, the WE-19 program, to assist small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
