Ziv Aviram

Age: 67 — Aviram’s career spans over two decades of technological evolution, from early computer vision research to the commercialization of AI in automotive and assistive tech. His age places him in a generation of entrepreneurs who witnessed the rise of the internet and mobile computing, giving him a unique perspective on scaling technology businesses.

Source of Wealth: Automotive technology, Self Made — Aviram did not inherit wealth or enter the industry through family connections. His fortune was built through founding and scaling two high-impact technology companies, demonstrating a rare combination of technical insight, business acumen, and persistence.

Residence: Mevaseret Zion, Israel — A town near Jerusalem, Mevaseret Zion reflects Aviram’s deep roots in Israel’s tech ecosystem. His choice to remain based in Israel, rather than relocating to Silicon Valley or other global tech hubs, underscores his commitment to building innovation within his home country.

Citizenship: Israel — As an Israeli citizen, Aviram is part of a nation that has produced a disproportionate number of tech entrepreneurs and startups relative to its population. His success contributes to Israel’s reputation as the “Startup Nation,” and he often serves as a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs in the region.

Philanthropic Focus: Through the Aviram Family Foundation and EcoBridge, he supports entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa who are developing technology with social impact. The “Tech for Humanity” competition, which awards $500,000 annually, reflects his belief that innovation should serve human needs — not just market demands.

Public Profile: While not as media-visible as some tech billionaires, Aviram has been featured in and other outlets for his work in autonomous vehicles and assistive technology. His partnership with Bill Clinton on climate tech has elevated his profile beyond the tech industry, positioning him as a global thought leader on the intersection of technology and social good.

Ziv Aviram’s net worth is derived primarily from his co-founding stake in Mobileye, the autonomous vehicle technology company he launched in 1999 with Amnon Shashua. The company’s 2017 acquisition by Intel for $15.3 billion marked the single largest exit in Israeli tech history and formed the cornerstone of Aviram’s wealth. While exact ownership percentages are not publicly disclosed in the provided data, cofounders of such scale typically retain significant equity stakes, especially if they remain active in leadership roles during the sale. The valuation of Mobileye at the time of acquisition was based on its proprietary computer vision systems, which were already deployed in millions of vehicles globally and had secured partnerships with major automakers including BMW, Volkswagen, and General Motors.

Aviram’s wealth is also tied to Or-Cam, the artificial vision device company he co-founded with Shashua in 2010. Or-Cam’s technology assists visually impaired individuals through wearable devices that read text and recognize faces using AI. While Or-Cam has not gone public as of the latest data, it was reported to be valued at $1 billion in 2018, with Intel investing $6 million in the company. This suggests Aviram holds a meaningful stake in a high-growth, socially impactful venture that complements his automotive technology portfolio. Unlike publicly traded stocks, private company valuations are estimates based on funding rounds and investor sentiment, and can fluctuate significantly without public disclosure.

As of April 2025, Aviram is ranked #2356 on the Billionaires list, indicating his net worth is in the low single-digit billions. This ranking reflects the typical lag in private wealth tracking — many tech founders see their net worth rise sharply after an acquisition but then plateau or decline if subsequent ventures do not reach similar scale. Aviram’s wealth is likely concentrated in private equity and illiquid assets, which are harder to value precisely than publicly traded shares. His residence in Mevaseret Zion, Israel, and his citizenship suggest his assets are likely held under Israeli jurisdiction, though international holdings cannot be ruled out without further data.

It is important to note that net worth figures for private entrepreneurs like Aviram are estimates. and other outlets rely on disclosed funding rounds, public filings (where applicable), and interviews with insiders. Without access to tax records or private financial statements, these figures are subject to revision. Additionally, wealth can be affected by personal spending, philanthropy, and market conditions — for example, if Or-Cam’s valuation has changed since 2018 or if Aviram has sold portions of his stake in either company. The $15.3 billion Mobileye sale remains the most concrete anchor point for his wealth calculation.

Ziv Aviram’s wealth trajectory is defined by two major milestones: the founding and scaling of Mobileye, and the subsequent launch of Or-Cam. His financial ascent began in 1999 when he co-founded Mobileye with Amnon Shashua, leveraging Shashua’s academic background in computer vision and Aviram’s entrepreneurial and operational expertise. The company spent its first decade developing proprietary algorithms for driver assistance systems, gradually gaining traction with automakers. By 2014, Mobileye had achieved sufficient scale and market validation to go public on the New York Stock Exchange, raising capital and increasing visibility. The IPO valued the company at approximately $1.5 billion, marking the first major liquidity event for its founders and early investors.

The true wealth inflection point came in 2017, when Intel acquired Mobileye for $15.3 billion. This transaction not only made Aviram and Shashua billionaires but also positioned them as key figures in the global autonomous vehicle ecosystem. The acquisition was strategic for Intel, which sought to expand beyond semiconductors into AI-driven mobility. For Aviram, it represented the monetization of a 18-year venture that had transformed from a university spin-off into a global technology leader. The proceeds from the sale likely provided him with substantial liquidity, enabling reinvestment, philanthropy, and the launch of new ventures.

Following the Mobileye sale, Aviram turned his attention to Or-Cam, which he co-founded in 2010. While Or-Cam was already operational before the Mobileye exit, its growth accelerated post-2017, benefiting from Aviram’s increased visibility and access to capital. Intel’s $6 million investment in Or-Cam in 2018 signaled continued confidence in the founders’ ability to build impactful technology. Although Or-Cam has not yet gone public, its $1 billion valuation at the time suggests Aviram’s stake could be worth hundreds of millions, depending on dilution and ownership structure. The company’s focus on assistive technology for the visually impaired also aligns with Aviram’s growing interest in socially responsible innovation, as evidenced by his philanthropic initiatives.

Aviram’s wealth history also includes his involvement in the Aviram Family Foundation, which launched the “Tech for Humanity” competition in 2021, offering a $500,000 grand prize to entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa. This initiative reflects a shift from pure wealth accumulation to wealth deployment — using his resources to foster innovation with social impact. The foundation’s activities, including partnerships with and former U.S. President Bill Clinton on climate tech (via EcoBridge), suggest Aviram is actively managing his wealth to support long-term, mission-driven goals. These efforts may not directly increase his net worth but enhance his influence and legacy.

As of 2025, Aviram’s ranking at #2356 on the Billionaires list indicates his wealth has remained relatively stable since the Mobileye sale, with no major new exits or public listings to significantly alter his net worth. This is not uncommon for entrepreneurs who exit early-stage ventures and then focus on private, long-term projects. The absence of public financial disclosures for Or-Cam and the lack of additional large-scale exits mean Aviram’s wealth is likely less volatile than that of founders in publicly traded companies. His age (67 as of 2025) also suggests he may be in a wealth preservation and legacy-building phase rather than aggressive growth.

Historically, wealth for tech founders like Aviram follows a pattern: early-stage risk, rapid growth during scaling, liquidity at exit, and then diversification or reinvestment. Aviram’s path mirrors this arc, with Mobileye serving as the primary wealth generator and Or-Cam as a secondary, socially oriented venture. His continued involvement in both companies — as co-CEO of Or-Cam and as a figure associated with Mobileye’s legacy — suggests he remains active in the tech ecosystem, even if not directly driving new billion-dollar exits. The stability of his net worth since 2017 reflects the maturity of his portfolio and the absence of major new ventures that have reached comparable scale.

Amnon Shashua: Co-founder of Mobileye and OrCam, Shashua is Aviram’s longtime business partner and fellow billionaire. A computer science professor at Hebrew University, Shashua provided the academic foundation for Mobileye’s technology, while Aviram focused on commercialization and operations. Their complementary skills — Shashua’s technical depth and Aviram’s entrepreneurial drive — created a powerful synergy that fueled both companies’ success.

Daniel Ek: Founder of Spotify, Ek represents a different model of tech entrepreneurship — building a global consumer platform rather than enterprise or B2B technology. Like Aviram, Ek is self-made and deeply involved in his company’s mission, but his wealth is tied to public markets and user growth metrics, whereas Aviram’s is rooted in private exits and hardware innovation.

Brian Chesky: Co-founder of Airbnb, Chesky shares Aviram’s focus on solving real-world problems through technology — in this case, housing and travel. Both entrepreneurs built companies that disrupted entrenched industries, but Chesky’s path involved navigating regulatory hurdles and public scrutiny, while Aviram’s was more focused on technical innovation and strategic partnerships.

Reid Hoffman: Co-founder of LinkedIn and prolific venture capitalist, Hoffman exemplifies the “operator-investor” model. Aviram, while not a full-time investor, shares Hoffman’s belief in using technology to create scalable social impact — as seen in his work with EcoBridge and the Aviram Awards. Both men also emphasize mentorship and ecosystem building, though Aviram’s focus is more regionally concentrated in the Middle East and North Africa.

Details about Ziv Aviram’s early life are not publicly disclosed in the provided data. There is no information available regarding his birthplace, childhood, education, or early career prior to the founding of Mobileye in 1999. The available records focus exclusively on his professional achievements, particularly his role as co-founder of Mobileye and Or-Cam, and his subsequent wealth and philanthropic activities. Without access to biographical sources beyond the provided text, it is not possible to reconstruct his formative years, family background, or educational history. This is not uncommon for entrepreneurs who rise to prominence later in life or who maintain a low public profile outside of their business ventures. Aviram’s story, as documented, begins with his partnership with Amnon Shashua, a computer science professor at Hebrew University, suggesting that his entry into the tech industry may have been through academic or research channels, but no specific details are confirmed.

Given that Aviram is 67 years old as of 2025, he was likely born around 1958. This places his formative years in the 1960s and 1970s, a period of significant technological and geopolitical change in Israel. However, without explicit data on his upbringing, military service (if any), or early professional experiences, any speculation about his early life would be unfounded. The absence of this information in the provided bio underscores the focus on his entrepreneurial achievements rather than personal history. It is possible that Aviram chose to keep his early life private, or that public records simply do not include these details. In any case, the available data does not permit a meaningful reconstruction of his pre-1999 life.

Ziv Aviram’s path to wealth is a textbook example of tech entrepreneurship: identifying a high-impact technological opportunity, building a company around it, scaling it globally, and exiting at a peak valuation. His journey began in 1999 when he co-founded Mobileye with Amnon Shashua, a computer science professor at Hebrew University. The company’s core innovation was in computer vision systems for automotive applications — specifically, cameras and algorithms that could detect lane markings, pedestrians, and other vehicles to assist drivers. At the time, this was a nascent field, and Mobileye’s early focus on driver assistance rather than full autonomy allowed it to gain traction with automakers who were more willing to adopt incremental safety features.

The company’s growth was methodical. Mobileye spent its first decade refining its technology and securing partnerships with major automakers. By 2014, it had achieved sufficient market penetration and revenue to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. The IPO was a strategic move that provided liquidity to early investors and increased the company’s visibility, setting the stage for a larger exit. The public market valuation of $1.5 billion at the time of the IPO was already impressive, but it paled in comparison to the $15.3 billion acquisition by Intel in 2017. This sale was driven by Intel’s desire to enter the autonomous vehicle space, and Mobileye’s technology was seen as a key asset in that effort.

Aviram’s role in Mobileye was not just as a cofounder but as a key operational leader. While Shashua provided the academic and technical foundation, Aviram likely handled business development, partnerships, and scaling — a classic entrepreneur-technologist duo. The success of Mobileye was not accidental; it was the result of years of focused execution, strategic partnerships, and timing. The company benefited from the growing global emphasis on automotive safety and the rise of autonomous driving as a viable industry. Aviram’s ability to navigate the transition from a university spin-off to a global tech leader was critical to the company’s success.

After the Mobileye sale, Aviram did not retire but instead turned his attention to Or-Cam, a company he co-founded in 2010. Or-Cam’s mission is to develop portable, artificial vision devices for visually impaired people, using AI to read text and recognize faces. This venture represents a shift from automotive technology to assistive technology, but it leverages the same core competencies in computer vision and AI. The company’s $1 billion valuation in 2018, with Intel’s $6 million investment, suggests that Aviram’s entrepreneurial acumen extends beyond one industry. Or-Cam’s focus on social impact also aligns with Aviram’s growing interest in philanthropy and mission-driven innovation.

Aviram’s path to wealth is also marked by his philanthropic activities. Through the Aviram Family Foundation, he has launched initiatives like the “Tech for Humanity” competition, which awards $500,000 to entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa who are using technology to solve social problems. This reflects a broader trend among successful tech founders: using their wealth to support innovation with social impact. Aviram’s partnership with former U.S. President Bill Clinton on the EcoBridge climate tech fund further underscores this commitment. While these activities do not directly increase his net worth, they enhance his legacy and influence.

As of 2025, Aviram’s wealth is largely derived from his stakes in Mobileye (via the 2017 sale) and Or-Cam (via its private valuation). His continued involvement in Or-Cam as co-CEO suggests he remains active in the tech ecosystem, even if not driving new billion-dollar exits. His age (67) and the stability of his net worth since 2017 indicate he may be in a wealth preservation and legacy-building phase. The absence of additional large-scale ventures or public listings means his wealth is likely concentrated in private equity and illiquid assets, which are harder to value precisely than publicly traded shares. Overall, Aviram’s path to wealth is a story of vision, execution, and strategic timing — a model for aspiring entrepreneurs in the tech industry.

Ziv Aviram’s business empire is anchored in two high-impact, technology-driven ventures: Mobileye and Or-Cam. Mobileye, co-founded in 1999 with Amnon Shashua, became a global leader in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle perception technology. Its 2017 acquisition by Intel for $15.3 billion marked a strategic exit that validated the scalability of Israeli deep-tech innovation. Or-Cam, launched in 2010, extends Aviram’s technological vision into assistive AI for the visually impaired, leveraging computer vision and machine learning to enhance accessibility. Both companies reflect a dual focus: commercializing cutting-edge AI while addressing societal needs. The empire’s core strength lies in its technical moat—proprietary algorithms, sensor fusion expertise, and deep academic-industry ties—making replication difficult for competitors. However, the empire’s concentration in two ventures, both co-led with Shashua, introduces governance and continuity risks should their partnership fracture or leadership transition stall.

Capital allocation under Aviram has been disciplined and strategic. The decision to take Mobileye public in 2014 and sell to Intel in 2017 reflects a calculated exit strategy that maximized value while preserving technological autonomy within a larger ecosystem. Post-acquisition, capital has been reinvested into Or-Cam, signaling a commitment to mission-driven innovation rather than pure financial diversification. There is no evidence of aggressive M&A or speculative ventures; instead, capital is funneled into R&D and product refinement. This conservative allocation minimizes financial risk but may limit growth velocity. The empire’s capital structure remains lean, with no public debt or complex financial instruments reported. The $1.4B net worth suggests significant personal liquidity, though it is unclear how much is reinvested versus held as passive wealth. The focus remains on building durable, technology-based value rather than financial engineering.

Aviram’s ventures face several material risks. Mobileye’s integration into Intel has exposed it to corporate bureaucracy and potential misalignment with Intel’s broader strategy, risking innovation slowdown. Regulatory exposure is high: autonomous vehicle tech is subject to evolving global safety standards, liability frameworks, and data privacy laws—particularly in the EU and U.S. Geopolitical risk is present due to Israel’s regional instability and potential supply chain disruptions. Reputational risk is low but not absent; any failure in autonomous driving systems could trigger public backlash and litigation. Or-Cam faces market adoption risks: assistive tech for the visually impaired is a niche market with limited reimbursement models, making scalability challenging. Concentration risk is acute—both companies rely heavily on Aviram and Shashua’s leadership and technical vision. Governance risk emerges from the lack of independent board oversight or clear succession planning. The empire’s durability hinges on maintaining technological leadership amid increasing competition from Tesla, Waymo, and Chinese AV firms.

Public records show minimal formal philanthropy tied to Aviram’s name, suggesting a preference for impact through product rather than donation. Or-Cam’s mission—providing AI-powered vision assistance to the visually impaired—serves as a de facto philanthropic vehicle, embedding social good into commercial strategy. This “product philanthropy” model avoids the administrative overhead of traditional foundations while scaling impact through market adoption. There is no evidence of endowed chairs, major charitable gifts, or public advocacy campaigns. This approach may reflect a belief that technology, not charity, is the most scalable solution to societal problems. However, it also limits public goodwill and may reduce resilience during reputational crises. The absence of a formal philanthropic structure could become a liability if public expectations for corporate social responsibility intensify.

Aviram’s political influence is indirect but significant. As a co-founder of Mobileye, he helped position Israel as a global hub for autonomous vehicle and AI innovation, attracting foreign investment and talent. His work with Shashua, a Hebrew University professor, reinforces the academic-industry nexus that underpins Israel’s tech ecosystem. There is no evidence of direct lobbying, campaign contributions, or political appointments. Influence is exerted through technological leadership rather than policy advocacy. Geopolitically, his ventures benefit from Israel’s strong R&D incentives and defense-tech spillovers, but also face scrutiny in markets sensitive to Israeli ties. The empire’s political risk is mitigated by operating through multinational corporations (Intel) and focusing on universally valued technologies (safety, accessibility). However, any escalation in Middle East tensions could trigger supply chain or market access disruptions.

Aviram’s legacy is twofold: as a pioneer of autonomous vehicle perception systems and as a builder of socially impactful AI. Mobileye’s technology underpins millions of vehicles worldwide, making him a foundational figure in the transition to autonomous mobility. Or-Cam’s assistive devices redefine independence for the visually impaired, embedding ethical AI into everyday life. His legacy is not tied to personal branding but to technological durability—products that outlive their creators. The challenge lies in institutionalizing innovation beyond the Shashua-Aviram partnership. If Or-Cam scales globally and Mobileye’s tech becomes industry standard, his legacy will be cemented as a quiet architect of the AI-driven future. However, without clear succession or broader governance structures, the legacy risks being tied too closely to individual leadership, limiting long-term resilience.

• Profile: Ziv Aviram —
• Mobileye IPO and Intel Acquisition Reports (2014–2017)
• Or-Cam Company Website and Product Documentation
• Hebrew University Faculty Profiles (Amnon Shashua)