Avigdor Willenz
Avigdor Willenz | |
---|---|
Born | 1957 (age 66–67) Rehovot, Israel |
Nationality | Israeli |
Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Avigdor Willenz (Hebrew: אביגדור וילנץ; born in 1957, Rehovot, Israel) is an Israeli entrepreneur in the electronics field, venture capitalist, billionaire, and philanthropist.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Avigdor Willenz was born in 1957 in Rehovot. He studied at the High School near the university and then dropped out. After a pre-military service year in Kibbutz Raim, he served in the IDF as an officer in the Armored Corps during the
Career
He began his professional career in the early 1980s at Elbit, where he worked on developing computer infrastructures for the Lavi and F-16 combat aircraft. In 1988, he moved to the United States for residence, during which he specialized in developing half-conductor devices, resigned from Elbit, and joined Integrated Device Technology (IDT).[4] At IDT, Willenz met Manuel Alba, who became his partner in companies he later founded. After three and a half years in the United States, he returned to Israel.[5]
In 1993, he founded Galileo Technologies, which develops
He invested in the British advertising company QXL,
In July 2011, he was listed among the founding investors in Annapurna Labs,[10] responsible for developing server chips for Amazon AWS. Annapurna Labs was sold in 2015 to the American company Amazon for about $370 million.[11]
In 2016, he was the president and the first investor of the Litebits company.
He was philanthropists of organizations such as Breaking the Silence, B'Tselem, Adalah, and Rabbis for Human Rights. As an environmental activist, he contributed to the Society for the Protection of Nature and the Jewish National Fund, an organization dedicated to preserving open spaces in Israel.[4]
Private life
In 2021, Willenz moved to the canton of Bern in Switzerland, where he resides with his partner.[4] His children and grandchildren live in Israel.
References
- ^ a b "12 על 12: הדמויות המשפיעות בענף השבבים". tech12. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Feldman, Amy (2022-08-16). "With Data Centers Expanding, Semiconductor Startup Astera Labs Is On Track For $100 Million In Revenue This Year". forbes.com. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ ISBN 978-965-90901-1-2.
- ^ a b c גלעד, אסף (2023-04-14). "מיליארדר השבבים שעזב לבקתה באלפים שובר שתיקה". Globes. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ יבלונקו, יסמין (2019-12-18). "הכירו את היזם שמכר את הבאנה לאבס לאינטל ב-2 מיליארד דולר". Globes. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ISBN 978-1-119-96574-9.
- ^ "Marvell to acquire LAN-chip supplier Galileo for $2.7 billion in stock". EE Times. 2000-10-17. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ Foster, Geoff (2005-05-11). "QXL soars to dizzy heights". This is Money. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ ציפורי, טלי (2016-03-02). "סיסקו רוכשת את ליבה סמיקונדוקטור ב-350-400 מיליון דולר במזומן". Globes. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ לן, שלומית (2012-03-29). "נמאס לו לגדל זיתים: הסטארט-אפ החדש של אביגדור וילנץ". Globes. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "Amazon to buy Israeli start-up Annapurna Labs". reuters.com. 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ בליזובסקי, אבי (2019-05-02). "לייטביטס הישראלית הציגה ב-Dell Technology World -". אנשים ומחשבים - פורטל חדשות היי-טק, מיחשוב, טלקום, טכנולוגיות (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "Avigdor Willenz breaks his silence". Globes. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "Avigdor Willenz has done it again". Globes. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "Habana Labs - Israel Electronics News". Techtime News. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ "בזכות האקזיט הרביעי: אביגדור וילנץ זינק למקום ה-66 בדירוג העשירים - פורבס ישראל". forbes.co.il. 2020-02-08. Archived from the original on 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
External links
- "The chip billionaire who left for a cabin in the Alps breaks his silence: 'The state is committing suicide'", Globes
- "The state is abusing those who pay taxes: the chip billionaire who left for a cabin in the Alps breaks his silence", Globes
- "Marvell to acquire LAN-chip supplier Galileo for $2.7 billion in stock", EE Times
- "The CEO who stayed in the bunker", Ynet