AI21 Co-Founder Amnon Shashua Steps Down Amid Company Restructuring

Amnon Shashua, one of the co-founders of AI21 Labs, has announced his intention to resign from both the company and its board of directors. AI21 Labs, founded in 2017 by Shashua alongside Professor Yoav Shoham and entrepreneur Uri Goshen, recently underwent significant upheaval, including large-scale layoffs that reduced its workforce from 180 to 70 employees. The company is now focusing on new activities, including a multimillion-dollar agreement with Nebius to develop the Maestro system.

Since its inception, AI21 Labs has raised approximately $636 million, with its latest funding round (Series D) securing $300 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion. This round included investments from major tech firms such as Google, Intel, and Nvidia. Shashua is currently dedicating most of his efforts to Mobileye, Manti Robotics, which Mobileye acquired for about $900 million, and a new company called AAI. Founded at the end of 2023 by Shashua, Professor Shai Shalev-Shwartz (Mobileye's CTO), and a group of Shashua’s former doctoral students, AAI operates in the fields of computer science, mathematics, and biology.

AAI recently completed a major funding round led by the American Lightspeed fund, with additional investments from Dell Capital and Israeli funds Pitango and BRM. This financing elevated AAI to unicorn status, valued at over $1 billion. Shashua’s departure from AI21 Labs comes amid these transitions as he focuses on his other ventures.