Serial Entrepreneur Amnon Shashua Steps Down as Mobileye CEO to Focus on New AI Venture
Amnon Shashua, the serial entrepreneur behind Mobileye, announced last week his decision to step down as CEO of the chipmaker from Kiryat Gat, a company he led for over two decades. Shashua developed Mobileye’s core technology, guided it through its IPO, sold it to Intel, and brought it back to Wall Street. Despite founding several other ventures alongside Mobileye, he remained the key figure at the helm until now. He will continue as an active chairman while a successor is sought.
Mobileye’s stock plunged following the announcement, revealing the company’s heavy reliance on Shashua’s leadership. Shashua’s departure from daily management marks a significant shift, as he refocuses on his new artificial intelligence startup, DoubleAI. This move follows his recent withdrawal from CEO roles at AI21 Labs and reduced involvement in OrCam, a vision technology company he co-founded that has lost over 90% of its value amid fierce competition from tech giants.
Shashua’s digital bank, One Zero, also remains unprofitable with cumulative losses of approximately 1.2 billion shekels, though it shows signs of revenue growth and expects operational breakeven by late 2026. Industry insiders note that Shashua is not retreating from business but rather concentrating his efforts on DoubleAI, which aims to revolutionize AI-driven code optimization and generation. The company plans to launch its first product soon, promising significant performance improvements.
Shashua’s decision to relinquish the CEO role at Mobileye is partly inspired by a similar transition by his longtime friend Gil Shwed of Check Point, who moved to an active chairman role after decades as CEO. Unlike Shwed, Shashua manages a portfolio of ventures, each demanding attention. Investors worry about Mobileye’s future without his daily oversight, but Shashua remains deeply involved in technology development.
OrCam’s struggles highlight the challenges Shashua faces in replicating Mobileye’s success. Despite heavy personal investment to stabilize OrCam, conflicts with institutional investors and a fractured partnership with co-founder Ziv Aviram have hindered recovery. Meanwhile, DoubleAI represents Shashua’s bet on the next technological breakthrough, even as it progresses slower than expected. His shift from CEO to chairman reflects a strategic gamble to return to his roots as a researcher and technologist, aiming to prove once again his ability to build a transformative tech company.
