Former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen Promoted to Senior Strategic Role at SoftBank
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen has been promoted to a senior strategic advisor role at SoftBank, expanding his focus internationally on AI, cloud infrastructure, and semiconductor investments. Cohen has led successful Israeli cybersecurity investments and will now work closely with SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son amid the company's strategic shift toward AI and chip sectors.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Yossi Cohen promoted to senior strategic advisor at SoftBank, expanding global responsibilities.
- He will focus on AI server farms, cloud infrastructure, and semiconductor investments.
- Cohen led successful Israeli cybersecurity investments including Waze, Claroty, and Cato Networks.
- SoftBank shifted strategy from broad venture capital to direct AI and chip investments.
- SoftBank’s Vision Fund valuation rose due to ByteDance and OpenAI holdings.
- Cohen continues to oversee Israeli market activities while expanding internationally.
Yossi Cohen, the former head of Israel's Mossad, has been promoted within the Japanese investment giant SoftBank to a senior strategic advisor role. Cohen, who joined SoftBank five years ago as head of its Israeli operations under the Vision Fund 2 partnership, will now expand his responsibilities internationally. He will work closely with SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and senior management, focusing on new investment areas such as financing and developing AI and cloud server farms, as well as investing in semiconductor companies.
During his tenure, Cohen primarily led investments in Israeli cybersecurity firms, including successful stakes in Waze, Claroty, and Cato Networks. Notably, SoftBank's late-stage investment in Waze in 2025 yielded significant profits when the company’s valuation surged from $12 billion to $32 billion within a year. Cohen also spearheaded a $150 million investment in Claroty in 2021, which has since doubled its valuation to $4 billion, with an IPO once considered but currently on hold. Similarly, the investment in Cato Networks saw the company’s valuation rise from $3 billion to $4.8 billion.
SoftBank’s Vision Fund had previously made several notable Israeli investments, including Lemonade and eToro, though it also faced write-downs on companies like Cyberizen, StreamElements, and RapidAPI. Cohen’s promotion follows significant shifts within Vision Fund, including the departure of key executives and a strategic pivot by Masayoshi Son from broad venture capital investments to direct investments in AI infrastructure and chipmakers such as ARM and Intel.
SoftBank recently reported strong financial results, including an $8.2 billion profit from Intel shares and a $1.7 billion increase in Vision Fund’s valuation due to ByteDance’s growth. The fund also holds a substantial stake in OpenAI, with its investment value nearing $80 billion after committing $64.6 billion overall. Cohen will continue to manage Israeli market activities while increasingly engaging with global AI and semiconductor sectors. No official comment was received from Cohen or SoftBank regarding the promotion.
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