Chip Design (2026)

1. Johny Srouji
2. Michael Kagan
3. Dadi Perlmutter
4. Amnon Shashua
5. Elchanan Rushinek
6. Avigdor Willenz
7. David Dahan
8. Ran Halutz
9. Dov Frohman
10. Orr Danon

Assessing personal influence or providing a strict hierarchy of individuals in complex industrial sectors like chip design and hardware architecture involves various perspectives, as contributions span breakthrough microarchitecture research, multinational R&D leadership, and foundational startup ventures.

Prominent figures and key leaders shaping chip design, high-performance computing, and hardware architecture in Israel include:

• Eran Berkovitch – Known for leadership in processor and hardware architecture development through significant roles in major technology hubs and startups.

• Avner Waldman – Co-founder of Mellanox Technologies, driving high-performance interconnect architectures and networking silicon.

• Moti Litman – Recognized leader in semiconductor engineering and core hardware architecture development.

• Orr Danon – Co-founder and CEO of Hailo, pioneering edge AI processor architecture and specialized deep-learning hardware.

• Nadav Shulman – Key architect and engineering leader contributing extensively to advanced connectivity and processing chips.

• Gideon Rosenberg – Prominent veteran in Israeli semiconductor design and microarchitecture innovation.

• Avi Baum – Co-founder and CTO of Hailo, leading the conceptualization and execution of advanced neural network processing architectures.

• Rami Zemach – Influential engineering and architecture director managing large-scale IC design initiatives.

• Ronny Ronen – Distinguished researcher and former Intel fellow who played a foundational role in advanced processor architecture and dynamic optimization in Israel.

• Dadi Perlmutter – Former Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Intel, who played a central role in guiding global microprocessor development and Intel's substantial engineering footprint in Israel.

1. Johny Srouji - Chief Hardware Officer at Apple, leading worldwide custom silicon and Apple Silicon architecture. Johny Srouji named Apple’s Chief Hardware Officer - Apple
2. Shlomit Weiss - Senior Vice President and Co-General Manager of the Design Engineering Group at Intel, veteran microarchitecture pioneer. Intel appoints 10 Israeli executives to senior global positions
3. Michael Kagan - Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of NVIDIA (co-founder and former CTO of Mellanox), architect of high-speed interconnects and DPUs. Michael Kagan Author Page | NVIDIA BlogAbout Michael Kagan
4. Avigdor Willenz - Serial semiconductor entrepreneur and co-founder of Habana Labs, Galileo Technology, and Annapurna Labs. Avigdor Willenz - Wikipedia
5. Eran Shifer - Intel Fellow for SoC Architecture, leading major performance and energy-efficiency server core platforms. Intel expands Israeli R&D role as it unveils next-generation
6. Jack Doweck - Retired Intel Fellow and lead microprocessor architect for core cache, memory subsystem, and Core 2 Duo architecture. Jack Doweck‏ - ‏Intel Fellow (Retired) - LinkedIn
7. Gilad Shainer - Senior Vice President of Networking at NVIDIA (pioneering InfiniBand and high-performance in-network computing architecture). Gilad Shainer Author Page | NVIDIA Blog
8. Eitan Medina - Chief Business Officer and chief architectural strategist of Habana Labs. HABANA - Swapcard app
9. Fadi Aboud - Intel Fellow leading AI applications for custom IC design, power, and thermal architecture modeling. ‏fadi aboud‏ - ‏Intel fellow‏ | LinkedIn
10. Moshe Anschel - Principal System Architect at NVIDIA driving modern SoC, data center, and DPU network architecture. Author: Moshe Anschel | NVIDIA Technical Blog

If you would like, I can provide further details on the specific architectural contributions or breakthrough chip projects associated with any of these individuals.

1. Avigdor Willenz
2. Dov Moran
3. Erez Dagan
4. Amnon Shashua
5. Eli Fruchter
6. Raanan Cohen
7. Gideon Dror
8. Yossi Matias
9. Yoav Nissan-Cohen
10. Danny Rittman

Top 10 most influential voices in chip design & hardware architecture in Israel (ranked):

1. Eyal Waldman – Co-founder and longtime CEO of Mellanox Technologies, a global leader in high-performance networking semiconductors, acquired by Nvidia in 2020.The Israeli AI Silicon Stack: Annapurna to Hailo - The Olam

2. Nafea Bshara – Co-founder of Annapurna Labs, whose team designed AWS Graviton CPUs and Nitro systems, making Amazon a major chip player.The Israeli AI Silicon Stack: Annapurna to Hailo - The Olam

3. David Dahan – Co-founder of Habana Labs, acquired by Intel, responsible for the Gaudi AI accelerator series that positioned Intel in AI hardware.The Israeli AI Silicon Stack: Annapurna to Hailo - The Olam

4. Ran Halutz – Co-founder of Habana Labs, instrumental in Gaudi chip architecture and Intel’s AI silicon strategy.The Israeli AI Silicon Stack: Annapurna to Hailo - The Olam

5. Leonid Yavits – Professor at Bar-Ilan University, leading academic and entrepreneurial work in computer architecture and chip design, bridging academia and industry.Computer Architecture Development Group | Computer Architecture Development Group

6. Freddy Gabbay – Principal investigator at Hebrew University’s VLSI Research Lab, a leading expert in VLSI systems, computer architecture, and AI accelerators.VLSI Research Lab - Hebrew University of Jerusalem

7. Jacob Ziv – Legendary Israeli electrical engineer and information theorist, co-developer of the Lempel–Ziv compression algorithms foundational to modern computing.List of Israeli engineers - Grokipedia

8. Dov Frohman – Inventor of the EPROM memory chip, a breakthrough that paved the way for flash memory and modern semiconductor storage.List of Israeli engineers - Grokipedia

9. Uzia Galil – Founder of Elron Electronic Industries, one of the earliest pioneers of Israel’s high-tech and semiconductor ecosystem.List of Israeli engineers - Grokipedia

10. Yehuda Zisapel – Co-founder of the RAD Group, influential in telecommunications hardware and semiconductor-related infrastructure.List of Israeli engineers - Grokipedia

Why these figures matter

• Industry builders: Waldman, Bshara, Dahan, and Halutz shaped Israel’s role in global chip infrastructure by founding companies later acquired by Nvidia, Amazon, and Intel.

• Academic leaders: Yavits and Gabbay drive cutting-edge research in chip architecture, AI accelerators, and VLSI reliability.

• Foundational innovators: Ziv, Frohman, Galil, and Zisapel laid the groundwork for Israel’s semiconductor ecosystem, influencing compression, memory, and telecom hardware.

Risks & limitations

• Influence rankings are inherently subjective: industry founders often have broader global impact, while academics shape long-term innovation.

• Several pioneers (e.g., Ziv, Frohman) are historical figures whose influence remains foundational but less active today compared to current industry leaders.

Would you like me to refine this into two separate lists - one for current active leaders and one for historical pioneers - so you can see who is shaping Israel’s chip design today versus those who built its foundation?