Ex-8200 chief Schneorson joins stealth cyber startup Ribon, valued above $1.5B
What's the deal? Ehud SchneorsonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, co-founder of Israeli cyber firm Paragon and a former commander of the IDF's intelligence Unit 8200, is stepping down from his management role to join RibonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a stealth startup founded by his former subordinate Idan NurickDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Ribon is estimated to have raised roughly $200 million across several rounds and to carry a valuation above $1.5 billion.
Who's involved? Nurick, previously chief executive officer of Paragon, co-founded both companies with Schneorson. Schneorson will stay on as an advisor to Paragon while making the move to Ribon.
Why now? Nurick announced his resignation from Paragon earlier and is scheduled to step down after staying on until the end of 2026. The shift comes as Paragon pursues a $1.25 billion SPAC merger with Nasdaq-listed Bold Eagle, a deal that also folds in REDLatticeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and covers combined annual revenue of $267 million.
Background: Schneorson helped build Paragon from its 2019 founding through its international expansion. Two years ago, he, Nurick, and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak sold Paragon to US defense-tech fund AE Industrial Partners for up to $900 million.
The money trail: Early backers lining up behind Nurick's new venture reportedly include Sequoia Capital's Sean Maguire and former NBA star Omri Casspi's Swish Fund. The figures around Ribon remain estimates rather than a disclosed financing, given its stealth status. TheMarker reports Ribon will build AI infrastructure for states and government bodies.
The signal: The move lands amid a funding surge for Israeli cyber companies, which raised at least $2.4 billion in the third quarter of 2026 — nearly half of global cybersecurity venture investment, with much of the demand tied to AI security. Ribon's reported war chest would place it among the most heavily backed new entrants in the sector, and Schneorson's arrival hands it another high-profile 8200 alumnus — sovereign AI meets Israeli cyber.
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
