Yossi Cohen, the former chief of Mossad, has transitioned into a more influential role at the Japanese investment giant SoftBank. After spending five years leading the firm’s Israeli operations within Vision Fund 2, Cohen has been appointed as a strategic advisor directly reporting to founder and CEO Masayoshi Son. This promotion elevates him to the upper echelons of the organization’s decision making process, signaling a deepening trust between the former intelligence chief and the charismatic billionaire investor.
While Cohen will maintain his presence in the Israeli market, his mandate is expanding far beyond local boundaries. His new focus aligns with Masayoshi Son’s broader pivot toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. Specifically, Cohen is tasked with overseeing investments in semiconductor companies and the development of massive data centers required for cloud processing and AI growth. Industry insiders note that Cohen has already begun spending significant time across Europe and the United States meeting with high level executives to lay the groundwork for these future ventures.
This ascent comes after a highly successful tenure focusing on cybersecurity. Under Cohen’s guidance, SoftBank made lucrative bets on firms like Wiz, where a late stage investment saw valuations jump from twelve billion to thirty two billion dollars in roughly a year, netting hundreds of millions in profit. He also played key roles in increasing the valuations of Cato Networks and Claroty, proving his ability to identify scalable technology long before it hits peak market value.
The timing of Cohen’s promotion reflects a structural overhaul at SoftBank as it moves away from the broad venture capital approach of its earlier funds toward concentrated, direct investments in giants like ARM and OpenAI. As other managers departed during various cycles of volatility and restructuring, Cohen emerged as a steady hand capable of navigating complex geopolitical landscapes. By bridging the gap between Israeli innovation and global capital markets, Cohen is now positioned as a central figure in SoftBank’s aggressive push to dominate the AI era.
