Moshe Shalev

According to Ynetnews, Shalev grew up in an ultra-Orthodox environment in Bnei Brak, left yeshiva at 17, moved to Jerusalem and worked odd jobs; he later studied accounting through a program for the ultra-Orthodox community while working in a store. CTech said he worked in a butcher shop while taking evening accounting classes.⁠[1][2]

Ynetnews reported that Shalev decided to enlist after a terror attack in Jerusalem, recalling: "I thought, 'Wait, I've never done military service.'" He joined the Intelligence Corps' "Intelligence in Green" (Bina Beyarok) track for ultra-Orthodox men, moved between units and ended up in Unit 8200. CTech said he enlisted at 23.⁠[1][2]

CTech reported that in 2017, while still serving, Shalev co-founded the nonprofit StartAch with Dor Saban.⁠[2]

CTech said Shalev grew up in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community and later became a cyber operator. TechCrunch reported that he discovered computer science during his IDF service and spent nearly 14 years in Unit 8200, where he helped establish and run the unit’s AI operations.⁠[3][4]

CTech also said he held key technology roles in the Intelligence Division, including in Unit 8200, and a 2026 report said he served 13 years in the unit and was Yossi Sariel’s closest aide when Sariel commanded it. Sequoia said he worked directly with top leaders on special operations.⁠[5][6][7]

Shalev co-founded Decart in 2023 with Dean Leitersdorf, whom he met in Unit 8200, and became chief product officer. CTech said the two met while serving in the unit.⁠[8][3]

Decart’s release announcing its exit from stealth named Shalev as co-founder and chief product officer.⁠[8]

Reporting Decart's $32 million second round in two months, CTech said Shalev co-founded Decart with Leitersdorf in late 2023 and serves as chief product officer, having previously held key technology positions in the IDF Intelligence Division, including Unit 8200.⁠[9]

A Ynetnews profile listed Shalev as CPO and also described him as head of operations. Recalling the Oasis launch, he said: "We were sure people would check it out for a minute," and of the surge, "Nothing was working. It felt like everything was crashing." He added: "Israel is an outstanding place to build systems."⁠[1]

Shalev and Leitersdorf published the CTech op-ed "From cybernation to AI-nation," arguing Israel "can become the Startup Nation of the AI era" by applying cybersecurity expertise and tightening academia-industry ties. They called the Innovation Authority's roughly NIS 500 million program through 2027 a step in the right direction but too small and slow — "500 million NIS is negligible in AI terms" — and closed: "We must win."⁠[10]

A CTech feature described Shalev as the business-minded co-founder who turns technology into organizational practice. He said "Meeting Dean was pivotal" and "We're both strong executors, but we dream differently." He recalled that early ideas made them proud of nothing, so they tested direction by asking "What would the Wikipedia page say about us in the future?" and said: "We only hire those who can thrive in uncertainty and are also top-tier engineers."⁠[2]

Reporting Decart’s $100 million raise at a $3.1 billion valuation, Globes described both founders as veterans of the IDF’s 8200 intelligence unit.⁠[11]

CTech reported that Yossi Sariel, Shalev’s former commander at Unit 8200, had joined Decart’s management.⁠[6]

CTech’s report on Decart’s $300 million round with Nvidia’s participation again identified Shalev as co-founder and chief product officer.⁠[12]

Reporting Decart's $300 million round at a $4 billion valuation led by Radical VenturesRadical VenturesRadical Ventures is an artificial intelligence-focused venture capital firm founded by Jordan Jacobs and Tomi Poutanen shortly after the 2017 launch of the Vector Institute in Toronto. It invests from incubation and seed through growth and pre-IPO stages, and its portfolio includes companies such as Cohere, Waabi, and World Labs. In 2026, it co-led the investment in Discovery Loop, founded by Jeff Dean and others, and completed the first close of its late-stage Radical Breakouts Fund.Open the full entry, Jewish News said the company was founded in 2023 by Unit 8200 veterans Dean Leitersdorf and Moshe Shalev and had raised more than $450 million in total.⁠[13]

CTech’s August 10, 2026 report on Decart’s sale talks gave Shalev’s age as 38 and quoted the founders: “We want to be Google, Apple or Facebook in the field of AI.”⁠[14]

Globes reported on September 8 that the founders had been willing to accept a lower offer from AnthropicAnthropicAnthropic is an artificial intelligence research and product company founded in 2021 that develops the Claude models, assistant, and tools such as Claude Code, and operates as a public benefit corporation. Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei are its co-founders, and its research covers model safety, interpretability, and steerability.Open the full entry paid largely in Anthropic shares, before Anthropic walked away.⁠[15]

CTech reported on October 13, 2026 that Amazon might acquire Decart for about $5.5 billion, below the $7 billion reported by The Wall Street Journal, naming Shalev and Leitersdorf among the shareholders who would benefit from a sale.⁠[16]

Decart: Official website: https://decart.ai/ (opens in a new window)⁠[8]