Unit 81 (, Yechida Shmone Achat, "Unit eight one") is a secret, highly classified technology unit part of the Special Operations Division of the Military Intelligence Directorate, an independent service of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The unit focuses on building, supplying, and providing training in cutting-edge technologies to Israeli elite commando forces and spies.
Achievements
According to a 2021 report by the Israeli business newspaper Calcalist in the last decade alone 100 veterans of the unit have founded 50 technology companies having raised US$4 billion with their accumulated valuations surpassing US$10 billion.
Unit commanders +NameDurationHaim Ya'ari1948–1950Haim Timor1950–1957Dan Barli1957–1959Uri Sela1959–1960Haim Timor1960–1962Ori Goren (Greenblatt)1961–1966Avraham Arnan1966–1968Ori Goren (Greenblatt)1968–1970Yossi Langotzki1971–1975Yair Reski1975–1979Shlomo Tirosh1980–1985Moshe MoroccoPinhas BuchrisRan ShachorOz Liv1994–1998Tal Dilian1998–2002Shahar ArgamanAvner Paz Tzuk2007–2010Yuval Reina2010–2013Ronen Corman2013–2016A'2016–2019L'2019–2023L'2019–present
See also Mossad Unit 8200 Talpiot program Havatzalot Program Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
References