Michael Ronen
CEO and Managing Partner, Oud Capital
Michael Ronen founded Oud Capital to build a leading alternative investment firm based in Silicon Valley, California, and New York. The firm focuses on investing in advanced-stage, high-growth companies leveraging technology to disrupt large end markets in transportation, logistics, and other industries.
Ronen currently serves as an advisor to Softbank’s flagship $100 billion Vision Fund, having been a founding managing partner from 2017 until 2020. Upon formation of Softbank’s Vision Fund in 2017, Ronen established the Fund’s transportation and logistics investment practice. Under Ronen’s leadership, the firm invested over $5 billion of capital in a portfolio of investments in industries ranging from last-mile delivery, parking and logistics, AI, robotics, and autonomous driving. Ronen served on the boards of Cruise (GM’s autonomous driving platform), Reef Technologies, GoBrands, and Flexport. He was also responsible for the investments in Nuro and Getaround, where he was an advisor to management and the board of directors.
Prior to joining the founding team of the Vision Fund, Ronen spent 19 years at Goldman Sachs, the last five as a partner in leadership positions in the firms’ global Technology, Media and Telecom Investment Banking business. Ronen was also a member of Goldman Sachs’ M&A Group and the founder of Goldman’s Automotive Technology effort. Amongst Ronen’s clients were Apple, Motorola, AT&T, Dreamworks Animation, Activision, Universal Music, Lenovo, Warner Music, Softbank, and many others. Prior to commencing his career on Wall Street, Ronen served for three years as a non-commissioned officer in the Israeli Air Force Intelligence, where he was responsible for real-time intelligence operations.
Ronen earned an LLB (JD) from Tel-Aviv University in 1994 and an MBA, with distinction, from the Stern School of Business at NYU in 1998.