Gonen Fink
InvestorVenture Partner at Viola Ventures
Israel
Writes $100K – $5M checks · typically $1.5M
About
Gonen Fink is Executive Vice President of Products and Head of the Israel R&D Center at Palo Alto Networks, where he has led the development of the Cortex platform and its component products including Cortex XDR, Cortex XSIAM, and Cortex Cloud. He previously served as CEO of LightCyber, a network detection and response company acquired by Palo Alto Networks in 2017, and earlier held roles including Chief Architect and VP of Strategy at Check Point Software during its foundational period in the firewall market. Fink has also founded Pythagoras Solar, a building-integrated photovoltaic company, and served as a board member, advisor, and investor in multiple cybersecurity startups and venture firms.
Experience
- Palo Alto NetworksEVP Products; Head of Israel R&D Centercurrent2026 — present
- Palo Alto NetworksEVP Products, Cortex & Cloud; Head of Israel R&D Center2025 — 2026
- Palo Alto NetworksSVP Products, Cortex & Cloud; Head of Israel R&D Center2024 — 2025Tel Aviv, Israel
- Palo Alto NetworksSVP Products, Cortex; Head of Israel R&D Center2022 — 2024
- Palo Alto NetworksSenior Vice President, Cortex XDR2017 — 2020Tel Aviv District, Israel
- Cyberstarts - The Founders Powered VCMembercurrent2020 — present
- RecoLabsAdvisory Board Member2020 — 2023Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sunday SecurityProduct & Strategy Advisor2021 — 2023Tel Aviv, Israel
- Talon (by Palo Alto Networks)Product & Strategy Advisor2021 — 2022
- PlainID - The Authorization CompanyProduct & Strategy Advisor2021 — 2022Tel Aviv District, Israel
- Viola VenturesVenture Partner2021 — 2022Tel Aviv
- IntSights, a Rapid7 companyAdvisory Board Member2021Tel Aviv, Israel
- IONIXProduct & Strategy Advisor2021Tel Aviv, Israel
- LightCyber (acquired by Palo Alto Networks)CEO2013 — 2017Israel, California
- Pythagoras SolarFounder & CEO2006 — 2013Israel
- Secure Islands Technologies (acquired by Microsoft)Board Member2006 — 2008Israel
- ForeScout Technologies Inc.Advisory Board Member2006 — 2008Israel
- Precede TechnologiesEntrepreneur In Residence2006Israel
- Check PointVP Solutions & Strategy2002 — 2006Israel, California
- Check PointVP Products2001 — 2002Ramat Gan, Israel
Education
- Tel Aviv UniversityMaster’s Degree, Digital Philosophy2005 — 2006
- Tel Aviv UniversityBachelor’s Degree, Physics & Computer Science1991 — 1994
Skills & more
Strategy28Start-ups99Venture Capital46Product Management48Strategic Partnerships62Entrepreneurship54Cleantech20Business Strategy25Go-to-market Strategy33R&D7Product Development10Business Development15
+12 more
Business PlanningExecutive ManagementCorporate DevelopmentRenewable EnergySolar EnergyDue DiligenceInternational BusinessMergers & AcquisitionsAngel InvestingEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSoftware as a Service (SaaS)Languages English · Hebrew
- Organic, Molecular and Nanostructured Electronics - Physics and Technology [6.17s] — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Bioinformatics Specialization — Coursera
- Deep Learning Specialization — Coursera
From Gonen's professional profile.
Colleagues at Viola Ventures
Alex Shmulovich
Principal at Viola Ventures
Alon Cinamon
Principal, Viola Ventures at Viola Ventures
Anat Basson
VP Finance at Viola Ventures
Asaf Schreiber
Investment and Data Analyst at Viola Ventures
Avi Nimni
IT Manager at Viola Ventures
Avi Zeevi
Co-Founder and General Partner at Viola Ventures
Ayal Shiran
General Partner, Viola Growth at Viola Ventures
Bastien Goetschel
VP Value Creation & Portfolio Manager, Viola Growth at Viola Ventures
Network4
Avi ZeeviScout
Co-Founder and General Partner at Viola Ventures
Daniel CohenScout
Senior Advisor at Viola Ventures
Eran WestmanScout
General Partner at Viola Ventures
Ayal Shiran
General Partner, Viola Growth at Viola Ventures
Investors connected to Gonen in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does Gonen Fink work?
- Gonen Fink is Venture Partner at Viola Ventures.
- What check size does Gonen Fink write?
- Gonen Fink typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
Same school
Also attended Tel Aviv University375
Matan RoetAssociate at Redpoint VenturesArnon DinurPartner at 83NorthYoram SnirPartner at 83NorthDavid GoldschmidtManaging Director, Head of the Fund at Samsung Catalyst FundAmit ShofarSr. Investment Director at Samsung Catalyst FundRutie AdarInvestments & Innovation Sr. Director, Israel at Samsung Catalyst Fund
+ 369 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Palo Alto Networks37
Sarah GuoFounder & General Partner of ConvictionJim GoetzPartner at Sequoia CapitalAsheem ChandnaInvestor at Greylock PartnersGeorge ManuelianAdvisory Board Member at Rembrandt Venture PartnersEliza ChamberlainSenior Associate at Jump CapitalSergej EppChief Security Officer Central Europe at Palo Alto Networks at PICUS CAPITAL
+ 31 more
Also worked at Viola Ventures27
Sophia BlumenstrauchHead of Platform at Verissimo VenturesRan LevitzkyGeneral Partner at Magenta Venture PartnersDavid DigmiCOO at vgamesGabriel Rosenthal GilInvestment Associate at Valor Capital GroupAdam IngramChief Operating Officer at Manhattan Venture PartnersEvan AxelrodSenior Associate at Maccabee Ventures
+ 21 more
