OpenAI appoints Motti Hadas as its founding GTM hire in Israel
Hadas will lead the AI giant’s engagement with Israeli startups and the country’s digital-native technology ecosystem.
OpenAI is stepping up its push into Israel, appointing Moti Hadas as its founding Go-To-Market (GTM) hire in the country.
Hadas announced his appointment on LinkedIn on Wednesday, saying his focus will be on bringing OpenAI’s technologies to Israel’s “Digital Native” community and helping local companies build AI-driven products.
“I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined OpenAI as its founding GTM hire in Israel!” Hadas wrote. “My focus will be bringing OpenAI's transformative technologies to Israel’s vibrant Digital Native community.”
Hadas said the appointment “reflects the importance OpenAI places on the Israeli tech ecosystem” and added that he looks forward to helping local companies build the future. He also thanked Nicolai Skabo and Clement Andre for their “trust and warm welcome.”
Hadas brings extensive experience in enterprise technology sales and business development to the role. Before joining OpenAI, he spent several years at MongoDB, most recently working with digital-native and cybersecurity companies in Israel and across EMEA. His earlier career included roles at Matrix and other enterprise software companies. He has also served as a mentor with Google for Startups Israel and was previously a member of MongoDB’s Global Partner Advisory Council.
The appointment marks another step in OpenAI’s effort to establish a commercial presence in Israel. In July, CTech reported that the company was preparing to build its first local commercial operation, initially focusing on business development rather than establishing an Israeli research and development center.
OpenAI has since expanded its engagement with Israeli startups. In July, former AWS executive Eliran Ben David joined the company, with his role officially covering partnerships across EMEA but expected to focus primarily on Israel. The company was also recruiting for an Israel-focused startup partnerships position.
That strategy puts OpenAI in direct competition for Israeli startup and enterprise customers with companies including Anthropic, Google and Amazon Web Services. Israel has become a particularly active market for AI adoption, with hundreds of startups building products around large language models and AI development tools.
OpenAI has also been expanding its relationships with Israeli organizations. CTech previously reported that the company signed a strategic partnership with Sheba Medical Center, giving the Israeli hospital access to OpenAI Healthcare.
Hadas ended his announcement by inviting Israeli entrepreneurs building AI products to contact him, adding, “Much more to come soon — Go OpenAI Israel!”
