Who Is Shlomo Kramer? The Three-Unicorn Cyber Founder
Shlomo Kramer co-founded Check Point (1993), Imperva (2002), and Cato Networks (2015). Three Israeli cyber unicorns across three decades. The serial cyber founder of his generation.
The Builders | Israeli Cyber
Three unicorns across three decades — Check Point, Imperva, Cato Networks. Each one defined the next layer of cybersecurity. He is the serial cyber founder of his generation.
Snapshot
| Born | 1966 |
| Net worth | ~$1.3B (Forbes Israel 2024) |
| Three companies | Check Point (1993) · Imperva (2002) · Cato Networks (2015) |
| Co-founders | Gil Shwed & Marius Nacht at Check Point |
| Current role | Co-founder & CEO, Cato Networks |
| Base | Tel Aviv |
The Business Story
Shlomo Kramer co-founded Check Point in 1993 with Gil Shwed and Marius Nacht. The three of them invented the stateful inspection firewall and built the institutional reference point for Israeli cyber. Kramer was 27.
In 2002 he left Check Point to co-found Imperva — focused on web application security, a distinct layer from network firewall. Imperva went public on NYSE in 2011 and was taken private by Thoma Bravo in 2019 for $2.1 billion. Kramer's second unicorn.
In 2015 he co-founded Cato Networks — building what is now considered the canonical SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) architecture, converging networking and security into a single cloud-delivered platform. Cato raised at a $3 billion valuation in 2023 and is widely considered one of the leading next-generation cybersecurity platforms. Kramer's third unicorn.
Three companies, three product categories, three decades. No other Israeli cyber founder has done this.
Why He Matters in Israel
Kramer's career is the rebuttal to the argument that great founders only build one great company. He built three — each pioneering a new layer of cyber architecture that the industry then standardized around. Israeli cyber founders today benchmark themselves against the institutional template of Check Point, the category creation of Imperva, and the architectural ambition of Cato. All three Kramer.
What Cato Does Today
Cato Networks is one of the leading SASE platforms in the world — a single cloud-native service that converges enterprise networking (SD-WAN) and security (firewall-as-a-service, secure web gateway, zero trust network access) into a unified architecture. Headquartered in Tel Aviv. Last valued at $3B.
Key Holdings
- Cato Networks — co-founder, CEO, significant equity stake
- Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP) — founder stake (retained)
- Imperva — historical position (sold to Thoma Bravo 2019)
- Personal investments in Israeli cyber and infrastructure technology
Legacy
Three Israeli cybersecurity unicorns across three decades. Each one redefined what came next. Kramer is the operational proof that Israeli cyber depth is not just about one breakthrough company — it is about the same kinds of founders building, exiting, and building again.
Why He Matters Now
As enterprise networking architecture converges toward SASE through 2026, Cato is in direct competition with Nir Zuk's Palo Alto Networks, Zscaler, and Cisco for the platform standard. Kramer's third act is the most strategically positioned of any Israeli cyber founder right now. Whether Cato becomes the architectural standard or is acquired by one of the U.S. networking giants is one of the most consequential open questions in enterprise cybersecurity.
FAQ
Who is Shlomo Kramer?
Shlomo Kramer is an Israeli cybersecurity entrepreneur — co-founder of Check Point (1993), Imperva (2002), and Cato Networks (2015). Three unicorn-scale cyber companies across three decades.
Is Shlomo Kramer the founder of Cato Networks?
Yes. Kramer co-founded Cato in 2015 and serves as CEO. Cato is one of the leading SASE platforms in the world.
What companies has Shlomo Kramer founded?
Check Point (1993, co-founder with Gil Shwed and Marius Nacht), Imperva (2002), and Cato Networks (2015).
What is Shlomo Kramer's net worth?
Approximately $1.3 billion according to Forbes Israel 2024.
More from The Builders
- Gil Shwed: The Firewall Inventor
- Marius Nacht: aMoon Architect
- Nir Zuk: The Palo Alto Networks Founder Who Invented Next-Gen Firewall
- Assaf Rappaport: The Wiz Co-Founder Behind Israel's Largest Exit Ever
- Udi Mokady: The CyberArk Founder
- Eyal Waldman: Mellanox
- Yossi Vardi: ICQ
שלמה קרמר: מייסד הסייבר הסדרתי של הדור
שלוש חברות יוניקורן בשלושה עשורים — צ'ק פוינט, אימפרבה, Cato Networks. כל אחת הגדירה מחדש שכבת אבטחה אחרת. אין מייסד סייבר ישראלי אחר שעשה את זה.
תמונת מצב
| נולד | 1966 |
| שווי נטו | כ-1.3 מיליארד דולר (פורבס ישראל 2024) |
| שלוש חברות | צ'ק פוינט (1993) · אימפרבה (2002) · Cato (2015) |
| תפקיד נוכחי | שותף-מייסד ומנכ"ל, Cato Networks |
| מושב | תל אביב |
הסיפור העסקי
שלמה קרמר ייסד את צ'ק פוינט ב-1993 יחד עם גיל שויד ומריוס נחט. ב-2002 עזב והקים את אימפרבה — מתמחה באבטחת אפליקציות web. אימפרבה הונפקה ב-NYSE ב-2011 ונרכשה ב-2019 על ידי Thoma Bravo ב-2.1 מיליארד דולר. ב-2015 הקים את Cato Networks — בונים את הארכיטקטורה הקנונית של SASE. Cato הגיעה להערכת שווי של 3 מיליארד דולר ב-2023.
למה הוא חשוב בישראל
הקריירה של קרמר היא ההפרכה לטענה שיזמים גדולים בונים רק חברה אחת גדולה. הוא בנה שלוש — כל אחת ראתה תחילה ארכיטקטורה חדשה שהתעשייה אימצה.
שאלות נפוצות
מי הוא שלמה קרמר?
יזם סייבר ישראלי — שותף-מייסד של צ'ק פוינט (1993), אימפרבה (2002), ו-Cato Networks (2015).
האם קרמר ייסד את Cato Networks?
כן. ייסד ב-2015 ומשמש כמנכ"ל.
אילו חברות שלמה קרמר ייסד?
צ'ק פוינט, אימפרבה ו-Cato Networks.
מה השווי שלו?
כ-1.3 מיליארד דולר לפי פורבס ישראל 2024.
Originally drafted June 2026. Maintained by The Olam Editorial Team. Part of The Builders.
