Ornit Shinar is global head of external innovation and venture investing at Citi Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of US-headquartered financial services provider Citi.
She joined Citi Ventures in March 2017 to lead its venture investment activities in Israel. Her focus of interest includes data analytics, machine learning, cybersecurity and financial technology.
As part of her role, she also manages the Citi Tel Aviv Accelerator, a programme designed to support technology startups by providing them with access to Citi’s expertise and network.
Regarding her role, Shinar said: “I thrive on helping entrepreneurs turn their dreams into a reality, seeing ideas grow into products and startups turn into successful companies.”
Citi Ventures is dedicated to seeking strategic investment opportunities in startups that are developing cutting-edge technologies to shape the future of financial services and make a positive impact.
The unit’s Israel-based portfolio companies include identity authentication software developer Transmit Security, user authentication software developer Silverfort and shadow economy tracking platform Ivix.
Prior to joining Citi Ventures, Shinar ran the external innovation and business development division of consumer electronics producer Lenovo in Europe and Israel, with a focus on cloud technologies, artificial intelligence and biometric authentication.
Shinar holds a degree in English law and French law from London School of Economics and a master of laws with honours from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
