Yuval Ariav
Investor, founder, and professor.
Exploring how technology, data, and human ambition shape the future.
My Story
I believe the best ideas begin before the world agrees with them.
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I am the Founder and Managing Partner of Symbol, a first-check VC focused on pre-consensus investments: companies built on conviction long before validation. Over the past 15 years, I have helped startups grow from seed to strength and guided them into maturity. I was the first investor and board member in Next Silicon, FundGuard, Assured Allies, and Sightful.
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Before Symbol, I co-founded Fundbox and helped lead Onavo as head of product and chief architect until its acquisition by Meta. These experiences taught me that real innovation thrives in uncertainty; the hardest problems often lead to the most enduring solutions.
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I divide my time between Tel Aviv, New York, and San Francisco, and teach at Columbia University, where I explore the intersection of data, AI, business, and society.
Above all, I remain driven by curiosity, collaboration, and the pursuit of ideas that shape what comes next.