Oren Dobronsky

Oren Dobronsky (Hebrew: אורן דוברונסקי; born 1973) is an Israeli technology entrepreneur, investor, restaurateur, television personality and political candidate. He co-founded the internet software company Hotbar and later established technology companies including the online advertising firm Infolinks, SmartShopper and OwnerListens. In 2011, he founded the California restaurant chain Oren's Hummus.

Since 2018, Dobronsky has appeared as an investor on The Sharks, the Israeli adaptation of the business reality television format Shark Tank. In August 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu selected him for a reserved place on the Likud electoral list ahead of the 2026 Israeli legislative election.

Early life and education Dobronsky was born in Israel and was 53 years old as of August 2026. He served for six years in Mamram, the central computing unit of the Israel Defense Forces, and studied at Tel Aviv University.

Technology career Following his service in the Israel Defense Forces, he subsequently entered Israel's emerging internet industry and, together with Gaby Carni, founded Hotbar in 1999.

Hotbar developed software that enabled users to customize the appearance and functionality of internet browsers and email programs. It offered features such as search, weather and shopping links. By 2002, the company reported three million active users and had reached operating break-even. The company was sold in 2006 in a transaction reported to be worth approximately $50 million.

Hotbar also attracted criticism over its advertising practices, collection of browsing information and reported difficulty of removal. Security companies including McAfee and Symantec classified the software as adware, a characterization that Hotbar disputed. The company sued Symantec after its antivirus software began removing Hotbar, but the case was rejected by a United States federal court.

Dobronsky later relocated to Silicon Valley, where he worked as an entrepreneur and angel investor and was involved with technology companies including OwnerListens and Crossrider. He has been described as a veteran technology entrepreneur and angel investor with extensive experience in Silicon Valley.

In 2021, Dobronsky served as chief executive of Keter1 Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that filed to raise $250 million on the Nasdaq stock exchange for a merger with an Israeli technology company. The proposed fundraising was not completed. The business also provided the initial setting for the development of OwnerListens, after Dobronsky sought a method for restaurant customers to send feedback directly to management.

On 10 August 2026, Netanyahu announced Dobronsky as the first of eight candidates whom he was authorized to place in reserved positions on Likud's electoral list. Likud said that, if the party returned to government, Dobronsky was expected to work on the development and application of artificial intelligence in areas including the economy, education and health care. Shortly after his selection, Israeli media reported that Dobronsky had used profanity to describe United States President Donald Trump as morally corrupt in a June 2026 social-media post concerning a United States agreement with Iran. Dobronsky subsequently apologized, saying that he had posted without knowing all the facts and that he regretted the remark.