Check Point's Bold AI Pivot: 500 New Jobs, Real Estate Expansion, and a Strategic Reboot in Israel

2025-05-19

A New Chapter Begins for Check Point Under CEO Nadav Zafrir

Israel’s cybersecurity titan, Check Point, is entering a new era of aggressive expansion. Under the fresh leadership of CEO Nadav Zafrir, the company is going all-in on artificial intelligence and cloud innovation. With plans to hire 500 new R\&D professionals, invest in cutting-edge infrastructure, and revamp its strategic focus, Check Point aims to solidify its leadership in the global cybersecurity arms race. While other Israeli tech firms shift their operations abroad, Check Point is doubling down on its home turf. This transformation reflects more than a hiring spree — it’s a cultural reboot, designed to shake off the company’s reputation for caution and reestablish it as a fearless innovator in the AI age.

Check Point to Add 500 New Jobs in Israel as Part of AI-Focused Overhaul

Check Point Software Technologies is launching a large-scale recruitment campaign in Israel, aiming to hire 500 new employees — a 25% increase to its current R\&D workforce in the country. The push, led by CEO Nadav Zafrir, marks a significant shift in the company’s historically conservative human resources approach. It will bring the total Israeli headcount to 3,500 and is centered around staffing the newly established AI research center.

The hiring plan is scheduled to conclude by the end of 2025. As part of the campaign, Check Point has introduced a “Bring a Friend” referral program offering rewards even if the referred candidate simply reaches the interview stage. Although there will also be hiring in the U.S. and India, the primary focus remains Israel, with the recruitment department being significantly strengthened to support the initiative.

Zafrir, who stepped into the CEO role six months ago, has wasted no time in setting a bold strategic direction. Beyond AI, he has acknowledged Check Point’s lag in cloud security and responded by forging a partnership with Wiz, a cloud startup acquired by Google for \$32 billion. The new AI center will be located in Tel Aviv on Leonardo da Vinci Street, previously used for hostage coordination operations.

To accommodate this growth, Check Point recently completed its largest real estate acquisition ever, purchasing land on Kraminzky Street in Tel Aviv in a NIS 500 million deal with Israel Canada. The company plans to construct a flagship campus with 4,000 workstations — double the capacity of its current HQ — bringing the total workstation count to 6,000 across 100,000 square meters. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.

Despite surpassing \$2.5 billion in revenue in 2024 and hitting a record \$9.6 earnings per share, Check Point has been perceived as slow-moving in Israel’s dynamic tech ecosystem. Zafrir’s approach signals a decisive break from that image. In addition to hiring, insiders suggest the company may conduct internal evaluations that could lead to trimming underperformers — a rare move for Check Point, which historically has avoided layoffs.

The new strategy reflects a broader commitment to staying rooted in Israel, even as many tech companies shift operations abroad. It also positions Check Point at the heart of the AI revolution, ensuring it remains a global cybersecurity powerhouse in a fast-changing digital landscape.

What Undercode Say:

Check Point’s recent announcement signals a major pivot from its historically conservative growth model. At the center of this shift is Nadav Zafrir, whose leadership style already shows signs of disruption. This transformation appears to be more than just a hiring spree — it’s a calculated strategy to reinvent Check Point’s positioning in both the Israeli and global cybersecurity space.

By prioritizing artificial intelligence, Zafrir acknowledges where the future of cybersecurity is headed. AI not only improves threat detection but also enables real-time responses, automation of complex processes, and predictive capabilities. Check Point’s decision to build a dedicated AI research hub aligns with the broader tech industry’s trajectory, where innovation cycles are increasingly driven by machine learning and deep learning algorithms.

The partnership with Wiz is particularly strategic. Check Point has long been criticized for its relatively sluggish cloud adoption. Aligning with a fast-scaling player like Wiz — especially one acquired by a global giant like Google — helps Check Point leapfrog into relevance in the cloud security sphere. It also highlights Zafrir’s willingness to collaborate, breaking from the company’s traditionally self-reliant R\&D strategy.

Equally notable is the decision to invest NIS 500 million in a new campus. This isn’t just a logistics upgrade — it’s a bold signal of permanence in a time when many Israeli firms are registering abroad or diversifying their base due to geopolitical and economic uncertainties. Zafrir’s insistence on staying rooted in Israel may serve as a morale booster, branding the company as a national asset rather than just another export-oriented tech outfit.

What’s interesting is that Check Point, while boosting headcount, may also be pruning internal inefficiencies. The mention of “tweaking” the workforce indicates a shift toward performance accountability — a cultural shake-up that could lead to more innovation, faster product cycles, and a refreshed company DNA. For a firm once seen as an industry giant in maintenance mode, this could be the jolt it needs.

However, execution will be key. Recruiting 500 top-tier R\&D professionals in an already talent-squeezed market is no small feat. Retaining talent, managing cultural integration between new and legacy teams, and delivering AI-enhanced products that meet enterprise-grade cybersecurity demands — these are tall orders.

Still, the message is clear: Check Point is betting on a future where it is no longer trailing but leading. With a high-growth roadmap, strategic partnerships, and bold infrastructure commitments, Zafrir is scripting a comeback story that might well define the next decade of cybersecurity in Israel and beyond.

Fact Checker Results ✅

The 500 new hires represent a 25% growth in R\&D roles, confirmed by multiple sources.
Check Point’s partnership with Wiz and AI center launch are both verifiable and reported in industry news.
The NIS 500 million real estate investment and 2027 construction timeline are documented by financial press. 📊🧠🇮🇱

Prediction 📈

If Check Point successfully integrates AI capabilities and realigns its cloud strategy, it is poised to reclaim leadership status in global cybersecurity by 2027. The company could not only reverse its “slow-mover” image but also emerge as a key AI innovator rooted firmly in Israel. Expect increased investor confidence, higher R\&D velocity, and possibly even acquisition activity in the next 24 months.