Magos Systems
Israeli maker of compact AI-assisted surveillance radars; Israeli Ministry of Defence ordered hundreds to detect Hezbollah drones on the Lebanese border; CEO is a former IDF radar officer; named by an Iranian official in 2026
| Magos Systems
| |
|---|---|
| Trade name | Magos |
| Logo |  Magos logo |
| Type | Private company |
| Founded | 2010 (2007 according to some sources) |
| Founder(s) | Aviel Kisliansky, Amit Isseroff |
| Headquarters | 13 Gad Feinstein Street, Rehovot 7638517, Israel; US office: 78 John Miller Way, Suite 306, Kearny, NJ 07032, USA |
| Industry | Radar; perimeter security; drone detection |
| Services | Compact ground and air surveillance radars with AI target classification (MASS software) |
| Homepage | magosys.com |
Magos Systems (Magos) is an Israeli company based in Rehovot that makes compact surveillance radars, with artificial-intelligence (AI) software that classifies people, vehicles, animals and drones. They are used for perimeter security and drone detection.[1] It was founded by its chief executive, Aviel Kisliansky, whom Ynetnews describes as "a former captain in the IDF radar division" (Israel Defense Forces), and by Amit Isseroff, a former employee of Intel.[2] In June 2026 the Israeli Ministry of Defence ordered hundreds of its radars. The Jerusalem Post reported that they would be deployed along the border with Lebanon against drones used by Hezbollah.[1] In November 2026 Mohammad-Amin Aghamiri, secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, was reported as naming "Migos or Magos" among three companies he accused of working with Israel's military industries.[3]
Founders and military service
According to Ynetnews, Magos was founded in 2010 by Aviel Kisliansky, "an electronics engineer with a master's degree and a former captain in the IDF radar division" (Israel Defense Forces), and Amit Isseroff, "also an electronics engineer with a master's degree and a former Intel employee" (Intel). Kisliansky is the chief executive.[2] The Jerusalem Post describes Isseroff, whose name it spells Iseroff, as vice-president for research and development.[1]
Sources differ on the founding year. Ynetnews, Ctech and The Jerusalem Post give 2010.[2][4][1] The Israeli electronics news site Techtime reported in 2018 that the company was founded in 2007 by Kisliansky and Isseroff.[5] The US Security Industry Association also gave 2007 in a 2018 member profile.[6]
Ownership and investors
Techtime reported in May 2018 that the security and fire-protection company Tyco (Tyco International) would invest about $1 million in Magos for about 8 per cent of its shares, and would also distribute its radars. Afcon Holdings, controlled by the Shmelzer family, had invested about $4 million in June 2017 for about 39 per cent, a share that would fall to about 35 per cent after the Tyco investment.[5] In 2026 Ynetnews reported that Afcon remained the largest shareholder and that Johnson Controls was "another major investor". It said that Magos had raised $5 million to date and had annual sales of $20–30 million.[2] Ctech described Afcon Group and Johnson Controls as "strategic investors".[4]
Products
The company's radars use MIMO beamforming technology and are combined with its MASS AI software. The Jerusalem Post reported that the system "accurately distinguishes people, vehicles, animals, and drones".[1] In a 2018 profile the Security Industry Association said that Magos' technology "was originally developed for government and military use, but in 2015 the technology was declassified for commercial deployment". Its US general manager, Yaron Zussman, said the company's radars were "backed by years of research and development experience for the U.S. Department of Defense market" (United States Department of Defense).[6] Techtime reported in 2018 that the company was selling perimeter-protection systems for civilian sites such as gas and oil rigs, power stations, prisons, ports, server farms, farmland and car parks.[5] The company also markets its radars for "community security", which it describes as "reliable protection for residential and border communities".[7] Ynetnews reported that the company operates in 70 countries.[2]
Israeli military contract and Lebanon
On 29 June 2026 Magos announced a deal worth about NIS 21 million to supply hundreds of radar systems to an unnamed "defense customer".[1] Ynetnews reported that the customer was the Israel Defense Forces, put the value at about $5.7 million, and said that eight Magos radars had already entered IDF service and that the new order followed "their operational performance". It said the radars could give troops "at least 60 seconds of warning" of an approaching drone, including fibre-optic-guided drones that cannot be detected by conventional radio-frequency methods. The paper linked the order to the drone threat "especially during IDF fighting in Lebanon".[2] Ctech put the value at about $7 million. It said sources had confirmed that the customer was the Ministry of Defence, and that Israel had faced "a significant challenge over recent months in countering Hezbollah's fiber-optic-guided drones from Lebanon" (Hezbollah).[4] The Jerusalem Post reported that the "defense customer" was Israel's Ministry of Defence. It said the hundreds of systems would "be deployed in the Lebanese border area, to significantly improve detection and identification of Hezbollah's fiber-optic drones". The ministry did not respond to the paper.[1]
Named by Iranian official (2026)
On 2 November 2026 Mohammad-Amin Aghamiri, secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, named three companies in an interview on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) state television and accused them of working with Israel's military industries. According to Iran International, Aghamiri said the firms were part of a network of AI start-ups working with Israeli military industries, particularly the aerospace sector. He said: "We know who is engaged in what activities ... We say explicitly that the hands of these people are stained with the blood of the people." The outlet reported that he accused the companies of playing a role in military operations and assassinations, and that he urged their employees to leave: "I think those who work at these companies should decide on their future as soon as possible, leave and not continue their cooperation." Asked what would happen if they stayed, he said, according to the same report, "We will see what happens."[8] The Persian technology site Zoomit reported that Aghamiri claimed the companies' products had been used in Israeli military operations and assassinations against Iran. It quoted him as saying that "we neither forgive nor forget" anyone whose hands were stained with "the blood of our people".[3] These are Aghamiri's allegations. The reports cited here do not say which products or operations he meant.
Reports of the interview give the company names differently. Iran International and the Persian news site Fararu rendered the third name as "Migos" (میگوس).[8][9] Zoomit and Khabaronline quoted him as saying "for example Axon, U Vision, Migos or Magos" (مثلا اکسون، یو ویژن، میگوس یا مگوس).[3][10] None of these reports gave the companies' full names. A post on X by Arya Yadegaar on 2 November 2026 identified the three as Axon Vision, UVision and Magos Systems. It described Magos as developing "radar and surveillance systems for detecting and tracking people, vehicles, and drones".[11]
See also
- Axon Vision
- UVision
- Elbit Systems
- Cyber and tech firms founded by ex Unit 8200 or occupation forces veterans
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Dean Shmuel Elmas and Anna Ahronheim, Defense Ministry orders Magos drone detection radar systems The Jerusalem Post, 30 June 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Navit Zomer, FPV drone threat haunting IDF troops may finally get a 60-second warning system Ynetnews, 29 June 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hanieh Kalhor, آقامیری سه شرکت فناوری را به همکاری نظامی با اسرائیل متهم کرد: نه میبخشیم، نه فراموش میکنیم (Aghamiri accuses three technology companies of military cooperation with Israel: we neither forgive nor forget), Zoomit (Persian), 3 November 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 CTech, Israel orders hundreds of radar systems designed to detect fiber-optic drones Ctech, 29 June 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Techtime, Tyco מצטרפת למאגוס בהשקעה של מיליון דולר (Tyco joins Magos with a $1 million investment), Techtime (Hebrew), 3 May 2018, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kara Klein, New Member Profile: Magos Systems Security Industry Association, 30 August 2018, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ Magos Systems, Community Security Magos Systems, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Iran International, Iran cyberspace chief threatens Axon, Unigen, Migos over alleged Israeli military ties Iran International, 3 November 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ Fararu, آقامیری: روی شرکتهای فناوری همکار اسرائیل اشراف کامل داریم (Aghamiri: we have full oversight of technology companies cooperating with Israel), Fararu (Persian), 2 November 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ Khabaronline, آقامیری سه شرکت فناوری را به همکاری نظامی با اسرائیل متهم کرد (Aghamiri accuses three technology companies of military cooperation with Israel), Khabaronline (Persian), 3 November 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.
- ↑ Arya Yadegaar, Post on Iran's Head of National Cyberspace naming three companies X, 2 November 2026, accessed 3 November 2026.