Ziv Aviram, co-founder, president and CEO of autonomous vehicles technology firm Mobileye, suggested to CNBC on Thursday that his firm isn't the one bringing a weak weapon to a big fight. Last week, noted short seller Citron Research revealed a bet against Mobileye and said the tech company was bringing "a knife to a gunfight."

Aviram, appearing from the YPO Edge conference in Vancouver, dismissed the short seller. "Our business has never been better than today," Aviram said. "I don't really understand ... we don't follow the shares too much ... not too much," he said. Aviram added, "This is the privilege of co-founders running the company, we look at it long term." Mobileye shares are up 8 percent in the past month, but have dipped 4 percent since Feb. 24 when Citron announced its short. Year-to-date the shares are up 21 percent. Citron's Andrew Left told CNBC on Feb. 24, "They're really a one-trick pony. ... With autonomous driving, you could even buy Google and get this whole area for free. … Right now, Mobileye is bringing a knife to a gunfight."

Part of the Mobileye driving assist system is seen on the dashboard of a vehicle during a demonstration for the media in Jerusalem. Baz Ratner | Reuters

A profitable short bet against chipmaker Nvidia a few months ago was used to fund the Mobileye short. "If you want exposure in the area as a short, it's not Nvidia anymore, but rather more of a focus on Mobileye," Left told CNBC. Citron argued that compared to Nvidia, Mobileye has seen more insider selling, spends less on research and development, and has a more pricey valuation, Citron tweeted. Aviram dismissed the charge about insider selling at Mobileye, saying, "It's the same since the IPO. Nothing has changed."

It is wave so big that no one can stop it anymore. It's created because of a strategic engagement of regulators to reduce accidents, and strong acceptance from automakers. Ziv Aviram Mobileye co-founder, president and CEO