Tel Aviv University was ranked fifth in the Startup Genome ranking (one of the world’s leading consulting and research firms in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation policy) for 2021. The prestigious ranking examines the integration of graduates of the world’s leading universities in the field of entrepreneurship and the number of scaled-up companies founded by them (with a valuation standing at $ 50 million or more).
More Than a Thousand Alumni Have Founded Active Companies
According to the ranking, first places are held by the leading American universities: Stanford, MIT, Berkeley, and Harvard. Immediately behind them is Tel Aviv University. Closing the top ten in the world of universities: Cornell University, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University.
It is worth mentioning that Tel Aviv University is the only non-American university ranked in the top ten. According to the ranking, about 1,300 graduates of Tel Aviv University have founded companies, active in a wide range of fields in recent decades, and about 40 of them are in the scale-up phase.
This ranking joins the Pitchbook rankings, which each year rank Tel Aviv University among the top ten institutions in the number of entrepreneurs who have raised money from venture capital funds. Also in this ranking, Tel Aviv University is the only non-American university ranked in the top ten.
Prof. Moshe Tzviran, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Director of t Tel Aviv University’s Startup and Entrepreneurship: “This is an important and significant achievement for both Tel Aviv University and the State of Israel. The Startup Genome ranking is a standard mark for entrepreneurial excellence at the highest level in the world. The State of Israel in general and Tel Aviv University, in particular, constitute a particularly fertile and creative cushion of young entrepreneurs who establish independent companies and integrate into key positions in the world’s leading companies. The diverse toolbox that our students receive during their studies is used by them immediately upon entering the job market. We are proud of our graduates and students for their achievement, and we will continue to work to establish Tel Aviv University at the top of global entrepreneurship.”
TAU Ventures: Tel Aviv University Investment Arm
Tel Aviv University’s own investment arm, TAU Ventures, recently announced that it has secured $50 million for a new fund to invest in startups, with the potential to top-up to $70 million. According to Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University, “TAU Ventures provide entrepreneurs with a platform for significant opportunities in innovation and extends the power of academia beyond the campus boundaries.”
TAU Ventures was established in 2018 by Managing Partner, Nimrod Cohen, together with Tel Aviv University, with the interest in taking a leading role in early-stage investments across a wide range of sectors (fintech, food tech, drones, etc.) in Israel. This is part of a successful trend in the United States of leading universities including MIT, Berkeley & Stanford establishing venture investment arms. TAU Ventures invest much more than money in their portfolio companies, creating value for entrepreneurs by offering unique TAU resources, including:
- A Global Network – High-quality and sizeable network across the globe
- Expert Knowledge – Connecting entrepreneurs with relevant sources of knowledge across campus
- Man Power – In shape of TAU students who are interested in either joining the startups as interns (for which they earn credits for their studies) or as full time workers
- Free Office Space – In close proximity to the TAU Venture team, who are comfortably seated in a 1000m² offices near the campus.
“It enables students to integrate practical experience with leading startups during their studies, and at the same time, it enables entrepreneurs to enjoy the diverse qualities of the campus,” says Prof. Porat.
“I’m happy about the given trust of the investors in TAU Ventures and I’m sure that combining forces between academia and industry will provide in the near future significant technological achievements that will benefit the entrepreneurs, the university, and society at large.”
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