Israeli universities named leaders in producing entrepreneurs

Four Israeli universities are among the 50 world-leading academic institutions for producing successful entrepreneurs, a new study by market data company PitchBook has revealed.

Institutions were ranked according to those producing the most entrepreneurs who secure venture funding for their start-ups.

Undergraduate programs at Tel Aviv University were named eighth worldwide for producing successful entrepreneurs by the annual study, the highest among all non-US universities. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (14th), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (34th) and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (49th) were all ranked in the top 50 universities for undergraduate programs.

Stanford University in California retained the top spot in the rankings, with undergraduate programs producing 1,288 founders who together established 1,114 companies and raised $37.8 billion in funding. University of California, Berkeley, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) secured second and third place respectively.

Some 694 founders graduated from Tel Aviv University undergraduate programs, establishing a total of 577 companies and raising $10.6b. in funding between January 1, 2006 and August 31, 2019.

Houzz, Zipline International, Generate Capital, Innoviz Technologies and monday. com were named the top five companies founded by Tel Aviv University graduates, together raising more than $1.6b. in funding.

The Technion, founded in 1912 and the oldest university in the country, has produced 510 entrepreneurs and 433 companies that have raised a combined $9.3b. since 2006. Leading companies, according to capital raised, include Better Place, Gusto and Tango.

Hebrew University, which moved up one place since last year’s ranking, produced 333 entrepreneurs and 294 companies, raising $5.5b. in total. 240 successful entrepreneurs have emerged from Ben-Gurion University, based in Beersheba, to found 214 companies that have raised $3.5b. in funding.

MBA programs at Tel Aviv University were ranked 13th globally for producing entrepreneurs, the only Israeli university listed in the top 25 institutions worldwide. Harvard University led the MBA rankings, with 1,446 founders establishing 1,309 companies, which have secured an unrivaled $48.2b. in funding.