Scientific Entrepreneurship
Researchers willing to consider alternatives to a traditional scientific career path in academia or industry can find direct hands-on information regarding scientific entrepreneurship opportunities available in Israel, funding programmes, information on Visa permits, and specialised programmes to attract and retain talents and researchers interested in creating their own business in Israel.
In addition, Ph.D. candidates, Early-stage researchers, and Experienced Researchers interested in undertaking an entrepreneurial career are invited to explore this topic by browsing the Career development section in the European portal, in order to see a general overview of what scientific entrepreneurship is about, to be guided in the valorization of the research results, and to better understand “entrepreneurial” vocabulary. EURAXESS Centres aims to support researchers in deciding whether their research results or invention is ready or appropriate to go from the lab to the market.
The Innovation Visas Pilot program enables foreign entrepreneurs to stay in Israel for up to 24 months, during this time they are eligible to receive support from the Innovation Authority under the Tnufa program.
Entrepreneurs from abroad willing to establish a technologically innovative project in Israel are invited to submit an application for the grant of an Innovation Visa.
An innovation Visa shall enable the entrepreneur to develop a technologically innovative project in Israel, for a period of up to 24 months, with the purpose of establishing an Israeli company. During the development of the technological concept, the entrepreneur will be able to receive support from the Innovation Authority's Tnufa Incentive Program.
Entrepreneurs who are holding an Innovation Visa may also be granted an Expert Visa by the time the project is already developed and mature enough to receive support through one of the incentive programs of the Innovation Authority. In order to be granted an Expert Visa, the foreign entrepreneur must establish a company and apply for one of the incentive programs at the Innovation Authority.
Foreign entrepreneurs who opt to establish a company in Israel and granted approval in one of the Innovation Authority's incentive programs will be entitled to receive an Expert Visa that shall enable the entrepreneur to work in the company he established.
The foreign entrepreneurs will be hosted within a landing pad, which will offer exposure to Israel's Eco-System, working spaces, technological infrastructure as well as business and professional support.
As part of a call for proposals, 12 Landing Pads will be selected from the first 15 proposals.
- Foreign entrepreneur shall apply to the landing pad with the project he is willing to develop.
- The landing pad shall approve/reject the project for development - provide Appendix 4 'Statement of the Landing Pad Regarding the Acceptance of a Foreign Technology Entrepreneur.
- In the event that the landing pad approves the project, the entrepreneur shall apply, with the landing pad approval attached, for the grant of an Innovation Visa - provide Appendix 5 'Application for recommendation to issue an innovation visa for a foreign technology entrepreneur'.
- A professional evaluator shall examine the project.
- The project will be brought up for discussion at the Israel Innovation Authority Committee, which will reach a decision on whether to approve the project and recommend the grant of an Innovation Visa to PIBA.
- The entrepreneur will receive a reply from the Committee - provide Appendix 6 'The Committee's Recommendation to PIBA to Issue an Innovation Visa'.
- In the event that the Committee approves the project, the entrepreneur will continue the application procedure as per procedure 5.3.0029 of PIBA (Hebrew)- Residency Permit for foreign innovation entrepreneurs.
- The foreign entrepreneur shall establish a company in Israel.
- The company established by the entrepreneur shall submit an application for grant of approval in one of the incentive programs of the Innovation Authority, in per with the provisions and procedures of the pertinent incentive programs.
- A professional evaluator shall examine the project.
- The project's application will be brought for discussion at the Committee, who shall decide whether to approve the project application and recommend the grant of an Expert Visa to PIBA.
- The entrepreneur will receive a replay from the Committee, regarding the application – provide Appendix 8 - Appendix 8 'The Committee's Recommendation to PIBA to Issue an Expert Visa'.
- If the Committee approves the project application, the entrepreneur will continue the application procedure in per with Appendix 9 -procedure 5.3.0041 of the PIBA - Procedure for handling applications for employment permits and work licenses for foreign Experts.
Israel Innovation Authority - The Israel Innovation Authority offers unique tools for entrepreneurs and Start-ups to support the early development stages of technological initiatives. These tools assist in developing their innovative technological concepts at the pre-seed or initial R&D stages, transform their ideas into reality and reach significant fundable milestones.
The Innovation Labs Program - provides support via innovation labs spanning various sectors and operated by leading corporations.
The goals are to provide entrepreneurs with access to unique technological infrastructure, market insights, marketing avenues, and industry expertise, in order to reach a proof of concept and transform technological ideas into products. The lab offers corporations an opportunity to implement open innovation, take part in the leading Israeli ecosystem, and gain exposure to a plethora of innovative developments.
Tools for Startups:
An opportunity to gain access to technological infrastructure to reach a proof of concept and market value offered by the corporate;
The entrepreneur is not required to establish a company before the project is approved;
The incentive program offers participation in the risks involved in the company’s development process but not in future profits or successes.
The Incubators Incentive Program - is designed for entrepreneurs who are interested in establishing a startup company based on an innovative technological concept.
The goal of the incentive program:
Supporting newly established start-ups to reach a fundable milestone
Benefits: 20-50% equity in the incubated companies in return for a complementary 15% investment of the R&D costs. The Israel Innovation Authority funds the other 85% of R&D costs for no equity.
Incentive Programs for Innovation with Government Entities - enable Israeli technology companies to receive support in their R&D programs or trial programs (pilot – a trial for assessing feasibility/proving the value of existing technology in a work surrounding that simulates the target market) in selected fields:
- Support for trial programs in the field of transportation,
- Support for trial programs in the field of environmental protection
- Support for trial programs and R&D programs in the field of digital health
- Support for trial programs in conjunction with the Government Companies Authority
- Support for encouraging R&D in the field of space technologies
- Support for Groundbreaking R&D Programs in the Field of Cyber
- Support for Pilot Programs in the Field of Cyber
- Support for agricultural R&D and pilots
- Assistance for investment in projects for energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Early Stage Incentive Program- is designed for startup companies seeking to develop and promote an innovative technological project, as well as penetrate the market by raising investments from the private sector.
Goal of the incentive program:
To provide an incentive for private investments in early stage companies engaging in R&D and encouraging the growth and development of the high-tech industry in Israel.
The incentive program is for Israeli startup companies from all industrial sectors, that raised up to $ 10 million and with revenues up to $ 1 million in the previous year, and are interested in developing or upgrading innovative products and penetrate their target markets. The incentive program offers preferential terms for companies held by Minority/Ultra Orthodox entrepreneurs.
The conditional grant provided is 50%/30% of the approved budget, up to NIS 10 million each year. A company receiving the committee’s approval for its first year in the program will be given the opportunity to raise the supplementary funding needed for the project, up to six months after the date of approval.
The Ideation (Tnufa) Incentive Program is designed for fledgling entrepreneurs to develop and validate innovative technological concepts.
The goal of the incentive program:
Support entrepreneurs reaching proof of concept and business feasibility of early-stage projects.
Entrepreneurs and new Israeli startup companies can receive a conditional grant of up to 85% of the approved budget.
The funds will be used for building an initial prototype, intellectual property protection and business development, including materials, degradable components, sub-contractors and consultants, patent attorneys and exhibition expenses (not intended for salaries and overhead expenses).
Renewable Energy (Cleantech) Technology Center - supports technological ventures and R&D projects starting from the stages of applied academic research and early stage entrepreneurship. The center enables testing and trials for products undergoing development and demonstration. The Center is operated by a licensee from the private sector, together with a strategic investor and an academic research center.
The goal of the incentive program:
To assist companies and entrepreneurs that are developing, or interested in developing, a product integrating an innovative technology that has economic potential in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. In addition, the incentive program is designed for teams that can carry out the proposed R&D by themselves, on the technological and managerial levels. This support is conditional upon the project’s ability to contribute to the development of the Eilot region.
The assistance is carried out via three sub-programs:
Initial sub-program: Funding and support of applied R&D activities, via cooperation between academia and industry.
Advanced sub-program: Funding and support of technological projects of early-stage companies in the pre-seed and seed stages.
Testing areas sub-program: Funding and support of demonstrations and experiments in the fields of renewable energy, through facilitating of testing areas and required infrastructures.
The Partnering Organizations
ITTN’s partners are affiliated with some of the world’s leading educational and research institutions.
BGN Technologies(Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)
Gavish Galilee Bioapplications (MIGAL Galilee Technology Center)
Hadasit (Hadassah Medical Organization)
Mor Research Applications (Clalit Health Services)
T3 – Technion Technology Transfer(Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd.)
Yeda Research & Development Company(Weizmann Institute of Science)
- Representing the interest of its member organizations before the Kneset, government authorities, ministries, agencies and committees.
- Advancing collaborative efforts between the technology transfer community in Israel and its counterparts around the world.
- Improving the accessibility of the public to new and innovative research findings and inventions performed at Israel's leading universities and research institutes.
ITTN's partners are affiliated with some of the world's leading Educational and Research Institutions.
Industry focus: No specific industry focus.
Program Length: 6 months
Application Requirements: looking for B2B or B2B2C Deep Technology startups. At least two full-time founders, with the CTO being one of them.
Industry focus: Open to companies in all verticals
Cost: 0 Equity Policy (participants are given the opportunity to donate Equity back to the program).
Program Length: A 3-month program that runs 3 times a year
Application Requirements: Early-stage startups, with at least two co-founders, one being a CTO. All founders are fully committed to work full time.
Barclays Accelerator Powered By Techstars Tel Aviv
Industry focus: Payments, Distributed Ledger Technology, Cyber Security, IoT, Cloud, ID and Biometrics, Capital Markets technologies, AI and Machine Learning, Voice and NLP, Open banking and APIs, Robotic Process Automation, RegTech, Risk Management and Customer Ecosystem.
Cost: 6% Equity.
Program Length: 13 Weeks
Application Requirements: A strong and well-rounded team that can be ready to launch by the end of the program.
Industry focus: No specific industry focus.
Program Length: 5 Months
Application Requirements: Entrepreneurs in their first early-stage startup.
Industry focus: Open to startups that aim to solve significant and global problems through technology.
Cost: The accelerator is a non-profit program. The program does not take equity nor IP rights from the participating startups.
Program Length: A 5-month program that includes 24 days of workshops and lectures, connections with over 60 mentors, free office hours with 30 different companies and various networking opportunities all around the world.
Application Requirements: Early-stage startups, with at least a POC, that aim to solve significant and global problems through technology.
The Gvahim Entrepreneurship Center
Industry focus: Focused on Startup’s Founded by Olim and Foreign Entrepreneurs.
Cost: 0 Equity Policy.
Program Length: 5 months
Application Requirements: At least one Co-Founder must be able to commit full time.
Industry focus: No specific industry focus but looking for cloud-based technologies.
Cost: Zero equity policy.
Founded: 2012
Program Length: 4 Months
Application Requirements: B2B startups in their Round A-phase, demonstrable traction, CEO/co-founder located in Israel. Application by referral only
Industry focus: BrainTech
Cost: 3000 NIS per team
Program Length: 4 Months
Application Requirements: You must be an Entrepreneur, Scientist or Inventor with an early-stage startup in the BrainTech arena.
Industry focus: EdTech
Program Length: 5 Months
Application Requirements: You must have an early-stage EdTech
Startup
Johnson Controls Open Innovation Program
Industry focus; Innovations that better connect homes and businesses, smarter commercial environments and safer cities.
Cost: 0
Application Requirements: Post Seed Startups with strong Tech leadership
Zell Entrepreneurship Program at IDC
Industry focus: No specific industry focus.
Program Length: 1 Year.
Application Requirements: Outstanding IDC Students in their final year of Undergrad in; Business, Law, Communications, Computer Science, Government, Sustainability, Psychology or Economics
Location: Herzliya
Industry focus: No specific industry focus.
Cost: 2%-7% Equity
Program Length: 6 Months
Application Requirements: By Invitation Only.
Location: IDC Campus Herzliya
Cost: 0
Program Length: 12 Weeks
Application Requirements: At least one Founder must be a current IDC Student.
And more...IATA accelerators list, Incubators supported by the IIA
*Disclaimer - This is a pilot activity involving 5 EURAXESS members countries (Italy, Spain, Greece, Hungary, and Israel) that has been developed within a specific work package of EURAXESS TOP IV “Open EURAXESS – To strengthen the effectiveness and optimize the services of all partners in an innovative and open EURAXESS Network – EURAXESS TOPIV” (Grant Agreement no. 786133) aiming at supporting the EURAXESS community to have the necessary know-how and tools to develop new services oriented to a better connection between academia and industry.
WELCOME TO EURAXESS STARTUP HUB - Israel
- We are developing technological mentoring and coaching programs in some of the most disruptive technologies today
- Our innovation assessment schemes helps turn a great Ph.D. thesis into an even greater innovation product
- Learn about the key concepts of scientific startup entrepreneurship, in our digital handbook, a part of the EURAXESS Startup Hub Digital Toolkit
- Get to know the basics of writing a successful research proposal by taking part in our training schemes on access to funding
- Read about the best practices for effective, collaborative, and inclusive startup support in academic organizations in our EURAXESS Startup Hub Digital Toolkit
- Participate in our trainings related to access to funding for Horizon Europe and other schemes
- Partner with us in organizing different events for aspiring sci-entrepreneurs
- Promote our services to the researchers working in your organization
Join our reverse innovation schemes for setting up a sustainable industry-academia collaborations
IP&D - Innovation, Projects and Development Ltd. (IP&D) was established in 2003. IP&D engages in research support and projects on a national and international level including Technology Transfer and entrepreneurship. IP&D is the Israeli BHO on behalf of the Israel Ministry of Science and Space, and is a major consultant to Higher Education Institutes, focusing on EU endeavors. IP&D is also a EURAXESS Centre focusing on industry, in cooperation with the Israel Innovation Authority, Technological Innovation Incubators Program, the Chamber of Commerce, The Manufacturers Association of Israel, and Accelerators such as DRIVE.
IP&D has chaired the “Financing Innovation Working Group'' of the IRC network of DG Enterprise, a member of the HRM Steering Group, as well as served as an expert in several EU committees. IP&D has taken an active part in the EURAXESS Network Management team, WP leader of EURAXESS Projects, EURAXIND - leading Industry Workshops in seven countries, WP leader of IMPACT-e project, and is involved in the organization of events and workshops, specifically with other sectors outside academia.
IPD is Task Leader of the EURAXESS Startup Hub Tour flagship project, a series of three study visits for R1 or R2 researchers to the lively capitals of three startup nations: Israel, Estonia, and Luxembourg
IP&D coordinates the Israeli hub EURAXESS Forum of research universities in Israel, all having extremelysuccessful TTOs. IP&D focuses on the interface between academia and the high-level private sector with strong contacts with entrepreneurs, government authorities, Israel Innovation Authority.
IP&D is part of the Israeli ecosystem of entrepreneurship, start-ups, accelerators, and incubators. This ecosystem has been well-established for many years with about 7000 active start-ups, Israel is recognized globally as a start-up nation. During the last year, about 20 billion Euros have been raised by those start-ups, second in the world to the US. Most of the largest international hi-tech enterprises (over 380) have branches and established R&D divisions in Israel (Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Intel, Google, Lenovo, LG, Merck, and many more). Recently Academia-Industry cooperation has reached a new level.
The Israel Local Start-up Hub, IP&D and its collaborators: the Israeli Forum of EURAXESS centers, the Technion and its associated T-hub and the accelerator DRIVE, Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Bina - Applicative Science Unit, Weizmann Institute has the competences to offer basic and advanced services to talents (Bachelor, Master students, Ph.D. candidates, R2-R4 researchers, and EURAXESS staff) in the form of webinars, workshops, and study visits, and start-up tours.
The local Israeli Hub has the competence and a vision to offer training in a variety of leadership skills, creativity, problem-solving, communication, influence and presentation of the subject, teamwork, and global orientation case by case depending on the future funding of such a program.
Below are specializations of our local Hub:
- Information and assistance on registering and patenting Intellectual Property
- Consultancy in creating and maintaining industry partnerships
- Networking services (with higher education, industries, public sector, associations/clusters, and other start-ups)
- Reverse innovation
- Business mentoring and coaching
- Technological mentoring and coaching
- Feasibility assessment of innovative research results
The EURAXESS Startup Hub is a networked program of support to sci entrepreneurs, setup by the research and funding organizations from 7 countries, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Estonia, Israel, Luxembourg, Montenegro and Serbia, with participation of tens of external stakeholders, the prominent actors in national startup ecosystems of the above countries.