Israel's Unicorn: The university that reached the global top
Tel Aviv University was ranked third in the world outside the US for the number of research master's graduates who founded unicorn companies. The Hebrew University and the Technion also entered the top ten.
Tel Aviv University ranks third in the world among universities outside the US in the number of research master's graduates (excluding MBA) who founded unicorn companies. This is according to data published by Professor Ilya Strebulaev from Stanford University, who researches the world of venture capital and innovation.
According to the data, 12 founders of Deep Tech-based unicorns completed their research master's studies at Tel Aviv University. Thus, the university is ranked immediately after the University of Cambridge, which leads the list with 19 founders, and the University of Oxford, ranked second with 16. Among the unicorn founders who are graduates of Tel Aviv University is also Yuval Tal, founder of the company Payoneer. Yuval is a graduate of a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in biomedical engineering.
The Israeli presence at the top is particularly prominent: three Israeli academic institutions — Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University, and the Technion — are among the top ten leading institutions in the world in the number of research master's graduates who went on to found unicorn companies in the US. Tel Aviv University is the leader in the ranking. It is followed by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with 8 unicorn founders, and the Technion with 7. Bar-Ilan University appears later in the list with 4 founders. Professor Strebulaev's research identified 347 research master's graduates at 206 universities outside the US who founded 270 unicorn companies.
Professor Moshe Zviran, head of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at Tel Aviv University, stated:
"The new research is unique in its focus on research master's graduates who founded Deep Tech-based unicorns and adds another layer to Tel Aviv University's leading status in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. The research data places Tel Aviv University in an exclusive group of leading academic institutions in the world and illustrates the international impact of the university's graduates. Alongside excellence in research and teaching, the university works to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation and provides students and researchers with tools to turn knowledge and ideas into real-world impact."
Professor Noam Eliaz, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Tel Aviv University, added:
"I am proud to lead a faculty whose graduates do not just join the global innovation front — they create it. This ranking illustrates the unique connection between research excellence and entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to turn deep knowledge into technologies."
