Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was ranked first in Israel and third in the world outside the United States for its graduates' odds of founding unicorn companies, startup companies with a valuation exceeding $1 billion.
This is according to a new study by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, which examined the academic background of unicorn company founders in the United States.
The study, conducted by Prof. Ilya Strebulaev and the Venture Capital Initiative at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, compared 3,497 unicorn company founders in the United States with a sample of 2,716 startup founders who raised venture capital.
How the study was conducted?
The researchers used the Odds Ratio index, which measures the overrepresentation of an academic institution's graduates among unicorn company founders, while neutralizing the effect of the institution's size. An index higher than 1 indicates a higher-than-average chance of cultivating entrepreneurs who founded giant companies.
According to the data, Ben-Gurion University recorded a ratio of 6.6, the highest among all universities in Israel, and was ranked third in the world outside the United States, following Tsinghua University in China (13.2) and the INSEAD business school in France and Singapore (9.3).
In doing so, the university surpassed prestigious institutions including Cambridge University (2.3), Oxford University (1.7), as well as other leading institutions from Canada, India, and Israel.
The study also illustrates Israel's status as one of the world's entrepreneurship powerhouses. Out of the 18 leading academic institutions outside the United States, six are Israeli– more than any other country.
It is followed by India with five institutions, Canada with three, and Great Britain with two.
The Israeli ranking includes:
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev– 6.6
Reichman University– 5.4
Technion– 3.1
Bar-Ilan University– 2.9
Tel Aviv University– 2.8
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem– 2.2
The Yazamut 360 entrepreneurship center
At Ben-Gurion University, they attribute the achievement also to the activity of the Yazamut 360 entrepreneurship center, which has been operating for nine years and serves more than 5,000 students from all faculties every year.
The center operates training programs, hackathons, personal mentoring, and entrepreneurship communities, alongside the Cactus Capital student venture capital fund, which enables students to gain experience in the world of investments and entrepreneurship during their studies.
In addition, the BGN technology transfer company accompanies researchers and students in turning research into startup companies and creating connections with industry.
President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, said: "The findings from Stanford confirm what we at Ben-Gurion University have long known: The unique ecosystem we built in Beersheba grows not only outstanding researchers, but also daring entrepreneurs and technology leaders with global influence. This is not just about numbers, but about ambition, creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes our students and graduates. We are proud to see how this spirit grows from the Negev and reaches the forefront of the global tech industry."
Dana Gavish, director of the Yazamut 360 center, added: "This achievement is first and foremost the story of our male and female graduates. At the Yazamut 360 center, we give students tools to identify opportunities, solve problems, lead people, and turn ideas into reality. When these are the skills developed along the way, it is no wonder that our graduates lead innovation and establish groundbreaking companies in Israel and around the world."
Prof. Dan Blumberg, university vice president for industrial alliance development, continued, added: "It is a great honor to lead industry relations and innovation at Ben-Gurion University. We will continue to develop and promote this field."
Josh Peleg, CEO of BGN, the technology company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, concluded: "We encourage students and researchers at the university not only to break the boundaries of knowledge, but also to turn rigorous research into technologies, companies, and sustainable solutions that can transform industries and improve lives around the world."