Two Israeli universities ranked in top 10 for entrepreneurship
Tel Aviv University and the Technion maintain their global standing in latest PitchBook rankings, which sees US institutions dominate and leading UK institutions also feature in the top 100
Two Israeli universities have retained their positions among the world’s top 10 institutions for producing venture-backed entrepreneurs, according to the latest PitchBook University Rankings.
The annual ranking, which analyses more than 170,000 global founders and tracks the number of alumni who go on to raise venture capital, placed Tel Aviv University seventh worldwide for undergraduate alumni founders, maintaining its position as the highest-ranked university outside the United States.
The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology ranked 10th globally, climbing six places compared with 2024. Technion alumni have founded 783 companies that raised $26.7 billion, marking one of the most significant upward moves in the top tier.
The rankings are dominated by US institutions, led by University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Harvard University, which occupy the top three spots.
British universities also featured in the global top 100, though none broke into the top 10. The University of Oxford ranked 50th worldwide, with 332 founders raising $12.1 billion. The University of Cambridge placed tied 54th, climbing three places year-on-year, while the London School of Economics ranked 80th, up one position. Imperial College London placed 95th globally, rising six spots compared with 2024.
While UK institutions remain outside the top tier, the data reflect steady founder output from Britain’s leading research universities, particularly in science, engineering and fintech-linked sectors.
Israel’s continued presence in the top 10 underscores the scale of its entrepreneurial output relative to its size.
Writing in a post on LinkedIn, the Israel Innovation Authority said the results reflect the growing global impact of Israeli academia.
“Universities outside the United States continue to rise. Israel’s Technion made a notable jump compared to 2024, reinforcing its role as a powerhouse of deep tech entrepreneurship. Tel Aviv University ranked seventh globally, underscoring the strength of Israel’s academic institutions in producing globally competitive founders.”
The Authority added that Israel’s universities, including the Technion, Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (ranked 30th), the Weizmann Institute of Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (52nd), Reichman University (tied 47th), and Bar-Ilan University (tied 90th), are key drivers of the national innovation ecosystem.
“The rankings reflect what we see across the ecosystem: world-class research, strong technology transfer, and entrepreneurial talent positioning Israel at the forefront of global innovation.”
Among the high-profile entrepreneurs to emerge from Israel’s leading universities are Talmon Marco, the Tel Aviv University graduate who co-founded messaging platform Viber and later climate-tech firm H2Pro, and Chemi Peres, managing partner of Pitango Venture Capital.
The Technion’s alumni network includes Assaf Rappaport, co-founder and chief executive of cybersecurity giant Wiz, Eyal Waldman, founder of semiconductor company Mellanox, and Armis co-founders Nadir Izrael and Yevgeny Dibrov, to name a few. Their global successes illustrate the close link between Israeli academia and the venture-backed companies that have helped shape the country’s reputation as a technology powerhouse.
Overall, the PitchBook data show US universities occupying the majority of top positions. However, the sustained high placement of Tel Aviv University and the Technion reinforces Israel’s status as a leading source of globally competitive founders, driven by a combination of research strength, strong technology transfer and close university-industry collaboration.
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