BGU Ranks Third for Unicorn Founders
BGU ranks third worldwide outside the US and first in Israel for graduates’ odds of founding US unicorns.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev graduates have the highest odds of founding a company worth over a billion dollars (a unicorn) of any academic institution in Israel, according to a study by the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, which ranks academic institutions outside the US by their graduates' odds of founding a unicorn. According to the data, Israel is the world's leading power, outside the US, with 6 universities among the top 18 in the ranking – more than any other country.
An extraordinary achievement for Israeli academia in general, and for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in particular: a data analysis conducted by Professor Ilya Strebulaev and the Stanford Graduate School of Business's Venture Capital Initiative ranks Ben-Gurion University of the Negev 3rd in the world (outside the US), and 1st in Israel, in its graduates' odds of founding unicorn companies in the US market.
Prof. Strebulaev is a world-renowned financial economist, author, lecturer, and one of the world's leading academic experts in venture capital, private equity, and corporate innovation. He has served as Professor of Finance at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business since 2004, and as part of his research has built one of the world's largest academic databases tracking thousands of unicorn companies, their founders, and the investors behind them.
The data analysis compared the academic background of 3,497 founders of US unicorn companies with a random sample of 2,716 founders of VC-backed startups. The Odds Ratio measure examined reflects the degree of overrepresentation of a given institution's graduates among unicorn founders – a measure that accounts for founder quality and normalizes for institution size. A score above 1 indicates significant overrepresentation.
At the top of the global ranking (outside the US) are the following institutions:
- Tsinghua University (China) – odds ratio of 13.2
- INSEAD Business School (France/Singapore) – odds ratio of 9.3
- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel) – odds ratio of 6.6
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's graduates outrank global elite institutions such as the University of Cambridge (odds ratio of 2.3) and Oxford (1.7) in the UK, as well as leading institutions from Israel, Canada, and India.
The study highlights the absolute dominance of Israeli entrepreneurship on the international stage. Of the top 18 universities outside the US, no fewer than 6 are Israeli – the highest number for any country (followed by India with 5 institutions, Canada with 3, and the UK with 2).
Ranking of Israeli institutions by Odds Ratio:
- 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
For nine years, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has been home to the award-winning Entrepreneurship Center 360°, which welcomes more than 5,000 students from all faculties each year. The Center fosters an entrepreneurial culture that views entrepreneurship as a life skill, not just a path to founding a startup. Through programs, communities, courses, hackathons, personal mentoring, and hands-on experience, students acquire the tools to identify opportunities, solve complex problems, lead teams, and drive change.
The Center is also home to Cactus Capital, a student-run venture capital fund that trains students to become venture capital investors and gives early-stage entrepreneurs access to capital, professional mentoring, and an extensive network of entrepreneurs and investors. Together, Entrepreneurship Center 360° and Cactus Capital are part of a unique ecosystem connecting academic excellence, entrepreneurship, industry, and impact, training the next generation of leaders and innovators.
In addition, the university's technology transfer company, BGN, provides guidance and support for founding research-based startups, and promotes the development of industry ties, among other activities.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev President, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, commented on the findings:
“Stanford's findings confirm what we at Ben-Gurion University have known for some time: the unique ecosystem we've built in Beer-Sheva nurtures not only outstanding researchers, but also bold entrepreneurs and technology leaders with global impact. This isn't just about numbers – it's about the ambition, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit that define our students and graduates. We are proud to see this spirit grow from the Negev and reach the forefront of the global tech industry.”
Dana Gavish, Director of Yazamut 360° Center for Entrepreneurship: “This achievement is, above all, the story of our graduates. At Entrepreneurship Center 360°, we give students the tools to identify opportunities, solve problems, lead people, and turn ideas into reality. When these are the skills developed along the way, it's no surprise that our graduates lead innovation and found groundbreaking companies in Israel and around the world.”
Prof. Dan Blumberg, Vice President for Industry Relations: “It's a great honor to lead industry relations and innovation at Ben-Gurion University. We will continue to develop and advance this field.”
Josh Peleg, CEO of BGN, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's technology transfer company: “We encourage students and researchers at the university not only to push 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.”
