May 8, 2018 – Jerusalem – Yissum, The Technology Transfer Company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with its seed investment fund AgrInnovation, today announced the launch of HUGrow, a new food and ag-tech accelerator focused on emerging technologies based on research conducted at Hebrew University.
HUGrow is the third acceleration track of HUstart, Hebrew University’s Entrepreneurship Center. Eight projects were selected to participate in the accelerator’s first cohort, four of which are general ag-tech and four of which are water and food-tech oriented. The announcement comes as the AgriVest conference, an initiative of The Trendlines Group, GreenSoil Investments, and Israel New Tech, is underway in Tel Aviv. Yissum and AgrInnovation are among the sponsors of the conference, which showcases Israeli ag-tech and food-tech.
“HUGrow equips entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and tools to seek investments for their early stage innovations,” said Dr. Yaron Daniely, CEO and President of Yissum.
The two-stage program includes three months of weekly meetings offering top-level entrepreneurial training from a successful and professional team of lecturers, mentors, and business leaders. During this period, entrepreneurs will also develop a detailed work plan to cover any critical gaps in the technology, followed by up to six additional months of development work.
“A proof of concept transforms early stage technologies into great investment targets for incubators, investors, and corporations,” said Daniely. “HUGrow will leverage the unparalleled experience, expertise and infrastructure of Hebrew University to transition these technologies into fundable assets.”
“We welcome additional partners and mentors to join HUGrow,” continued Daniely. “We aim to provide our entrepreneurs with the expert advice and mentoring that can transform their ideas into marketable early stage innovations and encourage experienced entrepreneurs and corporate partners to join this exciting initiative.”
HUGrow is managed and supported by Yissum, HUstart: The Hebrew University Entrepreneurship Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and AgrInnovation. AgrInnovation was founded by Yissum in 2015, as an investment partnership focused on nurturing agricultural inventions originating from The Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Contact: Estee Yaari, [email protected], +972 (0) 50 200 7072
About Yissum
Yissum is the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Founded in 1964, it is the third company of its kind to be established and serves as a bridge between cutting-edge academic research and a global community of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry. Yissum’s mission is to benefit society by converting extraordinary innovations and transformational technologies into commercial solutions that address our most urgent global challenges. Yissum has registered over 10,000 patents covering 2,800 inventions; licensed over 900 technologies and has spun out more than 130 companies. Yissum’s business partners span the globe and include companies such as Boston Scientific, Google, ICL, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Microsoft, Novartis and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il
