Social impact: up to $5,000 for social entrepreneurship across verticals.
Dana Gavish-Fridman, VP Entrepreneurship at BGN Technologies noted, "Launching Cactus Capital, together with an investment course specifically designed for students and the partnership with fresh.fund, will allow us at the University to offer students a groundbreaking way to learn about entrepreneurship, one based on hands-on experience. I am proud of the fact that our University, which puts such a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, is leading this unique endeavor, which will give our students a noticeable advantage".
“We are excited to join forces with BGU in offering our unique investment course for the first time within a University framework in Israel. BGU's Center of Entrepreneurship offers graduates of the course an immediate opportunity to exercise their training through actively taking part in the entrepreneurship fund investment committee and deciding on the best investment opportunities," added Zaki Djemal, Managing Partner of fresh.fund.
“BGU stands out within Israel's academic landscape due to its vibrant and self-contained student community, which nourishes teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit. Additionally, the University enjoys world-class technology and outstanding human capital and is taking real action to prioritize student innovation on campus."
About BGN Technologies
BGN Technologies is the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The company monetizes discoveries made by BGU researchers and facilitates collaborative efforts and entrepreneurship between researchers and students. BGN Technologies has created more than 100 companies to date in a variety of hi-tech disciplines including biopharm, cyber, cleantech, medical devices, optics and more.
In addition, BGN Technologies has built tech incubators in partnership with leading companies in the Israeli market. Over the last decade the companies have signed long-term partnership deals with leading international giants including Deutch Telekom, Paypal, Dell-EMC and Lockheed-Martin, thus adding value to the university.
About fresh.fund
Proudly backed by Pico Partners, fresh.fund is Israel's first university-focused venture capital fund. It invests $20K -$100K in early-stage tech companies (mainly software, across verticals) founded by exceptional students, academics or recent graduates. In some cases, fresh.fund may syndicate larger deals (up to $500K) together with other investors from its network. The process is fast and founder-friendly: Typically, 6 weeks from application to money.
fresh.fund is connected to all of srael's leading academic institutions, giving the fund a head start on identifying and investing in promising early-stage startups and technologies. The team is made-up of the brightest students and academics in the country (focusing on the fields of computer science, industrial engineering, business, sciences and design) who are hand-picked to take part in the fund's deal flow process: Identifying promising founders, conducting market research, due diligence, and participating as key players in the decision-making process of the fresh.fund investment committee. They work hand-in-hand with the fund's partners and a team of seasoned advisors (leading investors, angels, VCs, and entrepreneurs) to identify investment opportunities and support portfolio companies.
Media Coverage
Globes