Start-Ups & Innovation: The Israeli Model

In this course, you’ll have the unique opportunity to benchmark Israel’s best practices in entrepreneurship and innovation. You’ll learn practical concepts and gain real-world insights on:

• Understanding new trends and markets
• Ideation and problem-solving
• Selling the idea and networking
• Business model generation
• Product development
• Fundraising
• Marketing and customer development
• Culture and company building
• Managing uncertainty and opportunities
  
  

This course is offered as part of the six-credit InnovNation Program.

You’ll meet face-to-face with renowned start-up founders and mentors, well-known angel and venture capital investors, executives and founders of high-tech companies, R&D staff at multinational corporations, and prominent industry figures. Through these meetings, you’ll gain direct access to their insights and knowledge. You’ll also study with accomplished academic experts in the field.

Course Components

• Hear from successful professionals in a wide variety of roles.
• Work in teams to create a business plan for an online venture, based on the tools and methods learned in class.
• Present the project to your classmates following the format of an investor presentation.
• Complete assigned readings on business models, start-ups, innovation, marketing, Israel’s entrepreneurship culture, and more.
  
  

Professionals who are not interested in the academic credit may opt out of submitting the final paper and receive an audit grade (Active Participation grade) but must still attend all classes and field trips, and complete any assignment throughout the course. This option is also possible for students who are not interested in academic credit.

View the syllabus 

For more information, see the brochure or sign up for updates with the InnovNation program.

Scroll down for the July summer schedule to see which summer courses can be combined with the Start-Ups and Innovation InnovNation program course.

You’ll be invited to participate in a wide array of trips, tours, and activities offered by the Office of Student Life. From a tour of the Old City to a trip to the Dead Sea to checking out the local festivals, you’ll build your own unique impressions and memories of Jerusalem and Israel. While residing in HebrewU dormitories with other international and Israeli students, you’ll have a chance to form new friendships and get involved in campus life. A team of multilingual Israeli students, called madrichim, is also there to help you adjust to your new surroundings and give you tips on things to do. Learn more about student life at HebrewU.

“The course gave me deeper insights into emerging technologies and also new business opportunities for cooperation between Dutch and Israeli businesses… The CEO and the professors we have met were leading figures in their area of expertise. It is quite amazing to achieve this high of a standard for an experimental course.”
Job Rosenhart
Senior Advisor, Dutch Industry Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Netherlands

“The course has allowed us a glimpse into the greatness being built in and done in Israel, a sneak peak of what is to come… The can-do attitude of the Israeli nation and the absolute and fearless determination to make a success of your start-up is something that I feel very few people have managed to instill in many South African entrepreneurs and which I will take as a core lesson from this course.”
Marrelie Le Roux
M.B.A., GIBS – University of Pretoria, South Africa

“InnovNation is such an amazing program. For the whole month, I have immersed myself in the world of entrepreneurship and technologies. By visiting numerous companies and meeting with various Israeli experts, I have gained a broad view of how Israeli companies grow in the global market. I have also seen the significant role of technologies in shaping our life. This program is indeed one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life.”
Yaqing Tang
Entrepreneur & B.Sc., The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China

• Read more about the student learning experience.
• Check out our photo gallery on Facebook.

Summer 2025

Apply by: April 15, 2025
Arrive on campus: June 30, 2025
Program length: Four weeks

Summer:

Application fee: US$ 120
Tuition fee:US$ 2,000**
Paid to RIS: US$ 342
Paid to IBH: US$ 1,658**
Housing: US$ 850

*Depending on availability
**Subject to Min exchange rate of 3.3 USD to NIS

The InnovNation program is offered in collaboration with Israel Beyond the Headlines (IBH).

A limited number of scholarships based on demonstrated need or merit are available.

Learn also about financial aid offered by IBH. 

A 10% discount on the tuition fee for one of the InnovNation summer program courses is offered by IBH to students who complete their application by February 16, 2025, and who complete payment by March 16, 2025. Students who apply for both courses of the InnovNation program will receive the 10% discount on one of the courses only.

This course is open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as to mature learners with an academic background. You must be currently registered at or have been accepted to a recognized college or university or have successfully completed at least one year of study at an accredited institution of higher education. English-language fluency is also required.