Dan Launchpad: Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship

TAU ranks 7th in the world – and first outside the United States – for producing successful, VC-backed company founders. As part of its drive to cultivate the next generation, TAU has set up a campus-wide entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem that spans activities ranging from academic classes and experiential learning to venture capital investments. Now, thanks to a generous donation by Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Dan Holzmann, TAU is further expanding these activities to boost startup initiatives that are initiated by its students as well as by young TAU alumni. The Dan Launchpad will provide support to selected high-potential ventures, offering them a comprehensive range of services.

“The Dan Launchpad provides the missing link in TAU’s current ecosystem,” says its Head, Prof. Moshe Zviran, who is also TAU’s Chief Entrepreneurship and Innovation Officer and former Dean of the

Coller School of Management. “Within 4 years, the Launchpad is expected to support 30 initiatives annually, enabling start-up founders to engage with business development specialists, mentors, investors and industry stakeholders – ultimately aiding the transition from early-stage to venturefunded projects.”

“The Launchpad goes beyond classic startup acceleration,” says its Executive Director, Dr. Eyal Benjamin. “It will allow each team to reach its full potential by customizing the support needed, offering state-of-the-art venture development methods, and providing mentoring by a broad network of industry veterans."

Wide Therapy, a child guidance app founded in 2021 by TAU business students alumni Roni Singler and Rinat Hitelman, is one of the first ventures that has been admitted to the Dan Launchpad. "We are lucky,” says Roni, the startup’s CEO. “The unique support and facilitation we are receiving is perfectly matched with our needs.”