Eight weeks ago we arrived in Haifa, Israel with the goal of building businesses out of Technion-developed technology. We've met with business leaders, incubator directors, venture capitalists and industry experts; we've pitched our ventures every week and received tough but important feedback; and we've had access to industry advisors and mentors whose experiences in entrepreneurship have helped us navigate the intricacies of our own industries.
Last night was the culmination of this process, as we pitched our ventures to venture capitalists from top firms such as Bessemer, Sequoia and Giza. Simply the opportunity to pitch business plans to top VC's is great, but after eight weeks of immersing ourselves in our ventures it was nothing short of impressive. All six of our international venture teams presented eloquently, expressing the problems our businesses solve, the markets they address and the the amount of funding required to make them profitable. We fielded tough questions from the panel of VC's, but after two months of habituation we were perfectly accustomed to the Israeli style of questioning.
Looking back on what we've accomplished, I am very impressed by our collective progress. Eight weeks ago we were presented with technologies in fields ranging from medical diagnostics to imaging and chemical analysis. We've taken these scientific innovations and built real business ventures out of them. The experience of building a business is truly priceless, and not something that many people can say they have done. From solving the problems we've encountered along the way to understanding the motivations and thought processes of venture capitalists who fund our ventures, we now posses the tools and experiences of seasoned entrepreneurs.
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| The Dingman-Technion Entrepreneurship teams after our final pitches |
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