“Jerusalem is growing into the capital of Startups in Israel, across all fields, including education. I welcome the establishment of the MassChallenge EdTech track as a strong resource for entrepreneurs from all over the world to advance their companies in Israel’s capital.” -Moshe Lion, Mayor of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, January 17th, Thursday, 20:00: At the Datathon 2019 event at the Bloomfield Science Museum, Mayor Moshe Lion joined with MassChallenge Israel to announce the opening of the 2019 EdTech Track. In cooperation with the ARC Impact Foundation, the City of Jerusalem, EdTech Israel, Beta Mechanchim, MassChallenge is inviting founders and globally impactful EdTech companies to join the 2019 MassChallenge accelerator and receive access to outstanding resources including pilots, mentors and the opportunity to join a curated roadshow to the US.
“The MassChallenge EdTech track accelerates innovation in education and learning industries by making it easier for startups, established businesses, and institutions to work together,” said Yonit Serkin, Managing Director of MassChallenge Israel. “We look forward to welcoming a strong 2019 cohort that is ready to grow their businesses while solving some of the biggest challenges in EdTech alongside outstanding innovators tackling global problems.”
“We believe that Jerusalem is uniquely positioned in the global marketplace to be the center of innovation for EdTech. The city’s diverse population, dedicated educators and innovators, and civic champions combine to create a robust ecosystem that leverages talent and technology to advance the global workforce, develop human capital, and further the field of EdTech,“ said Nicky Newfield, founder of the Arc Impact Foundation.
With the 2019 EdTech Track, MassChallenge Israel is committed to powering growth in the global education ecosystem by helping EdTech entrepreneurs secure the resources they need to grow. Startups selected for MassChallenge EdTech will participate in an equity-free, nearly four-month long, accelerator where they will get access to product validation, investor introductions and customer connections.
The announcement was made as part of the Datathon, the largest educational innovation event in Israel, attended by thousands of educators, entrepreneurs and mentors from all over the country. Lead by “Beta Educators”, the innovation arm of the Jerusalem Municipality’s Education Administration, accompanies hundreds of schools each year to implement thousands of new educational projects. The theme of the competition, currently in its third year: “The School of the Future: 2035”
“For the third year in a row, we are proud to produce an event dedicated to the ‘dreamers’ and their accomplishments. It is exciting to see thousands of entrepreneurs and educators ascend to Jerusalem for 24-hours to transform and strengthen the education system,” said Ziv Bar, Director of Beta Mechanchim, Education Division of the Jerusalem Municipality.
Startups selected for MassChallenge EdTech will participate in an equity-free, nearly four-month long, accelerator where they will get access to product validation, investor introductions and customer connections. In addition, the startups chosen for the MassChallenge Israel EdTech track will have:
- Opportunity to engage with decision makers in the Jerusalem Education ecosystem
- Curated judging pool
- Opportunity to win up to 500K NIS, no-equity taken
- Curated mentor pool including education experts from Boston, New York, Austin, India
- Roundtables with local and global EdTech investors
- Opportunity to join a curated roadshow to the US for the top 10 winners
During the program, the EdTech startups will have access to expert mentorship, tailored curriculum, and free office space in Jerusalem– all at zero cost and for zero equity taken. At the end of the program, top startups will compete for more than 500,000 ILS in equity-free prizes. EdTech-focused startups that have raised up to $1M in equity-based funding and have generated up to $1M in revenue are invited to apply.
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK, MassChallenge is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, more than 1,500 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $3 billion in funding, generated over $2 billion in revenue, and created over 80,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.