Course Summary

Ever wondered how investors decide which startups to back? This course takes you inside the world of Venture Capital, exploring entrepreneurship through the eyes of the investor.

You’ll gain practical tools, skills, and real-world insights that will stay with you throughout your professional and entrepreneurial journey. For those who dream of entering the VC world, this course offers a solid foundation and a unique opportunity to experience how venture capital really works.

About the Course

• Schedule: Spring Semester, Sundays 18:00-20:00
• Credits: 2 credit points
• Lecturer: Mr. Yaniv Koren
• Office Hours: By appointment, before or after class
• Location: To be determined
• Eligibility: Undergraduate students
• Prerequisites: None
• Additional Requirements: If the course is held online, students will be required to keep their cameras on during class. In the case of recorded sessions, gallery view images will not be recorded. Failure to turn on the camera will be considered an absence.

Course Description

As part of the course, you will:

• Become familiar with the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship and the world of venture capital.

• Learn what a venture capital fund is, how it operates, how its business model works, and understand the differences between the various types of investors and funds.

• Go behind the scenes of the investment process, explore the details of different investment contracts, and learn the mechanisms of investing and the rationale behind them.

• Step into the shoes of venture capital investors and analysts to evaluate and analyze the viability of investing in a startup, considering the full set of factors investors take into account, including market research, trends, product assessment, and the value proposition relative to competitors and alternatives in the market.

• Study and analyze real startup case studies and make investment decisions together during class discussions.

• Meet investors and entrepreneurs who will share their experiences and perspectives on how venture capital funds operate and what investment processes look like.

Opportunities for students:

• Students can apply for a HIL Internship Program, offering a unique opportunity to work in leading venture capital funds in Israel. The program includes a competitive selection process, after which the chosen candidates will be placed as analysts in a VC fund. The program requires a commitment of 100 hours over the academic year (approximately 4 hours per week over 25 weeks) and provides 2 credit points. More details will be provided in the first class.