TAU Innovation Conference highlights student ingenuity

More than 5,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and students from Israel and around the world attended the highly anticipated TAU Innovation Conference on June 6-8 for a series of seminars, tech talks, and startup contests hosted jointly by Tel Aviv University and StarTAU, the university's entrepreneurship center.

"I'm really delighted to be here today," said US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro at the opening VIP reception. "This conference offers unique insight into the Israeli start-up community, which is driven by sheer talent and the unique ability to think outside the box. The US and Israel are natural business partners, and the US is the best possible springboard for Israeli companies seeking a large commercial presence."

The conference provided young entrepreneurs in the startup ecosystem with a unique opportunity to forge constructive and lucrative ties with industry leaders and investors. The kick-off VIP Worldwide Innovation Cocktail Reception included ambassadors from more than 30 countries and stressed international collaborations and growth opportunities in the innovation and entrepreneurship fields.

Other events included seminars on fundraising, public relations, Initial Public Offerings, and growth marketing held at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange; an evening of tech talks held at bars all along Tel Aviv's trendy Rothschild Boulevard; and the Tel Aviv Startup Challenge, a day of marketplace pitches.

Young entrepreneurs take center stage

The Business Entrepreneurial Experience (BEE) student competition was the highlight of the conference. BEE is a six-month acceleration program for TAU students run by StarTAU. It enabled 35 young entrepreneurs to conceive and develop their own startup projects.

There were eight teams, comprised of students from such diverse academic backgrounds as computer programming, engineering, marketing, business, economics, law, philosophy, art, and history. Each team had its own industry mentor and worked with senior managers, venture capital chairmen, and accelerator directors during the program. The teams presented their final products at the conference.

"Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a group of 35 bright students turn into 35 entrepreneurs and knowing that you took part in that process," said Tal Goshen-Gottstein, BEE program manager and head of student relations at StarTAU.

The winner of this year's BEE contest was the Souconna shower attachment, which promises a personalized shower experience afforded by different fragrances, flavors, and mineral compositions. The device dispenses minerals from the Dead Sea to pamper skin, aloe vera to treat sunburn, and scents to delight bath-reluctant children. The team, led by fourth-year TAU economics and philosophy student Tal Peleg, CEO and CFO of Souconna, and TAU communication master's student Noa Yang, CMO of Souconna, has filed a provisional patent for the product.

"Some people relate to the spa experience and others to the gym experience," said Peleg. "But almost everyone showers, so that is universal. Over the next few months we intend to draw up a business plan and follow promising leads to raise money.

"I learned so much from my mentor in the BEE program and from this experience," Peleg added.

This article was originally published by AFTAU.