# Yissum Yissum is a Corporate Investor based in Jerusalem, Israel. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Corporate Investor - **Headquarters:** Jerusalem, Israel - **Region:** Middle East - **Address:** Hi-Tech Park, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel - **Founded:** 1964 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** www.yissum.co.il - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/yissum - **Wikidata:** Q17059390 ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About Founded in 1964, Yissum is the wholly-owned technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It exists to commercialize intellectual property developed by the university's researchers and students, filing patents and then licensing those discoveries to startups, established corporations, and joint ventures. Its model predates the Bayh-Dole Act in the United States, establishing it as a pioneer among university commercialization offices globally. Yissum's investment strategy is rooted in translating very-early-stage academic research into investable companies. It focuses on seed-stage and spin-off formation across scientific disciplines, with a portfolio that has spanned AI, computer vision, agriculture, drug development, and cybersecurity. The firm's most notable success is Mobileye, the autonomous driving technology company founded by Hebrew University professor Amnon Shashua, which was acquired by Intel for $15.3 billion (per Intel, 2017). Further diversifying its deployment model, Yissum operates the Jerusalem Innovation Incubator (JII) in partnership with Reliance Industries, OurCrowd, and Motorola Solutions, providing space and seed funding for deep-tech ventures. It also maintains strategic research partnerships with Lockheed Martin for quantum and material sciences, and with Meta AI on computer science research. Yissum maintains its headquarters on the Hebrew University's Edmond J. Safra Campus in Jerusalem's Hi-Tech Park. Beyond Israel, it manages a global intellectual property portfolio and engages a network of friends' organizations including the American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU) and the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU). As an institutional member of the National Academy of Inventors and the Israel Technology Transfer Organization, the firm operates more like a specialized, perpetual fund anchored to one university's research output. Structurally, Yissum is distinct from a traditional venture capital firm: it does not raise third-party discretionary funds. Its deal flow is entirely proprietary, stemming from the laboratories and research grants of the Hebrew University. This vertical integration — from funding academic research to managing the patent process, launching the startup, and syndicating later rounds to partners — creates a pipeline unmatched by independent early-stage funds. The firm's long-term posture is that of a patient, mission-driven investor and licensor, recycling returns to support further university research. ## Sectors - AI/ML - Digital Health - AgriTech & FoodTech - Cybersecurity - Enterprise Software ## Questions ### How does Yissum source its intellectual property and deal flow? Yissum's deal flow is generated exclusively from the research output of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The firm evaluates over 100 new inventions disclosed by university faculty and students each year. It then files patents on the most commercially viable ones and structures spin-off companies or licensing agreements, giving it a proprietary pipeline unreachable by standard venture capital firms. ### Is Yissum structured as a venture capital firm or a university licensing office? Yissum is fundamentally a technology transfer office, wholly owned by the Hebrew University, not a venture capital firm with discretionary outside capital. It functions by patenting and licensing university inventions. However, its structure also encompasses direct seed-stage investing and spin-off creation through vehicles like the Jerusalem Innovation Incubator, making it a hybrid of a licensing office and an early-stage corporate investor. ### Does Yissum participate in co-investments alongside external venture firms? Yes, Yissum is an active co-investor through its incubation program. The Jerusalem Innovation Incubator (JII) is a partnership with Reliance Industries, OurCrowd, and Motorola Solutions, designed to provide seed capital and resources to early-stage startups. Additionally, Yissum works with a broad set of corporate partners like Lockheed Martin to support joint research that can lead to commercial spin-outs. ### What is the scale of commercial return from Yissum's portfolio? Yissum reports that products based on its licensed technologies have generated over $2 billion in cumulative worldwide sales. The figure is not an AUM metric but rather a measure of the commercial traction of the technologies it has supported. It currently manages a portfolio of hundreds of active patents and has founded more than 170 spin-off companies since its inception. ## Related profiles - [Yippie](https://altss.com/profile/yippie) - [YMCA Pension and Assurance Plan](https://altss.com/profile/ymca-pension-and-assurance-plan-ymca) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/yissum-research-development-company Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology