Bar-Ilan University innovation center and Wolfson Medical Center join forces to promote healthcare projects

Bar-Ilan University's UnBox innovation center has signed a deal with the Wolfson Medical Center to jointly promote the development of new projects in the healthcare sector. As part of the agreement, the two organizations will aim to develop startup companies based on joint research that will be conducted by researchers and doctors.

The UnBox Center founds and accelerates university projects and as part of the cooperation with Wolfson joint teams of researchers and doctors will undergo a methodic training program and ultimately set up a startup which will be co-founded by Bar-Ilan, Wolfson and external entrepreneurs. 

Ariel Sella, who heads of the program, brings to the table four decades of experience in entrepreneurship, startup initiation and management, and investing in electronics, internet, software, transportation and energy. The 10 startups that have been founded at the center to date are garnering international interest.

"The Covid-19 crisis highlighted the need for innovation that will provide solutions for the unexpected challenges the medical world is presenting," said Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban. "The cooperation between the innovation center and the Wolfson Medical Center will help entrepreneurs to benefit from the deep research taking place in the university alongside the clinical activity in the medical center. I believe that cooperation like this can accelerate processes and projects that will mature into companies that will be able to aid the health system and medical staff to deal with the new world created by coronavirus and help prepare for future challenges."

"The innovation center will provide a generation of innovative researchers the opportunity to make a difference, the fruit of which we will all reap in the future," said Dr. Anat Angel, Director of Wolfson Medical Center.

UnBox's year-long program encourages partnerships between researchers and entrepreneurs in a shared space, with an extensive network of mentors – serial entrepreneurs, angels and seasoned investors – guiding the teams throughout the program. All intellectual property rights remain at the hands of the entrepreneurs.