4th Edition · Global MBA · Tel Aviv University
Imagine · Try · Succeed

Global MBA Pitch
Competition

Where bold ideas meet real impact.

The flagship entrepreneurship event of the Global MBA at Tel Aviv University. Across four editions, students and alumni founders have taken the stage to pitch their ventures to leading investors — competing for real capital to turn conviction into a company.

Next edition See you June 2027
Daniel receives the Greenbay $15,000 prize at the Global MBA Pitch Competition 2026
15
Years
$50K
In prizes · 2026
The Story

Four editions in —
and growing every year.

The Global MBA Pitch Competition is the flagship entrepreneurship event of the Global MBA at the Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University. What began as a showcase for a single graduating cohort has grown, across four editions, into one of the program's defining moments — a stage where conviction meets capital.

Every year, founders take the stage in front of a jury of leading investors and operators, pitching ventures that began as early-stage ideas and were shaped across the academic year. In 2026 — the program's 15th anniversary — the fourth edition reached its largest scale yet, with $50,000 in cumulative prizes awarded across two tracks.

Current Cohort

Students building now

Teams formed within the current Global MBA class, turning a year of Design Thinking and Venture Creation coursework into ventures ready for the stage.

Alumni

Founders who came back

Introduced in 2026: graduates from across all cohorts, returning to pitch ventures built on real-world experience — proof that the community keeps building long after graduation.

15
Years of Global MBA
4th
Annual Edition
$50K
Cumulative Prizes
8
Expert Judges

In honor of Arlette Sofaer

The competition's top award is the Arlette Sofaer Prize, generously endowed by Michael Sofaer in memory of his sister. Each year it turns her memory into momentum — backing founders with the conviction to build something that lasts.

The Arlette Sofaer Prize · donated by Michael Sofaer
The 2026 Edition

The 2026 winners.

For the first time, the competition ran across two tracks — current students and returning alumni — with $50,000 in cumulative prizes awarded by our panel of judges across both tracks.

Flourish — $10,000 winner
Award

Flourish

$10,000

Awarded $10,000 by the panel of judges.

Greenbay — $15,000 winner
Award

Greenbay

$15,000

Recognized among a strong field of student and alumni ventures.

Yakupura — $25,000 winner
Award

Yakupura

$25,000

Awarded $25,000 by the panel of judges.

The Event

A proving ground for
the next big idea.

Organized by the Global MBA at the Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, the competition gives founders a stage, a jury of leading investors, and real capital to turn conviction into a company.

For its first three years it was an annual showcase for the current cohort. In 2026 — the program's 15th anniversary — the fourth edition expands with a brand-new alumni track and $50,000 in cumulative prizes. Two tracks, one stage, real impact.

2026 Recap

The 2026 edition, in motion.

A look back at the fourth edition — the pitches, the panel, and the people who made it.

▶ 2026 Highlights
Signing the winners' cheque at the Global MBA Pitch Competition 2026
Signing the cheque — making it official
The 2026 finalists at the Global MBA Pitch Competition
This year's founders, together
Celebrating the results at the Global MBA Pitch Competition 2026
The moment it all paid off
Moments from 2026
2026 Tracks

Two tracks. One stage.

To mark the 15th anniversary, the competition runs in two parallel tracks for the first time.

New for 2026

Alumni Track

Open to Global MBA alumni entrepreneurs, across all cohorts
$40,000Founding prize pool
  • Launched for the program's 15th anniversary
  • Open to ventures from any graduating class
  • Pitch to a panel of leading investors
Since the 1st edition

Current Cohort Track

Open to current Global MBA students
$10,000The Arlette Sofaer Prize
  • The competition's original track
  • Teams formed within the current cohort
  • Awarded to the strongest student venture
The Panel

Meet our judges

A panel of leading investors, founders, and operators from across Israel's tech and venture ecosystem.

Esther Barak Landes
Esther Barak Landes
Founder, Nielsen Innovate Fund
20+ years in tech; backed 70+ startups. President of PROWOMAN and an Aspen Institute Fellow.
Sergey Gribov
Sergey Gribov
General Partner, Flint Capital
20+ year investor at a $380M+ firm; 70+ startups, 22 exits and 3 unicorns. Ex-Compugen, MIT Sloan.
Nimrod Cohen
Nimrod Cohen
Founder & Managing Partner, TAU Ventures
Leads TAU's venture arm; 65+ investments including 7 unicorns (Snyk, Bringg, Yotpo).
Hilly Rejwan Sorek
Hilly Rejwan Sorek
VP Business Development, Viola Group
Works across 100+ portfolio companies; connector and advocate for female founders.
Gadi Isaev
Gadi Isaev
Managing General Partner, VentureIsrael
Deep-tech VC across AI, cybersecurity, digital health and robotics.
Or Lustig
Or Lustig
Chief Business Officer, Matrix Medika
Med-tech and digital-health leader; serial entrepreneur and founder of Seatback (exited).
Levy Raiz
Levy Raiz
General Partner
Backer of monday.com, Lemonade, Flo Health, Socure and WalkMe; entrepreneur and investor.
Lisya Bahar Manoah
Lisya Bahar Manoah
Managing Partner, Arieli Group
Investor and Global MBA alumna ('10), bringing the program's journey full circle.
In Their Words

Voices.

From founders, alumni, and first-time participants — the energy of the room, in their own words.

Tel Aviv University taught me to think big — and that's exactly what we're doing with YakuPura. Yesterday was a beautiful reminder of the strength of the TAU community, a network that keeps empowering its alumni long after graduation.
Carolina
Carolina
Alumna · YakuPura ($25K winner)
Thrilled to be back at the Pitch Competition — amazing to see so many alumni bringing incredible diversity to the stage. As a member of last year's winning team, watching from the crowd without the pressure was a whole new experience.
Liu Liu
Liu Liu
Alumna · 2025 winning team
Great people, great energies, and clear added value for participants. I'm glad I got the chance to be part of this.
Elsa Yana
Elsa Yana
Alumna
We pitched Greenbay and placed among the winners in the alumni track — 14 ventures took that stage, students and alumni alike. What meant the most was having the judges, real investors and business leaders, validate the necessity and the timing of what we're building. I was genuinely glad to be part of this event.
Daniel
Daniel
Alumnus · Greenbay ($15K winner)
From the Panel

A judge's take.

We asked one of our judges what stood out in 2026 — and what actually separates a pitch from a company.

"A classroom project stops at 'this could work.' A real venture starts with 'this already works, even a little.' The difference isn't ambition — it's evidence."
"Investors care less about how clever the idea sounds, and more about whether the team understands their customer and can execute under pressure. Build the pitch around the problem and the team — not the product."
"Seeing alumni come back and pitch — that's a great sign. People who went through this stay close to it, and return with real experience, not just an idea on a slide."
The Archive

Past editions.

Three editions came before 2026. Tap any year to look back at its winners and highlights.

2025
3rd Edition
LaLaScript · turns any song into sheet music
★ 2025 Winner

LaLaScript

A standout creative venture: LaLaScript turns any song into sheet music — transcribing the music you hear into notation you can read and play, helping people learn instruments and build their musical skills.

6
Teams competed
$10K
Arlette Sofaer Prize
1 yr
In the making
▶ 2025 Highlights
Moments from 2025
2024
2nd Edition
Mkulima na Jamii · Kelvin Ombongi

The 2nd edition's winning venture, founded by Kelvin Ombongi (Kenya) — building tools to connect smallholder farmers with their communities and markets.

2nd
Edition · 2024
🏆
Winning venture
2023
1st Edition
Mommies · Juliana Gordon

The very first edition's champion — a community-based wellness app for the early detection and treatment of peripartum depression, founded by Juliana Gordon.

1st
Edition · 2023
🏆
Where it all began
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Be first to know about 2027.

The next Global MBA Pitch Competition returns in June 2027. Leave your details and we'll let you know when registration and RSVPs open — whether you want to pitch or just join the audience.

Questions? gmba@tauex.tau.ac.il