Question 1

What is a scientist entrepreneur?

Accepted Answer

A scientist entrepreneur combines the curiosity, persistence and knowledge of a lab-trained scientist with entrepreneurial passion for developing and delivering solutions for acute unmet needs. For example Intel's Gordon Moore, Google's Larry Page, Genentech's Herbert Boyer, Adobe's Johan Warnock.

Question 2

Why is a PhD degree mandatory for unboxing?

Accepted Answer

Applying the scientific method to entrepreneurship, Unboxing is a great fit for scientist entrepreneurs seeking to create impactful deep-tech startups. As well, with deep knowledge of the enabling technology's scientific boundaries, scientist entrepreneurs are uniquely qualified to make pivotal decisions at the early startup stages.

Question 3

What are the core elements of the unboxing methodology?

Accepted Answer

Disruptive solution imperative
Worthy problem targeting
Principled customer validation
Compelling storytelling
Surpassing investor expectations

Question 4

Why should I embrace unboxing?

Accepted Answer

If you want to be the one-in-a-hundred first-time founder who grabs investors’ attention, you must think and act like a serial founder. Unboxing provides you with serial founder methods and manifests traits investors seek – daring, leadership, persistence, agility and velocity.

Question 5

How long is the unboxing process?

Accepted Answer

Successful participants will incorporate their unboxed startup in three months, then complete a successful seed round in twelve months.

Question 6

I am an experienced entrepreneur, is there a shortcut for me?

Accepted Answer

Our Fast Track may be just the track for you – give us a shout at fast_track@unbox.studio.

Question 7

What is the objective of the Ideation phase?

Accepted Answer

The objective of the Ideation phase is to develop a shared language and methodology that will allow us to create a deep-tech startup together.

Question 8

What, when and where does Ideation take place?

Accepted Answer

The Ideation prep course combines entrepreneurial meetups with unboxing workshops and plentiful office hours for 1-1 consultations. Winter '25 Ideation will take place at Bar-Ilan University per the schedule below.

Registration is mandatory. Participation, parking and refreshments are free.

Question 9

What will I get out of Ideation?

Accepted Answer

More than you can now expect: perspectives of successful venture capitalists and founders, transformation of your startup idea into a coherent value proposition, a customer validation plan and an effective investor pitch, challenges of honest self-critique, joys of breaking loose of biases and insights on whether starting up is the right path for you at this point of your life.

Question 10

What is the Creation phase?

Accepted Answer

Creation is an individually coached eight-week process during which you will assemble a minimum viable founding team, transform your raw idea into a disruptive solution for a worthy problem, develop a customer validation plan, and pitch a compelling plan to the Unbox Founding Committee.

Prerequisite for Venture Design is active engagement in the Unboxing prep course.

Question 11

What is a Minimum Viable Founding Team?

Accepted Answer

To successfully raise a Seed Round for your deep-tech startup, the minimum viable team includes a scientist entrepreneur as CEO, a researcher as Chief Scientist, and possibly a third founder as CTO.

Question 12

How will Unbox Ventures help me recruit a Chief Scientist?

Accepted Answer

Unbox Ventures will help you recruit a Chief Scientist from among the Bar-Ilan University research staff who, under the university’s regulations, are encouraged to develop and transfer intellectual property to your startup – free of license agreements, royalties and hassle!

Question 13

What is the Unbox Investment Committee looking for in a proposed startup?

Accepted Answer

The Unbox Investment Committee is looking for:
Leader with qualities of daring, leadership, persistence, agility and velocity
Bar-Ilan researcher as Chief Scientist who will develop IP for your startup
A disruptive solution for a worthy problem with potential for positive global impact
Commitment to intensive customer validation in the target global market
Readiness to commit exclusively and full-time to create your startup

Question 14

What are the terms for creating a startup with Unbox Ventures?

Accepted Answer

The terms for creating a startup with Unbox Ventures are:
NIS 175,000 in a tax-free* one-year stipend for the scientist entrepreneur CEO
$100,000 in pre-seed funding earmarked for validation and fundraising activities
Pro-forma waiver on assigned  IP developed by your Bar-Ilan Chief Scientist
Coached residency at the Unbox Center through throughout the Stipend year
25% equity stake for Unbox Ventures in the company we build together

* Tax-free eligibility requires PhD graduation April 2020 or later, and teaming with a Bar-Ilan Researcher as Chief Scientist.

Question 15

What is the pro-forma IP waiver?

Accepted Answer

Intellectual property developed at a research university, such as an invention or patent, is typically subject to licensing terms of the university’s technology transfer office (TTO).
Bar-Ilan researchers who are co-founders of Unbox Ventures companies are exempt from these terms and are permitted and encouraged to develop and assign intellectual property relevant and useful to their startup free of cost, royalties and any other consideration. This unique and rare exemption is granted pro-forma - i.e. applies to any existing and future intellectual property.

Question 16

Where is the Unbox Center?

Accepted Answer

Unbox Center is located at Bar-Ilan University’s Ramat-Gan campus (Bldg. 217).

Question 17

What is the Ignition phase?

Accepted Answer

The Ignition phase, starting upon incorporation and ending with a successful Seed Round, divides into two parts - customer validation and subsequent seed fundraising. We expect unboxed startups to complete Ignition with the one-year scientist entrepreneur stipend and residency.

Question 18

What is customer validation?

Accepted Answer

Customer validation is an intensive and iterative test & pivot process in which you will turn your key business model hypotheses into facts through meetings with representative customers and stakeholders in your target market, as well as advisors on regulatory and intellectual property issues.

Customer Validation requires your full-time commitment for extensive and intensive travel abroad, during which you will iteratively test and pivot through tens of meetings with representative customers and stakeholders in your target market.
Guided by the Unbox Ventures team, customer validation will converge in three months.

Question 19

Why is Customer Validation so important?

Accepted Answer

According to CB Insights, 42% of startups fail because there is no market need for their solution. This embarrassing statistic can be remedied by recognizing that founders' startup ideas are merely hypotheses, until they are turned into proven facts. The principled method to turn these hypotheses into facts is the iterative Customer Validation process, which leads to faster and better fundraising success.

Question 20

How will Unbox help me with seed fundraising?

Accepted Answer

Upon successful completion of customer validation, Unbox Ventures will coach and guide you in development of a compelling investor pitch, a sound financial plan and professional deal room, as well as sure methods for identifying and connecting to the most qualified investors for your startup.