(JNS) IDEAS Immersion hosted a group of budding international student entrepreneurs in California’s tech capitals for a two-week intensive startup acceleration program. IDEAS (Israel, Digital, Entrepreneurs, Arts and Science) Immersion partners with Los Angeles- and San Francisco-based tech/entertainment/science business leaders, angel investors and venture capitalists to serve as mentors to the participants, as well as serving as a launch pad for their startups. The three-year program is a project of Tel Aviv University (TAU) and American Friends of Tel Aviv University.

The entrepreneurial platform began on June 18 in Santa Monica and culminated on July 3 with “Demo Day,” when the 10 participants had the chance to present their early-stage ventures to top L.A.-based entrepreneurs and investors. The panel included Eran Gilad of Scopus Ventures, Ben McMaster of Philosophie, and Dr. Daniel Nazarian and Behzad Kianmahd of TAU Ventures. The students—from Israel, Turkey, Sweden, South Africa, Georgia and the United States—pitched their startups to angel investors and the community for feedback, insights and advice.

IDEAS Immersion is part of a larger ecosystem established by TAU to help incubate startups, as the university continues to play a key role in Israel’s rise as a world leader in research and technology. Developed in partnership with Cross Campus, Google, Luma Launch and Scopus Ventures, the program included in-depth workshops, educational panels, community events and on-site visits to major California corporations, including Google, Airbnb, Bullpen Capital and more.