The benefits of becoming a host organization
Our enthusiastic Israel Lab teams deliver measurable impact to Israeli host companies in a wide variety of industries.
Israel Lab is a unique opportunity for Israeli startups:
- to work with a team of skilled, business-savvy MIT students on specific issues startups are facing
- to collaborate to find concrete, implementable solutions through research, analysis, and knowledge sharing
- to gain insights and guidance from a student team with wide-ranging skills, work experiences, and cultural backgrounds
Project scope
When selecting their project scope, host companies can choose from a broad spectrum of business challenges, such as strategic growth, new market entry, pricing, marketing, benchmarking, VC and fundraising, and financial strategy.
Israel Lab strongly emphasizes concrete “leave-behinds” as a primary component of the teams’ project deliverables. For example, student teams may deliver tools such as financial models, potential customer/investor/partner pipelines and screens, and go-to-market roadmaps.
Student teams
Israel Lab teams are typically comprised of four MIT students representing a range of backgrounds and expertise, from management consulting and financial services to engineering, technology, and operations. Each team works with an Israel Lab mentor who meets with the team and oversees the team’s progress, both logistically and substantively. The team, however, is in charge of building and managing the relationship with their host company.
The project calendar
Teams work for their host organizations on a semester-long project engagement. Potential host organizations submit online questionnaires through August, in which they describe the scope of the challenges they are facing and the solutions they would like an Israel Lab team to work on. We ask potential hosts to detail the skillsets and expertise they believe would be most useful for team members to possess. Israel Lab faculty and mentors are available to assist organizations in shaping and defining their project scope for the questionnaire.
In the fall, Israel Lab faculty match approved host organizations with the best-qualified teams. From September through December, the teams work with their hosts from campus to finalize the scope and agree on a work plan, and then undertake research, interviews, and analysis. Host organizations and teams build their working relationships through online collaboration and regular conference calls throughout this remote phase.
In January, when MIT classes are not in session, teams work full-time with their host for two consecutive weeks.** The teams’ final deliverables include a formal presentation and, more importantly, a concrete analysis that host organizations can begin to use immediately.
**We ask that you allow your team time away from work for cultural activities that MIT Sloan coordinates for the student group. The dates of these activities will be communicated to host companies in advance.
Host company obligations
Host organizations receive optimal results when the CEO or other senior managers are available to devote focused time and energy to the project and to working directly with the Israel Lab team, especially while teams are working full-time. Please make sure that the appropriate leaders will be available to work with and guide the student team.
Host companies should be comprised of at least 15 employees. Hosts should provide a clear project statement, strategic objectives, and access to people and data.
In order to participate, companies will complete the Israel Lab new project questionnaire. If you are interested in becoming a host company for Israel Lab, please contact israel-lab@mit.edu with your questions or ideas.