Our Story
MAAYAN Fund is a student-led VC fund that will invest in exciting early-stage impact startups to strengthen the University’s ecosystem.
The first-of-its-kind fund in Israel, MAAYAN Fund will be managed by students from the Hebrew University Business School and will contribute to the school’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation.
The MAAYAN Fund will focus on investing in start-ups that aim to produce a measurable impact, operate in Jerusalem, and/or were established by HUJI alumni. Funding will be raised from investors who seek an opportunity to invest in unique start-ups, and to build a unique ecosystem at the Hebrew University.
The MAAYAN Fund will provide students with an extraordinary opportunity for hands-on experience in the rapidly growing impact investment sector. In addition to leveraging and strengthening relationships between students, entrepreneurs, and investors in the HUJI community.
Due to MAAYAN's unique environment inside The Hebrew University, there are incredible business opportunities in hands reach!
Our Impact
MAAYAN invests in businesses with a mission to improve life on earth, in accordance with the SDGs, using innovative technologies.
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For the (Startup) world
A sector agnostic fund with a focus on mission-driven start-ups. Relevant field of interest are FoodTech, AgTech, MedTech, BioTech, industry 4.0, EdTech etc.
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For the HUJI Community
Strengthening the alumni community, increasing capital supply for entrepreneurs, as well as providing a unique investment opportunities.
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For the students
A first-of-its-kind hands-on experience in impact VC Investing.
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For HUJI and its Business School
A groundbreaking platform for teaching that will create an effective ecosystem with social impact.
Our Team
Team MAAYAN 2025
Tom Yariv
Guy Zehavi
Moshe Silberman
Ben Tabuch
Rona Yaniv
Stav Rehani
Guy Zur
Advisory Committee
Prof. Eugene Kandel
Prof. Dan Galai
Prof. Nicole Adler
MAAYAN's CIRCLE
In the world of startup investing-where every pitch is dazzling, every market is a “trillion-dollar opportunity,” and every founder believes they’re leading a revolution-due diligence (DD) is what brings us back to earth. It’s a long, deep, and demanding process, but also the strongest tool we have as a VC fund to evaluate, clarify, and make critical decisions.
At our fund, like in many others, DD isn’t just a basic step before investing-it’s a core process meant to truly understand who we’re working with, what the potential is, and what the real risks are. It involves technical questions, business insights, a healthy dose of intuition-and above all, active listening and thorough investigation.
Over time, we’ve conducted DD for several early-stage companies. From those processes, we’ve gathered a few recurring insights. This is not a full checklist, nor a full manual. But these are the highlights we’ve found ourselves returning to again and again.
The Forgotten Partner
On the Role of the State in Impact Investment
Author: Moshe Silberman
My name is Moshe Silberman. I am a Law and Accounting dual-degree student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and part of the founding team of MAAYAN Fund – Israel’s first student-led impact venture capital fund. I also work in the International Tax Division at the Israeli Tax Authority, in the Corporate Valuation and Business Restructuring Department, where I focus on corporate valuations, cross-border transactions, and post-M&A structuring for multinational corporations.
This paper emerged from my personal experience at the intersection of theory and practice. In my work with the fund and in the field of investments, I have seen how impact investors and ESG stakeholders aim to drive positive social change, focusing on products and technology. At the same time, through my work in taxation and finance, I have seen how profits do not always reach the countries or communities where the impact occurs - and at times even finance policies that contradict the values the investment aims to promote.
As a result, I propose in this paper two new metrics - Fiscal Alignment and the Value Alignment Index - designed to help investors and researchers evaluate not only a company’s direct impact but also its profit structure, tax policy, and the identity of the states that benefit from its tax payments. My goal is to offer an additional tool for deeper moral assessment of the impact we seek to create, without dismissing global complexity or legitimate corporate structures.
The RHODIUM Ventures Award
The RHODIUM Ventures Award is a new and exciting initiative launched in partnership with Rhodium Ventures, Earth & Beyond Ventures, Kyocera Ventures, the Hebrew University, and the MAAYAN Fund. This prestigious competition is designed to identify and support outstanding early-stage deep tech startups with a strong connection to the Hebrew University or to the city of Jerusalem.
The winning startup will receive either a $100,000 investment from Rhodium Ventures or up to NIS 6.5 million from Earth & Beyond Ventures.
.In today’s complex landscape, this initiative stands as a powerful statement of commitment to advancing the Hebrew University affiliated innovation, strengthening Israel’s leadership in deep tech, and fostering long-term resilience through entrepreneurship
Applications are now open.
If you're a founder with a connection to Jerusalem or the Hebrew University, this is your opportunity to be recognized and funded by leading global partners.