Japan-headquartered IT equipment producer NEC has partnered Tel Aviv University (TAU) and its venture capital arm, TAU Ventures, to form an Israel-based startup incubator called AlphaC, Globes reported yesterday.

AlphaC will operate in a space at TAU Technical Engineers School and will focus on cyber technology developers. It will allocate 10 spots from project applications this month, and the first three-month class will begin in February 2018.

Startups will get access to partner companies as well as university resources, work space, mentors and communication channels to the cyber sector.

Professor Joseph Klafter, president of TAU, said: “Tel Aviv University encourages entrepreneurship in all areas as well as a strong link between academia and industry. TAU’s status has made it very attractive for investors, government representatives and industry leaders in Israel and abroad.

“We believe that the talents and creativity of our researchers, students and alumni, combined with open approach to information and the direct interface with the industry make us fertile soil for the startups that will spearhead Israeli cyber.”

TAU had previously partnered industrial product maker General Electric, software producer Microsoft, conglomerate Tata, IT services provider HNA EcoTech, chipmaker Qualcomm’s Qualcomm Ventures unit and VC firm Pitango to form an internet-of-things fund in November 2016.

Japan-headquartered IT equipment producer NEC has partnered Tel Aviv University (TAU) and its venture capital arm, TAU Ventures, to form an Israel-based startup incubator called AlphaC, Globes reported yesterday.

AlphaC will operate in a space at TAU Technical Engineers School and will focus on cyber technology developers. It will allocate 10 spots from the applications this month, and the first three-month class will begin in February 2018.

Startups will get access to partner companies as well as university resources, work space, mentors and communication channels to the cyber sector.

Professor Joseph Klafter, president of TAU, said: “Tel Aviv University encourages entrepreneurship in all areas as well as a strong link between academia and industry. TAU’s status has made it very attractive for investors, government representatives and industry leaders in Israel and abroad.

“We believe that the talents and creativity of our researchers, students and alumni, combined with open approach to information and the direct interface with the industry make us fertile soil for the startups that will spearhead Israeli cyber.”

TAU had previously partnered industrial product maker General Electric, software producer Microsoft, conglomerate Tata, IT services provider HNA EcoTech, chipmaker Qualcomm’s Qualcomm Ventures unit and VC firm Pitango to form an internet-of-things fund in November 2016.