Weizmann Institute of Science

What Weizmann Institute of Science does

Weizmann Institute of Science is a private, nonprofit multidisciplinary research institution headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, founded in 1934 as the Daniel Sieff Research Institute and renamed in 1949 after Chaim Weizmann, Israel's first president and a chemist. The institute operates 286 research groups across biochemistry, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, and science education, employing approximately 2,600 staff including 191 faculty scientists and supporting 1,700 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Its research portfolio spans quantum photonics, AI-driven personalized medicine, biosignature detection for astrobiology, and metabolic engineering, with notable outputs including a 40-fold increase in psychedelic compound biosynthesis via engineered plant pathways and single-atom trapping on photonic chips with approximately 30% loading probability.

The institute's commercial and translational outputs flow through two wholly-owned units: Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd., which holds exclusive rights to commercialize IP developed by institute scientists through licensing, royalties, and spin-off equity; and Bina, a pre-applied research unit established in 2021 under the Vice President for Innovation to bridge basic research toward commercial application. Spin-offs include Quantum Art (trapped-ion quantum computing, spun out 2022, $100M Series A in 2025). Named licensing and collaboration partners include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (US healthcare), Actithera (radiopharmaceuticals), Phytolon (food biotech), Quantum X Labs, and Quantum Source.

The business model combines government research funding (Israeli government, European Research Council), licensing and royalty revenue from Yeda, tuition and program fees from graduate and postdoctoral education, and philanthropic contributions. As a private nonprofit, Weizmann does not publicly disclose revenue; it produces open scientific publications rather than commercial products, with value captured downstream through IP licensing, spin-off equity, and trained scientific talent.

Name

Weizmann Institute of Science

Legal name

Weizmann Institute of Science

Website

https://weizmann.ac.il

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Weizmann Institute of Science is a private nonprofit multidisciplinary research institution in Rehovot, Israel, conducting fundamental research across natural and exact sciences. It trains 1,700 graduate students and postdocs, employs 191 faculty across 286 research groups, and commercializes discoveries through its technology transfer arm Yeda and pre-applied unit Bina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Scientific Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Patent Owners & Lessors (6794), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB), Life Sciences (Biology, Ecology, Agriculture) Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAC), Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG), Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

Keywords

• Multidisciplinary scientific research
• Graduate science education
• Technology transfer licensing
• Fundamental research institute
• Biomedical and physics research

Headquarters

HQ city

Rehovot

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Primary funding from Israeli government sources and international research grants including European Research Council (ERC) grants. The institute receives institutional support for fundamental research activities.
2. Technology Transfer through Yeda: Yeda Research and Development Co. is the commercial arm of the institute with exclusive rights to commercialize intellectual property developed by institute scientists. Revenue generated through licensing agreements, patent royalties, and spin-off company equity.
3. Educational Programs: Revenue from graduate education programs, visiting scholar programs, summer schools, and science education programs including the Kupcinet-Getz International Summer School and Bessie Lawrence International Summer Science Institute.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Weizmann Institute of Science is a multidisciplinary basic research institution that conducts fundamental scientific research across biochemistry, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science. It delivers outputs through open scientific publication, graduate and postdoctoral degree programs, and technology transfer via its wholly owned commercial arm Yeda Research and Development Co., which licenses intellectual property and supports spin-off companies.

Product overview

The Weizmann Institute of Science is a premier research institution that does not offer commercial products in the traditional sense. Its innovation ecosystem consists of technology transfer through Yeda Research and Development Company (its commercial arm), and Bina, a pre-application research unit that bridges basic research to commercial activity. The institute's research spans multiple faculties including biochemistry, biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and physics, with specialized centers for personalized medicine, cancer research, and quantum science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yeda Research and Development Co. Technology Transfer and Licensing Wholly owned commercial arm that holds exclusive rights to commercialize intellectual property developed by Weizmann Institute scientists. Generates revenue through licensing agreements, patent royalties, and spin-off company equity for biotech, pharma, and technology companies.
• Bina Pre-Applied Research Unit Scientific unit established in 2021 under the Vice President for Innovation that supports basic research and bridges it to commercial activity, helping develop initial applied-research ideas from researchers across all basic research domains at the institute.
• Graduate and Postdoctoral Education Programs Competitive MSc, PhD, and MD-PhD programs, plus postdoctoral fellowships, recruiting international students to conduct research under faculty scientists across biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science. Includes the Kupcinet-Getz International Summer School and Bessie Lawrence International Summer Science Institute.

Quantifiable outcome

• Engineering plant metabolism to produce psychedelic compounds with 40-fold increase in production through single amino acid modification
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Quantum X LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Prof. Oren Raz from Weizmann Institute appointed to Quantum X Labs Scientific Advisory Board. Prof. Raz specializes in non-equilibrium quantum thermodynamics with over 2,600 citations, supporting QXL's neutral-atom quantum computing platform development.
• Quantum SourceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Collaborative research with Quantum Source on trapping single atoms on photonic chips for integrated quantum optics. Demonstrated measurable atom-photon coupling as building block for chip-integrated quantum photonic systems.
• Cedars-Sinai Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Expanding clinical, scientific, and educational partnerships spanning cardiovascular medicine, digital health and AI-driven solutions, inflammatory bowel disease treatment programs, and stem cell research at the International Space Station. A delegation of Cedars-Sinai physicians visited Israeli hospitals to explore training opportunities.
• Evogene, Systasy Bioscience, LMU University Hospital MunichminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026International collaboration backed by EUREKA grant for AI-driven drug discovery targeting neutrophil-derived inflammatory diseases. Weizmann Institute contributes computational design integration and experimental validation.
• British Embassy in Israel and UK Research InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026UK-Israel genomics collaboration involving a delegation of ten Israeli genomics experts visiting UK's Knowledge Quarter, Francis Crick Institute, and University College London to strengthen bilateral collaboration in life sciences innovation.
• ActitheracoreTechnology or Integration · 14 October 2025Actithera secured exclusive license from Yeda (Weizmann's commercial arm) to two patent families for covalent chemistry technologies developed by Professor Nir London for targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies. The technologies aim to improve tumor selectivity and retention in cancer treatments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Technion – Israel Institute of Technology: Israel's other leading STEM-focused research university, also based in Israel with comparable faculty scale, graduate programs, and technology transfer activity. Both institutions compete for Israeli government R&D funding and produce spin-offs from fundamental research.
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Israel's premier comprehensive research university with Yissum technology transfer arm, directly comparable to Weizmann's Yeda. Both compete for talent, grants, and commercial partnerships within Israel's research ecosystem.
• Max Planck Society: Germany's leading basic research organization with a similar model of institute-based fundamental research, large faculty/student populations, and Max Planck Innovation as technology transfer arm. Operates on government and grant funding with comparable global reputation.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Joint MIT-Harvard biomedical and genomic research institute operating with a similar model of collaborative research groups, large-scale datasets (analogous to Human Phenotype Project), and industry partnerships in life sciences.
• Pasteur Institute: Leading European life sciences research institution with similar multidisciplinary research groups, large graduate/postdoc population, and active industry spin-off activity. Compares closely on fundamental biology and chemistry research output.
• Francis Crick Institute: UK's flagship biomedical discovery institute with ~1,500 scientists, similar research-group-based structure, and strong partnerships with UK universities and hospitals. Operates as a recent UK-Israel genomics partner, making it directly comparable in mission and scale.

Broad incumbents

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Global leader in STEM research and education with much larger scale and broader commercialization engine (via TLO). Competes with Weizmann for top faculty, ERC/NIH grants, and industrial partnerships across similar disciplines.
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech): Elite small-scale research university focused on physical sciences, engineering, and biology with strong NASA/JPL ties. Directly comparable in research output per capita and operates similar multidisciplinary faculty group structure.
• ETH Zurich: Europe's leading STEM research university with comparable multidisciplinary research scope, large international student body, and active technology transfer. Competes directly for ERC funding and European research talent.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): Major US biomedical research organization with analogous investigator-based research model, substantial funding capacity, and Janelia Research Campus for multidisciplinary fundamental science. Comparable in research output and faculty-driven discovery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/weizmannscience
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WeizmannInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/weizmanninstituteofscience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weizmann-institute-of-science

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments3 records

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Frequently asked questions about Weizmann Institute of Science