What Milken Innovation Center does

The Milken Innovation Center is a non-profit policy research organization operating as a division within the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel. Founded in 1994, the center develops market-based financial solutions for Israeli economic and social challenges through three core offerings: a policy fellowship program that places graduates in Israeli government ministries after graduate-level Financial Innovations coursework at Hebrew University and UC Berkeley; Financial Innovation Labs that convene practitioners from finance, government, philanthropies, and non-profits to design innovative financing strategies; and applied research publications and policy briefs on capital markets, municipal finance, energy, and development finance. The center has a documented track record of policy influence, with 15 capital market reform recommendations adopted by Israeli regulators over the 2014-2026 period.

Name

Milken Innovation Center

Legal name

Milken Innovation Center at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute

Website

https://milkeninnovationcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Milken Innovation Center is a Jerusalem-based non-profit policy research institute that develops market-based financial solutions for Israeli economic challenges, serving government ministries, municipalities, and international development organizations through fellowship programs, Financial Innovation Labs, and applied research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research & Financial Innovation Advisory

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)

Keywords

• Financial innovation research
• Policy research institute
• Capital markets reform
• Economic development policy
• Development finance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Policy Work: Funded through grants from government bodies including the Chief Scientist Office of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, supporting applied research and financial innovation development
2. Fellowship Program: Training program for graduate-level professionals with placement in government ministries, following Financial Innovations coursework at partner universities

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Milken Innovation Center is a nonprofit policy research organization that runs Financial Innovations Labs, administers a policy fellowship program placing advanced-degree graduates into Israeli government ministries for two-year rotations, and produces applied research and policy briefs on capital markets reform, energy transition financing, and development finance. It is housed within the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute and partners with the Milken Institute, UC Berkeley, and Hebrew University to translate academic research into actionable Israeli and international policy.

Product overview

Milken Innovation Center is a research and policy organization operating within the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, focused on developing market-based solutions to Israel's economic and social challenges. The center operates a Fellowship Program that places graduates in government ministries for policy work, conducts Financial Innovations Labs that convene practitioners to develop new financial instruments, and produces Applied Research and Policy Briefs on topics including capital markets reform, energy transition, sustainable finance, and international development. The organization runs multiple project initiatives including the California-Israel Global Innovation Partnership, Sustainable Jerusalem, Green Bond Fund, and Blum Lab for Developing Economies. These offerings work together to bridge social and regional gaps in Israel while accelerating its transition from startup nation to a global nation through innovative financing solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Fellowship Program A two-year fellowship program that places advanced-degree graduates into Israeli government ministries to build in-house policy capacity in capital markets, development finance, and economic policy. Targeted at Israeli government offices and at graduate-level candidates recruited into the program.
• Financial Innovations Labs Structured multi-stakeholder convenings designed to develop market-based solutions to capital-markets, development-finance, and sustainability challenges. Targeted at Israeli regulators, industry participants, and international development partners.
• Applied Research Publications Policy briefs, working papers, case studies, and applied research outputs covering capital-markets reform, energy transition financing, and development finance. Targeted at government decision-makers, academic audiences, and development-finance institutions.
• Blum Lab for Developing Economies A named research initiative focused on development-finance challenges affecting developing economies. Targeted at development-finance institutions, foundations, and policy audiences working on emerging-market finance.
• Sustainable Jerusalem Initiative A named municipal-sustainability initiative applying the center's research and lab methodology to sustainability challenges in the city of Jerusalem. Targeted at the Jerusalem Municipality and relevant Israeli sustainability stakeholders.
• Green Bond Fund Initiative A named initiative focused on green bond financing instruments and frameworks for energy-transition and sustainability projects. Targeted at regulators, institutional investors, and development-finance partners active in green capital markets.
• California–Israel Global Innovation Partnership A named cross-border initiative linking Israeli and California innovation ecosystems, leveraging the center's partnerships with the Milken Institute and UC Berkeley. Targeted at innovation-policy stakeholders on both sides of the partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 capital market reform recommendations adopted by Israeli regulators over 2014-2026 period
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Van Leer Jerusalem InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Milken Innovation Center operates as a division within the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, aJerusalem-based policy research organization. The parent institute provides institutional framework and shared resources for the center's financial innovation programs.
• University of California Berkeley - Haas School of Business / Goldman School of Public PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint academic program offering graduate-level Financial Innovations coursework. UC Berkeley faculty participate in Financial Mechanics Workshop for Global Fellows at the Blum Center for Developing Economies.
• Hebrew University of JerusalemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for the Financial Innovations graduate-level course offered as part of the fellowship program curriculum. Joint field seminar courses conducted with Berkeley.
• Milken InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Milken Innovation Center is affiliated with the Milken Institute, a global think tank focused on financial innovation and economic research. The center conducts Financial Innovations Labs based on Milken Institute methodology.
• MDP Global AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for international development summits and programs. The center participated in the MDP Global Association Summit in Dublin, Ireland in 2023.
• Blum Center for Developing Economies (UC Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Global Fellows program and development engineering research. Financial Mechanics Workshop for Global fellows conducted at the Blum Center.
• Apollo Global ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital market professionals from Apollo's New York offices participated in an introduction and planning session for the Financial Innovations Lab on regional financing held February 24, 2024.
• Museum of Tolerance JerusalemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Financial Innovations Lab on rebuilding Israel's regions, held June 18, 2024. The lab gathered practitioners from finance, government, philanthropies, and non-profit sectors.
• Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure - Chief Scientist OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant funding from the Chief Scientist Office supported the Financial Innovations Lab on energy derivatives. The ministry participated in lab sessions alongside regulators and market participants.
• Smallholder Action Coalition for Climate Adaptation (SACCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSACCA engaged the Milken Innovation Center to convene a Financial Innovations Lab exploring solutions for 30 million smallholder farmers adapting to climate change over 10 years.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Finance Corporation (IFC): World Bank Group private-sector arm executing blended finance and development investments in emerging markets. Closely comparable to MIC's blended finance and smallholder agriculture work (SACCA), but at vastly larger scale and with direct capital deployment rather than advisory research.

Direct peers

• Milken Institute: Global economic and financial innovation think tank that MIC is explicitly affiliated with and from which MIC's Financial Innovations Lab methodology originates. Directly comparable in mission, convener role, and policy publications.
• Brookings Institution: Think tank conducting policy research with strong economic and financial reform programs. Comparable in producing influential policy publications that shape government agendas in capital markets, fiscal policy, and development.
• Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: Policy advisory organization embedding experts inside governments to design reforms. Comparable to MIC's fellowship model of placing trained professionals inside Israeli ministries to deliver financial innovation outcomes.
• Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security: Jerusalem-based policy institute producing research and policy recommendations. Comparable as an Israel-focused think tank publishing applied research aimed at government decision-makers.
• Blavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford): Academic policy school training future government leaders and conducting research on public policy. Comparable to MIC's fellowship program and Financial Innovations coursework delivered with Hebrew University and UC Berkeley.
• Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research: Israel-focused policy research organization sharing office facilities and contact infrastructure with MIC. Comparable as a Jerusalem-based research institute producing policy analysis for Israeli decision-makers on economic and regional topics.
• RAND Corporation: Independent policy research institution producing applied research for governments. Comparable in operating model (grant-funded, fellowship-style talent development, policy briefs shaping public-sector decisions) though much larger and broader in scope.
• Taub Center for Social Policy Studies: Israel-focused independent policy research center producing research on the Israeli economy. Closely comparable in geography, scale, and target audience (Israeli policymakers), though focused on social/economic policy rather than financial innovation.

Emerging players

• Institute of International Finance (IIF): Global association of financial institutions producing research on capital markets, sustainable finance, and emerging-market debt. Overlaps with MIC's capital markets reform and blended finance research but operates at industry-association scale rather than as an academic convener.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/koret-milken-institute-fellows-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Milken Innovation Center