Course Syllabus • Oranim College • Innovation & Technological Entrepreneurship in Education
עברית

EdTech Entrepreneurship – From Idea to Market

An in-depth experiential journey through the complete EdTech venture lifecycle – from advanced product prototyping and intellectual property protection to business modeling and venture financing.

Instructor: Dr. Eyal Ballan
Academic Year: 2026-2027 • Spring Semester
Tuesday 14:00 (1 Credit Hour, Elective)
Office Hours: Tuesday 15:30 (Innovation Center)

Course Overview

Prerequisites, Abstract, Objectives, Topics, and Deliverables

Prerequisites:

  • Completion of Product Characterization & Prototyping (Year 1)
  • Completion of Entrepreneurship, Media & Marketing Strategy (Year 1)
  • Completion of Leading & Implementing Educational Change/Ventures (Year 1)

Course Abstract

This course dives deep into the complete entrepreneurial lifecycle in Educational Technology – from advanced product prototyping through intellectual property protection, business model formulation, and venture financing. The curriculum integrates three core pillars: comprehensive market research and business model design, rapid technological development utilizing Vibe Coding and Generative AI agents to accelerate venture creation, and practical fundraising strategies. Students navigate the entire entrepreneurial trajectory – from defining the educational challenge through self-built prototypes, economic rationale, and investor-ready presentations.

Course Format

The course is conducted as an active venture studio across 13 weekly sessions in Semester B. Classes blend interactive lectures, hands-on development workshops (focusing on Vibe Coding), team collaboration, individualized venture mentorship, and pitch dry runs.

Course Objectives

  • Map ventures in the global EdTech landscape and identify defensible competitive moats
  • Upgrade and refine functional prototypes using Vibe Coding and AI agents
  • Construct innovative business models with comprehensive financial plans
  • Assemble founding teams and recruit strategic institutional partners
  • Deliver persuasive elevator pitches in both English and Hebrew
  • Structure financing models and raise capital from grants and investors
  • Safeguard intellectual property and technological assets

Learning Outcomes

  • In-depth EdTech market and competitive positioning matrix
  • Upgraded functional MVP developed with AI tools
  • Full business plan including unit economics and monetization
  • Elevator pitch and investor video pitch deck in English and Hebrew

Curriculum Topics

Business Models (Lean Canvas, Business Model Canvas)
EdTech Market & Competitive Analysis
Funding & Capital Raising Strategies
Product Building via Vibe Coding & AI
Team Building & Advisory Boards
Intellectual Property & Technology Protection
Pitching & Investor Communication
Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy
Educational Ecosystems & Institutional Sales
Case Studies: Duolingo, Khan Academy, Coursera

Core Competencies

Business Modeling Vibe Coding & AI Prototyping Market Research Elevator Pitch Team Leadership Fundraising Strategy IP Protection B2B & Institutional Sales

The Learning Journey

13-Week Venture Timeline: Curriculum, Activities, and Deliverables

Session Topic & Focus Deliverable
1 Introduction to EdTech Entrepreneurship Initial venture one-pager
2–4 The Problem, Market Need & Solution Validated problem statement & Lean Canvas draft
5–6 Rapid Prototyping with Vibe Coding Working MVP v1.0
7–8 Business Modeling & Monetization Financial forecast & pricing structure
9–10 Founding Team & Ecosystem Alliances Stakeholder map & team agreement
11 Intellectual Property, Ethics & AI Regulation IP & regulatory checklist
12 The Investor Pitch: Storytelling & Deck Design Draft pitch deck & 60s video pitch
13 Demo Day & Final Pitch Presentations Final Pitch & Venture Portfolio

Detailed Session Breakdown

Overview & Topics

Introduction to the course framework, mapping the EdTech ecosystem, identifying market gaps, and examining the AI-driven transformation in educational paradigms.

Class Activity

Deconstructing successful EdTech ventures (Duolingo, Khan Academy, Quizlet) and drafting the initial venture concept.

Deliverables & Resources

  • Initial Venture Concept One-Pager
Presentation Slides (PDF)

Overview & Topics

Validating genuine educational friction points, user persona formulation (teachers, students, parents, administrators), customer discovery interviews, and Lean Canvas iteration.

Deliverables

  • Summary of 3 user empathy interviews
  • Completed Lean Canvas (v1)

Overview & Topics

The 'Vibe Coding' paradigm: building functional digital tools without code friction using AI dev environments (Antigravity, Cursor, Bolt.new, Lovable). Iterating user flows and micro-interactions.

Deliverables & Resources

  • Interactive clickable MVP deployed live on web
Business Models & Prototyping (PDF)

Overview & Topics

Monetization strategies in education: B2C direct-to-student/parent, B2B school licensing, Ministry of Education calls for proposals (Kol Koreh), Freemium tiers, and institutional grant funding.

Deliverables & Resources

  • Unit economics worksheet & pricing model
Regulation & Educational Procurement (PDF)

Overview & Topics

Building balanced founding teams (Pedagogue + Hacker + Hustler), equity allocation agreements, recruiting academic and industry advisory boards, and piloting in pilot schools.

Deliverables & Resources

  • Founders' agreement & stakeholder map
Stakeholders & Ecosystem Map (PDF)

Overview & Topics

Intellectual property protection (patents, copyrights, trademarks), ownership of AI-generated assets, student data privacy (FERPA/GDPR/Ministry regulations), and ethical AI deployment.

Deliverables & Resources

  • IP protection checklist & privacy policy draft
AI in Education & Legal Guidelines (PDF)

Overview & Topics

Mastering the storytelling narrative, the 10-slide investor pitch format (Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule), rehearsing the 60-second elevator pitch, and preparing for critical investor Q&A.

Deliverables

  • Complete Pitch Deck draft (10 slides)
  • Recorded 60-second elevator pitch video

Overview & Pitch Event

The culmination of the course: Demo Day. Each team presents a live 5-minute pitch followed by 3 minutes of Q&A in front of an invited panel of educators, tech entrepreneurs, and investors.

Final Evaluation

  • Live Demo Presentation
  • Comprehensive Venture Portfolio Submission

Visual Bibliography

Inspiring Video Keynotes, Case Studies, and Short Reels for Founders

Curated Founder Reels & Micro-Lessons

Featured Reel • The Entrepreneurial Shift

Vibe Coding, AI, and the Solo Founder Revolution

How individual creators and educators are utilizing AI agents to engineer production-ready software without large development teams. The transition from technical gatekeeping to creative problem-solving and rapid market validation.

Core Course Concept Deep Work & AI Leverage

Foundational Keynotes & Industry Lectures

AI & Pedagogy Sal Khan (TED)

How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education

Khan Academy founder Sal Khan explores the transformative potential of personalized AI tutors to empower learners and elevate human teaching.

Pitching Guy Kawasaki

The 10/20/30 Rule of Pitching

Legendary Apple evangelist and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki explains the definitive formula for crafting decks that captivate investors.

Methodology Eric Ries

The Lean Startup Methodology & MVP

The Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop: how rapid experimentation and continuous validation replace months of wasted development.

Vision & Leadership Simon Sinek

How Great Leaders Inspire Action (Start With Why)

The Golden Circle principle: why people don't buy what you do, but why you do it. Essential foundations for the venture elevator pitch.

Cultural Section: The Entrepreneur's Soundscape

Music for Creative Flow, Deep Focus & Cognitive Momentum • NUTZEK Productions

YouTube Playlist

Nitrogen Oxigen Ring

Venture building and Vibe Coding demand deep cognitive focus (Deep Work) and immersion into the Flow State. This soundscape (from NUTZEK Productions) bridges psychedelic tribal rhythms with glitch electronica, curated to activate focused neural attention and creative ideation.

Psychedelic Tribal Glitch Watch on YouTube

Course Lecturer

Dr. Eyal Ballan

Ph.D. in Neuroscience & Cognition, bio-entrepreneur, and technologist. Co-founder of Cannabics Pharmaceuticals and developer of AI-powered bio-cognitive platforms. Lecturer in innovative entrepreneurship, Vibe Coding, and AI-driven pedagogy.

Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center, Oranim

Grading & Assessment

Attendance & Active Engagement
10%
Founder Portfolio & Vibe Coding
30%
Mid-Term Elevator Pitch Video
20%
Final Pitch Deck & Live Demo
40%
Passing Grade: 60 Attendance Requirement: 80%

Generative AI Guidelines

The use of Generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Antigravity) is an integral component of this course. Students are encouraged to leverage AI to code, simulate, and design, provided that all prompts, architecture choices, and intellectual oversight are transparently documented in the venture portfolio.

Philosophical Theme

The Second Attention

Drawing inspiration from Carlos Castaneda's philosophy, we explore 'The Second Attention' as a cognitive framework for radical, non-linear venture creation.

Dreaming (Vision & Conception)

Unconstrained creative vision, conceptualizing future educational paradigms, and bold problem formulation.

Stalking (Strategy & Execution)

Ruthless strategic discipline, ecosystem navigation, investor persuasion, and disciplined venture execution.

Bibliography & Literature

Required Reading

  • Chen, L., Ifenthaler, D., Yau, J. Y., & Sun, W. (2024). Artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship education: a scoping review. Education + Training, 66(6), 589-608. Read Full Paper (PDF)
  • Ben Rejeb, H., & Bagheri, A. (2025). The Lean Strategy Canvas: a dynamic tool for growth-stage companies. Management and Business Review. Article Link
  • Cook, D. A., et al. (2022). Evaluating education innovations rapidly with build-measure-learn: Applying lean startup to health professions education. Medical Teacher.
  • Cook, J. (2026, March 23). How solo founders are vibe coding digital products that make instant revenue. Forbes. Forbes Feature

Recommended Reading

  • Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R. (2005). Blue Ocean Strategy. Harvard Business School Press.
  • Christensen, C. M. (2013). The Innovator's Dilemma. Harvard Business School Press.
  • Guttentag, M. (2026, May 18). Solo founders are using AI to do the work of entire teams. Fortune. Fortune Link