Alumni founders lift Western in Pitchbook’s 2026 ranking of entrepreneur universities
Western placed above Oxford, Cambridge and Johns Hopkins on a list built from founders who raised capital, including the creators of 1Password and Wealthsimple.
Western climbed several spots in Pitchbook’s 2026 Top 100 Universities for Entrepreneurs, on the undergraduate, MBA and undergraduate female founder charts. Pitchbook ranks schools by alumni founders who raised capital between January 1, 2015 and August 1, 2026, drawing on more than 222,000 founders. Western is one of eight Canadian universities on the list.
Alumni founders named by Pitchbook include David Teare, BSc’00, of 1Password; Michael Katchen, HBA’09, CEO of Wealthsimple; James Chang, HBA’08, co-founder of Lazada Philippines; Peter Kalen, HBA’95, MBA’01, of Flexiti; and Hamish McKenzie, MA’06, co-founder of Substack.
Eric Morse of the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Powered by Ivey says the ranking shows only founders who raise venture capital, and less than one per cent of start-ups do. Western supports alumni companies through Western Angels’ Demo Day and the Western Propel Fund.
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