#Innovation #Israel #Tel Aviv #BIRD Foundation #Technologies

BIRD Foundation's $6 Million Investment in Innovation

The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation recently announced an investment of $6 million to support five groundbreaking projects, furthering collaboration between U.S. and Israeli companies. This significant funding was approved during a meeting held on December 16, 2024, in Tel Aviv, marking another stride towards innovative development in various tech sectors.

Overview of the Approved Projects

The foundation's involvement will not only inject $6 million into these projects but also leverage additional private sector investments, making the total contribution to these initiatives reach $15 million. Among the chosen proposals, the following collaborations stand out:

1. Medasense (Ramat Gan, Israel) with Blink Device Company (Seattle, WA) aims to create an advanced monitoring system for anesthesia, allowing for real-time tracking of pain and consciousness levels during surgical procedures.

2. Qedma (Tel Aviv, Israel) partners with Amazon Web Services (Seattle, WA) to develop a solution enhancing quantum error mitigation with High-Performance Computing (HPC), facilitating the execution of complex quantum circuits crucial for practical applications.

3. RespirAI Medical (Tel Aviv, Israel) is collaborating with Right at Home (Omaha, NE) to establish an AI-enabled platform for home monitoring of chronic health conditions, potentially revolutionizing patient care by predicting flare-ups before they escalate.

4. SpotItEarly from Kibbutz Hamaapil, Israel, along with Penn Medicine (Philadelphia, PA), is working on innovative early cancer detection technology that harnesses AI alongside the impressive olfactory capabilities of dogs.

5. Finally, TriEye (Tel Aviv, Israel) teams up with Lumotive (Redmond, WA) to meld beamforming technology with SWIR imaging, with the intent to produce compact high-performance sensors suitable for autonomous vehicles and additional applications.

The BIRD Foundation’s Role

The BIRD Foundation serves as a pivotal bridge, fostering partnerships between U.S. and Israeli companies across diverse technological sectors. They provide conditional grants of up to $1.5 million per project while assisting companies in pinpointing strategic partners. This holistic support system has resulted in impressive achievements, with more than 1100 projects funded throughout BIRD's 47-year legacy, leading to a total investment exceeding $396 million and generating sales surpassing $10 billion.

Dr. Alon Stopel, Chief Scientist of Innovation at the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, acknowledged the potential of the selected projects to significantly enhance quality of life through advancements in healthcare and technology. Similarly, Mr. Mike Moner, director at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), commended the emphasis on creating fruitful partnerships that drive research and development.

Looking Ahead

As the BIRD Foundation continues to fuel innovation, the next opportunity for companies to submit proposals is on May 8, 2025, with approvals set for September 2025. Projects that demonstrate potential for transformative impact across fields such as medical devices and quantum computing are encouraged to apply, contributing to the vibrant ecosystem that unites American and Israeli tech industries.

The BIRD Foundation underscores its commitment to innovation without claiming equity or intellectual property from the projects, ensuring that collaborating companies retain full ownership while benefiting from the foundation’s generous support.

For further inquiries regarding partnership opportunities or project submissions, interested parties can reach out to Limor Nakar-Vincent, Deputy Executive Director of Business Development at the BIRD Foundation.

Together, with continued investment in these innovative endeavors, the BIRD Foundation is paving the way for future technological advancements that promise to reshape industries and improve lives.