The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation approved $7.5 million in grants for seven new joint projects between American and Israeli companies, the foundation announced Tuesday.
The projects, approved by BIRD’s Board of Governors on May 5, will also draw private-sector funding, bringing the total combined investment to $20 million. The collaborations span health care, cybersecurity, foodtech, agriculture and renewable energy.
The BIRD Foundation supports joint product development between U.S. and Israeli companies, offering conditional grants of up to $1.5 million while helping companies identify strategic partners and build cross-border partnerships. Projects submitted to BIRD are reviewed by foundation staff and evaluators appointed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Israel Innovation Authority.
The newly approved projects include a partnership between Brevel of Kiryat Gat and Boston-based Ayana Bio to develop scalable plant cell cultivation using illuminated fermentation technology for plant-based bioactive ingredients; a collaboration between Ensights AI Renewable Energy of Beit Halevi and Solitude Labs of West Palm Beach to develop cybersecurity solutions for operational technology systems in critical infrastructure; and a project by Greeneye of Tel Aviv and Nutrien Ag Solutions of Loveland, Colorado, to develop and validate an AI-driven targeted spraying system for agricultural retailers.
Other approved projects include work by HT Vet of Hod Hasharon and VCA Animal Hospitals of Los Angeles on non-invasive tumor screening for cats and expanded diagnostic capabilities for dogs; Identifai-Genetics of Tel Aviv and San Diego-based Inocras on the U.S. clinical introduction of a genome-wide prenatal test for monogenic disorders; Neurogenesis of Givatayim and OrganaBio of South Miami on a cell therapy for progressive multiple sclerosis; and NeuroKaire of Tel Aviv and MindfulCare of New York on tailored precision treatments for depression.
Dr. Alon Stopel, chief scientist of innovation at the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and co-chair of BIRD’s Board of Governors, said the selected projects “highlight the depth and vitality of the technological partnership between the U.S. and Israel.”
“In an era of complex global challenges, the cooperation between the industries and technologies of both nations generates groundbreaking solutions in the fields of healthcare, cybersecurity, and foodtech,” Stopel said.
Mike Molnar, director of the Advanced Manufacturing Office at NIST and co-chair of BIRD’s Board of Governors, said the projects reflected the foundation’s mission of promoting binational innovation.
“By sharing development risks, BIRD is enabling these joint R&D partnerships to advance critical technologies across vital sectors,” he said, citing smart spraying systems, operational technology security and cell therapies for progressive multiple sclerosis among the approved projects.
BIRD Executive Director Jaron Lotan said the latest funding cycle showed “the unique power of true collaboration between American and Israeli companies,” adding that the partnerships combine expertise, technologies and entrepreneurial capabilities from both countries.
The seven new projects bring the number of BIRD-supported collaborations to more than 1,200 since the foundation was established 49 years ago. BIRD said it has invested about $465 million in joint projects, helping generate more than $10 billion in direct and indirect revenue.
The deadline for executive summaries for the next BIRD funding cycle is November 19, with project approvals expected in March 2027.
First published: 07:23, 05.28.26