BIRD – Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial R&D Foundation to Invest $5.5 Million in Five New Projects
The approved projects, with a total budget of $14 million, span innovations
in hardware, medical devices, mental health, and rehabilitation
October 12, 2025- Tel Aviv, Israel – During its meeting on September 16, 2025, the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation approved grants totaling $5.5 million for five new projects between U.S. and Israeli companies. In addition to the grants from BIRD, the projects will leverage private-sector funding, resulting in a combined investment of $14 million across all projects.
The BIRD Foundation facilitates collaborations between U.S. and Israeli companies in various technological sectors for joint product development. In addition to providing conditional grants of up to $1.5 million, the Foundation assists companies in identifying strategic partners and facilitating introductions.
The submitted projects are reviewed by BIRD staff and evaluators appointed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Israel Innovation Authority.
The five newly approved projects bring the total number of BIRD-supported collaborations to over 1,100 during the Foundation’s 48 years of activity. To date, BIRD’s investment of more than $406 million in joint projects has helped generate direct and indirect revenues exceeding $10 billion.
The projects approved are:
- Accubeat (Jerusalem, Israel) and FieldLine Industries/Medical (Louisville, CO) to develop compact low-power, miniature atomic clocks and magnetometers using innovative quantum technology
- An Israeli Company and Resolution Medical (Minneapolis, MN) to develop specialized catheters for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis.
- Mentaily Innovations (Or Yehuda, Israel) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (Bethesda, MD) to advance an automated assessment to improve post-traumatic stress diagnosis (AI PTSD)
- Newton Tech (Tel Aviv, Israel) and the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (Boston, MA) to develop high-throughput gait and movement analysis for clinical evaluation
- Tuned (Gan Yoshiya, Israel) and Novidan (Golden Valley, MN) to develop AI Audiologist Coupled with High-Performance, Low-Cost Hearing Aids.
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 BIRD Foundation continues to spark groundbreaking collaborations, this year spanning atomic clocks, advanced catheters, AI for PTSD diagnosis, VR-based rehabilitation, and intelligent hearing aids that address global health and technology challenges. I warmly congratulate all award recipients, thank the Foundation’s dedicated staff and our partners, and extend my best wishes for a successful year ahead. I also congratulate our newly appointed board members and express deep appreciation to those concluding their service after years of devoted contribution.”
Mr. Mike Molnar, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Office at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and co-chair of BIRD’s Board of Governors, said: “The BIRD Foundation accelerates innovation through partnerships between U.S. and Israeli companies, and its company matchmaking has had a profound impact on those who have participated. I hope that the collaboration facilitated through these new R&D projects will lead to positive developments for the companies behind these exciting technologies. We wish the awardees great success!”
Mr. Jaron Lotan, Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation, said: “This new round of projects highlights the creativity and determination of U.S. and Israeli innovators who continue to push the boundaries of science and technology. From healthcare to advanced hardware, these collaborations demonstrate how joint efforts can shape a better future. In these challenging times, BIRD’s mission to connect partners and support transformative innovation has never been more vital, and we are proud to stand behind companies that are driving progress and improving lives.”
The deadline for submission of Executive Summaries for the next BIRD cycle is November 20, 2025. Approval of projects is scheduled to take place in March 2026.
About the BIRD Foundation
The BIRD (Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation encourages and facilitates cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies across a wide range of technology sectors, offering funding to selected projects.
The Foundation supports projects without taking any equity or intellectual property rights from the participating companies or the projects themselves. BIRD funding is repaid through royalties from sales of commercialized products that were developed with support from BIRD. The Foundation provides funding of up to 50% of a project’s budget, covering activities from R&D to the initial stages of sales and marketing. The Foundation shares the risk and does not require repayment if the project does not reach the sales stage.
