BIRD Foundation

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Israeli companies, including AccuBeat, Mentaily Innovations, Newton Tech, and Tuned, have partnered with U.S. counterparts on projects in quantum hardware, mental health, and rehabilitation. The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has approved $5.5 million in grants to support these collaborations, which span innovations in hardware, medical devices, mental health, and rehabilitation. The projects will leverage private-sector funding, resulting in a combined investment of $14 million. The BIRD Foundation facilitates collaboration between U.S. and Israeli companies through conditional grants, covering activities from R&D to early sales and marketing stages. The grants were approved during the BIRD Foundations Board of Governors meeting on September 16, 2025.

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NLS Pharmaceutics Ltd., a Swiss clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced a milestone-based funding payment from the BIRD Foundation to Kadimastem Ltd. and iTolerance, Inc. for the co-development of iTOL-102, a novel cell therapy for Type 1 diabetes. The funding follows a successful Pre-IND meeting with the FDA, which provided guidance for initiating First-in-Human clinical trials. The BIRD Foundations financial support, totaling nearly $882,352 USD, reflects confidence in the collaborations scientific and regulatory progress. The iTOL-102 program aims to offer a functional cure for Type 1 diabetes without lifelong immunosuppression. The companies are preparing for safety toxicology studies and clinical trial submissions.

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The BIRD Foundation has approved $6 million in funding for five joint projects, leveraging private-sector support to bring the total investment to $15 million. These projects focus on collaborative innovation in fields such as Electronics, Healthcare, Medical Devices, and Quantum Computing. The partnerships involve companies from Israel and the U.S., including Medasense, Blink Device Company, Qedma, Amazon Web Services, RespirAI Medical, Right at Home, SpotItEarly, Penn Medicine, TriEye, and Lumotive. The projects aim to develop advanced technologies like anesthesia monitoring systems, AI-powered home monitoring platforms, early cancer detection technology, and high-performance sensors for autonomous vehicles. The BIRD Foundation has a long history of fostering impactful collaborations, driving innovation, and commercialization.

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The BIRD Foundation, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Israel National Cyber Directorate, has announced a new BIRD Cyber Call for Proposals. This initiative aims to address critical cybersecurity challenges shared by the United States and Israel. The program encourages partnerships between U.S. and Israeli companies, or between a company and a research institute, to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions. Projects can receive up to $1.5 million in funding, covering up to 50% of their research and development budget. The deadline for proposal submissions is January 29, 2025, with project approvals expected in May 2025. This initiative is expected to enhance cyber resilience and foster technological innovation in both countries.

growth-positive

The BIRD Foundation, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Israel National Cyber Directorate, has announced a new BIRD Cyber Call for Proposals. This initiative aims to address critical cybersecurity challenges shared by the United States and Israel. The program encourages strategic partnerships between U.S. and Israeli companies, as well as collaborations with universities or research institutes, to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions. Projects can receive up to $1.5 million in funding, covering up to 50% of the research and development budget. The deadline for submission is January 29, 2025, with project approvals expected in May 2025. The initiative is seen as a vital step in enhancing the cyber resilience of both nations.