BIRD Foundation Awards $7.5 Million to U.S.-Israel Projects in AI, Cybersecurity and Healthcare

27 May, 2026

New funding round includes seven joint ventures spanning smart agriculture, mental health, foodtech, cybersecurity and precision medicine; total project investment is expected to reach nearly $20 million

The BIRD Foundation, the U.S.-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, announced $7.5 million in funding for seven collaborative projects between Israeli and American companies.

According to the foundation, the participating companies are also expected to secure additional private-sector financing, bringing the total investment across the projects to approximately $20 million.

The newly approved projects span a range of sectors including AI-driven agriculture, cybersecurity, food technology, precision medicine, and mental health.

Among the selected initiatives, Israeli startup Brevel and U.S.-based Ayana Bio will work on a commercial-scale process for producing bioactive plant compounds using illuminated fermentation technology. In cybersecurity, Ensights AI Renewable Energy and Solitude Labs will collaborate on cyber protection technologies for operational technology (OT) systems used in critical infrastructure environments.

In the agtech sector, Greeneye and Nutrien Ag Solutions will develop an AI-powered precision spraying platform designed for commercial crop spraying contractors. In animal health, HT Vet and VCA Animal Hospitals will jointly develop a non-invasive scanning technology for detecting skin and subcutaneous tumors in cats while expanding diagnostic capabilities for dogs.

Additional projects include a prenatal diagnostic platform for monogenic diseases based on cell-free DNA (cfDNA), developed by Identifai-Genetics and Inocras; a cell therapy program targeting progressive multiple sclerosis by Neurogenesis and OrganaBio; and a precision medicine-based platform for personalized depression treatment developed by NeuroKaire and MindfulCare.

Founded nearly five decades ago, the BIRD Foundation was established to promote industrial R&D collaboration between Israeli and American companies. According to the organization, it has supported more than 1,200 joint projects since its inception and invested over $465 million, helping generate more than $10 billion in direct and indirect revenue.

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