BIRD Foundation

What BIRD Foundation does

BIRD Foundation (legal name: Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation) is a non-profit binational organization established in 1977 by the U.S. and Israeli governments to facilitate and fund joint industrial R&D cooperation between companies in the two countries. Headquartered in Herzliya/Tel Aviv, Israel, with 11–50 employees, BIRD operates a sales-led, proposal-based go-to-market: companies submit executive summaries and full proposals through the foundation's upload system (upload.birdf.com) and decisions are made biannually at Board of Governors meetings in June and December, with project evaluation supported by external governmental bodies including NIST, IIA, DOE, DHS, and INCD. BIRD serves as a matchmaker and co-financier rather than a strategic investor.

The foundation's core offering is non-dilutive grant funding covering up to 50% of project development costs, capped at $1.5M per project in the General Program, $1M under BIRD HLS, and $6M per consortium under the Energy Center. BIRD takes no equity in funded companies and recovers capital only as royalties on commercialization success, with an alternative Milestone Model contract available for biotech, pharma, and agriculture projects. The product portfolio comprises five programs: BIRD General Program (flagship, all hi-tech sectors), BIRD Energy (renewable energy and energy efficiency), BIRD Cyber (cybersecurity for critical infrastructure), BIRD HLS (homeland security), and the Energy Center (consortia grants for energy storage, fossil energy, and the energy-water nexus). These programs are supported by an interactive public project database (projectsdb.birdf.com) and a document submission portal.

Over 49 years, BIRD has invested approximately $465 million across 1,000+ approved projects, generating over $10 billion in direct and indirect revenues for participating companies. The foundation explicitly excludes defense-related technologies from funding. Recent activity (2024–2026) reflects continued and broadening program activity: a $2.2M quantum computing grant in 2024, a $5.5M investment in five projects in October 2025, a $1.25M grant to Ayana Bio and Brevel in June 2026, and a $7.5M grant to seven new projects in May 2026. Capital is sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy, Israel's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Israel Innovation Authority, DHS, and other participating government agencies.

Name

BIRD Foundation

Legal name

Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation

Website

https://birdf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BIRD Foundation is a non-profit binational organization established in 1977 by the U.S. and Israeli governments that provides non-dilutive grants (up to $1.5M, or $6M for Energy Center consortia) to joint U.S.-Israel industrial R&D projects across hi-tech, energy, cybersecurity, and homeland security sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Binational R&D Grant Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Binational R&D funding
• Non-dilutive grants
• Joint R&D programs
• Industrial research funding
• Innovation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Herzliya

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding (Non-Dilutive): BIRD provides conditional grants of up to $1.5 million covering up to 50% of project development costs. The foundation takes no equity in companies. Repayments are based on commercialization success - BIRD claims repayments as royalties only if commercial revenues are generated from the project. The foundation also offers an alternative 'Milestone Model' contract for Biotech, Pharma, or Agriculture projects, which may include funding of clinical trials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The BIRD Foundation is a binational funding foundation jointly established by the U.S. and Israeli governments in 1977. It provides non-dilutive conditional grants to support joint industrial R&D projects between U.S. and Israeli companies across hi-tech sectors, covering up to 50% of project development costs (up to $1.5M per project). The foundation takes no equity and recovers funds only through royalties if commercial revenues are generated. It operates multiple vertical programs including BIRD General Program, BIRD Energy, BIRD Cyber, BIRD HLS, and the Energy Center.

Product overview

BIRD Foundation is a bilateral funding organization established by the U.S. and Israeli governments in 1977, not a traditional product company. Its core offerings are grant programs that provide non-dilutive funding to joint U.S.-Israel R&D projects. The portfolio consists of five interconnected programs: the BIRD General Program (the flagship funding mechanism covering all hi-tech sectors with grants up to $1.5M), BIRD Energy (focused on renewable energy and efficiency projects), BIRD Cyber (cybersecurity for critical infrastructure), BIRD HLS (homeland security technologies), and the Energy Center (larger consortia grants of $6M each for energy R&D). These programs are supported by an Interactive Project Database for tracking funded projects and an Upload System for application and reporting workflows. BIRD takes no equity in funded companies and requires joint partnerships between U.S. and Israeli entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BIRD General Program: Supports industrial R&D cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies in all sectors of the hi-tech industry
• BIRD Energy
• BIRD Cyber
• BIRD HLS
• Energy Center

Products and services

• BIRD General Program The flagship BIRD funding program supporting industrial R&D cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies across all sectors of the hi-tech industry. Provides non-dilutive conditional grants covering up to 50% of project development costs, up to $1.5 million per project, with no equity taken.
• BIRD Energy A specialized program established by the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures and the U.S. Department of Energy to fund joint Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects between U.S. and Israeli companies. Offers conditional grants of up to $1.5 million.
• BIRD Cyber
• BIRD HLS A cooperative activity to foster and support U.S.-Israel joint development of advanced technologies for Homeland Security, including border defense, air traffic security, and first responder activities. Maximum grant amount is $1 million per project.
• Energy Center A program promoting energy security and economic development through research and development of innovative energy technologies. Selects consortia to receive grants of $6 million each for projects in energy storage, fossil energy, and the energy-water nexus, with total project budget of at least $12 million over three years (potentially extending to five).
• Interactive Project Database An online searchable database (projectsdb.birdf.com) allowing users to browse BIRD-funded projects by year, industry sector, and U.S. state, providing visibility into historical collaborations and technology development outcomes.
• Upload System A document submission portal (upload.birdf.com) used by applicants to submit executive summaries and full project proposals for BIRD funding consideration, as well as for periodic fiscal and technical reporting during project execution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $10 billion in direct and indirect revenues generated from BIRD-sponsored activities
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ayana Bio and BrevelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Received $1.25 million BIRD Foundation grant to research whether Brevel's illuminated fermentation technology can enhance plant cell culture production. Ayana Bio, a spinoff from Ginkgo Bioworks, will use Brevel's scalable LED lighting systems in bioreactors. Targeting commercial scale by 2026.
• Greeneye with Nutrien Ag SolutionsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Joint project between Israeli agricultural technology company Greeneye and U.S. agricultural solutions provider Nutrien Ag Solutions, approved for $7.5 million BIRD Foundation grant as part of seven new U.S.-Israel projects.
• VCA Animal Hospitals with HT VetflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Joint project between VCA Animal Hospitals and HT Vet, approved for BIRD Foundation funding as part of seven new U.S.-Israel projects spanning healthcare sectors.
• Neurogenesis with OrganaBioflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Joint project between Neurogenesis and OrganaBio, approved for BIRD Foundation funding focused on pharmaceuticals and healthcare innovation.
• NLS Pharmaceutics and KadimastemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025ITOL-102 program for Type 1 Diabetes continues under merged company's framework with BIRD Foundation support. Program aims to develop stem-cell-derived pancreatic islet cell therapy that could cure Type 1 Diabetes without lifelong immunosuppression.
• HT VetflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025$5.5 million investment for five projects in hardware, medical devices, mental health, and rehabilitation involving collaborations between Israeli and international companies, focusing on atomic clocks, specialized catheters, AI diagnostics for PTSD, gait analysis, and AI-powered hearing aids.
• Diptera.ai with VectechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint U.S.-Israel R&D collaboration between Diptera.ai (Jerusalem-based biotech startup) and Vectech, supported by the BIRD Foundation. Project uses AI-powered system for large-scale production of sterilized male mosquitoes for pest control, achieving 90%+ reduction in mosquito populations.
• BlueQubit and Quantum ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2024Received $2.2 million BIRD Foundation grant to develop quantum machine learning algorithms and optimize quantum processors. Project addresses challenges in scaling and commercial viability of quantum computing with applications in finance, pharmaceuticals, image analysis, and security.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BIRDFoundation1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNNPYn7js-YXr95h7n-o1vw
• Facebookfacebook.com/birdfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bird-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/us_israel_bird_foundation/?igsh=MTV2YXpvZm43bXBkbA%3D%3D

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments77 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BIRD Foundation