BIRD Energy
BIRD Energy is a binational U.S.-Israel grant program providing non-dilutive conditional funding (up to $1.5M per project, 50% of R&D costs) to joint U.S.-Israeli teams developing clean energy technologies, with repayment via royalties only upon commercial success.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersTel Aviv, Israel
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BIRD Energy does
BIRD Energy is a vertical program of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, established in 2009 under the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. It operates as a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy, Israel Ministry of Energy, Israel Innovation Authority, and the BIRD Foundation. BIRD Energy supports U.S.-Israel cooperation across a broad range of energy technologies, including grid optimization, AI-integrated data centers, digital and AI-enabled energy solutions, advanced manufacturing, industrial affordability and resilience, the water-energy nexus, critical minerals and materials, and energy cybersecurity. The program is restricted from funding defense/military applications.
The program functions as a grant-making intermediary rather than a technology vendor. It provides conditional grants covering up to 50% of joint R&D project costs, with a maximum of $1.5 million per project. Funding is disbursed in installments tied to milestone achievements. Repayment is structured as a royalty on commercialized sales revenue (5% standard, 7% for small companies with revenues up to $2M), capped at 150% of the grant amount over a 5+ year period, and conditional—companies that fail to commercialize owe nothing. BIRD takes no equity and no IP rights.
The business model is sales-led and partnership-driven: companies must jointly apply as binational teams, BIRD facilitates matchmaking, and the BIRD Energy Executive Committee (with DOE, Ministry of Energy, and IIA support) approves projects annually. The Foundation's broader portfolio has supported 1,200+ projects over 49 years, claiming $10 billion+ in direct and indirect revenues generated. BIRD Energy-specific recent deal flow includes $7.5M across 5 projects approved in November 2024 and $5M across 4 projects in November 2025, with grant sizes on individual BIRD Energy awards typically ranging $1M–$1.5M based on disclosed investments.
BIRD Energy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BIRD Energy
- Legal name
- Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation
- Website
- https://birdf.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- BIRD Energy is a binational U.S.-Israel grant program providing non-dilutive conditional funding (up to $1.5M per project, 50% of R&D costs) to joint U.S.-Israeli teams developing clean energy technologies, with repayment via royalties only upon commercial success.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BIRD Energy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government R&D Grant Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Climate Finance Funds & Green Investment Facilities (BPADACAH)
Keywords
Where BIRD Energy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tel Aviv
- HQ country
- Israel
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices2 records
Markets served
BIRD Energy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Conditional Grants: BIRD provides conditional grants covering up to 50% of project development costs, up to $1.5M per project. Funding is repaid through royalties based on commercial success of developed products. BIRD takes no equity in companies.
- Royalty-based Repayments: Standard repayment track: 5% of reported sales revenue. Maximum repayment obligation is 150% of total grant amount over 5+ years following project completion. Small Companies Track: 7% of revenue growth for companies with revenues up to $2M. Milestone Track: repayments triggered by defined milestones unrelated to product sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Standard BIRD Energy Grant - Up to $1.5M covering 50% of project costs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
BIRD Energy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BIRD Energy is a joint U.S.-Israel funding program that provides conditional grants of up to $1.5 million per project (covering up to 50% of R&D costs) to U.S. and Israeli companies partnering on joint research and development of energy technologies. The program is jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Israel Ministry of Energy, the Israel Innovation Authority, and the BIRD Foundation. Grants are repaid only upon commercial success through royalties on product sales, with no equity taken in participating companies.
Product overview
BIRD Energy is not a traditional product company but rather a binational funding program established under the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. It operates as a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Energy, the Israel Ministry of Energy, the Israel Innovation Authority, and the BIRD Foundation. The program provides non-dilutive funding (up to $1.5 million per project, covering 50% of R&D costs) to support U.S.-Israel joint development projects in energy technologies. BIRD Energy is part of a broader portfolio of programs managed by the BIRD Foundation, which also includes the BIRD General Program (supporting all hi-tech sectors), BIRD HLS (Homeland Security), BIRD Cyber (Cybersecurity), and the U.S.-Israel Energy Center (focused on energy consortia). Repayments are due only upon commercial success through royalties from product sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BIRD Energy
Quantifiable outcome
- $10 billion+ in direct and indirect revenues generated from BIRD-sponsored activities
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use BIRD Energy
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BIRD Energy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BIRD Energy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- U.S. Department of EnergycoreDOE provides evaluation services for BIRD Energy proposals, participates in the BIRD Energy Executive Committee, and co-sponsors the U.S.-Israel Energy Center. The partnership was established under the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
- Israel Ministry of EnergycoreThe Israeli Ministry of Energy (formerly Ministry of National Infrastructures) co-established BIRD Energy and participates in project evaluation and Executive Committee oversight for BIRD Energy programs.
- Israel Innovation Authority (IIA)coreIIA provides professional evaluation services for proposals submitted to BIRD, reviewing Israeli companies and providing recommendations to the Board of Governors. IIA also co-manages the U.S.-Israel Energy Center.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)coreNIST provides evaluation services for BIRD proposals on the U.S. side, reviewing American company proposals and providing recommendations to BIRD's Board of Governors.
- U.S.-Israel Energy CentercoreEstablished in 2018, the Energy Center is managed by BIRD Foundation and promotes energy security and economic development through R&D of innovative energy technologies. Funded by DOE, Israeli Ministry of Energy, and IIA. Covers four topics: Fossil Energy, Energy Storage, Energy-Water Nexus, and Energy Cyber.
- Maryland/Israel Development Center (MIDC)minorMIDC partners with BIRD to facilitate introductions between potential partners in Maryland and Israel. Hosts webinars on funding opportunities and provides one-on-one support for qualified companies seeking to collaborate.
- Israeli Companies (Partner Applicants)coreIsraeli companies must partner with U.S. companies for joint R&D projects. BIRD facilitates matchmaking to help Israeli companies identify potential U.S. partners for energy technology development.
- U.S. Companies (Partner Applicants)coreU.S. companies must partner with Israeli companies for joint R&D projects. BIRD assists U.S. companies in finding Israeli innovation partners for energy technology collaboration.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BIRD Energy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Carbon Trust: A U.K.-based organization that funds and accelerates low-carbon technology development, including grant and accelerator programs for clean energy startups. It is comparable as a national clean-energy R&D catalyst but is geographically focused on the U.K. rather than bilateral.
- German-Israeli Research Programs (BMBF / DIP): German-Israeli bilateral R&D cooperation programs funded by Germany's BMBF and the Israeli Ministry of Science, including the German-Israeli Project Cooperation (DIP). It is a structural parallel to BIRD, applying the bilateral government-to-government R&D funding model to the German-Israeli corridor.
Direct peers
- U.S.-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center: A U.S. Department of Energy bilateral program funding joint clean energy R&D between U.S. and Indian consortia, with a structure (government-to-government sponsorship, multi-million-dollar consortia grants) closely paralleling the U.S.-Israel Energy Center and BIRD Energy.
- Israel Innovation Authority (IIA): Israel's national R&D funding body, which is also a co-sponsor of BIRD Energy. It funds conditional grants for Israeli innovators across sectors including energy, using a similar milestone- and royalty-based model, and is the most operationally comparable domestic R&D grantmaker.
- BARD Foundation (U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund): The closest structural analog to BIRD Foundation: a U.S.-Israel binational R&D grantmaking foundation established the same year (1977) with a similar conditional-grant, no-equity, royalty-repayment model. It is the most directly comparable peer in mandate, governance, and mechanics.
Broad incumbents
- Mission Innovation: A global initiative of 20+ governments (including the U.S. and Israel) to accelerate clean energy innovation through coordinated R&D funding. It is comparable as a multilateral, government-backed energy R&D coordination body, though it operates as a coalition rather than a direct grantmaking foundation.
- European Innovation Council (EIC): The EU's flagship deep-tech and energy R&D funding vehicle, providing blended grant/equity to high-risk, high-impact technologies including clean energy. It is a broader incumbent with substantially larger check sizes and a pan-European scope, comparable in mission but not in geographic focus.
- U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / STTR: The U.S. federal government's primary R&D funding program for small businesses, including energy technologies under DOE topics. Comparable in providing non-dilutive federal R&D capital to early-stage energy companies, though purely U.S.-only and substantially larger in aggregate funding.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BIRD Energy social profiles
Digital presenceBIRD Energy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BIRD Energy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
BIRD Energy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
BIRD Energy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BIRD Energy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments16 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BIRD Energy
What does BIRD Energy do?
BIRD Energy is a joint U.S.-Israel funding program that provides conditional grants of up to $1.5 million per project (covering up to 50% of R&D costs) to U.S. and Israeli companies partnering on joint research and development of energy technologies. The program is jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Israel Ministry of Energy, the Israel Innovation Authority, and the BIRD Foundation. Grants are repaid only upon commercial success through royalties on product sales, with no equity taken in participating companies.
Is BIRD Energy a public or private company?
BIRD Energy is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was BIRD Energy founded?
BIRD Energy was founded in 1977.
Where is BIRD Energy based?
BIRD Energy is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, in the Middle East region.
How does BIRD Energy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Conditional Grants are the primary driver. The others are royalty-based Repayments.
Who are BIRD Energy's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Carbon Trust and German-Israeli Research Programs (BMBF / DIP). Direct peers are U.S.-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center, Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) and BARD Foundation (U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund). Broad incumbents are Mission Innovation, European Innovation Council (EIC) and U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / STTR.
Does BIRD Energy have an API?
No public API is recorded for BIRD Energy.
What industry is BIRD Energy in?
BIRD Energy's product category is Government R&D Grant Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations, with a secondary code of BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 9721.