The BIRD Foundation approved $7.4 million in grants for seven new U.S.-Israel R&D partnerships in September 2026, with total project investment—combined with private-sector money—expected to reach roughly $20 million. For investors and deep-tech strategists, the more consequential figure is what those approvals signal: each project has cleared a dual-government technical review by experts appointed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Israel Innovation Authority. That vetting, the foundation says, is designed to enhance a project's credibility with investors, partners, and customers.
The BIRD Foundation's Role in De-Risking Deep Tech Investments
The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, established in 1977, exists to stimulate, promote, and support industrial R&D of mutual benefit to Israel and the United States. Its general program supports strategic partnerships between Israeli and American companies developing products and technologies for global markets. The seven new projects push the foundation's total supported collaborations past 1,200, on cumulative investments of approximately $470 million that have helped generate direct and indirect revenue exceeding $10 billion.
The financial mechanics matter as much as the mission. BIRD provides conditional grants covering up to 50 percent of project development costs, capped at $1.5 million per project, and takes no equity in the companies. That non-dilutive structure lets early-stage ventures pursue breakthrough innovations that might otherwise be too costly or uncertain, in the foundation's own framing, while preserving founders' ownership. Beyond money, the foundation also assists companies in identifying suitable partners and shaping cross-border collaborations—matchmaking that addresses one of the hardest problems in international deep tech.
