BIRD Foundation Approves $7.4 Million for Seven U.S.-Israel R&D Projects

Insider Brief

• The BIRD Foundation has approved $7.4 million in conditional grants for seven joint U.S.-Israel R&D projects, with total investment expected to reach $20 million, including private-sector funding.
• The selected projects cover quantum computing, satellite communications, semiconductor memory, AI-driven cancer detection, precision agriculture, digital pathology and medical 3D printing.
• The quantum computing project pairs Israel’s Qarakal Quantum with U.S.-based Quantum Elements to develop a minimum viable product for mapping complex surface-catalysis reactions using quantum computing.

PRESS RELEASE — In September 2026, the Board of Governors of the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation approved $7.4 million in conditional grants for seven joint R&D projects between U.S. and Israeli companies. Including private-sector investment, total investment in the projects is expected to reach $20 million.

The BIRD Foundation supports strategic collaborations between U.S. and Israeli companies to jointly develop innovative products and technologies for global markets. In addition to providing conditional grants of up to $1.5 million per project, the Foundation helps companies identify suitable partners and build cross-border collaborations.