CEO of startup developing life-saving system killed in battle in Gaza
CEO of startup developing life-saving system killed in battle in Gaza
Adam Bismut was killed along with 20 other Israeli soldiers in the deadliest IDF incident since the beginning of the fighting with the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza. His startup, SightBit, developed a life-saving AI system that locates drowning people at sea and alerts rescuers
Adam Bismut, an Israeli entrepreneur who founded the startup SightBit that developed a system to save people from drowning, was killed on Monday in a battle in the Gaza Strip. Bismut, an advanced master sergeant in the reserves, was killed along with 20 other Israeli soldiers in the deadliest IDF incident since the beginning of the fighting with the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza.
Bismut, 35, founded the startup SightBit four years ago. The company developed a life-saving AI system that locates drowning people at sea and alerts rescuers. The company was established after Bismut tragically witnessed someone drowning in the water, and despite everyone's best efforts, could not save him in time.
"About five years ago, I found myself on one of the shores of the Dead Sea by chance, and right then, a seventy-year-old man drowned," Bismut said in an interview last year. "There were shouts and cries, people running along the shore, and a lifeguard who jumped into the water and tried to help. Unfortunately, he couldn't assist in time, as it was already too late. The man drowned, and to this day, I remember the cries of despair, and especially the overwhelming sense of helplessness."
"Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, with 372,000 people drowning every year," explained Bismut to CTech. "The World Health Organization considers drowning to be a curable plague because drownings can and should be prevented. Adding to these facts the growing shortage of lifeguards and the lengthy periods proper lifeguard training requires, it is evident that there is a great need for SightBit's product."
The system reads open waters and provides reliable analytics of all occurrences related to beach safety, site security, and pollutive spills in open water. SightBit's system consists of artificial intelligence and computer vision algorithms that work to analyze video feeds. The analysis aims to identify any occurrence in the water and immediately alert lifeguards, first responders, site security, and site managers to prevent any disaster from happening.
SightBit raised a $1 million Seed round last August, taking its total funding to $2 million.
On Monday, Bismut was tragically killed in Gaza as part of his military reserve service when a building collapsed on him and dozens of other Israeli fighters. The initial investigation shows that the fighters were hit by an RPG missile fired by Hamas terrorists at two two-story buildings. Additionally, two soldiers were killed when their tank, standing nearby, was hit by a missile. The buildings collapsed while the fighters were inside, with the explosion likely a result of mines planted by troops to demolish the buildings. The cause of the detonation is still under investigation.
