BIRD invests $6.3 million in three homeland security projects
BIRD invests $6.3 million in three homeland security projects
Companies include features that can detect fraud in real-time, scan for improvised explosives, and advance wildfire situational awareness
The Israel-U.S National Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has awarded funding to three new homeland security projects to supply both countries’ first responders with advanced tools to save lives and fight crime. The projects, each between an American and Israeli company, deal with early detection of threats and were selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), and the Israel Ministry of National Security (IMNS), later approved by the BIRD Foundation’s Board of Governors. The combined total value of the three projects is approximately $6.3 million.
“Recent events in Israel lead to increased need and motivation to invest in technologies that can improve early detection of threats and upgrade the preparedness of first responders,” said Jaron Lotan, Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation. “This year we saw several such submissions that have the potential to improve capabilities in both Israel and the U.S. The three granted projects, all of them focused on early detection of different threats, are a good indication of the futuristic tools that will serve first responders in the years to come.”
The projects are:
- Validit.ai (Haifa, Israel) and Inspire Labs (New York, New York) - which will develop a real-time biofeedback-based fraud detection platform for HLS-wide field deployment.
- NeuralGuard (Netanya, Israel) and Point Security (Lexington, North Carolina) - which will develop an AI auto-detection system of improvised explosive devices for X-ray.
- NextVision Stabilized Systems (Raanana, Israel) and Data Blanket (Bellevue, Washington) - which will develop an airborne sensors and computer vision system for wildfire suppression and real-time situation awareness in HLS and disaster response applications.
Since 2016, America’s DHS S&T and IMNS have partnered via the BIRD Foundation to address homeland security needs and demonstrate their commercial potential. The joint research effort supports technologies relating to Critical Infrastructure and Public Facilities, Safe and Secure Cities, Border Protection, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Advanced Technologies for First Responders.
“The BIRD Homeland Security (HLS) Program has been instrumental in fostering U.S.-Israeli partnerships to develop leading-edge technology solutions and we look forward to seeing the successful outcomes from these awards,” said Megan Mahle, Director of DHS S&T Industry Partnerships. Gad Frishman, Chief Scientist, IMNS, added: “The BIRD HLS program established an important dialogue with DHS regarding both countries’ priorities in security preparedness. We hope that the tight collaboration with DHS in supporting cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies will continue in the coming years and will serve the needs of both countries.”
The BIRD Foundation encourages and facilitates joint R&D projects between American and Israeli companies in a variety of tech sectors and industries. It offers funding of up to 50% of a project’s budget and shares the risk, not requiring repayment if the project fails to meet the sales stage. The Foundation has also helped facilitate potential strategic partners and introductions for both countries.
