Three Israeli startups have been featured in "TIME" magazine’s list of the Best Inventions of the Year. These include: SpotitEarly, which trains dogs to detect cancerous tumors using their sense of smell; Beewise, which operates beehives using AI; and Bria AI, which helps artists earn royalties when AI is used in their work.
SpotitEarly, founded by Dr. Shlomi Madar, is currently developing a revolutionary cancer-detection product that employs beagles with a highly developed sense of smell. Individuals submit a breath sample from their home, which is then analyzed by the dogs trained to skillfully detect volatile organic compounds associated with cancer. An AI-based system monitors the dogs' physiological and behavioral responses to determine whether their sensitive noses have identified signs of various types of cancer, including lung, breast, colon, or prostate cancer.
While the company does not provide a formal cancer diagnosis, it offers indicators that suggest the need for further medical testing. According to Dr. Madar, clinical trials have yielded promising results, demonstrating a 94% success rate in the early detection of cancer. Commercial use of the product is expected to begin next year. The company has Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification and does not require FDA approval to enter the market.
SpotitEarly, founded in the US by Roi Ophir, Udi Bobrovsky, Ariel Ben-Dayan, and Madar, has raised over $20 million from investors, in addition to $3 million in grants. It is also engaging in joint research initiatives with major Israeli hospitals: Hadassah, Ichilov, Sheba, and Rambam.
A beehive with sensors
Another Israeli company featured on the list of the year’s 100 best inventions is Beewise - a beehive equipped with sensors and mechanical components that transform it into a robotic hive. The system monitors for bee diseases, the entry of parasites, and temperature fluctuations. It also utilizes a robotic arm that reaches inside the hive to tend to the bees or the structure itself - much like a human beekeeper would. This enables the management of numerous hives remotely, with almost no need for direct human intervention. According to "Time", the company currently manages 1,200 hives across agricultural regions in California and Florida.
The third Israeli entry on the list is Bria AI, led by Dr. Yair Adato. The prestigious magazine highlighted Fibo - a system designed to pay royalties to artists whose work is reflected in AI-generated content. "Time" reveals that the Israeli company facilitates royalty payments to the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli (known for Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro), in connection with the millions of users who transform their personal photos into illustrations styled after Japanese animated films.
"We understand which data was leveraged for the newly generated image, and then we compensate the creator of the original," Adato told *Time* magazine.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 19, 2026.
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