Let’s all agree on something: birds are great, but not when they’re pooping on our stuff. 

Obviously, this is true when it comes to windowsills, windshields and birthday parties at the park. 

But there are two places where our feathered friends are especially unwelcome: the burgeoning industry of water-based floating solar panel sites, and the many pools that make up the fish-farming industry.

Here, birds can cause all kinds of trouble, by decreasing solar panel efficiency due to a hearty layer of poop, and by eating fish farmers’ livestock — which is problematic for both the farmers and the livestock (though in truth the livestock isn’t facing a long and prosperous future).

For centuries, people have tried many ways to keep pretty but pesky avians away. Yet today, erecting a scarecrow or putting up Mad Max-inspired spike strips on the windowsill isn’t working. 

Nobify, a startup in southern Israel’s Negev region, thought outside the (bird)box and created an advanced array of sensors linked to a network of hoses that are suspended over fish farms and floating solar panels arrays. 

An AI-powered detection platform identifies the presence of birds and activates the hoses nearest to them. These activated hoses flail around, spraying water to scare birds away.

“The hoses will start moving randomly, which makes it impossible for the birds to bypass it or to study any patterns; the birds notice the hoses from afar and they avoid coming anywhere near,” explains Maayan Padan, Nobify’s business development consultant.

Padan spoke with ISRAEL21c alongside CEO and cofounder Ofir Tessler, a warm man who took special care to credit Padan for her good work and benefit to the company. This wholesome gesture set the tone of the call as they each consistently praised the entire team.

Why didn’t I think of that?

The core idea behind Nobify — deterring birds when they fly close — is one of those “why didn’t I think of that” ideas. As a guy who DID think of that, Tessler believes that the company has entered the scene at a great time.

“The aquaculture market is big: the consumption of fish from farms these days is much higher than the consumption of fish from capture [read: traditional fishing], and that’s a trend that the world is going to continue,” he explains. 

“The floating [solar] panel market is not so big these days, but it will be big in a few years from now, so this is the right time to jump in and start collaborating.”

The 10-month-old company already has its technology operating in four places in Israel: two kibbutz fish farms, a floating solar site (in collaboration with “a leading energy firm”) and onsite at Israel’s national water company, Mekorot.

Worldwide need

Nobify is seeking additional strategic partners to expand, as market analysis shows worldwide eagerness for a solution to expensive problems like birds stealing fish or giving them diseases; or fouling solar panels, thus reducing their efficiency.

“In both the [aquaculture and floating solar panel] markets, the damages caused by birds can reach about 30 percent,” Tessler explains, showing footage of a fish farm in Hof Dor, where a swarm of pelicans is bobbing for fish like apples in a barrel.

The company has amassed $900,000 in total investments from the Israel Innovation Authority, the InNegev incubator where it got started, and the ICA in Israel, which helps develop companies in Israel’s periphery.

The staff of seven includes the three cofounders, who act as CEO, CTO and R&D manager; and four consultants, including Padan.

Running a business in wartime

The company was intended to launch in October 2023 but delayed its start until January due to Hamas’ attack and the ensuing war. Tessler reflected on the challenges that starting Nobify has presented.

“It’s been a very emotional challenge. On the one hand, of course, as an Israeli, I’m dealing with the war and its consequences. And on the other hand, we are doing great things for the world,” he says. 

“Making money is certainly one of our goals, but our values of sustainability, a greener world, harmony between birds and men — these give everyone on the team a feeling of hope.” 

Padam comments that the ongoing war is “so painful and so frightening and it’s everywhere. But when I met [Nobify’s founders], I saw that the force that makes them get up in the morning and do what they do is that they are really enthusiastic about life. 

“And this is, more than anything, a project that strives to give life and to make life better. These three men want to give something that sanctifies life — the life of fish, the life of birds, the quality of life of people,” she says.

It’s certainly a deeper response than I expected in an interview about smart hoses that scare away birds, but the outlook of the team does inspire a lot of hope: It’s not just the people making the highest-level decisions who can make a difference during these really challenging times.