Kimba, an Israeli startup, has raised a $6.5 million seed round led by Selva Ventures, with participation from Resolute Ventures, Able Partners, Barrel Ventures, Palette Ventures, Supermoon Capital, Air Ventures, Beyond 22 and Fresh Fund, the early investor group of the late Zachi Jamal. The company is preparing to launch its AI-based sleep system in the United States this week through a six-month subscription priced at $299, while early registration is also opening in Israel.
The company was founded by CEO Ben Foxbrunner, 31, and CTO Gabi Beck, both mechanical engineering graduates from Tel Aviv University. Foxbrunner, a former Oketz unit fighter, was critically wounded during Operation Protective Edge and later developed PTSD and chronic insomnia. Kimba is named after his dog, who was injured with him in combat, saved his life, and did not survive.
Kimba’s system places a bedside device next to the bed and releases scents from three capsules made with natural ingredients. It uses real-time physiological data from smartwatches and built-in sensors to adjust the scent type, blend, intensity and timing during the night. Users begin by filling out a questionnaire, receive an initial personal scent kit, and are sent a new set every three months as the system learns more about them.
The company says smell can influence brain activity during sleep without waking the user. It cites studies showing that 30% to 50% of U.S. adults experience some level of sleep-disorder symptoms, and says the problem is likely even worse in Israel because many people live under ongoing emergency conditions. Foxbrunner said, “We live in an era of a global epidemic of stress and sleep disorders,” adding that the system helped him sleep deeply, fall asleep easily, and avoid nightmares. Kimba says early clinical testing with the University of Haifa, led by Prof. Peretz Lavie and Dr. Anat Arzi, involved 50 participants over 48 nights and showed a 21% improvement in cognitive performance and 86% reporting better sleep. Two additional studies are now underway, including one using EEG and polysomnography and another focused on veterans with PTSD. The company has about 10 employees, is based in Tel Aviv and New York, and remains in beta and clinical trials.
