Founded 2011 by Raviv Melamed (ex-Intel VP), Naftali Chayat, Miri Ratner. $296M raised, $1B+ valuation. 4D radar for automotive, senior care, smart buildings.
4D imaging radar technology · Founded 2011 by Raviv Melamed, Naftali Chayat, and Miri Ratner · HQ Yehud, Israel · $296M raised · $1B+ valuation (2022) · System-on-chip radar for automotive, senior care, smart home, robotics, and retail.
Vayyar at a Glance
| Company | Vayyar Imaging Ltd. |
| Founded | 2011, Israel |
| Co-founders | Raviv Melamed (CEO, ex-VP Intel Architecture Group) · Naftali Chayat (CTO, ex-Chief Scientist Alvarion) · Miri Ratner (VP R&D, ex-Alvarion) |
| Headquarters | Yehud, Israel |
| Product | 4D imaging radar — system-on-chip sensors that see through walls, objects, and adverse conditions |
| Total funding | $296M across 5 rounds |
| Valuation | $1B+ (Series E, June 2022) |
| Key investors | Koch Disruptive Technologies (lead), Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, GLy Capital (Geely Auto), Atreides Management, Claltech |
| Employees | ~200 |
| Status | Private · scaling across automotive and senior care |
Melamed, Chayat, and Ratner: From Intel and Alvarion to Radar-on-a-Chip
The founding team brought deep Israeli semiconductor and RF engineering expertise. Raviv Melamed served as VP in Intel's Architecture Group — the division responsible for processor design at the chip giant's largest R&D center outside the US (Intel Israel). Naftali Chayat was Chief Scientist at Alvarion Technologies, an Israeli wireless broadband company. Miri Ratner ran R&D at Alvarion. The three co-founders saw that radar technology — historically large, expensive, and limited to military and aerospace applications — could be miniaturized onto a single chip using advanced RF design and signal processing, creating sensors small and cheap enough to embed in consumer and automotive products.
The founding vision was medical: detecting early-stage breast cancer using radio-frequency imaging that could see through tissue without radiation. As the core technology matured, the founders recognized its applicability was far broader — any environment where you need to detect, track, and classify objects through walls, obstacles, or adverse conditions. The company expanded into automotive safety, senior care, smart buildings, robotics, retail analytics, and security.
The Technology: See Through Everything
Vayyar's sensors use wideband radio-frequency signals to create real-time 3D and 4D images of objects and environments — including through walls, fabrics, and packaging. Unlike cameras, Vayyar's radar sensors work in complete darkness, through smoke and fog, and without collecting optical data (protecting user privacy). Unlike LiDAR, they function in all weather conditions and at a fraction of the cost. The company's system-on-chip approach integrates the full radar chain — transmitter, receiver, antenna array, and processing — onto a single semiconductor die.
In automotive, Vayyar provides in-cabin monitoring (detecting child presence, occupant classification, seatbelt status) and ADAS (advanced driver assistance) radar. The company has secured supply contracts with automakers from Japan and Vietnam and is in advanced engagements across the global automotive OEM landscape. In senior care, Vayyar Care is a touchless fall-detection and activity-monitoring system integrated with nurse-call platforms — deployed in aged-care facilities as a privacy-preserving alternative to cameras. Amazon has partnered with Vayyar for remote health, safety, and security monitoring.
The Funding Trajectory
Vayyar raised $296 million across five rounds: $109 million Series D (November 2019, led by Koch Disruptive Technologies), and $108 million first tranche of Series E (June 2022, again led by KDT, with Battery Ventures, Bessemer, GLy Capital Management — the VC arm of Chinese automotive group Geely — Atreides Management, and Claltech). The Series E valued Vayyar at over $1 billion.
Koch Disruptive Technologies' repeat leadership of both major rounds is notable — KDT is the venture arm of Koch Industries, the largest privately held company in the United States, and its commitment to Vayyar signals a strategic bet on embedded radar as infrastructure for industrial and building-management applications across Koch's portfolio.
Vayyar in the Israeli Sensor and Deep-Tech Layer
Vayyar sits in the Israeli deep-tech layer alongside DriveNets (networking infrastructure), NextSilicon (compute), CEVA (semiconductor IP), and Weebit Nano (ReRAM). These companies represent Israel's structural position in the hardware and sensor layer of global technology — companies that design the silicon and signal-processing architectures that end up inside other companies' products, often without the Israeli origin being visible to the end user.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Vayyar?
Raviv Melamed (ex-Intel VP), Naftali Chayat (ex-Alvarion Chief Scientist), and Miri Ratner (ex-Alvarion R&D), all Israeli, co-founded Vayyar in 2011.
What does Vayyar do?
Vayyar builds 4D imaging radar sensors on a chip — technology that can see through walls, detect falls, monitor vehicle cabins, and track objects in any lighting or weather conditions.
How much has Vayyar raised?
$296 million across five rounds, reaching a $1 billion+ valuation in June 2022.
What industries does Vayyar serve?
Automotive (in-cabin + ADAS), senior care (fall detection), smart buildings, robotics, retail analytics, and security.
Is Vayyar an Israeli company?
Yes — Vayyar is headquartered in Yehud, Israel, with global offices.
Who are Vayyar's competitors?
In automotive radar: Continental, Bosch, Aptiv. In senior care: SafelyYou, CarePredict. In general 4D radar: few direct competitors at the system-on-chip level.
What is the Amazon partnership?
Amazon partnered with Vayyar for remote health, safety, and security monitoring applications.
Primary Sources
Vayyar company press releases on Series D and Series E. Globes, Calcalist/CTech, and Times of Israel coverage of funding rounds. Reuters Series D reporting. Startup Nation Central company profile. Tracxn and PitchBook funding data.
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