The Fourth Law and Odd Systems today unveiled Project Foundation, a semiconductor initiative to mass-produce uncooled thermal sensors in Europe and the United States. The project aims to expand European thermal sensor production to four times its current level and US production to twice its current level within three years, building a new industrial base for defence and everyday applications.
The primary mission of Project Foundation is to secure thermal sensor sovereignty for Europe and the United States by developing proprietary uncooled long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensors, also known as microbolometers, and the capacity to manufacture them at scale.
Thermal imaging is increasingly important to modern warfare, autonomous systems, and industrial applications, enabling drones, vehicles, and robots to operate in darkness, poor visibility, and challenging environments. However, developing cameras is only part of the challenge: access to affordable sensors and reliable manufacturing capacity is equally critical.
Project Foundation aims to address this bottleneck by expanding production in Europe and the US, reducing dependence on external suppliers, and making thermal imaging technology more accessible at scale.
Drawing on Ukraine’s frontline experience with drone technology, the initiative also illustrates how innovations driven by immediate defence needs could help build longer-term industrial capabilities with applications well beyond the battlefield.
Scaling production through expertise, investment, and partnerships
Headquartered in Eindhoven, one of Europe’s leading semiconductor hubs, Project Foundation draws on the region’s technical talent and deeptech infrastructure to rapidly scale production. An engineering team with extensive expertise in thermal imaging, microbolometer design, and advanced semiconductor fabrication backs the initiative.
Project Foundation plans to finance development through investment from The Fourth Law and Odd Systems, external equity, debt financing, grants, and customer pre-sales.
The project has already attracted interest from investors and partners, with specific financing arrangements to be announced once confirmed. The initiative is also developing partnerships with leading semiconductor and microbolometer research laboratories, technology companies, and major thermal camera users worldwide.
By bringing together research expertise and industrial capabilities, Project Foundation aims to develop cost-effective microbolometer sensors that can be manufactured at scale.
Building on Ukraine’s drone and thermal imaging expertise
Serial entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk and a team of engineers, operators, and veterans founded the Fourth Law and Odd Systems in Kyiv in 2023. The companies operate across Ukraine, the rest of Europe and the United States. The founding team brings 14 years of camera development experience, including work on more than one million consumer smart cameras.
The Fourth Law develops scalable autonomy for robotic systems, with an initial focus on defence. The company builds technologies that enable drones to continue their missions when communications are disrupted.
Odd Systems develops and manufactures thermal and daytime cameras for drones and other robotic systems. Its Kurbas thermal camera is the most widely used Ukrainian-made thermal camera on the battlefield, supplied to more than 70 drone manufacturers, giving Project Foundation direct insight into customer requirements and high-volume applications.
According to Igor Nakonechnyi, CEO of Project Foundation, building thermal cameras has demonstrated what manufacturers need from the sensor inside: performance, a reliable supply and a price that works at scale.
“We are building Project Foundation around those requirements. Sovereign production has to be commercially competitive to achieve widespread adoption.”
Establishing a transatlantic thermal sensor manufacturing network
Project Foundation plans to build a manufacturing network, with its first fabrication facilities, First Foundation and Second Foundation, planned for Europe and the United States respectively. The network will share a common technology base and proprietary sensor designs.
Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO of The Fourth Law and co-founder of Odd Systems, shared:
“It is imperative that we provide sensor sovereignty for the EU and US on the shortest timeline possible. After building cameras for 14 years we know exactly what the future robotics, defence, and automotive industries need.”
A name inspired by Isaac Asimov
The name Project Foundation continues the group’s tradition of drawing inspiration from Isaac Asimov: The Fourth Law refers to his Laws of Robotics, while Project Foundation draws on the Foundation series and its theme of preserving knowledge through periods of upheaval.