Fiducial, a computer vision startup founded largely by Delft University of Technology alumni, has closed a funding round of just over 2 million euros to scale its autonomous drone software. The software keeps drones functional in environments where conventional positioning systems fail. The technology has been validated in combat conditions and is already being integrated by drone manufacturers operating along European front lines. The recent investment round was led by Graduate Ventures and the Dutch defense-innovation vehicle Secfund, with debt financing from Rabobank.
The Delft-based company originates from a 2022 student project using physical reference markers – fiducials – to determine camera positions with millimeter precision for industrial inspection. A major European aircraft manufacturer is among its early customers. The pivot to controlling and intercepting military drones came in early 2025, driven by the conflict in Ukraine and growing recognition that Europe needs homegrown autonomous defense capabilities.
What sets Fiducial apart is a deliberate scepticism towards AI-first architectures. The core software rests on classical computer vision, 3D vision and spatial geometry – deterministic methods whose behavior operators can reason about under pressure. AI is added selectively, where it demonstrably outperforms classical approaches. The limited availability of edge-case training data makes this pragmatism especially relevant in defense contexts.
Fiducial’s defensive system integrates three modules. Chain Home provides distributed, passive detection via a network of visual and thermal sensors – unlike radar, it emits no signal and therefore presents no targetable footprint. Pathfinder enables GPS-free positioning using lateral visual odometry and terrain recognition. Intercept delivers onboard autonomy for detecting, tracking and engaging aerial threats, running on lightweight chips and designed to be platform-agnostic, avoiding vendor lock-in.
Near-term, Fiducial is focused on converting pilot contracts into larger orders and deepening existing integrations. Further out, the company is looking at civil applications – industrial inspection and critical infrastructure protection – as a natural extension of technology already hardened in the field.
