EYE4NIR and the EIC Accelerator: Seeing Through Fog on a Chip

EYE4NIR, a spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano supported by Roma Tre University, designs image sensors that combine silicon and germanium light detectors on one chip, so that a single sensor can switch electronically between visible and near-infrared light and short-wave infrared (SWIR), which sees through fog, rain and sun glare. Its EIC Accelerator project, CHEERS, "Chip-scale visible-infrared imaging sensor", receives an EU contribution of €2,498,402 and runs from December 2024 to November 2026, according to CORDIS. EYE4NIR says the EIC awarded it €13.5 million in blended finance, according to EYE4NIR.

The first-year report says the work "progressed according to the planned schedule". The first batch of sensor structures came back from the foundry, characterisation showed dual-band operation in a standard silicon process and produced a preliminary datasheet, and the layout of a second-generation VGA sensor (640 by 480 pixels) with its own read-out circuit was completed and taped out, according to CORDIS. The goal is an imager ready for commercialisation in driver monitoring and driver assistance systems in cars, and later in industrial automation and consumer electronics.

Where EYE4NIR Stands Now

EYE4NIR is a fabless design company. Its news pages list awards from 2019 and 2020, participation in the Horizon 2020 ATTRACT programme and the CHEERS announcement; no product launch, partnership with a car or component maker, or funding round since the €600,000 seed of December 2021 has been announced, according to StartupBusiness. Its Italian accounts were not accessible in free sources.

The Technology: One Pixel, Two Kinds of Light

SWIR cameras have been used for decades mainly in military and scientific work because of high manufacturing costs, the EIC report says. Germanium absorbs SWIR light and can be grown on silicon in standard foundries, which EYE4NIR says will cut costs sharply. A patented structure lets each pixel switch between visible-near-infrared and SWIR modes, and a new read-out circuit is designed to reduce noise from germanium's dark current.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project ends in November 2026, so it is too early to judge it. The first year met its design milestones on schedule. The taped-out VGA sensor still has to come back from fabrication and be tested as a working imager, and the report does not name automotive customers or evaluation partners.

1. Dual-band in foundryDeliveredFirst batch.
2. VGA sensor tape-outDeliveredMilestone M3.1.
3. Working VGA imagerNot reportedAwaiting fabrication.
4. Automotive customersNone namedNo announcement.

The Money

Of the €13.5 million EYE4NIR cites, €2.5 million is the grant, which leaves up to €11 million of EIC equity. No EIC Fund investment has been announced. Its disclosed private funding is €600,000.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The EIC report cites road crashes costing €180 billion a year in Europe and says current driver-assistance cameras fall short in bad visibility. A European fabless design of an affordable SWIR sensor would give European car suppliers a component that today is costly. EYE4NIR has to show it can take the design to volume.

The Verdict

EYE4NIR and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.