Insights

Episode 8: Thermal Eyes on Earth

December 12, 2025

Alain Gavin

Alain Gavin

Managing Partner - Chief Investment Officer

Thermal Eyes on Earth

Temperature may soon become the most important intelligence variable on the planet. In this episode of Tech Command Investing, I speak with Dr Max Gulde, CEO & Co-Founder of constellr, the company turning thermal-infrared satellites into precision tools for climate resilience, industrial efficiency, and national defence.

This thermal-infrared view of Riyadh demonstrates how heat becomes intelligence. The blue areas represent cooler zones, often vegetation, shaded districts, or efficient building materials while the warmer oranges and reds capture heat-retaining surfaces, industrial activity, and urban hotspots. By mapping temperature with scientific precision, constellr enables city planners, energy analysts, and national-security agencies to understand risks and inefficiencies that are invisible to the naked eye.

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Without constellr, the world would continue operating with blind spots in the one measurement that governs agriculture, energy systems, infrastructure health, and environmental risk. Their thermal-infrared satellites deliver precise, global, continuous temperature intelligence a capability once limited to research missions.

Today, it’s becoming operational.

Through their Image with Intelligence (IWI) series, constellr brings thermal vision to life: from urban-heat mapping across Riyadh to real-time agricultural dashboards that optimise irrigation in water-scarce regions.

Their insights are already informing policies, industrial operations, and national-security decisions.

AI-enhanced analytics make this data not only observable but predictive.

In our conversation, Dr Max Gulde explains how thermal intelligence is emerging as a new strategic asset class. Heat reveals patterns that optical imagery and radar cannot: early signs of drought, crop stress, refinery inefficiencies, grid vulnerabilities, and even anomalous military activity.

By measuring Earth's temperature with scientific-grade accuracy from orbit, constellr enables governments and operators to anticipate risk, optimise operations, and strengthen resilience.

This shift marks a pivotal moment for sovereignty and security.
As climate pressures rise and energy systems become more complex, the ability to sense heat at scale is becoming a strategic capability. Europe’s path to sovereign infrared sensing is being built today and constellr is one of the companies leading that foundation.

Key Takeaways
Heat as intelligence
Temperature is becoming an indispensable sensing layer across agriculture, energy, climate resilience, and defence.
AI-enhanced thermal vision
constellr converts raw infrared data into actionable insights for governments, industries, and security operators.
Dual-use power
Thermal data reveals inefficiencies, risks, and anomalies across both civilian and defence infrastructures.
Sovereign sensing capability
Infrared monitoring from space is emerging as a strategic asset for Europe’s autonomy and security posture.
Operational momentum
With two satellites in LEO and more on the way, constellr is building the world’s most precise thermal-infrared monitoring system.
The future of climate security, industrial efficiency, and strategic awareness may be defined by something we cannot see: heat.
By decoding Earth’s temperature from orbit, constellr is giving leaders a new understanding of the forces shaping ecosystems, economies, and national resilience.
Investing in Europe’s Dual-Use Innovators
At KARISTA, we’re raising the successor K Tech II fund, focused on Defence, Space, and Security — backing the pioneers bridging civilian and military innovation to strengthen resilience and sovereignty.
Learn more →

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