The Barton Foundation was a colony based organization run by Dekim Barton, the patriarch of the family. The Barton Foundation funded the efforts of the Gundam scientists to construct five superior Mobile Suits. The Foundation was also behind the scientists efforts to find and train pilots for four of them, as Dekim's own son Trowa Barton was intended to pilot the Heavyarms Gundam.

The Barton Foundation was also responsible for the funding and construction of the colony X-18999 in the L3 Colony Cluster. This colony was the intended first strike of Foundations infamous Operation Meteor.