Alphacore Inc.

Alphacore Inc., a small business based in Tempe, Arizona, delivers radiation-hardened microelectronics, advanced imaging systems, high-speed data converters, and specialized integrated circuits to defense and civilian federal agencies as a pure prime contractor—all 153 awards in the source record are prime awards with no subcontract exposure. The company competes exclusively under small business set-asides, with all recent contract awards designated as total small business set-asides; its federal grant work with the Department of Energy Office of Science likewise follows small business participation rules.

The company's customer concentration runs deep in defense and space R&D. The Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA Shared Services Center together account for 53 awards (76% of the customer concentration), with combined potential value of $29.2 million split nearly evenly between them. The Air Force leads the dollar rankings at $14.8 million across 34 awards, while NASA carries 44 awards worth $14.4 million. The Missile Defense Agency, Naval Air Warfare Center, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency round out the top five. Within the research and development portfolio, 106 awards fall under NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), with the balance split across related R&D and space-technology categories. Across the PSC breakdown, the vendor's work clusters in space R&D services, national defense applied and basic research, and general science and technology R&D support.

Alphacore's concrete capability footprint centers on SBIR and STTR Phase I and Phase II contracts, federal grants, and recent definitive contracts for specialized defense electronics. Representative SBIR Phase II work includes a $1.8 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract for high-speed optical interconnects for intra-satellite data transfer (awarded August 2025), a $1.25 million AFRL award for U.S.-based high-speed input/output solutions for space defense (February 2023), and a $1.2 million Naval Strategic Systems Programs definitive contract under 873 authority (February 2024). A $2.4 million Naval Sea Systems Command cost-plus-fixed-fee definitive contract for the Space Based Infrared System High (SBIRS High) program demonstrates Alphacore's reach into Major Defense Acquisition Program electronics integration (awarded April 2026, running through April 2029). NASA grant work through the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049) spans high-channel count timing tools, cryogenic electronics for high-energy physics, radiation-hardened power management systems, and specialized sensors for rare isotope beam facilities—all project grants in the $150,000 to $210,000 range with one-year to three-year performance periods. Most recent Air Force Research Laboratory work includes a $750,000 Phase II SBIR for APD focal plane array receivers with dynamic biasing and low multiplication noise (January 2025), and a $750,000 Phase II for a phase-locked loop IP block for Intel 16 CMOS mixed-signal circuit library (September 2022).

Activity has remained stable year over year, averaging 16–19 awards annually from 2022 through 2024, declining to 14 in 2025 and 4 year-to-date in 2026. Sixteen awards (combined potential value $12.2 million) reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating near-term recompete exposure centered on AFRL Phase II contracts and NASA SBIR Phase II work. A single large-ceiling indefinite delivery contract, the Missile Defense Agency's Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) IDIQ with a 151 billion dollar ceiling and a December 28, 2035 completion date, positions Alphacore on a multi-domain defense procurement covering R&D, prototyping, systems engineering, and modernization across air, missile, space, cyber, and hybrid domains—though only one task order for $500 has been placed to date. The vendor holds no meaningful footprint on government-wide acquisition contracts, multiple-award schedules, or agency-wide BPAs; the primary win vehicle is direct SBIR/STTR award through civilian and defense agency solicitations, supplemented by targeted definitive contracts from Navy and Air Force commands.

Alphacore Inc., founded in 2012, is located in the innovative Silicon Desert of Arizona's technology center. Our engineering and management team combines long histories of delivering innovative RF, analog and mixed signal products and imaging systems for critical systems with business success at companies from multi-nationals to start-ups. Our design team includes seasoned "Radiation Hardened By Design" (RHBD) experts, and we specialize in designing high performance microelectronics, and reliability or authentication tools for niche needs of demanding segments, including scientific research, aerospace, defense, medical imaging, and homeland security.