Alphacore Inc.

Alphacore Inc., a small business based in Tempe, Arizona, specializes in radiation-hardened microelectronics, advanced imaging systems, and specialized semiconductor technologies for defense and space applications, competing exclusively as a prime contractor under total small business set-asides. The company has received 155 federal awards across contracts and grants with no subcontract exposure, generating $56 million in combined potential value across SBIR, STTR, and direct research funding from NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Department of Energy, naval warfare centers, and the Missile Defense Agency.

Alphacore's capability portfolio centers on radiation-hardened integrated circuits, power management systems, high-speed data converters, cryogenic microelectronics, and advanced imaging sensors designed to operate in harsh space and defense environments. Representative prime work includes an $1.8 million SBIR Phase II contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory for high-speed optical interconnects for intra-satellite data transfer; a $2.4 million definitive contract from Naval Sea Systems Command for electronics integration on the Space Based Infrared System High (SBIRS High) Major Defense Acquisition Program; a $1.25 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract for United States-based high-speed input/output solutions for space-based defense applications; and multiple Phase II SBIR awards from NASA's Shared Services Center for radiation-hardened power management, mixed-signal circuit libraries, and data acquisition systems ranging from $799 thousand to $900 thousand. The company also received federal grant funding from the Department of Energy Office of Science (CFDA 81.049) for projects including picosecond-scale timing tools, cryogenic electronics for high-energy physics, and radiation-hardened readout application-specific integrated circuits.

Customer concentration is distributed across space and defense agencies. The top five funding agencies by award count cover 75% of recent awards, led by NASA's Shared Services Center (45 awards, $14.6 million combined potential value) and the Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Research Laboratory (34 awards, $14.8 million). The Missile Defense Agency, Naval Air Warfare Center, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency round out the active customer set. By potential value, the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA dominate with roughly equal shares, followed by the Missile Defense Agency, Naval Air Warfare Center, and DARPA. The company holds a seat on the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) indefinite delivery multiple-award IDIQ awarded by the Missile Defense Agency in January 2026, carrying a $151 billion ceiling value and a December 2035 completion date, though only one task order for $500 has been placed to date.

Award activity has remained steady at 14 to 19 awards per year across 2022 through 2024, declining to 14 in 2025 and 6 in 2026 year-to-date. Ten awards carrying combined potential value of $8.3 million reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months and face recompete exposure. The company's category concentration centers on SBIR and STTR Phase I and Phase II research and development, with 107 awards under NAICS 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) and strong representation across space R&D, defense R&D, and basic research service codes. Alphacore operates as a pure prime contractor across its federal footprint with no documented subcontract relationships.

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.