Nextglass LLC

Nextglass LLC, a minority-owned, self-certified small disadvantaged business and Subcontinent Asian American-owned limited liability company based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, develops and manufactures vacuum insulated glazing (VIG) technology for federal energy efficiency and building envelope applications as a prime recipient under federal R&D grant and contract programs. The company operates exclusively as a prime across three recent federal awards—no subcontract footprint and no prime vehicle positions—competing full-and-open in civilian energy and defense energy-efficiency procurement.

Nextglass's recent work centers on low-cost vacuum window and glazing fabrication processes. The company received a $1.575 million cooperative agreement from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E, CFDA 81.135) awarded March 12, 2026, to develop an oven-free vacuum insulated glazing fabrication process with collaborative partners; work performed in Rockville, Maryland, runs through March 11, 2029, and targets manufacturing costs below $0.83 per square foot while achieving thermal performance of R10.8 to R12.3. In August 2025, Nextglass received a $350 thousand firm fixed-price contract from the Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (Army Corps of Engineers) under the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP EW25-8699) to develop and demonstrate energy-efficient vacuum window technology at parity with conventional dual-pane glazing cost; performance is in Potomac, Maryland, through August 4, 2029. Earlier, the National Science Foundation funded a $256 thousand SBIR Phase I project grant (CFDA 47.084) awarded August 1, 2023, to validate low-cost, high-performance VIG manufacturing and durability through accelerated testing.

Customer concentration is split evenly across three federal agencies—ARPA-E, NSF, and Army—each representing one award. Combined obligated dollars ($2 million) substantially exceed combined potential value ($350 thousand), reflecting actual spend against the ARPA-E cooperative agreement and NSF grant. Nextglass does not compete on IDIQs or GWACs. Activity has remained sparse at one award annually since 2023, with no recompete exposure in the near term.