Oewaves, Inc.

Oewaves, Inc., a for-profit manufacturer of specialty photonic and laser systems based in Pasadena, California, operates primarily as a prime contractor (97% of awards) delivering ultranarrow linewidth lasers, tunable laser systems, and photonic components to federal research and defense agencies under full-and-open, small-business set-aside, and SBIR/STTR vehicles.

Oewaves' capability portfolio centers on precision laser systems for metrology, sensing, and quantum applications. Representative work includes a $2.094 million cost-plus-fixed-fee definitive contract from the Washington Headquarters Service (awarded April 2026, ongoing through July 2028) to develop and prototype a 1762 nm narrow linewidth laser with low size, weight, and power; an $850 thousand SBIR Phase II award from the Shared Services Center (June 2024, completion March 2026) for a miniature laser system for cesium atom interferometry; and a $200 thousand NASA grant (June 2023) for a room-temperature photonic terahertz receiver supporting thermospheric wind studies. Additional recent prime work spans purchase orders from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for ultra-stable and tunable lasers ($35.7 thousand, $72.6 thousand, and $89.1 thousand awards in 2025–2026), a $149.993 thousand STTR Phase I contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (May 2023) for high-rate biphotons with micro-resonators, and a $89.752 thousand purchase order from Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (July 2024) for three ultranarrow linewidth telecom lasers. The vendor also held a $150 thousand NASA SBIR Phase I award (June 2022) for a high-performance photonic oscillator for cloud radar applications.

Customer concentration tilts heavily toward defense research and space agencies. DARPA leads by potential value (12 awards, $21.3 million combined), followed by the Department of the Navy Information Warfare Systems Command ($10.4 million across 3 awards) and the NASA Shared Services Center by award count (14 awards, $4.8 million). The top five customer entities account for 71% of awards by count and 88% by combined potential value. The National Institute of Standards and Technology and NASA Shared Services Center together represent the largest volume of transactional activity — multiple purchase orders and SBIR/STTR awards — while DARPA and Navy Information Warfare anchor dollar concentration.

Oewaves' award portfolio reflects R&D and instrument manufacturing focus. Top NAICS categories include Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (25 awards) and Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (8 awards). Top PSC codes cluster around Laboratory Equipment and Supplies (15 awards) and R&D—Defense Other (11 awards).

Activity has been episodic rather than sustained — two awards in 2022, six in 2023, two in 2024, four in 2025, and three through August 2026 — with combined potential value across all 75 awards at $49.8 million and $49.2 million obligated (99% utilization). Only one award (the Washington Headquarters Service definitive contract, $2.1 million) faces ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting minimal near-term recompete exposure. Subcontract footprint is minimal (two sub awards totaling less than one percent of the portfolio); recent subs include optical equipment delivery to Valkyrie Enterprises, LLC under a DoD line-funded task order (July 2025) and ballistic barrier products supplied to Triad National Security, LLC at Los Alamos National Laboratory (February 2025).

OEwaves, Inc. transforms novel microwave photonic technologies, from concept to the marketplace, enabling new capabilities in communications, radar, and test and measurement systems.