Zepsor Technologies Inc.

Zepsor Technologies Inc., a small business fabless semiconductor company based in Burlington, Massachusetts, develops ultra-low power infrared sensor technologies and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) for Department of Defense and Department of Energy research programs as a prime contractor (67% of recent awards) and as a subcontractor to university research consortia. The company operates under a total small business set-aside posture on its defense contracts and competes full-and-open on NSF research awards.

Zepsor's federal work concentrates on DARPA and Army R&D programs for sensor development. The Department of the Army Materiel Command Research Development and Engineering Command funds 2 awards totaling $4.1 million in combined potential value, anchored by a $1.8 million firm fixed-price definitive contract awarded February 26, 2026 under DARPA's Small Business Innovation Research Phase II program for light-actuated ultra-reliable micromechanical switches (LUMOS) — an infrared sensor technology designed to enhance warfighter situational awareness through persistent infrared surveillance, running through March 25, 2029 with place of performance in Burlington. A prior $2.3 million DARPA SBIR Phase II award from January 2023 supported development of concealable and persistent infrared sensors, also sited in Burlington with completion slated for February 8, 2027. DARPA's Embedded Entrepreneurship Initiative funded a $250,737 definitive contract in February 2024 for sensor research and development. The National Science Foundation awarded Zepsor a $275,000 SBIR Phase I project grant under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) in January 2024 to develop MEMS-based near-zero-power infrared proximity sensors for touchless interface applications, with completion in December 2024.

Zepsor operates as a subcontractor to Northeastern University on two NSF-funded research grants. In a January 2024 award, Zepsor contributed packaging, system integration, and field testing of a greenhouse gas sensor; in an April 2025 sub-award, Zepsor leads zero-power MEMS hydrogen gas sensor design and foundry transfer, alongside packaging and system integration for a wireless hydrogen emission monitoring sensor network. The company's background in commercializing sensor technologies originally developed through DARPA and ARPA-E programs at Northeastern University positions it to transition research innovations into defense and commercial applications focused on smart buildings, fire monitoring, agriculture, and food safety.

Activity remains modest and early-stage. One award carries ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months (the $2.3 million DARPA SBIR Phase II contract completing February 2027), representing 52% of combined potential value and triggering near-term recompete exposure on that effort. SCI reporting covers only 0.8 FTEs in FY2022 and one named subcontractor record, reflecting the company's heavy emphasis on R&D contracts rather than service-contract work. The vendor's footprint is concentrated in sensor physics, materials characterization, and MEMS device engineering for defense infrared applications rather than IT, sustainment, or support services.