Caltech

What Caltech does

Caltech is a private nonprofit research university founded in 1891 in Pasadena, California, operating across six academic divisions: Biology and Biological Engineering; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Engineering and Applied Science; Geological and Planetary Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; and Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy. It is distinguished by a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio with at least one PhD-level researcher per undergraduate, and maintains the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under a 90-year FFRDC arrangement with NASA, managing robotic planetary missions including Voyager, Cassini-Huygens, Galileo, Perseverance, Curiosity, and the Psyche asteroid mission. The current NASA contract is valued at approximately $30 billion through September 2028, though NASA has announced it will competitively rebid management after that date.

The institute's research portfolio spans neutral-atom quantum computing (a 6,100-qubit array with 12.6-second coherence times, developed with Oratomic, requiring only 10,000-20,000 qubits for practical quantum computers), the NASA Cold Atom Lab aboard the ISS, R2 retrotransposon gene editing (30x more efficient than CRISPR), stretchable bioelectronic materials (SIRES and ElHyX platforms), lithography-based photonic chips, and the Deep Synoptic Array under construction in Nevada. Recent capital initiatives include the $70 million Ginsburg Center for Quantum Precision Measurement (opened June 2026) and approximately $200 million from Schmidt Sciences for the DSA, plus new partnerships with Cedars-Sinai and USC for translational medicine.

Revenue is generated through five streams: tuition and educational programs (undergraduate, graduate, executive, online), sponsored research and grants (federal agencies plus JPL operations), intellectual property licensing (including the active lawsuit against Zoom), donations and endowments (notable recent gifts from Broadcom, Duan Family, Ginsburg, and Sherman Fairchild Foundation), and the JPL NASA managed-services contract. Customer concentration is heavily weighted toward federal research funding, particularly through NASA, while the student, donor, and industrial partner base is broad.

Name

Caltech

Legal name

California Institute of Technology

Website

https://caltech.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Caltech is a private nonprofit research university in Pasadena, California, founded in 1891, that operates NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory under an FFRDC arrangement and conducts multidisciplinary research across physics, quantum computing, biology, engineering, and astronomy for government, academic, and industrial partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research University

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA), Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI), Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Science and engineering research
• Higher education degrees
• Quantum computing research
• Space exploration programs
• Astrophysics and planetary science

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Programs: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate education programs, executive education, and online education offerings
2. Sponsored Research and Grants: Federal and private research funding through grants from NASA, NSF, DOE, and other agencies for JPL operations and campus research
3. Intellectual Property Licensing: Patent licensing and technology transfer from research innovations including the videoconferencing patent lawsuit against Zoom
4. Donations and Endowments: Philanthropic contributions from donors including Broadcom, Duan Family, Ginsburg, and Sherman Fairchild Foundation for facilities and research
5. JPL NASA Contract: NASA contract for managing Jet Propulsion Laboratory operations under FFRDC arrangement, with the contract value estimated at $30 billion through 2028

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Caltech is a private nonprofit science and engineering research university that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, executive and online education, and operates large-scale research facilities including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA. It produces breakthrough research and technologies in quantum computing, space exploration, astrophysics, bioengineering, and autonomous systems, while providing highly trained graduates in science and engineering disciplines.

Product overview

Caltech operates as a premier research university with a portfolio of specialized research centers, institutes, and facilities rather than commercial products. The core research infrastructure includes the Space Radiation Laboratory conducting cosmic ray and X-ray astrophysics, the Center for Catalysis and Chemical Synthesis (3CS) for high-throughput chemical discovery, the Center for Molecular Medicine focused on cellular signaling research, and the Information Science and Technology (IST) initiative enabling cross-disciplinary computational research. The High Energy Astrophysics Group conducts research using the NuSTAR space telescope and developing the UVEX mission. These offerings represent research capabilities and institutional infrastructure rather than commercial products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Studies On-campus bachelor's degree programs in physics, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, engineering, computer science, and humanities for high-achieving undergraduate students seeking STEM education with direct research access.
• Graduate Studies Master's and doctoral degree programs and postdoctoral research positions in science, engineering, and mathematics, with research funding support and faculty mentorship.
• Online Education Online courses and educational content delivered through online.caltech.edu for remote learners seeking Caltech STEM instruction.
• Executive Education Executive education programs through the Center for Technology and Management Education, serving technology managers and working professionals seeking advanced technical and management training from a leading STEM institution.
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Operations Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) management of NASA's lead center for robotic planetary exploration, operating missions including Mars rovers (Perseverance, Curiosity), Voyager, Cassini, Psyche, and the Deep Space Network under contract with NASA.
• Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships Patent licensing, technology transfer, and corporate research partnerships that commercialize Caltech research innovations, including videoconferencing technology and other patented inventions developed by Caltech faculty.

Quantifiable outcome

• JPL has launched iconic missions including Voyager, Galileo, Cassini-Huygens, Perseverance, and Curiosity Mars rovers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026USC and Caltech received $7.8 million from ARPA-H to develop tear-based medical device for monitoring and treating dry eye disease and other health conditions; 18-month development timeline
• Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2026Partnership includes joint translational discovery grants, co-hosted symposia, shared training opportunities, and joint faculty and student appointments to advance scientific research and healthcare innovation
• Amazon AWScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2025AWS Center for Quantum Computing at Caltech, established in 2019, pursues dual strategy combining long-term fault-tolerant hardware R&D with near-term cloud access via Amazon Braket
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory operated by Caltech since 1936 under FFRDC arrangement; NASA announced competition for JPL management contract expiring 2028
• Momentus Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMomentus Vigoride 7 mission includes ASTRA system produced by Caltech for autonomous in-space assembly
• DARPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDARPA contracted Caltech-produced ASTRA system for in-space assembly on Vigoride 7 mission
• SoCal Quantum Alliance (SQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition led by UCLA including USC, Caltech, JPL, and IBM to promote quantum science innovation, workforce development, and economic growth in California

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): MIT is the closest peer as a private STEM-focused research university with a similar low student-faculty ratio, comparable engineering and physical sciences strength, Lincoln Laboratory (FFRDC analog to JPL), and overlapping quantum computing, biotech, and AI research portfolios. Both compete for the same faculty, students, and federal research dollars.
• Stanford University: Stanford is a peer private research university with overlapping strengths in engineering, physical sciences, and biomedical research, plus deep ties to Silicon Valley that complement Caltech's JPL/NASA focus. Both compete for federal grants, tech-transfer licensing, and elite STEM students.
• Princeton University: Princeton is a peer private research university with comparable small undergraduate size, low student-faculty ratio, and strong emphasis on theoretical physics, mathematics, and engineering — directly competing for the same pool of faculty and graduate students.
• Harvard University: Harvard is a peer private research university with overlapping leadership in physics, applied sciences (SEAS), and biomedical research, competing for federal research dollars, faculty, and graduate students at the highest tier.
• Johns Hopkins University: Johns Hopkins is the closest FFRDC-operating peer — it manages the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) under Navy sponsorship, mirroring Caltech's JPL arrangement with NASA. Both universities pair elite academic research with major federally managed national-security-relevant labs.
• University of Chicago: UChicago is a peer private research university with comparable small undergraduate size, strong physical sciences, and Argonne National Laboratory management — the latter being the closest FFRDC parallel to JPL outside Johns Hopkins APL.

Regional players

• ETH Zurich: ETH Zurich is the leading European STEM-focused research university with comparable strength in physical sciences and engineering. While geographically separated, it competes with Caltech for global STEM talent, international research collaborations, and rankings positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Georgia Institute of Technology: Georgia Tech is a larger public STEM-focused research university with strong engineering and computing programs. It competes for federal research funding and STEM talent but lacks Caltech's FFRDC/JPL arrangement and brand premium.

Emerging players

• Atom Computing: Atom Computing is a leading neutral-atom quantum computing startup whose technology stack directly intersects with Caltech's research. It serves as both a commercialization partner (via Oratomic collaboration) and a potential competitor for the same talent pool.
• QuEra Computing: QuEra is a neutral-atom quantum computing startup whose research overlap and Harvard/MIT origins position it as both a research peer and a potential IP competitor to Caltech's emerging quantum stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Caltech
• YouTubeyoutube.com/caltech
• Facebookfacebook.com/californiainstituteoftechnology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-institute-of-technology
• Instagraminstagram.com/caltechedu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments14 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caltech