Fermilab

What Fermilab does

Fermilab (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory) is the United States' particle physics and accelerator national laboratory, established in 1967 and operated by Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. The laboratory executes fundamental research in high-energy physics, neutrino science, quantum information science, and AI-enabled scientific discovery from a 6,800-acre main campus in Batavia, Illinois, and a secondary detector site at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. Its flagship infrastructure program, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, transmits a neutrino beam 800 miles from Illinois to South Dakota and involves 1,500+ scientists from 35+ countries, alongside 4,000+ members in the CMS experiment at CERN.

The laboratory's core technological portfolio centers on superconducting radio-frequency accelerators (including the 215-meter PIP-II linac), multi-ton liquid-argon neutrino detectors, quantum information systems (anchored by the SQMS Center), and the Fermi Data Platform managing 800+ petabytes of scientific data. Adjacent capabilities include the XCOM low-latency mesh network (100-picosecond synchronization, sub-185-nanosecond latency), the open-source QICK quantum control kit used by 500+ scientists, superconducting microwire single-photon detectors co-developed with Caltech and NASA JPL, and electron-beam PFAS water treatment systems under development with the U.S. Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers.

Fermilab does not sell products or services commercially. Revenue is derived entirely from federal appropriations: base DOE Office of Science funding for ongoing research programs; major project funding (notably $5 billion for DUNE/LBNF, $260 million Inflation Reduction Act tranche, and $625 million across the National Quantum Information Science Research Centers program); and supplemental technology transfer income through licensing, Strategic Partnership Projects, and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with industry. The laboratory serves a global scientific customer base via hosted international collaborations, and engages the broader public through educational programs, Saturday Morning Physics, university partnerships (including a new Master of Science in Physics program with Northern Illinois University), and a community-led outreach operation across social media, public tours, and the Lederman Science Center.

Name

Fermilab

Legal name

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Website

https://fnal.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Fermilab is America's particle physics and accelerator national laboratory, federally funded through the DOE Office of Science and operated by Fermi Forward Discovery Group. It conducts fundamental research in neutrino science, quantum computing, and AI-enabled discovery for global scientific collaborations spanning 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Particle Physics Research Laboratory

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Quantum Materials, Qubits & Device Physics Research (HDAGAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Quantum Software Integration & DevOps (CI/CD, MLOps-style pipelines) (HDAGACAI), Quantum Control, Cryogenics & Measurement Research (HDAGAMAC), Quantum Education, Workforce Development & Academic Centers (HDAGAMAM)

Keywords

• Particle physics research
• Neutrino science
• Accelerator technology
• Quantum information science
• Scientific computing infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Batavia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. U.S. Department of Energy Funding: As a DOE national laboratory, Fermilab receives government funding through the Department of Energy Office of Science for fundamental research programs including neutrino science, particle physics, accelerator technology, and quantum information science. Funding comes through competitive grant programs and established project funding.
2. Major Project Funding: Large-scale project funding for specific initiatives such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment ($5 billion), DUNE construction, PIP-II accelerator construction, and Inflation Reduction Act funding ($260 million for infrastructure)
3. Quantum Research Center Funding: Renewed funding for SQMS Center at $125 million over five years as part of DOE's National Quantum Information Science Research Centers program ($625M total for five centers)
4. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Commercialization of Fermilab patented technologies through licensing agreements, Strategic Partnership Projects (SPP), and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) with industry partners

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fermilab designs, builds, and operates large-scale particle accelerators and detectors for fundamental physics research, anchored by the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, the PIP-II superconducting linear accelerator upgrade, the CMS experiment at CERN, and the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center for quantum computing and sensing. It also develops and operates large-scale scientific data infrastructure (Fermi Data Platform) and AI tools for accelerator workflows, and licenses selected technologies for societal applications such as PFAS water treatment.

Product overview

Fermilab is America's particle physics and accelerator laboratory offering world-leading scientific infrastructure for neutrino science, particle physics research, quantum computing, and AI-enabled scientific discovery. The portfolio includes the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) as its flagship neutrino program; the PIP-II accelerator upgrade project; CMS experiment participation at CERN; the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center for quantum computing and sensing; the Fermi Data Platform for large-scale scientific data infrastructure; and AI tools including the MOAT collaboration for accelerator optimization and QICK for quantum control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DUNE at LBNF (Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) Flagship international neutrino experiment sending a neutrino beam 800 miles from Fermilab in Illinois to 17,000-ton liquid argon detectors at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota to study neutrino properties and search for proton decay. Used by the 1,500+ scientist DUNE collaboration from 35+ countries.
• PIP-II Proton Improvement Plan II Construction project delivering a 215-meter-long superconducting linear accelerator that will become the new heart of Fermilab's accelerator complex and enable unprecedented neutrino beams for DUNE.
• CMS Experiment Support at CERN

Quantifiable outcome

• 127 parts per billion precision achieved in muon magnetic moment measurement
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability13 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Northern Illinois University (NIU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026Signed Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to launch Master of Science in Physics program specializing in quantum science and technology. Inaugural class begins fall 2026 with research at Fermilab's SQMS Center starting summer 2027.
• QbloxcoreTechnology or Integration · 19 November 2025DOE partnered with Fermilab and Qblox to manufacture and distribute QICK quantum control platform in the U.S. Qblox oversees U.S.-based manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain operations.
• Q-NEXT (Argonne National Laboratory)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Q-NEXT is one of five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers renewed with $125M funding, partnered with SLAC and hosted by Argonne with Fermilab as partner.
• CERNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFermilab partners with CERN on building massive detector modules for DUNE containing cryostats with 17,000 tons of liquid argon each. CERN is also collaborating on LHC upgrades and future accelerators.
• HarmoniqscoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of Fermilab's QICK with Harmoniqs' Piccolo.jl for precise, repeatable qubit control optimization in quantum computers. Both tools are open-source.
• DOE Genesis Mission / American Science CloudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFermilab's Fermi Data Platform selected as key infrastructure partner providing petabytes of storage, data access tools, and expertise for AI-driven scientific discovery across the national initiative.
• Imperial College London (MAGIS Programme)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFermilab's MAGIS programme linked to UK quantum detector research including Imperial College London's Ultracold Strontium Laboratory prototype for AION project.
• DiraqcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFermilab leads Quandarum project with Diraq and University of Wisconsin-Madison to develop quantum sensor combining silicon spin qubits with cryogenic readout for axion dark matter detection.
• Quantum Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Quantum Science Center and Quantum Systems Accelerator (both DOE national quantum centers) with MIT Lincoln Laboratory enabled breakthrough in cryoelectronics for ion trap quantum control.
• MIT Lincoln LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on cryoelectronics research demonstrating ion-trap potential control for scalable quantum computers, a key step toward larger ion-trap quantum systems.
• Proficio ConsultancystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFermilab collaborated with Proficio Consultancy to design PFAS water treatment system using electron-beam accelerator technology. Design phase complete with fabrication scheduled for 2026.
• U.S. Air ForcestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on PFAS-related initiatives including water treatment technology development using electron-beam accelerator technology.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineersstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on additional PFAS-related initiatives as part of broader effort to develop scalable, field-deployable electron-beam water treatment technology.
• Sanford Underground Research FacilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer gold mine in Lead, South Dakota serving as far detector site for DUNE and location for LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiment, nearly a mile underground.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Chicago is part of Fermi Forward Discovery Group (with Universities Research Association) managing Fermilab for DOE. Fermilab is located near UChicago and collaborates on research.
• 51 U.S. Universities and Laboratories (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFermilab serves as hub for 51 U.S. universities and laboratories participating in CMS experiment at CERN LHC, providing scientific, technical, and organizational support.
• NYU Langone HealthstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint QuantuMRI team from SQMS Center and NYU Langone Health developed quantum algorithm to simulate human tissue response during MRI scans for NIH Quantum Computing Challenge.
• LHC Physics CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHub for CMS physics in the United States at Fermilab serving approximately 900 physicists and graduate students from 51 U.S. institutions.
• Chicago Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS held Chi-Craft Minecraft Education competition with students designing IQMP quantum campus, preparing students for quantum computing careers through partnerships with Fermilab.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• CERN: CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research and the world's leading particle physics laboratory, operating the LHC where Fermilab contributes to the CMS experiment. Both organizations lead global high-energy physics, host massive international collaborations, and pursue fundamental physics research with similar accelerator and detector technologies.
• SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: SLAC is a DOE national accelerator laboratory operated by Stanford, focused on particle physics, photon science, and accelerator R&D. Both labs share accelerator science heritage, DOE funding, similar headcount scale (~2,000 employees), and overlap in superconducting RF technology and detector development.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory: Brookhaven is a DOE national laboratory conducting research in nuclear and particle physics, including the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Both labs operate major accelerators, host large international physics collaborations, and are managed under similar DOE Office of Science contract structures.
• Argonne National Laboratory: Argonne is a DOE national laboratory with strong programs in physics, advanced computing, and quantum information science. Both labs are Chicagoland-area DOE facilities, partners in the SQMS/Q-NEXT quantum centers, and share similar governance and mission structures.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Berkeley Lab is a DOE national laboratory with leading programs in physics, materials science, and computing. Both labs share DOE funding models, host large physics user communities, and operate major scientific user facilities for the global research community.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Oak Ridge is a DOE national laboratory with leadership computing facilities and major physics programs. Both labs operate DOE Office of Science user facilities, participate in national quantum initiatives, and engage in large-scale scientific computing infrastructure.
• Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility: Jefferson Lab is a DOE national laboratory focused on nuclear physics using continuous electron beam accelerator facilities. Both labs are DOE Office of Science national laboratories specializing in accelerator-based physics research with similar operational and funding models.

Regional players

• DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron): DESY is Germany's national particle physics and photon science laboratory. While geographically separate, DESY is comparable in mission to Fermilab—both operate large-scale accelerators, host international user communities, and pursue particle physics and photon science research.
• KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization): KEK is Japan's national particle physics laboratory and a major international partner on DUNE through Japan's contributions to PIP-II and other Fermilab experiments. Both labs are premier accelerator-based physics facilities with similar missions in their respective regions.

Broad incumbents

• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: Lawrence Livermore is a broader DOE national laboratory with programs spanning nuclear weapons, fusion, and fundamental science. While less focused on particle physics, it shares DOE funding structures, operates large-scale scientific facilities, and engages in advanced computing and accelerator research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fermilab
• Xx.com/fermilabtoday
• Facebookfacebook.com/Fermilab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fermilab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fermilab