Cactus Materials
Cactus Materials is a U.S.-based Integrated Device Manufacturer operating dual semiconductor fabs in Tempe, Arizona, producing Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices and III-V compound semiconductors (GaAs) for AI photonics, serving aerospace & defense, electric transport, medical, industrial, and AI data center customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTempe, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cactus Materials does
Cactus Materials, Inc. is a privately held U.S. Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, operating two semiconductor fabs within a 40,000 sq. ft. facility that includes a Class 100 clean room and 100+ pieces of advanced equipment. The company was founded by former Intel manager Dr. Rafi Islam and began high-volume production in 2023, focusing on Wide Band Gap (WBG) semiconductor materials — specifically Silicon Carbide (SiC) for high-power/high-voltage applications and III-V compound semiconductors (GaAs) for AI photonics. Core products span SiC MOSFETs, diodes, JFETs, and IGBTs rated at 1.2kV through 10kV+ (with radiation-hardened variants up to 900V), VCSEL lasers (VICTORY), infrared detectors (ULTRA UFD, INDIGO IRD), ROICs on 90nm CMOS, and rad-hard ASICs on an FDSOI 90nm platform. The company also operates a wafer-to-wafer 3D heterogeneous integration line supporting up to 200mm wafers for AI photonic chips and optical transceivers.
The business model combines proprietary product sales with strategic foundry and wafer-processing services, allocating up to 30% of SiC fab capacity to external foundry customers. Cactus Materials sells directly to enterprise buyers across aerospace & defense, electric transport/automotive, medical, industrial, and AI/data center markets, with a go-to-market that emphasizes ITAR-compliant and DMEA-accredited trusted supply for defense and space applications (alongside NIST 800-53 and ISO 9001 certifications). Distribution is conducted through direct enterprise sales and collaborations with fabless companies, IDMs, and OEMs, supported by multi-year contracts and custom solution engineering.
The company maintains a 15-person senior leadership team drawn from Intel, Applied Materials, Texas Instruments, Motorola/Freescale/NXP, DEC, Maxim, Microsemi/Microchip, and TriQuint, with patent and publication depth led by VP Marc Papageorge (30+ patents). Capital formation is at an early stage: a $4.5M exempt securities offering filed in April 2024 had raised $2.776M. Ecosystem positioning includes full membership in Purdue's SCALE defense workforce program, participation in the ASU Southwest Advanced Prototyping Hub for CHIPS Act collaboration, and a forward product roadmap extending through 2027 across HV HOT SiC, SiC SMART-AI, and industrial/mobility product lines.
Cactus Materials firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cactus Materials
- Legal name
- Cactus Materials, Inc.
- Website
- https://cactusmaterials.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cactus Materials is a U.S.-based Integrated Device Manufacturer operating dual semiconductor fabs in Tempe, Arizona, producing Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices and III-V compound semiconductors (GaAs) for AI photonics, serving aerospace & defense, electric transport, medical, industrial, and AI data center customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cactus Materials industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Semiconductor Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413)
- SIC
- Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)
- akta.pro primary industry
- RF & Compound Semiconductor Foundries (GaAs/GaN/SiGe) (HDAHACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Compound Semiconductor Wafers & Substrates (SiC/GaN/GaAs/InP/Sapphire) (HDAHAGAB), Optoelectronic / Photonics Foundries (Silicon Photonics/LED/Laser) (HDAHACAG)
Keywords
Where Cactus Materials is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tempe
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cactus Materials business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Semiconductor Device Sales: Sale of proprietary semiconductor products including SiC MOSFETs, diodes, JFETs, IGBTs, VCSELs, and infrared detectors. Products are sold as both standard catalog items and custom solutions for specific customer requirements.
- Foundry and Wafer Processing Services: Wafer and packaging process services for R&D and production demands. Includes SiC Silicon Carbide foundry services (up to 30% of fab capacity), III-V epitaxy wafer development, and heterogeneous 3D integration services. Supports both space applications and terrestrial high-fidelity systems with full screening and reliability requirements.
- Strategic Services and Custom Solutions: Custom solutions and engineering services for high performance and reliability demands. Includes design, development, and manufacturing of building blocks for AI photonic platforms and power devices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Standard semiconductor products with catalog pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cactus Materials product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cactus Materials operates two semiconductor fabrication facilities (fabs) in Tempe, Arizona, producing Silicon Carbide (SiC) high-power/high-voltage devices (MOSFETs, diodes, JFETs, IGBTs) and III-V compound semiconductors (GaAs, GaSb) for AI photonics, including VCSELs and infrared detectors. The company sells both standard catalog products and custom engineered solutions for high-temperature, radiation-hardened, and high-performance applications. It also provides foundry, epitaxy, heterogeneous 3D wafer-to-wafer integration, and radiation-hardened substrate services to fabless companies, IDMs, and OEMs.
Product overview
Cactus Materials operates as an Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) with two semiconductor fabs producing Silicon Carbide (SiC) for high power devices and III-V compound semiconductors for AI Photonics. The company offers a unified portfolio combining core products (AI Photonics Platform with ULTRA UFD®, INDIGO IRD®, and VICTORY VCSEL chips; Power Devices including SiC MOSFETs, Diodes, JFETs; and Trusted Microelectronics including ROICs and Rad-Hard ASICs) with strategic foundry services (SiC foundry, III-V epitaxy development, heterogeneous 3D integration, and radiation hardened substrates). The product architecture supports markets spanning AI/datacenter, aerospace & defense, electric transport, medical, industrial, and academia through both standard products and custom solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cactus ULTRA UFD Chip: Ultra-Fast Detectors - Radiation hardened infrared detectors for AI photonic applications
- Cactus INDIGO IRD Chip
- Cactus VICTORY VCSEL
- CACTUS MOSFET/DIODE
Products and services
- AI Photonics Platform Hardware backbone platform using photonics (light) rather than electronics for AI processing, offering faster speeds and lower energy consumption for data networks and backbone infrastructure. Built on III-V compound semiconductor materials.
- ULTRA UFD® Chip (Ultra-Fast Detectors) Radiation hardened ultra-fast detectors built on III-V materials, targeting medical imaging, quantum computing, AR/VR, high-energy physics, and robotics applications.
- INDIGO IRD® Chip (Infrared Detectors) Infrared detectors on GaAs substrate offering broadband/longer wavelength operation, room temperature functionality, and approximately 10x lower cost via innovative processes, serving medical, industrial, defense, and sensing applications.
- VICTORY VCSEL Chip Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers manufactured using a proprietary GaAs process, delivering lower cost and greater eye safety for AI photonic and optical interconnect applications.
- 3D Integrated AI Photonic Chips Chip-to-chip (C2C) integrated photonic chips combining VICTORY VCSEL, INDIGO IRD, and ULTRA UFD chips into 3D optical transceivers for 6G optical wireless applications.
- 3D Integrated AI Vision Processors Chip-to-chip (C2C) integrated GPU combined with VICTORY, INDIGO IRD, and ULTRA UFD chips delivering approximately 40% lower energy consumption and 10x faster processing, with Generative AI capability for Edge devices in AIoT, ADAS, Autonomous Car, and Robotics.
- CACTUS SiC MOSFET/Diode (Planar Standard) Standard planar Silicon Carbide power devices rated at 1.2kV, 1.7kV, and 3.3kV, operating up to 300°C, available as MOSFETs with body diode and diodes, for industrial and power conversion applications.
- CACTUS SiC MOSFET/Diode (Planar Extreme) Planar Silicon Carbide power devices rated at 1.2kV, 1.7kV, and 3.3kV operating up to 500°C and above for extreme temperature aerospace, defense, and industrial applications.
- CACTUS Radiation Hardened SiC Devices Radiation hardened Silicon Carbide devices supporting up to 900V for aerospace, defense, and space applications requiring tolerance to ionizing radiation and harsh environments.
- UV Optical Sensors Single and array optical UV sensors operating in the 200-400nm wavelength range for sensing and imaging applications.
- Strategic Services (SiC Foundry) Silicon Carbide foundry services utilizing up to 30% of fab capacity, providing strategically aligned wafer and packaging process services to external customers, supporting R&D and production demands and government initiatives.
- III-V Epitaxy Wafer Development Compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer development services using GaAs and GaSb materials for VCSELs and detectors up to 200mm wafer size.
- Heterogeneous 3D Integration (Wafer-to-Wafer) Wafer-to-wafer heterogeneous 3D integration services enabling advanced chip stacking and heterogeneous integration up to 200mm wafers for photonic, AI, and power applications.
- Rad-Hard Radiation Hardened Substrates Engineered radiation hardened silicon substrates designed for space and defense applications requiring high radiation tolerance and reliability.
- ROIC (Readout Integrated Circuit) Readout integrated circuits fabricated on a 90nm CMOS platform with design enhancements for aerospace and defense applications; focal plane ROIC die can be stitched for large-array sensors used in thermal imaging.
- Rad-Hard ASICs (FDSOI 90nm) Radiation hardened application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) built on a fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) 90nm platform that has been matured and qualified for DOD applications.
- Trusted Microelectronics Trusted domestic semiconductor source for mission-focused, high-reliability electronics within a secure supply chain, serving aerospace and defense customers that require U.S.-based, ITAR-compliant fabrication.
Companies that use Cactus Materials
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Cactus Materials technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Cactus Materials partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Purdue University / SCALEcoreCactus Materials named full member of SCALE - the preeminent U.S. program for semiconductor workforce development in the defense sector led by Purdue University. This partnership supports workforce development initiatives for the semiconductor industry serving defense applications.
- Arizona State University / Southwest Advanced Prototyping HubcoreParticipation in the Southwest Advanced Prototyping Hub, an Arizona State University initiative focused on advanced prototyping for semiconductor and microelectronics applications. Partnership supports CHIPS Act collaboration projects.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cactus Materials competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- STMicroelectronics: Global SiC power device leader serving automotive and industrial markets; competes with Cactus in SiC MOSFETs/diodes and has broader scale and customer footprint.
- onsemi (ON Semiconductor): Major power semiconductor manufacturer with an expanding SiC portfolio for EV and industrial; broader portfolio than Cactus but directly competing in SiC MOSFETs and diodes.
- Qorvo: Major GaAs and GaN RF semiconductor company with compound semiconductor fabs serving defense and connectivity markets; comparable to Cactus's GaAs fab and rad-hard/defense focus.
- Broadcom: Large U.S. semiconductor company with significant optical/photonic components and VCSEL business for data center and AI applications; competes with Cactus's AI photonics platform.
Direct peers
- Coherent Corp (II-VI): Large U.S. compound semiconductor and photonic materials/device company (GaAs, InP, SiC substrates and devices) and VCSEL supplier; directly comparable to Cactus on III-V epitaxy, VCSELs, and infrared detectors.
- Wolfspeed: U.S.-based pure-play Silicon Carbide power device and wafer manufacturer; direct competitor to Cactus Materials' SiC MOSFETs, diodes, and JFETs/IGBTs targeting EV, industrial, and defense markets.
- IQE plc: U.K.-based global leader in compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer foundry services (GaAs, InP, GaN); directly comparable to Cactus's III-V epitaxy wafer development and foundry service offering.
- Lumentum: Leading U.S. VCSEL and photonic component supplier for 3D sensing, datacom, and AI applications; direct competitor to Cactus's Victory VCSEL and AI photonics platform products.
Regional players
- Power Integrations: U.S. power semiconductor company focused on high-voltage ICs for power conversion; adjacent peer to Cactus's SiC power device portfolio serving industrial and EV markets.
Emerging players
- Skorpios Technologies: Emerging U.S. silicon photonics company with heterogeneous integration capabilities; comparable to Cactus's wafer-to-wafer 3D integration and photonic transceiver roadmap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cactus Materials social profiles
Digital presenceCactus Materials compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Cactus Materials financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cactus Materials leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Cactus Materials funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cactus Materials M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cactus Materials
What does Cactus Materials do?
Cactus Materials operates two semiconductor fabrication facilities (fabs) in Tempe, Arizona, producing Silicon Carbide (SiC) high-power/high-voltage devices (MOSFETs, diodes, JFETs, IGBTs) and III-V compound semiconductors (GaAs, GaSb) for AI photonics, including VCSELs and infrared detectors. The company sells both standard catalog products and custom engineered solutions for high-temperature, radiation-hardened, and high-performance applications. It also provides foundry, epitaxy, heterogeneous 3D wafer-to-wafer integration, and radiation-hardened substrate services to fabless companies, IDMs, and OEMs.
Is Cactus Materials a public or private company?
Cactus Materials is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cactus Materials founded?
Cactus Materials was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cactus Materials based?
Cactus Materials is headquartered in Tempe, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cactus Materials make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Semiconductor Device Sales are the primary driver. The others are foundry and Wafer Processing Services and strategic Services and Custom Solutions.
Who are Cactus Materials's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are STMicroelectronics, onsemi (ON Semiconductor), Qorvo and Broadcom. Direct peers are Coherent Corp (II-VI), Wolfspeed, IQE plc and Lumentum. Power Integrations is listed as a regional player. Skorpios Technologies is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cactus Materials have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cactus Materials.
What industry is Cactus Materials in?
Cactus Materials's product category is Semiconductor Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHACAD, RF & Compound Semiconductor Foundries (GaAs/GaN/SiGe), with a secondary code of HDAHAGAB, Compound Semiconductor Wafers & Substrates (SiC/GaN/GaAs/InP/Sapphire). Its NAICS code is 334413 and its SIC code is 3674.