What Starfire Industries does

Starfire Industries is a privately-held deep-tech hardware company founded in 2009 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, that designs, manufactures, and delivers plasma source and particle accelerator solutions across four product lines: nGen® sealed portable neutron generators (nGen-100 for well logging, nGen-300 portable/general use, and nGen-400 portable imaging variants), the Centurion® ultra-compact 2-5 MeV linear accelerator, IMPULSE® HiPIMS pulsed power modules for thin-film deposition and etching, and RADION™ microwave plasma sources for materials processing. Its products are anchored in patented technologies including grounded-target neutron generation, the Positive Kick™ ultra-fast pulsing topology for HiPIMS, surface-wave microwave plasma excitation, and accelerator-physics innovations that compress a 1-5 MeV linac into a unit under 2.2 meters long and 350 kg that fits through standard doors and operates from wall power.

The company operates from a vertically-integrated 194,000 sq.ft. manufacturing and R&D facility—relocated in 2022—that houses licensed radiation/neutron testing bays, micro/nanomaterials analysis, CAD/CAM design, and in-house thin-film deposition and pulsed-power production. Its commercial reach spans six continents and Earth orbit, serving Fortune 500 industrials (e.g., a General Motors technical demonstration for dissimilar-material adhesive bonding), integrated tool OEMs (Mount Sopris Instruments for oil/gas well logging), academic and national-lab researchers (University of Notre Dame for PFAS detection), and U.S. Department of Defense initiatives via an alliance with NCDMM. Custom R&D services supplement hardware sales across medical therapy, environmental sensing, nuclear security, semiconductor, and oil-and-gas end markets.

Revenue is generated primarily through direct B2B sales of capital equipment via a Request-a-Quote, no-public-pricing model, supplemented by custom engineering, prototyping, and licensing services, plus non-dilutive U.S. Department of Energy grant funding (~$2.5M awarded across 2023 and 2024 for HIPIMS photovoltaic research). The sales motion is technical consultative field sales with named applications managers; pricing is quote-based and contracts are typically multi-year. The company is led by CEO Brian Jurczyk (dual PhD/MBA) and CTO Robert Stubbers (PhD, Nuclear/Plasma/Radiological Engineering), with an engineering staff that includes additional PhDs in plasma physics and nuclear engineering.

Name

Starfire Industries

Legal name

Starfire Industries LLC

Website

https://starfireindustries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Starfire Industries designs, manufactures, and delivers patented plasma source and particle accelerator solutions—including portable neutron generators, ultra-compact linear accelerators, HiPIMS pulsed power modules, and microwave plasma sources—for industrial, medical, scientific, defense, and energy customers across six continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Plasma & Particle Accelerator Equipment

NAICS

Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding & Plasma Power Supplies (Industrial welders, cutting power sources) (IMAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Thermal Spray & Metallizing (HVOF/Plasma/Arc) (IMAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Portable neutron generators
• Linear accelerator systems
• HiPIMS pulsed power modules
• Microwave plasma sources
• Thin-film deposition equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Neutron Generators: Sale of nGen® sealed portable neutron generators including nGen-100 (well logging), nGen-300 (portable/general use), and nGen-400 (portable neutron imaging) models. One-time capital equipment purchases with varying neutron output specifications.
2. Hardware Sales - Linear Accelerators: Sale of Centurion® ultra-compact 1-5 MeV linear accelerators for neutron radiography, proton injection, isotope generation, and nuclear analysis applications.
3. Hardware Sales - Plasma Processing Equipment: Sale of IMPULSE® pulsed power modules (2kW and 20kW) for thin-film deposition and IMPULSE RADION™ plasma sources for materials processing.
4. Custom Solutions and R&D Services: Custom research, testing, engineering and prototyping services. Projects include custom neutron generators, radiation shielding, neutron activation analysis, plasma deposition/etching, and bespoke thin-film solutions. Collaboration with Fortune 500 companies, startups, university groups, and national labs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Starfire Industries designs, manufactures, and sells plasma-based capital equipment including sealed portable neutron generators (nGen®), ultra-compact 1-5 MeV linear accelerators (Centurion®), HiPIMS pulsed power modules (IMPULSE®), and microwave surface-wave plasma sources (RADION™). The company also delivers custom research, engineering, prototyping, and testing services from its Champaign, Illinois facility.

Product overview

Starfire Industries offers a portfolio of four core deep-tech product lines for advanced manufacturing and nuclear applications: nGen® sealed portable neutron generators (including nGen-100, nGen-300, and nGen-400 variants) for elemental analysis, well logging, and imaging; Centurion® ultra-compact linear accelerators for neutron interrogation and radiography; IMPULSE® HiPIMS pulsed power modules for precision thin-film deposition and etching; and RADION™ microwave plasma sources for surface wave processing and atmospheric plasma treatment. These products serve industries including semiconductor manufacturing, nuclear energy, aerospace, automotive, medical therapy, and environmental sensing across six continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• nGen® Sealed Portable Neutron Generators Suite of sealed portable neutron generators powered by patented grounded-target technology for high-flux output and portability. The line includes the nGen-100 (slimline D-D/D-T generator integrating with Mount Sopris QL40 wireline tools for safer well logging vs. AmBe sources), nGen-300 Series (human-portable flexible generator for field and laboratory use with continuous-to-pulsing operation and optional integrated neutron detector), and nGen-400 (lightweight ultra-compact sealed generator for portable neutron imaging, available in VIPS or Extended Snout variants for radiography or activation analysis). Used for elemental analysis, lab research, cargo inspection, radiography, and well logging.
• Centurion® Ultra-Compact Linear Accelerator Ultra-compact, relocatable 1-5 MeV-class RFQ linear accelerator suitable for neutron interrogation, proton injection, isotope generation, and nuclear analysis. Weighs under 350 kg, fits through standard doors and elevators, and operates on standard wall power. Used by research institutions such as University of Notre Dame for PFAS field-screening via PIGE Spectroscopy at parts-per-trillion accuracy in minutes.
• IMPULSE® HiPIMS Pulsed Power Module Patented game-changing pulsed power module (available in 2 kW and 20 kW variants) with Positive Kick™ ultra-fast pulsing topology for HiPIMS deposition and etching. Converts existing magnetrons and DC power supplies into HiPIMS systems, enabling precision control of film stress and morphology, super-thick (>100 micron) stress-relieved coatings, and access to high current densities >1 A/cm2. Sub-variant IMPULSE 2-2 is an affordable 2 kW module ideal for 1"–4" cylindrical and linear cathodes.
• RADION™ Microwave Plasma Sources Patented solid-state microwave low-pressure surface-wave plasma sources for materials processing, including PEALD, PECVD, etching, ashing, and cleaning applications, plus hand-held atmospheric pressure sources for direct plasma cleaning, surface functionalization, and material coating. Saves at least half a second per PEALD half-cycle. Used by research institutes and demonstrated with GM for automotive adhesive bonding surface preparation.
• Custom R&D, Engineering, Testing, and Prototyping Services Bespoke research, engineering, testing, and prototyping engagements spanning custom neutron generators, radiation shielding, neutron activation analysis, plasma deposition/etching, thin-film solutions, and electric space propulsion. Delivered from Starfire's vertically-integrated 194,000 sq.ft. Champaign facility with licensed radiation/neutron testing bays for clients including Fortune 500 companies, startups, university groups, and national labs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Neutron yield up to 5e9 n/s D-T with nGen-400
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EnterpriseWorks (Research Park at University of Illinois)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Starfire Industries graduated from the EnterpriseWorks startup incubator at Research Park at the University of Illinois in 2009, having grown from concept research & development to manufacturing plasma sources, neutron generators and high-voltage power supplies.
• NCDMM (National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStarfire Industries is an Alliance Partner with NCDMM, working to implement advanced manufacturing technology solutions within the U.S. Department of Defense and supporting its domestic manufacturing base.
• Mount Sopris InstrumentscoreTechnology or IntegrationStarfire works with Denver-based Mount Sopris Instruments on downhole neutron-based tooling. The nGen-100 is designed to integrate with the Mount Sopris Instruments QL40 line of wireline tools for well logging applications.
• Applied Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on RADION atmospheric cold plasma jet technical demonstrations for direct plasma cleaning, surface functionalization, and material coating applications.
• Center for Plasma-Material InteractionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on RADION plasma source technology demonstrations for plasma-material interaction research.
• General Motors LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical demonstration collaboration using RADION atmospheric cold plasma jet with solid-state microwave applicators for point-of-manufacturing treatment of dissimilar materials (Mg, Al, CFRP, stainless-steel) prior to adhesive bonding in automotive applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global analytical instruments and neutron generator manufacturer serving nuclear, environmental, and security markets. Directly comparable to Starfire's nGen® portable neutron generators and analytical use cases, but at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Varian Medical Systems (Siemens Healthineers): Major manufacturer of medical and industrial linear accelerators and proton therapy systems. Comparable to Starfire's Centurion® 1–5 MeV linear accelerator in underlying technology and use cases, though at much higher power and broader portfolio.
• Halliburton: Global oilfield services provider with significant neutron-based well logging operations and tool fleets. Comparable to Starfire's nGen-100 integration with Mount Sopris wireline tools for downhole neutron logging — a key use case overlap, though Halliburton is vastly larger and uses radioisotope sources today.

Direct peers

• MKS Instruments: Manufactures plasma sources, RF/DC power supplies, and process control instruments for semiconductor and industrial plasma applications. Closely comparable to Starfire's RADION™ microwave plasma sources and IMPULSE® pulsed power modules used in thin-film deposition and surface treatment.
• Advanced Energy Industries: Provides precision power conversion products including pulsed DC and HiPIMS-compatible power supplies for thin-film and semiconductor coating. Directly comparable to Starfire's IMPULSE® pulsed power modules and Positive Kick™ technology for magnetron sputtering.
• Oxford Instruments: Manufactures plasma processing systems, ion beam etch and deposition tools, and analytical instrumentation for semiconductor, materials research, and nuclear sectors. Comparable to Starfire's RADION plasma sources, Centurion accelerators, and materials-processing focus.
• Kurt J. Lesker Company: Supplies vacuum and thin-film deposition components including magnetrons, sputtering targets, and HiPIMS power supplies. Directly comparable to Starfire's specialized HiPIMS magnetrons and IMPULSE® pulsed power modules for thin-film deposition applications.
• Plasma-Therm: Specialty plasma etch and deposition equipment manufacturer for semiconductor, MEMS, and advanced materials markets. Comparable to Starfire's plasma processing equipment line, particularly in PEALD/PECVD end-uses served by RADION™.
• National Electrostatics Corporation (NEC): Specialty manufacturer of particle accelerators, ion beam systems, and analytical instrumentation for research and industrial applications. Closely comparable to Starfire's Centurion® linear accelerator technology and serving similar research, isotope-production, and nuclear analysis customers.

Emerging players

• Mevion Medical Systems: Developer of compact proton therapy accelerators for cancer treatment. Shares Starfire's compact linear accelerator and particle beam engineering DNA, with overlap on miniaturized, single-room accelerator designs versus traditional large-scale systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Starfire Industries