GWIC

What GWIC does

GWIC (North Guangwei Technology Co., Ltd. / 北方广微科技有限公司) is a Beijing-headquartered designer and manufacturer of uncooled infrared (LWIR) focal plane detectors and integrated imaging modules, founded in July 2006 and operating under the controlling ownership of CGW Holdings (广微控股) since March 2021. The company runs an in-house MEMS production line in Xi'an (established 2008) — China's first dedicated line for non-refrigerated infrared detectors — alongside IC design, thin-film, photolithography, and equipment engineering functions. GWIC's product portfolio spans three detector families: standard uncooled IR (GWIR series, pixel pitches down to 17μm, NETD ≤35-40mK, frame rates up to 60Hz), gas detection (GWSP series, 7.4-8.0μm spectral response), and polarized infrared (GWPL series, extinction ratio ≥2 at four polarization angles); integrated modules (GW5.0 series) wrap these detectors with readout electronics and digital video output. The company was China's first independent developer of non-refrigerated infrared detectors (45μm, 2009) and produced a sequence of domestic-firsts at progressively smaller pixel pitches through 2012.

GWIC operates a direct enterprise sales model targeting two end markets. The primary segment is military and defense — Chinese state-owned conglomerates including the Ordnance Industry Group (NORINCO), Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), China Electronics Technology Group (CETC), and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), plus defense research institutes such as the National University of Defense Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences — where it supplies domestic infrared focal plane arrays as a substitute for foreign (ITAR-restricted) alternatives. The secondary segment is civil and industrial, covering automotive safety, smart home, drones, medical temperature screening, industrial temperature measurement, environmental/oil detection, and assisted driving; commercial customers include FJR / Fujirui Optoelectronics, Dingyi Information, Jiuzhiyang, and Sate Infrared. The company is a registered 'high-tech enterprise controlled by a public company,' with 270M RMB registered capital and approximately 51-100 employees, more than 56% of whom are scientific R&D personnel. GWIC raised ~$22.9M in an undisclosed round in April 2022 following a January 2022 equity event with Fujirui Optoelectronics, indicating capital deployment toward production scaling. All disclosed operations are domestic (Beijing and Shaanxi), with a bilingual English website suggesting future export readiness but no confirmed international revenue.

Name

GWIC

Legal name

北方广微科技有限公司

Website

https://gwic.com.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GWIC designs and manufactures uncooled infrared (LWIR) focal plane detectors and integrated imaging modules for Chinese defense conglomerates and civil/industrial system integrators, with proprietary polarized-IR and gas-detection variants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Uncooled Infrared Imaging Hardware

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensors & Targeting Systems (IMABAGAC)

Keywords

• Uncooled infrared detectors
• Infrared thermal imaging
• Focal plane arrays
• MEMS infrared sensors
• Infrared detector modules

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Uncooled infrared detectors and modules: Sale of MEMS-based uncooled infrared focal plane detectors and module/core components (机芯) for military and civil applications including thermal imaging, polarized infrared, temperature measurement, and gas detection.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

GWIC designs, manufactures, and sells uncooled long-wave infrared (LWIR) focal plane detectors and integrated imaging modules. Its portfolio covers uncooled IR focal plane array (FPA) detectors under the GWIR series, GWSP gas detectors, and GWPL polarized detectors, as well as the GW5.0 series integration modules. Products are built on proprietary MEMS-based uncooled infrared focal plane detector technology and are sold as components to integrators and end-users.

Product overview

North Guangwei Technology Co., Ltd. (北方广微科技有限公司) is a high-tech enterprise specializing in uncooled infrared focal plane detectors and modules. The product portfolio includes two main categories: infrared detectors (探测器) and modules (机芯). The detector lineup includes standard infrared detectors (GWIR series), gas detectors (GWSP series), and polarized infrared detectors (GWPL series). The module lineup includes standard modules (GW5.00202X1A, GW5.00318X2A) and a polarized module (GW5.0PL0318X2A). These products are designed for applications in military and civilian fields including infrared thermal imaging, polarized infrared imaging for target recognition and facial recognition, and infrared temperature measurement for epidemic prevention and industrial use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GWIR Series Uncooled IR FPA Detectors
• GWSP Gas Detectors
• GWPL Polarized Detectors
• GW5.0 Series Integration Modules

Quantifiable outcome

• China's first independent developer of non-refrigerated infrared detector — filled domestic technology gap
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Teledyne FLIR: Global leader in uncooled and cooled thermal imaging detectors/modules. Closest direct comparable on uncooled LWIR product category; broader portfolio across cooled MWIR, UAS payloads, and commercial thermal cameras.
• Excelitas Technologies: North American photonic sensor and detector company with both uncooled and cooled offerings. Overlaps with GWIC on thermal imaging modules for industrial and defense end-uses.

Direct peers

• Hikmicro: Hikvision subsidiary producing uncooled IR thermal modules and handheld products for commercial and security markets. Overlaps on uncooled IR cores, with stronger consumer/security channel reach.
• SCD (Semi-Conductor Devices): Israeli developer of cooled and uncooled IR detectors, owned by Elbit Systems. Comparable on cooled/uncooled IR FPA manufacturing depth and on supplying Western-aligned defense integrators.
• Guide Infrared (高德红外): Chinese A-listed IR detector and missile-system company offering overlapping uncooled and cooled IR FPAs to PRC defense primes. Most direct Chinese peer competing for the same indigenization budget.
• Lynred: French supplier of both cooled and uncooled IR detectors with deep European defense integration. Closest functional peer in producing MEMS uncooled IR focal plane arrays for aerospace/defense primes.

Regional players

• Sate Infrared (飒特红外): Chinese industrial thermal-imaging camera manufacturer; customer overlap with GWIC in PRC civil/industrial infrared applications. Comparable on end-product positioning, less so on upstream detector IP.

Emerging players

• i3system: Korean IR detector module maker supplying industrial and security customers. Comparable on compact uncooled IR modules; smaller in defense aerospace.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 GWIC