Incom
Incom is a privately held US manufacturer of glass and polymer fused fiber optic microstructures — faceplates, tapers, MCPs, and LAPPDs — sold as custom components to OEM customers in medical/dental radiology, defense, scientific imaging, life sciences, and display technology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersCharlton, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Incom does
Incom, Inc. is a privately held, family-controlled US manufacturer founded in 1971 and headquartered in Charlton, Massachusetts, specializing in glass and polymer fused fiber optic microstructures. The company designs and produces precision optical components — fiber optic faceplates, tapers, capillary arrays, microchannel plates (MCPs), Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs™), Nanoguide™ image guides, DARC Glass, Infinity Tiles, and fiber optic button arrays — using proprietary processes including multidraw, multi-multidraw, and the patented MEGAdraw zero-shear distortion process. Its ALD-GCA-MCP technology was co-developed with Argonne National Laboratory and enables the world's largest MCP imaging areas (up to 20cm x 20cm) with fully customizable geometries.
Incom sells custom-manufactured components directly to OEM manufacturers and instrument makers across medical and dental radiology, homeland security and defense, scientific imaging and high-energy physics, life sciences (genetic sequencing and cell sorting), and display technology (AR/VR, holographic, automotive, aviation, gaming). The company operates from five US facilities totaling more than 150,000 square feet, with over 220 employees, including a dedicated R&D organization established in 2011. Its technology has enabled landmark applications such as sequencing of the Woolly Mammoth and Neanderthal genomes and US Army night vision systems since 1985.
Revenue is generated primarily through one-time hardware sales of custom-specification components via direct OEM sales and co-development engagements, supplemented by non-dilutive grant funding from agencies including NSF, DOE, and Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The Detarando family has held majority ownership since 1976, with current CEO Michael A. Detarando continuing that lineage. Strategic positioning combines deep technical exclusivity (only global manufacturer of both glass and polymer fused fiber optic faceplates) with government and institutional partnerships that anchor long-cycle, qualification-driven revenue.
Incom firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Incom
- Legal name
- INCOM, Inc.
- Website
- https://incomusa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Incom is a privately held US manufacturer of glass and polymer fused fiber optic microstructures — faceplates, tapers, MCPs, and LAPPDs — sold as custom components to OEM customers in medical/dental radiology, defense, scientific imaging, life sciences, and display technology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Incom industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fiber Optic Components and Microstructure Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing (32721)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs) (HDAHAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial & Technical Yarn Manufacturing (High-Tenacity/Aramid/Carbon/Glass) (IMAOAAAG)
Keywords
Where Incom is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Incom business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fiber Optic Components Sales: Incom generates revenue through the sale of fiber optic and polymer microstructure components to OEM manufacturers, researchers, and instrument makers. Products include faceplates, tapers, capillary arrays, MCPs, LAPPDs, and specialty glass/polymer products. Revenue is primarily one-time hardware sales with custom specifications.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Incom product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Incom manufactures glass and polymer fused fiber optic components used as building blocks inside other companies' instruments and systems. Its product portfolio spans fiber optic faceplates, tapers, capillary arrays, microchannel plates (MCPs), Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs), polymer capillary tubing, Nanoguide image guides, DARC viewing-angle glass, Infinity Tile borderless display components, fiber optic button arrays, and microwell arrays. These components are custom-fabricated to OEM specifications and co-developed with manufacturers serving medical, dental, life sciences, scientific research, defense, homeland security, and display technology markets.
Product overview
Incom is the world's leading innovator in glass and polymer microstructures, offering a comprehensive portfolio of precision optical components and imaging solutions. The company's product lineup centers on advanced microstructure technologies including fiber optic faceplates, tapers, capillary arrays, and MCP-based photodetectors. Key products include Nanoguide™ (ultra-high resolution image guides), MCP (microchannel plates for photon amplification), LAPPD™ (large area picosecond photodetectors), Glass Capillary Arrays, Polymer Capillary Tubing, DARC Glass (display angle control), Infinity Tiles (borderless display technology), and Fiber Optic Button Arrays. These products serve diverse markets including medical/dental radiology, homeland security, defense, scientific imaging, life sciences (genetic sequencing, cell sorting), and display technology (automotive, aviation, gaming, AR/VR). The company pioneered the MEGAdraw process for zero-shear distortion components and offers both glass and polymer-based solutions, making it unique in the fused fiber optics industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Nanoguide™: Highest resolving image guide ever produced, transferring images without pixilation with high uniformity, true color fidelity, and minimal distortion.
- MCP
- LAPPD™
- DARC Glass
Products and services
- Nanoguide™ The highest resolving image guide ever produced, transferring images without pixilation using nanostructure waveguiding principles to achieve up to 512 lp/mm resolution with submicron fibers. Designed for AR/VR, holographics, endoscopy, and scintillator applications.
- MCP (Microchannel Plate) Proprietary ALD-GCA-MCP microchannel plates co-developed with Argonne National Laboratory, offering the largest imaging area available (up to 20cm x 20cm) with fully customizable geometries using ALD functionalized coatings for photon and particle detection.
- Glass Capillary Array (GCA) Dense arrays of flow-through glass capillaries with large cross-sectional areas up to 230mm x 230mm and unlimited length-to-diameter ratio, with internal diameter pores as small as 5 micrometers for fluidic and detection applications.
- Polymer Capillary Tubing Custom medical-grade polymer capillary tubes available in a wide variety of sizes and material types, manufactured in a cleanroom-enclosed draw tower with tighter tolerances than extrusion processes for microfluidic handling applications.
- Fiber Optic Faceplate Fiber optic faceplates providing the optical equivalent of a zero-thickness window for image transfer using total internal reflection, attenuating up to 99.9% of harmful X-rays. Used in medical and dental radiology, nondestructive testing, and X-ray blocking applications.
- Fiber Optic Taper Specialized fused fiber optics that transfer and enlarge or reduce image size with minimal distortion. Features the world's largest end size up to 200mm diameter and magnification ratios up to 6:1 for X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy.
- DARC Glass Dynamic Angle Regulating Composite Glass using a high optical density matrix to control display emission intensity and directionality, providing customizable viewing angles and privacy control for aviation, automotive, and specialty displays.
- Infinity Tile
- Fiber Optic Button Array
- Microwell Array Fiber optic microwell arrays supporting sensitive biological analyses with millions of simultaneous reactions in the space of a laboratory slide, increasing analytical zones by up to 30,000 times over standard arrays for fluorescence and luminescence-based assays.
- LAPPD™ (Large Area Picosecond Photodetector) The world's largest and fastest MCP-based photodetector with picosecond level timing, high spatial resolution, and the industry's lowest dark counts for single photon sensitivity imaging in high-energy physics and scientific instruments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced X-ray exposure to sensors by up to 99.9%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Incom
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Incom technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Incom partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- LytrominorPartnership announced at NAB for light field technology applications using Incom's fiber optic technology.
- FairlightminorRevolutionized global gaming industry with interactive, customizable displays at G2E (Global Gaming Expo) using Incom's fiber optic button array technology.
- Paradigm OpticsflagshipAcquired Paradigm Optics of Vancouver in February 2012 to facilitate growth into polymer fiber optic devices and technology. This acquisition enabled Incom to service the display industry with polymer-based image guides. Paradigm Optics President and CEO David Welker remained as director of polymer products.
- Argonne National LaboratoryflagshipCo-developed proprietary MCP fabrication method with Argonne National Laboratory enabling the largest imaging area available for microchannel plates. This partnership enabled ALD-GCA-MCP technology with significant advantages over conventional lead-oxide based MCP technology.
- Department of Energy (DOE)flagshipLAPPD technology developed with grant funding from the US Department of Energy in partnership with Argonne National Labs and University of Chicago to explore elementary constituents of matter and energy.
- University of ChicagocoreCollaborated with University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory on development of large-area glass capillary MCP-based photodetectors including delay-line anode design demonstrations.
- MicroChem CorpminorCollaborated with MicroChem Corp to produce next-generation microwell biochips incorporating patterned microwells from photopatterned epoxy layer on glass fiber optic substrate.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Incom competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Photonis (Teledyne): Photonis, now part of Teledyne, is the most direct competitor in microchannel plates (MCPs) and large-area photodetectors for scientific, defense, and nuclear-detection applications. It competes head-to-head with Incom's MCP and LAPPD product lines in high-energy physics and homeland security markets.
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Hamamatsu manufactures photodetectors, image sensors, and photonic components including MCP-based devices. Comparable as a photonics components manufacturer serving medical imaging, scientific research, and industrial inspection markets with similar high-precision optical products.
- Thorlabs: Thorlabs manufactures optical components, fiber optics, and photonics instruments for scientific and industrial applications. Comparable as a component-and-instrument supplier serving research labs, OEMs, and integrators in similar end markets including imaging, microscopy, and photonics.
- Edmund Optics: Edmund Optics is a major manufacturer and distributor of optical components including lenses, filters, and fiber optic elements. Comparable as an OEM-embedded optical component supplier serving industrial, medical, and scientific instrumentation customers.
- Excelitas Technologies: Excelitas manufactures photonics, detectors, and electro-optical components for medical, scientific, defense, and industrial markets. Comparable through its photodetector and optical component portfolio, particularly in life sciences, night vision, and high-energy physics.
- NKT Photonics: NKT Photonics manufactures specialty optical fibers, fiber lasers, and photonic crystal fibers for scientific, medical, and industrial applications. Comparable as a specialty fiber optics manufacturer serving imaging, sensing, and high-energy physics end markets.
Broad incumbents
- Schott AG: Schott is a major specialty glass manufacturer producing fiber optic faceplates and glass components for medical, scientific, and industrial applications. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping glass-capillary and fiber-optic component capabilities, though as part of a much larger specialty materials portfolio.
- Corning Incorporated: Corning is a leading specialty glass and optical fiber manufacturer with extensive capabilities in fiber optics, glass substrates, and photonic components. Comparable through its optical fiber and specialty materials businesses serving communications, life sciences, and display markets.
- Asahi Glass (AGC): AGC is a major specialty glass manufacturer with products including glass substrates, optical glass, and fiber optic faceplates for display, medical, and industrial applications. A broader incumbent with overlapping specialty glass component capabilities.
- Coherent Corp (formerly II-VI): Coherent is a major photonics and electronic materials company producing lasers, optical components, and specialty materials. A broad incumbent with significant R&D resources that could potentially enter adjacent specialty fiber optic and imaging component markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Incom social profiles
Digital presenceIncom financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Incom leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Incom subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Incom funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Incom 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 Incom
What does Incom do?
Incom manufactures glass and polymer fused fiber optic components used as building blocks inside other companies' instruments and systems. Its product portfolio spans fiber optic faceplates, tapers, capillary arrays, microchannel plates (MCPs), Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs), polymer capillary tubing, Nanoguide image guides, DARC viewing-angle glass, Infinity Tile borderless display components, fiber optic button arrays, and microwell arrays. These components are custom-fabricated to OEM specifications and co-developed with manufacturers serving medical, dental, life sciences, scientific research, defense, homeland security, and display technology markets.
Is Incom a public or private company?
Incom is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Incom founded?
Incom was founded in 1971. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Incom based?
Incom is headquartered in Charlton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Incom make money?
One revenue line is on record: fiber Optic Components Sales.
Who are Incom's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Photonis (Teledyne), Hamamatsu Photonics, Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, Excelitas Technologies and NKT Photonics. Broad incumbents are Schott AG, Corning Incorporated, Asahi Glass (AGC) and Coherent Corp (formerly II-VI).
Does Incom have an API?
No public API is recorded for Incom.
What industry is Incom in?
Incom's product category is Fiber Optic Components and Microstructure Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAAAH, Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs), with a secondary code of IMAOAAAG, Industrial & Technical Yarn Manufacturing (High-Tenacity/Aramid/Carbon/Glass). Its NAICS code is 32721 and its SIC code is 3827.