What Emcore does

Emcore is a U.S.-based navigation and inertial sensing technology company serving aerospace, defense, and selected commercial/industrial customers. The firm designs and manufactures a portfolio of fiber optic gyroscopes (FOG), Quartz MEMS (QMEMS) gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), inertial navigation systems (INS) and the TACNAV tactical navigation suite, built around three proprietary technology pillars: Photonic Integrated Chip (PIC) architecture that replaces discrete fiber components with an integrated planar optic chip; solid-state QMEMS angular rate sensors; and proprietary DSP electronics that digitize optical signals close to the sensing element to suppress drift and rotation errors (covered by U.S. Patent #6,429,939). Performance specifications span tactical to navigation grade, with the EG-1300 navigation-grade FOG delivering 0.01 deg/hr bias instability and 0.002 deg/sqrt(hr) ARW, and the recently launched TAC-DSP-1750 (Oct 2025) extending the portfolio into the smallest-form-factor high-accuracy FOG tier. Production is vertically integrated at ISO 9001- and AS9100-certified facilities in Concord, CA and Tinley Park, IL.

The company monetizes almost exclusively through direct, quote-based enterprise sales of custom-configured inertial hardware to defense primes, U.S. government customers and Tier 1 industrial OEMs, on multi-year contract cycles. Named customers include U.S. SOCOM (type-classified TACNAV Light), the U.S. Navy (MV-103 digital magnetic compass) and multiple Tier 1 primes on flagship programs including MLRS and HIMARS; secondary applications address autonomous air/land/marine platforms and commercial/industrial motion control through the "Emcore Edge Innovation" initiative. Historically a NASDAQ-listed company (EMKR), Emcore sold its chip and wafer fabrication operations to HieFo Corp for $2.92M in May 2024, then was taken private by Charlesbank Capital Partners in January 2026 after a Trump executive order (citing national security concerns over HieFo's Chinese ownership) forced unwind of that divestiture. The firm now operates as Emcore LLC under PE ownership, focused exclusively on inertial sensing for mission-critical defense and adjacent applications.

Name

Emcore

Legal name

Emcore LLC

Website

https://emcore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Emcore is a U.S. inertial sensing and navigation company that designs and manufactures fiber optic gyroscopes, Quartz MEMS sensors, IMUs, INS and the TACNAV tactical navigation suite for aerospace, defense and selected commercial/industrial customers under Charlesbank Capital Partners ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inertial Navigation & Sensing Hardware

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Inertial Navigation Systems (INS/IMU) (IMABAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inertial & Motion Sensors (Accelerometers/Gyroscopes/IMUs) (HDAHALAA), Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Electronics for Weapons (IMABAGAH), Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS) (IMAJAJAE), Naval Sensors & Sonar Systems (IMABAKAD)

Keywords

• Fiber optic gyroscopes
• Inertial measurement units
• Tactical navigation systems
• Quartz MEMS sensors
• Aerospace defense navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Inertial Sensing Hardware Sales: Emcore generates revenue through the sale of proprietary inertial sensing hardware including fiber optic gyroscopes, Quartz MEMS gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), inertial navigation systems (INS), and tactical navigation systems. Products are sold as custom-configured units for aerospace, defense, and commercial applications with project-based and recurring purchase patterns from defense contractors and industrial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Emcore designs and manufactures inertial sensing and navigation hardware for aerospace, defense, and commercial/industrial markets. Its portfolio spans fiber optic gyroscopes (FOG), Quartz MEMS (QMEMS) gyroscopes, inertial measurement units (IMUs), inertial navigation systems (INS), and the TACNAV tactical navigation suite for military ground vehicles, including digital magnetic compasses for naval vessels. The company sells custom-configured units through a quote-based, direct enterprise sales motion.

Product overview

EMCORE is a navigation and inertial sensing technology provider for aerospace, defense, and commercial applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into six core categories: (1) Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOG) including closed-loop EG-series and DSP-series for tactical and navigation-grade applications; (2) Quartz MEMS (QMEMS) gyroscopes including QRS-series and SDG-series for cost-effective tactical applications with virtually unlimited operational life; (3) Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) including TAC-450 photonic IMUs and SDI/SDC-series QMEMS-based units; (4) Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) including GEO-FOG 3D Dual with embedded RTK GNSS and SDN-500 GPS/INS; (5) TACNAV Tactical Navigation Suite including TLS, Light, and UMD for military ground vehicles; and (6) Magnetic Sensors including MV-103 naval compass and C-100 compass engine. EMCORE's key differentiating technologies include Photonic Integrated Chip (PIC) technology for FOG miniaturization and reliability, and proprietary DSP electronics for enhanced signal processing. The company maintains vertically integrated manufacturing in Concord, CA and Tinley Park, IL.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TACNAV: Tactical navigation suite of products for military land vehicle navigation
• EMCORE Edge Innovation

Products and services

• Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) Product Line EMCORE's FOG product line includes closed-loop and open-loop fiber optic gyroscopes for tactical and navigation-grade applications, featuring advanced FPGA and DSP electronics for high accuracy and low noise performance.
• Quartz MEMS (QMEMS) Gyroscope Product Line EMCORE's QMEMS gyroscopes utilize solid-state quartz sensing elements for exceptional bias stability, low noise, and virtually unlimited operational life in tactical-grade applications.
• Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) IMUs integrating FOG, QMEMS, and photonic technologies with accelerometers for precision motion sensing in aerospace, defense, and autonomous applications.
• Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) INS products combining FOG-based IMUs with GNSS receivers for high-accuracy position, velocity, and attitude determination in demanding navigation environments.
• TACNAV Tactical Navigation Suite Complete tactical navigation systems for military land vehicles, including the TACNAV TLS for turreted vehicles, TACNAV Light for light vehicles, and TACNAV UMD multilingual display.
• Magnetic Sensors and Fluxmeters Digital magnetic compasses including the MV-103 for naval vessels and C-100 compass engine for heading determination in marine and industrial applications.
• EG-1300 Fiber Optic Gyroscope Navigation-grade closed-loop FOG with fully-integrated optics and electronics, featuring bias instability of 0.01 deg/hr and ARW of 0.002 deg/sqrt(hr) for precision navigation applications.
• EG-120 Fiber Optic Gyroscope Ultra-compact closed-loop FOG module described as the smallest and most affordable closed-loop FOG available, delivering industry-leading SWaP with half the weight and one-third the power of current generation FOGs.
• EG-200 Fiber Optic Gyroscope Tactical-grade closed-loop FOG with fully-integrated optics and electronics featuring next-generation FPGA electronics for higher accuracy, lower noise, and greater efficiency.
• DSP-3000 Fiber Optic Gyro Series Workhorse single-axis FOG series offering field-proven performance with DSP electronics, providing 1 deg/hr performance and modular design for 1, 2, or 3-axis configurations.
• DSP-3400 Fiber Optic Gyro Single-axis FOG with true digital RS-422 interface and 1000 Hz synchronous output in a durable, shielded package for long-distance signal transmission applications.
• TAC-450 Fiber Optic Gyro Compact single- or multi-axis FOG available in nine configurations, featuring PIC technology for exceptional bias stability of 0.05 deg/hr typical, designed for air, land, or maritime stabilization and pointing applications.
• TAC-DSP-1750 Fiber Optic Gyro World's smallest high-accuracy FOG engineered for tight spaces, featuring PIC technology, extremely low noise, high bandwidth, and magnetic shielding. Available in single or dual-axis configurations.
• QRS-11 Single-Axis Analog Gyroscope High-performance quartz MEMS gyroscope featuring solid-state design with virtually unlimited life, exceptional bias stability, and superior vibration performance for aerospace applications.
• QRS-116 Single-Axis Tactical Grade Analog Gyroscope Advanced QMEMS angular rate sensor delivering ground-breaking levels of low angle random walk, bias stability, and vibration performance in a compact industry-standard package.
• QRS-14 Single-Axis Analog Gyroscope Solid-state quartz MEMS gyroscope with excellent vibration performance, low noise, and virtually unlimited life designed for precision industrial applications.
• QRS-28 Multi-Axis Gyroscope MEMS miniature dual-axis gyroscope in a hermetically sealed stainless steel cylinder, offering exceptional performance with dual-axis capabilities in an industry's smallest form factor.
• QRS-31 3-Axis Control Quartz System Compact three-axis control system featuring three solid-state QMEMS gyros offering virtually unlimited life, designed for cost-effective high-performance systems.
• SDD-3000 Single-Axis Precision Digital Gyroscope High-performance digital single-axis gyroscope incorporating advanced QMEMS sensing element with state-of-the-art DSP technology for unprecedented low angle random walk values.
• SDG-500 Single-Axis Analog Gyroscope Commercial-grade gyroscope featuring QMEMS sensing element in a compact rugged aluminum case, providing virtually unlimited life with fast start-up and low noise.
• SDG-1400 Single-Axis Analog Gyroscope High-performance commercial-grade gyroscope offering class-leading bias stability and stability in a small rugged package with internal temperature sensors for enhanced performance modeling.
• TAC-450-320 Photonic Inertial Measurement Unit Affordable tactical-grade photonic FOG-based IMU featuring PIC technology with inertial-grade MEMS accelerometers, bias instability of 0.05 deg/hr typical.
• TAC-450-360 Photonic Inertial Measurement Unit Premier photonic FOG-based IMU with PIC technology, 3-axis magnetometer, and your choice of 10g to 100g inertial-grade MEMS accelerometers for extremely demanding autonomous platforms.
• SDI-500 Tactical Grade Inertial Measurement Unit QMEMS-based tactical IMU achieving 1 deg/hr gyro bias stability, 1 mg accelerometer bias stability, and 0.02 deg/sqrt(hr) angle random walk in a compact 19 cubic inch package.
• SDI-170 Tactical Grade Inertial Measurement Unit Performance-compatible replacement for legacy RLG-based IMU with superior overall performance, 1 deg/hr gyro and 1 mg accelerometer bias, and 20-year operating and storage life.
• SDC-500 MEMS Inertial Measurement Unit License-free QMEMS IMU available in performance-cost options from precision 1 deg/hr gyro to 20 deg/hr gyro for commercial aerospace, industrial, and marine applications.
• SDN-500 GPS/INS Tactical Grade Navigation System Advanced GPS/INS system combining latest generation quartz gyros, quartz accelerometers, and 48-channel GPS receiver for reliable 3.9 meter SEP GPS-aided accuracy.
• GEO-FOG 3D Dual Inertial Navigation System Rugged high-accuracy INS and AHRS featuring exclusive PIC technology and embedded dual-antenna RTK GNSS receiver for centimeter-level positioning accuracy.
• TACNAV TLS Tactical Navigation System Easy-to-integrate tactical navigation and targeting solution for turreted military vehicles, featuring far target location, GPS backup, hull and turret azimuth displays, and multiple interface support.
• TACNAV UMD Universal Multilingual Display Robust tactical display technology capable of presenting navigation information in multiple languages with Generation III NVG compatibility and interchangeable commander/driver displays.
• TACNAV Light Tactical Navigation System Affordable digital compass-based battlefield navigation system type-classified by U.S. SOCOM for non-turreted light vehicles, providing GPS backup and enhanced situational awareness.
• MV-103 Digital Magnetic Compass Digital magnetic compass authorized by the U.S. Navy as replacement for magnetic card compasses, designed for amphibious craft, small boats, and naval vessels with automatic calibration.
• C-100 Compass Engine Stand-alone sensor outputting accurate heading data in six user-selectable digital or analog formats, featuring automatic compensation for hard and soft iron errors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bias instability as low as 0.01 deg/hr with angle random walk of 0.002 deg/sqrt(hr) for navigation grade FOGs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Trimble: GNSS positioning partner to EMCORE — Trimble receivers are embedded in EMCORE's GEO-FOG 3D Dual INS for RTK-level accuracy. Comparable as a positioning/navigation provider, but with a different center of gravity (commercial GNSS and construction/precision agriculture), making it a partial-overlap emerging player rather than a direct FOG competitor.
• Fibrecom (Fizoptika): Russian-origin manufacturer of open-loop and closed-loop FOGs competing in tactical and industrial-grade markets. Comparable on core FOG technology and price points for commercial/defense applications, though geographic and political constraints limit direct overlap in U.S. defense programs.

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: Large defense prime with significant inertial sensor and navigation product lines for airborne, ground, and naval platforms. Comparable because of overlapping tactical navigation and INS content on defense programs, with broader offerings (communications, electronic warfare, space) providing larger balance-sheet competition.
• Northrop Grumman: Led the global FOG market in 2024 with 8% share. Comparable because it produces high-grade inertial sensors and navigation systems for strategic platforms including submarines and missile guidance — directly overlapping EMCORE's navigation-grade and GNC applications — while operating at much greater scale across aerospace and defense.
• Safran: Identified as a top-tier FOG market player. Comparable through its Sagem defense avionics subsidiary, which produces FOG and hemispherical resonator gyro navigation systems for military aircraft, naval platforms, and land vehicles — direct overlap with EMCORE's INS/IMU and TACNAV tactical product lines.
• Honeywell: Identified as one of the major FOG market players alongside EMCORE; offers a broad portfolio of inertial measurement, navigation, and avionics systems for aerospace and defense. Comparability stems from overlapping FOG-based navigation products and shared Tier 1 defense customers, though Honeywell's portfolio is far larger and includes non-inertial systems.

Direct peers

• VectorNav Technologies: Direct peer in tactical and industrial-grade MEMS and FOG-based IMU/INS products for UAV, UGV, and commercial autonomy. Comparable because both target GPS-denied navigation for unmanned platforms with miniaturized, high-reliability inertial sensors, though VectorNav skews more commercial/autonomy while EMCORE is heavier on defense.
• SBG Systems: Direct peer in MEMS-based and FOG-based inertial navigation systems for UAV, UGV, marine survey, and autonomous applications. Highly comparable on INS/IMU form factor, GPS-aided performance, and target customer overlap in unmanned systems and commercial autonomy.
• KVH Industries: Named alongside EMCORE as one of the major FOG market players. Direct competitor in fiber optic gyroscopes and tactical-grade inertial navigation systems for defense and commercial applications, with overlapping product positioning in compact, navigation-grade gyros for ground vehicles and unmanned platforms.
• Exail (formerly iXblue): Direct competitor in high-performance FOG technology and INS for naval, defense, and survey applications. Highly comparable because it sells navigation-grade fiber optic gyroscopes and full INS to NATO navies and Tier 1 defense primes, directly overlapping EMCORE's GEO-FOG 3D Dual and EG-1300 product positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/emcorecorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/137363616307703
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emcore

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

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

M&A6 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Emcore