Second Order Effects
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersEl Segundo, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Second Order Effects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Second Order Effects
- Legal name
- Second Order Effects, Inc.
- Website
- https://soeffects.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Second Order Effects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Electronics Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254) (IMABAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Flight Control Actuation Systems (Fly-by-Wire, Servos, Actuators) (IMABAFAJ), Military Avionics, Mission Computers & Flight Controls (IMABAMAE), MRO Engineering, Technical Publications & CAMO Support (IMABALAO)
Keywords
Where Second Order Effects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- El Segundo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Second Order Effects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Engineering Services - Pathfinder: Fixed retainer engagement (~1 month) to establish technical baseline, key risks, schedule, and costed plan for Joint Development and Supply. $50k retainer fits most component programs, scales for larger engagements.
- Joint Development: Time and Materials development phase (8-12 months) producing qualified flight hardware. Development rates decrease once Supply contract is signed, sharing development cost with customer.
- Supply Contract: Multi-year supply contracts with open book pricing and shared annual unit cost reduction targets. Follows Joint Development phase for ongoing hardware delivery.
- Design Reviews: Risk mitigation and root cause analysis services. Design review engagements start at $15,000, scoped to system complexity, applicable standards, and program timeline.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Pathfinder Phase - ~1 month engagement to establish technical baseline and development plan |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Joint Development Phase - Time and Materials hardware development |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Supply Phase - Multi-year ongoing hardware supply |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Design Reviews - Aerospace risk mitigation and root cause analysis |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Second Order Effects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Second Order Effects is an engineering research and development firm that designs and delivers custom flight hardware and end-to-end electronic systems for aerospace customers. Its core "Engineered Solutions" offering is a three-phase engagement model: a ~1 month Pathfinder phase (~$50k retainer) to establish technical baseline and a costed plan, an 8–12 month Joint Development phase producing qualified flight hardware on time-and-materials terms, and a multi-year Supply phase with annual unit cost-down targets. The firm also performs Aerospace Avionics Design Reviews and Root Cause Analysis engagements starting at $15,000.
Product overview
Second Order Effects is an engineering research and development firm offering Engineered Solutions for custom electronics and end-to-end electronic systems. The core offering is a three-phase model: Pathfinder (technical baseline and planning), Joint Development (8-12 month custom hardware development), and Supply (ongoing production). Three specialized solutions fall under this: Rapid Hardware Development and Supply for custom flight hardware, Aerospace Avionics Design Reviews for risk mitigation, and Aerospace Root Cause Analysis for troubleshooting. The company specializes in aerospace applications with 100% mission success record for flown avionics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Engineered Solutions A three-phase engineering research and development engagement model consisting of Pathfinder (~1 month, ~$50k retainer to establish technical baseline and costed plan), Joint Development (8–12 months, time-and-materials development of qualified flight hardware), and Supply (multi-year ongoing hardware supply with annual unit cost reduction targets). Sold to enterprise aerospace customers needing custom flight hardware.
- Rapid Hardware Development and Supply Custom flight hardware developed in 8–12 months followed by an ongoing supply contract, targeted at commercial space programs with unknown qualification paths and a need for collaborative design involvement. Includes the "Careful COTS" component screening process and qualification to industry standards. Delivered from an ITAR-compliant facility with experience in export-licensed international deliveries.
- Aerospace Avionics Design Reviews Proactive technical risk mitigation review that partners with aerospace program teams before critical milestones (PDR, CDR) to identify unknown unknowns in avionics systems, assess and quantify risks threatening mission success, and recommend corrective action. Reviews cover avionics components, analyses, test results, and documentation against standards including DO-160, MIL-STD-461, SMC-S-016, and EEE-INST-002.
- Aerospace Root Cause Analysis Technical investigation service for aerospace programs facing unresolved design challenges, component failures, or schedule slip. Provides immediate technical intervention to stabilize programs, isolate root causes, quantify impacts, and define corrective actions across avionics components, analyses, test results, and documentation. Engagements start at $15,000, scoped to system complexity, applicable standards, and program timeline.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% mission completion rate for all avionics flown
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Second Order Effects
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Second Order Effects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Second Order Effects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Second Order Effects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell is a major OEM of avionics, flight management systems, power conversion, and environmental control electronics across commercial aviation, business jets, and space. It is a broad incumbent in the same flight-qualified electronics category as SOE, with significantly broader product lines and global reach.
- BAE Systems: BAE Systems manufactures military avionics, flight controls, electronic warfare, and mission-critical electronics. It overlaps with SOE in safety-critical aerospace electronics, particularly for defense and hypersonic programs, but at much larger scale as a prime contractor.
- Ball Aerospace: Ball Aerospace designs and manufactures spacecraft avionics, instruments, and mission systems for civil, commercial, and defense space programs. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping flight-computer and spacecraft electronics capabilities relative to SOE's commercial space customers.
- Beyond Gravity: Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) manufactures space-grade electronics, structures, and mechanisms for satellites and launch vehicles. It is comparable to SOE's commercial-space electronics work — flight computers, payload controllers, power systems — but as a larger established space hardware supplier.
- L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris designs avionics, mission computers, space electronics, and communications payloads for defense and commercial space. It is a broad incumbent in the same flight-heritage electronics domain as SOE, but at prime-scale with significantly broader platform coverage.
- Collins Aerospace: Collins Aerospace (an RTX business) manufactures avionics, flight controls, power systems, and mission electronics for commercial and military platforms. It competes with SOE on integrated flight electronics but operates as a large prime integrator across full aircraft and space programs.
- Curtiss-Wright: Curtiss-Wright provides engineered avionics, mission computers, power systems, and rugged electronics across commercial and military aerospace. It is a broad incumbent that competes with SOE on custom flight electronics, but at much larger scale and across broader program portfolios.
- Moog Inc. Moog designs and manufactures high-performance flight control actuation systems, motor controllers, and motion control electronics for aerospace and defense. It overlaps with SOE's motor/valve/actuator controller work for launch vehicles and advanced aircraft, but as a much larger established supplier.
Direct peers
- CesiumAstro: CesiumAstro designs and manufactures advanced aerospace electronics and software-defined communication systems for satellites and space platforms. It is a direct peer: a custom avionics and RF/signal-processing house selling flight-qualified hardware into the same commercial space and defense aerospace customers.
Emerging players
- Rocket Lab: Rocket Lab develops launch vehicles and smallsat platforms with significant internal avionics, flight computer, and power electronics content. While primarily a launch and spacecraft operator, its vertically integrated avionics work intersects with SOE's launch-vehicle and satellite customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Second Order Effects social profiles
Digital presenceSecond Order Effects compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Second Order Effects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Second Order Effects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Second Order Effects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Second Order Effects 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 Second Order Effects
What does Second Order Effects do?
Second Order Effects is an engineering research and development firm that designs and delivers custom flight hardware and end-to-end electronic systems for aerospace customers. Its core "Engineered Solutions" offering is a three-phase engagement model: a ~1 month Pathfinder phase (~$50k retainer) to establish technical baseline and a costed plan, an 8–12 month Joint Development phase producing qualified flight hardware on time-and-materials terms, and a multi-year Supply phase with annual unit cost-down targets. The firm also performs Aerospace Avionics Design Reviews and Root Cause Analysis engagements starting at $15,000.
Is Second Order Effects a public or private company?
Second Order Effects is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Second Order Effects founded?
Second Order Effects was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Second Order Effects based?
Second Order Effects is headquartered in El Segundo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Second Order Effects make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Engineering Services - Pathfinder is the primary driver. The others are joint Development, supply Contract and design Reviews.
Who are Second Order Effects's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Honeywell Aerospace, BAE Systems, Ball Aerospace, Beyond Gravity, L3Harris Technologies, Collins Aerospace, Curtiss-Wright and Moog Inc.. CesiumAstro is listed as a direct peer. Rocket Lab is listed as an emerging player.
Does Second Order Effects have an API?
No public API is recorded for Second Order Effects.
What industry is Second Order Effects in?
Second Order Effects's product category is Aerospace Electronics Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAFAK, Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254), with a secondary code of IMABAFAJ, Flight Control Actuation Systems (Fly-by-Wire, Servos, Actuators). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.