Widetronix
Widetronix is an early-stage, Cornell University spin-out that designs and manufactures silicon carbide betavoltaic power sources and betavoltaic-enabled ultra-low power electronics, serving U.S. defense, medical implant, and industrial sensor customers through direct sales of demonstration units and custom prototypes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Widetronix does
Widetronix Inc. is a privately held, early-stage semiconductor company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Ithaca, New York, that designs and manufactures betavoltaic power sources and betavoltaic-enabled ultra-low power electronic devices. The company was spun out of Cornell University's Spencer Research Group under Dr. Michael Spencer and operates under an exclusive license to Cornell's silicon carbide betavoltaic intellectual property. Its core technology exploits the direct conversion of radioactive decay (beta particles from tritium or Nickel-63 isotopes) into continuous DC electrical current using wide bandgap silicon carbide semiconductors, achieving open-circuit voltages of approximately 2.0V and conversion efficiencies above 20%.
Widetronix commercializes its technology through the Firefli product family, which includes the Firefli-T (tritium-based, 12.3 year half-life, 25 mCi to 2.5 Ci, 10 nW to 1 µW output) and Firefli-N (Nickel-63-based, 100.1 year half-life, 5 to 500 mCi, 5 to 500 nW output) betavoltaic cells, a hermetically sealed ceramic surface mount package, a betavoltaic-powered Real Time Clock with I2C/SPI interfaces, and a Power Burst Controller for duty-cycled sensing applications. The company sells demonstration betavoltaics, engineering prototypes, and custom research devices to qualified customers with proper radioactive material licensing.
The business operates a direct enterprise sales model, supported by U.S. Department of Defense non-dilutive funding, and serves defense, medical implant, and industrial/infrastructure sensor customers. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of demonstration units and custom prototypes, supplemented by inbound royalties from Cornell-licensed technology. The company has raised over $5 million in cumulative dilutive and non-dilutive capital since inception, with primary customers including the U.S. Department of Defense and prime defense contractors such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, and is actively participating in DARPA-funded consortia targeting radiovoltaic power for space, defense, and remote infrastructure applications.
Widetronix firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Widetronix
- Legal name
- Widetronix Inc.
- Website
- https://widetronix.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Widetronix is an early-stage, Cornell University spin-out that designs and manufactures silicon carbide betavoltaic power sources and betavoltaic-enabled ultra-low power electronics, serving U.S. defense, medical implant, and industrial sensor customers through direct sales of demonstration units and custom prototypes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Widetronix industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Betavoltaic Power Sources
- NAICS
- Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wide-Bandgap Power Devices (SiC/GaN Discretes) (HDAHAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Power Modules (IGBT/MOSFET/SiC/GaN Modules) (HDAHAHAH)
Keywords
Where Widetronix is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Widetronix business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Betavoltaic Power Source Sales: Sale of demonstration betavoltaics, engineering prototypes, and custom research devices to qualified customers with proper licensing documentation.
- Custom Device Development: Engineering team works with customers to develop betavoltaic-enabled devices and sensing platforms. Revenue from custom research devices and pre-production prototypes.
- Licensing Royalties: Company has licensed core technology from Cornell University and holds several patents and patents pending.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Engineering Prototypes and Custom Research Devices |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Widetronix product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Widetronix designs and manufactures betavoltaic power sources (the Firefli-T tritium-based and Firefli-N Nickel-63-based cells) that convert radioactive decay directly into continuous DC electrical energy, alongside betavoltaic-enabled electronics including a Real Time Clock and Power Burst Controller. These components are integrated into ultra-low power wireless sensor platforms with operational lifetimes designed to exceed 25 years for defense, medical implant, and industrial infrastructure applications.
Product overview
Widetronix offers a portfolio of betavoltaic-based products centered on the Firefli power source line. The core offerings are the Firefli-T (tritium-based) and Firefli-N (Nickel-63 based) betavoltaic cells, which provide continuous nanowatt-to-microwatt power output over decades. These are complemented by the Surface Mount Package for integration, the Real Time Clock (RTC) and Power Burst Controller (PBC) as betavoltaic-enabled electronic devices, and custom research devices for qualified customers. The company also provides complete ultra-low power sensor platforms that integrate betavoltaic power with measurement and wireless transmission capabilities for defense, medical, and industrial infrastructure applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Firefli: Betavoltaic power source product line by Widetronix, available in T (tritium-based) and N (Nickel-63 based) models.
Products and services
- Firefli Betavoltaic Power Source Continuous long-duration nuclear power source for ultra-low power applications, available in tritium-based (T) and Nickel-63-based (N) variants with configurable voltage (2V to 6V) and power output ranges, supplied to qualified customers with proper radioactive-material licensing.
- Firefli-T (Tritium Betavoltaic Power Source) Betavoltaic power source using tritium isotope (12.3 year half-life) locked in a metal foil with 25 mCi to 2.5 Ci of tritium, producing 10 nW to 1 µW initial power output with open circuit voltage typically 2V to 6V, for ultra-low power applications requiring years to decades of continuous operation.
- Firefli-N (Nickel-63 Betavoltaic Power Source) Betavoltaic power source using Nickel-63 isotope (100.1 year half-life) plated on foil with 5 mCi to 500 mCi, producing 5 nW to 500 nW initial power output with open circuit voltage typically 2V to 6V, for ultra-low power applications requiring century-scale continuous operation.
- Surface Mount Package for Betavoltaics Custom ceramic surface mount package (10mm x 8.5mm x 2mm) designed specifically for betavoltaics, hermetically seam sealed for radiation protection, and vertically stackable for increased power output while minimizing footprint.
- Widetronix Real Time Clock (RTC) Betavoltaic-powered Real Time Clock with standard I2C or SPI communication, equipped with a watch-dog timer that enables microcontrollers to remain in sleep mode until activity is required; designed to function for years beyond conventional battery-powered clocks.
- Widetronix Power Burst Controller (PBC) Betavoltaic-powered microcontroller that runs in sleep mode and periodically wakes to perform specific functions; ideal for duty-cycled applications performing limited computations on a periodic basis, and combinable with sensors and RF/RFID components for autonomous data collection and transmission.
- Ultra-Low Power Sensor Platform Autonomous wireless sensor platform with operational lifetimes designed to exceed 25 years, powered by a betavoltaic energy source that stores continuous power and uses it to take measurements and transmit data for defense, medical, and industrial infrastructure applications.
- Custom Research Devices and Engineering Prototypes Pre-production prototypes and custom research devices developed through collaborative engineering with qualified customers for integration of betavoltaic technology into new or existing products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Power density of 1 to 10 µW/cm2 for medical implant betavoltaic
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Widetronix
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Widetronix technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Widetronix partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and strategic.
- Northrop GrummanmajorPartner in DARPA SYMPHONEE radiovoltaic micro-power project developing long-duration nuclear-based power systems for extreme environments in space, defense, and remote infrastructure applications.
- Morgan State UniversitymajorPartner in DARPA 'Rads to Watts' project leading development of radiovoltaics technology to convert nuclear radiation into electrical energy. First HBCU to lead such a DARPA project.
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)majorPartner in DARPA 'Rads to Watts' project developing radiovoltaics technology.
- Omega ProjectmajorPartner in DARPA 'Rads to Watts' project developing radiovoltaics technology.
- Applied Research Associates (ARA)majorPartner in DARPA 'Rads to Watts' project developing radiovoltaics technology.
- Cornell UniversitycoreLicensed core betavoltaic technology from Cornell University's Spencer Research Group. Company spun out from Cornell's Wide Bandgap Laboratory. Ongoing relationship with Energy Materials Center Cornell.
- Lockheed MartinstrategicTechnology partner collaborating on defense applications integration.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Widetronix competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Microchip Technology: Major microcontroller, analog, and real-time clock semiconductor supplier serving industrial, automotive, and defense customers. Comparable RTC and microcontroller product lines that pair with betavoltaic power sources.
- Texas Instruments: Large analog and embedded processing semiconductor supplier with broad industrial, defense, and energy portfolios. Comparable ultra-low-power microcontroller and power management offerings to complement betavoltaic platforms.
- Coherent (II-VI): Large compound semiconductor materials supplier including silicon carbide substrates. Sells into power electronics markets overlapping Widetronix's SiC supply chain; existing II-VI/Widetronix partnership noted.
- Wolfspeed (Cree): Leading merchant supplier of silicon carbide (SiC) wafers and power devices across multiple end markets including EVs, power supplies, and industrial. A potential SiC material supplier or broader semiconductor competitor; Widetronix already partners with Cree.
- Analog Devices: Major analog and mixed-signal semiconductor company producing precision analog, power management, and microcontroller products for industrial, automotive, and defense. Adjacent silicon supplier and RTC competitor in Widetronix's sensor platform stack.
Direct peers
- City Labs: Direct competitor in betavoltaic micro-power cells using tritium and other radioisotopes. Targets similar ultra-low-power applications including sensors, medical implants, and defense electronics with comparable nanowatt-to-microwatt power output.
- NDB (Nano Diamond Battery): Develops diamond-based betavoltaic and radiovoltaic power cells using radioactive isotopes to produce continuous long-duration micro-power. Competes in the same betavoltaic micro-power niche targeting defense, aerospace, and medical applications.
- BetaBatt: Historical betavoltaic battery developer using promethium-147 to power micro-electromechanical systems and sensors. Directly comparable betavoltaic technology targeting similar long-life wireless sensor applications.
Emerging players
- EnOcean: Provides energy-harvesting wireless sensor modules for building automation and IoT. Competes for the same ultra-low-power wireless sensor sockets but uses ambient light/thermal/mechanical harvesting rather than nuclear decay.
- ReVibe Energy: Develops vibration-based kinetic energy harvesting modules powering wireless industrial sensors. Targets the same wireless sensor power market as Widetronix but with a different harvesting mechanism.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Widetronix social profiles
Digital presenceWidetronix financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Widetronix leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Widetronix funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Widetronix 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 Widetronix
What does Widetronix do?
Widetronix designs and manufactures betavoltaic power sources (the Firefli-T tritium-based and Firefli-N Nickel-63-based cells) that convert radioactive decay directly into continuous DC electrical energy, alongside betavoltaic-enabled electronics including a Real Time Clock and Power Burst Controller. These components are integrated into ultra-low power wireless sensor platforms with operational lifetimes designed to exceed 25 years for defense, medical implant, and industrial infrastructure applications.
Is Widetronix a public or private company?
Widetronix is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Widetronix founded?
Widetronix was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Widetronix based?
Widetronix is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Widetronix make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Betavoltaic Power Source Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Device Development and licensing Royalties.
Who are Widetronix's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Microchip Technology, Texas Instruments, Coherent (II-VI), Wolfspeed (Cree) and Analog Devices. Direct peers are City Labs, NDB (Nano Diamond Battery) and BetaBatt. Emerging players are EnOcean and ReVibe Energy.
Does Widetronix have an API?
No public API is recorded for Widetronix.
What industry is Widetronix in?
Widetronix's product category is Betavoltaic Power Sources. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAHAG, Wide-Bandgap Power Devices (SiC/GaN Discretes), with a secondary code of HDAHAHAH, Power Modules (IGBT/MOSFET/SiC/GaN Modules). Its NAICS code is 334517 and its SIC code is 3600.