What QuinStar Mitchell sister Technology Inc. does

QuinStar Technology, Inc. is a privately held, vertically integrated US manufacturer of millimeter-wave and RF components, subsystems, and assemblies operating across the 2 GHz to 110+ GHz range. Founded in 1993 in Torrance, California, by aerospace engineering managers, the company designs and builds GaN- and GaAs-based MMICs, solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs), low noise amplifiers, waveguides, cryogenic components, antennas, receivers, sources, and test equipment for radar, electronic warfare, satellite communications, quantum computing, and scientific research applications. It holds ISO9001:2015 and AS9100D certifications, operates Class 10,000 and Class 100,000 clean rooms, and is the only commercial Silicon IMPATT diode manufacturer in America following its 1998 acquisition of that product line from Raytheon.

The company's revenue model combines one-time sales of catalog RF components and fully integrated custom millimeter-wave assemblies (sold via RFQ) with professional-services revenue from SBIR and other R&D contracts with DoD/Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Distribution is direct, supported by sales engineers and regional sales representatives covering Asia/Pacific and Europe/Middle East, with Sogo Electronics acting as the Japan distributor. Growth has been driven by a long series of strategic acquisitions — DCL Inc. (1996), CERNEX Inc. (1997), Silicon IMPATT line from Raytheon (1998), Millimeter Products Inc. (2002), Berkshire Technologies (2004), PAMTECH (2010), and A-Alpha Waveguide (2023) — together with space-qualified product launches such as the QPN Ka-band SSPA for NISAR and the W-band components on ESA's EarthCARE satellite.

QuinStar's customer base spans defense primes (Northrop Grumman, BlueHalo), space agencies (NASA/JPL, ESA, ASI), and commercial and research buyers (ProSensing, ProSensing for Ka-band cloud radar). The firm has received repeated Northrop Grumman supplier awards in 2019, 2024, and 2026, and demonstrated in-orbit reliability with SSPAs operating continuously for 10+ years on the Alphasat satellite. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; all products are sold through a Request-for-Quote process, with sales engineers configuring solutions to customer specifications.

Name

QuinStar Mitchell sister Technology Inc.

Legal name

QuinStar Technology, Inc.

Website

https://quinstar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

QuinStar Technology is a vertically integrated US manufacturer of millimeter-wave and RF components and subsystems (2–110+ GHz) — including GaN/GaAs SSPAs, LNAs, waveguides, and cryogenic components — serving defense primes, space agencies, and scientific research customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrance

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Millimeter-Wave Assemblies and Subsystems: QuinStar specializes in customizing fully integrated millimeter-wave assemblies and subsystems for aerospace, defense, quantum computers, and scientific organizations.
2. Standard RF Components and Amplifiers: Catalog products including waveguides, amplifiers, antennas, receivers, sources, test equipment sold directly to customers.
3. SBIR/R&D Contracts: Government-funded research contracts including Phase II SBIR contracts with Department of Defense/Air Force Research Laboratory and Jet Propulsion Laboratory for developing advanced RF technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

QuinStar Technology, Inc. is a vertically integrated designer and manufacturer of millimeter-wave and RF components, amplifiers, and fully integrated subsystems operating from 2 GHz to 110 GHz and beyond. The company serves aerospace, defense, space/satellite, quantum computing, and scientific research customers with catalog products and custom assemblies, producing everything on-site at its Torrance, California facility including space-qualified hardware under AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certifications.

Product overview

QuinStar Technology, Inc. is a vertically integrated manufacturer of millimeter-wave and RF solutions for aerospace, defense, quantum computing, and scientific applications. The product portfolio centers on a comprehensive components family (waveguide products, amplifiers, antennas, cryogenic components, receivers, sources, PIN/ferrite control products, and test equipment) combined with fully integrated subsystems and assemblies. Key amplifier product lines include the QPN (space-qualified Ka-band SSPA), QBP (Ka-band high-power SSPA), QPP (dual-mode SSPA covering 24-100 GHz), QPW (broadband power amplifiers 16-95 GHz), and QPI (full waveguide band amplifiers 18-75 GHz) series. The company acquired A-Alpha Waveguide Inc. in January 2023 for custom millimeter-wave assembly capabilities. Products serve radar, satellite communications, scientific research, quantum computing, and test applications. The company also offers custom design and manufacturing services for application-specific solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A-Alpha Waveguide: Cold drawn precision waveguide tubing product line including aluminum double ridged waveguides, cast bends, cold drawn rigid waveguides, and flange stock.

Products and services

• Waveguide Products Comprehensive waveguide components including waveguides, waveguide tubing (A-Alpha series), adapters, coax adapters, couplers, dividers/combiners, tees, filters, hardware, terminations, and transitions for millimeter-wave applications across 18-110 GHz.
• Amplifiers

Quantifiable outcome

• SSPA combining efficiency of 92% (only 8% loss vs 20% for comparable devices)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Northrop GrummancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2019Northrop Grumman is a major defense contractor and key customer. QuinStar has received multiple Supplier Excellence Awards (2019, 2024, 2026) and World-Class Team Supplier recognition. QuinStar supplies millimeter-wave components for defense applications.
• NASA/Jet Propulsion LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing R&D partnership including multiple SBIR contracts. QuinStar developed Ka-band SSPAs for NISAR mission and other space-qualified hardware. JPL certified QuinStar's thermal vacuum chamber for testing flight hardware.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA partnership through EarthCARE satellite mission where QuinStar's W-band products are critical components of the Cloud Profiling Radar instrument.
• Italian Space Agency (ASI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Alphasat satellite mission with Q/V Band Telecommunication experiments. QuinStar's SSPA operating at 38 GHz has been working flawlessly for over 10 years.
• Sogo Electronics, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal distributor in Japan representing QuinStar at trade shows including 5G/IoT Network Expo. Enables sales coverage in Asia Pacific region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mini-Circuits: Mini-Circuits is a direct peer — a global manufacturer of RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave components, modules, and subassemblies sold to defense, space, instrumentation, and telecom customers. Highly comparable catalog-plus-custom business model serving overlapping frequency bands and use cases.
• Pasternack Enterprises: Pasternack is a direct peer in RF/microwave and millimeter-wave components including waveguides, amplifiers, antennas, and test equipment. Comparable broad catalog with custom capabilities, serving aerospace/defense and test-and-measurement customers in similar frequency ranges to QuinStar.
• AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation: AR is a direct peer in high-power RF and microwave amplifiers, including solid-state and TWT-based systems, used in defense EW, radar, and EMC test applications. Overlaps with QuinStar's SSPA and power amplifier product lines for similar customer missions.
• MACOM Technology Solutions: MACOM designs and manufactures GaN, GaAs, and InP semiconductors and modules for aerospace/defense, SATCOM, and millimeter-wave applications. Direct overlap in GaN MMIC and power amplifier technology serving radar, EW, and space customers.

Broad incumbents

• Mercury Systems: Mercury Systems is a broad defense electronics incumbent specializing in mission-critical RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave subassemblies for radar, EW, and SIGINT. Larger and more diversified than QuinStar, but directly comparable in RF subsystems for defense primes.
• Ducommun Incorporated: Ducommun is a broad aerospace/defense manufacturing incumbent producing engineered electronics and structural components, including RF and microwave assemblies for defense primes. Larger scale and broader portfolio, but overlaps with QuinStar's defense electronic assembly business.
• Qorvo: Qorvo is a broad RF semiconductor incumbent supplying GaN, GaAs, and BAW devices for defense, infrastructure, and mobile. Significantly larger scale, but directly comparable in GaN power amplifier and millimeter-wave MMIC technology serving radar, EW, and SATCOM markets.
• Crane Aerospace & Electronics: Crane A&E is a broad defense/aerospace electronics incumbent offering RF, microwave, and power solutions to defense primes and space customers. Larger and more diversified, but overlaps with QuinStar in space-qualified RF components and subsystems.
• Teledyne Technologies: Teledyne is a broad industrial/electronic instrumentation and defense incumbent; its Teledyne Microwave Solutions and Teledyne Scientific businesses manufacture RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave components and subsystems for defense, space, and scientific research. Comparable in space-qualified RF hardware and cryogenic instruments.
• Analog Devices (formerly Hittite Microwave): Analog Devices is a broad semiconductor and signal-chain incumbent whose RF and Microwave Group (originating from Hittite) supplies amplifiers, mixers, and millimeter-wave components for aerospace, defense, and test-and-measurement. Comparable product portfolio and end-markets to QuinStar at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QuinStarTechnology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quinstar-technology-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/quinstartechnology

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 QuinStar Mitchell sister Technology Inc.