What Global Circuit Innovations does

Global Circuit Innovations, Inc. (GCI) is a privately held defense electronics engineering and manufacturing firm founded in 2006 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, specializing in electronic obsolescence solutions and harsh-environment electronics. Its core technology is the proprietary DER (Die Extraction and Reassembly/Repackaging) and DEER (Die Extraction, Gold Ball Removal, ENEPIG Die Pad Plating) processes, which extract dies from obsolete plastic-packaged integrated circuits and repackage them into hermetic ceramic enclosures that replicate original form, fit, and function. The company complements these with high-temperature hermetic microcircuits rated to +250°C and 30,000g, and an advanced thermal management line built around diamond-filled epoxy encapsulants and 3D-printed hermetic packages.

GCI serves two primary verticals: the U.S. Department of Defense (including USAF, U.S. Army, Navy programs, and prime contractors such as Sikorsky), where it resolves DMSMS (Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages) issues for legacy platforms including F-16 avionics, Black Hawk helicopters, EA-6B and EA-18G fleets, and the Maverick Missile; and the oil and gas industry, where it supplies downhole drilling microcircuits (150,000+ units delivered worldwide over more than a decade). Revenue is generated through a combination of hardware sales, custom engineering and manufacturing services, and SBIR/STTR plus USAF Rapid Innovation Funding research contracts; pricing is quote-based with payment on C.O.D., wire, card, or Net 30 terms for approved credit customers.

The company is founder-owned, led by Dr. Erick Spory (CEO and CTO, 22-year Atmel veteran, 19 patents) and Jeff Murphy (VP Operations, 25 years in semiconductor manufacturing at Atmel and Cypress). GCI holds 20 issued patents and three trademarks, operates under ITAR compliance, and is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D, conducting MIL-STD-883 qualification testing in-house. Distribution is direct via field sales, SBIR/STTR program capture, and a recurring presence in defense and microelectronics conferences (DMSMS, IMAPS HiTEC, SMTA) and government industry days, with no public e-commerce or self-serve channels.

Name

Global Circuit Innovations

Legal name

Global Circuit Innovations, Inc.

Website

https://gci-global.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Circuit Innovations is a Colorado Springs defense electronics firm that reverse-engineers obsolete integrated circuits and repackages them into hermetic ceramic components for U.S. military platforms and oil and gas downhole drilling applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Electronic Microcircuits and Obsolescence Solutions

NAICS

Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813)

akta.pro primary industry

Back-End/Advanced Packaging Equipment (Die Attach/Wire Bond/Flip-Chip/TCB) (HDAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Electronic obsolescence solutions
• Hermetic microcircuit packaging
• Die extraction technology
• High-temperature electronics
• DMSMS solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Microcircuit Manufacturing and Sales: Production and sale of hardened microcircuits for defense and oil/gas applications, including form-fit-function replacement components for obsolete electronics.
2. Engineering and Manufacturing Services: Custom electronic solutions engineering, assembly, and manufacturing services for DoD and commercial customers requiring obsolescence solutions.
3. Conductive Diamond Plating Services: Specialized thermal management services using proprietary diamond epoxy application technology.
4. SBIR/STTR Research Contracts: Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research and Rapid Innovation Funding contracts for technology development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Global Circuit Innovations is a design and manufacturing engineering solutions house that produces hardened integrated circuits and electronic obsolescence solutions for U.S. Department of Defense systems and harsh-environment commercial applications. Using its proprietary DER (Die Extraction and Reassembly) and DEER processes, the company extracts dies from obsolete plastic-packaged ICs and repackages them into hermetic ceramic packages that provide drop-in form, fit, and function replacements. It also manufactures high-temperature hermetic microcircuits rated to +250°C and 30,000g for oil and gas downhole drilling, plus advanced thermal management components based on conductive diamond-filled epoxy encapsulation.

Product overview

Global Circuit Innovations operates as a Design & Manufacturing Engineering Solutions house specializing in electronic obsolescence and harsh-environment electronics for DoD applications. The core portfolio centers on DER™ (Die Extraction and Reassembly), a proprietary process that extracts dies from obsolete plastic-packaged ICs and repackages them into hermetic ceramic packages for seamless drop-in replacement. Complementing this are the DEER™ process (Die Extraction with ENEPIG plating), high-temperature hermetic microcircuits rated to +250°C, and Advanced Thermal Management Systems using diamond-filled epoxy. The company offers Electronic Obsolescence Solutions and Electronic Systems Solutions as service lines, with ongoing R&D in immersion cooling compatibility and conductive diamond application technology. All offerings are supported by 20 patents and 3 trademarks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DER (Die Extraction and Reassembly/Repackaging) Proprietary process for extracting integrated circuit dies from obsolete plastic packages and repackaging them into hermetic ceramic packages with identical form, fit, and function characteristics, enabling seamless drop-in replacement in legacy defense systems. Marketed to DoD program offices and prime contractors as the core obsolescence solution.
• DEER (Die Extraction, Gold Ball Removal, and ENEPIG Die Pad Plating) Enhancement process for extracted dies involving gold ball removal and ENEPIG (Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold) die pad plating to increase high-temperature reliability of plastic ICs re-used in defense and harsh-environment systems.
• High-Temperature Hermetic Microcircuits Electronically hardened microcircuits rated for operation at +250°C and high mechanical stresses up to 30,000g, packaged in hermetic ceramic enclosures for oil and gas downhole drilling and DoD harsh-environment applications, with demonstrated 10,000x+ extended lifetime versus standard operating conditions.
• Advanced Thermal Management Systems Thermal management solutions using diamond-filled epoxy encapsulants for hermetic packages, enabling high-reliability power device operation with reduced thermal resistance for SWaP-C-constrained environments in defense and high-power commercial systems.
• Electronic Obsolescence Solutions (Service) Engineering services to design, develop, and manufacture form, fit, and function drop-in replacement electronics for obsolete components, resolving DMSMS issues for legacy defense systems including F-16, EA-6B/EA-18G, Black Hawk helicopter, and Maverick missile programs.
• Electronic Systems Solutions Custom electronic engineering solutions ranging from simple resistor assemblies to complex Variable Frequency Driver solutions for military platforms, supporting legacy and current DoD weapon systems.
• Immersion Cooling Compatible Components Hermetically sealed, corrosion-resistant component technology compatible with mineral oil and water-based immersion cooling systems, addressing thermal management for data center and defense applications without degradation.
• Conductive Diamond Application (Technology Offering) Proprietary technology for applying thermally conductive diamond materials to integrated circuits, creating high-efficiency heat pathways from heat-producing locations to package exteriors, sold as part of GCI's thermal management offering to defense and commercial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ production microcircuits delivered to oil and gas industry with 10+ years of field operation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaboration with UCCS on SBIR Phase I project for Building Die-Extracted/Repackaged (DER)-Optical Hybrid Integrated Circuits. Working directly with Dr. T.S. Kalkur, Chair of the UCCS Engineering and Applied Science Department. GCI leverages university research capabilities for optical via development for VCSEL technology.
• Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) - Sensors DirectoratecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018AFRL Sensors Technology Directorate awarded GCI a Phase I SBIR for optical hybrid integrated circuits. GCI invited to 2nd Annual Trusted and Assured Microelectronics Workshop at Wright Patterson AFB. Collaboration on sensors and microelectronics technology development.
• Afnor OBSO (French Standardization Organization)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017GCI CTO Erick Spory invited to present advances in DER technology to the French Afnor OBSO steering committee in Paris. Afnor represents French interests in European and international standardization organizations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rochester Electronics: Largest pure-play provider of licensed and discontinued semiconductor components, offering both finished devices and replication services for obsolete/legacy ICs. Direct overlap with GCI's DER-style die extraction and continued manufacturing of end-of-life parts for aerospace, defense, and industrial customers.
• Lansdale Semiconductor: Specializes in the design, manufacture, and re-creation of mature and obsolete integrated circuits for aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Closely comparable business model to GCI's obsolescence and form-fit-function replacement focus.
• Force Technologies: UK-based provider of semiconductor obsolescence management, die reclamation, and reverse-engineered ICs for defense and aerospace. Highly comparable technical offering to GCI's DER process, though operating primarily in the European market.

Broad incumbents

• Microchip Technology: Large-scale defense and aerospace semiconductor manufacturer (including former Microsemi franchise). Competes with GCI indirectly by continuing to produce legacy parts, but does not specialize in DER-style obsolescence reconstruction.
• Mercury Systems: Defense electronics provider specializing in mission-critical processing, RF, and microelectronics. Overlaps with GCI in rugged/defense-grade electronic subsystems but operates at much greater scale and breadth.
• Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions: Supplier of ruggedized electronic systems and embedded computing for defense platforms. Competes with GCI in defense electronics sustainment and obsolescence solutions, but as a much larger diversified portfolio player.
• Analog Devices: Major analog and mixed-signal semiconductor manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, and harsh-environment applications. Overlaps with GCI's high-temperature, ruggedized electronics work but does not specialize in die extraction and repackaging.
• Teledyne Technologies: Diversified aerospace, defense, and industrial electronics conglomerate. Relevant comparator for rugged/defense-grade electronic components and subsystems, though much larger and broader than GCI.
• HEICO Corporation: Aerospace and defense parts supplier with significant exposure to FAA-PMA approved replacement parts and electronic component repair/remanufacture. Adjacent business model to GCI's obsolescence replacement franchise but operating at much greater scale across many platforms.

Emerging players

• Smiths Interconnect: Provider of high-reliability interconnect and ruggedized electronic components for aerospace, defense, and harsh-environment markets. Comparable on the harsh-environment electronics axis though focused on interconnect rather than IC repackaging.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dieextraction
• Facebookfacebook.com/globalcircuitinnovations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-circuit-innovations/?viewAsMember=true

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Global Circuit Innovations