MGA Research

What MGA Research does

MGA Research Corporation is a privately held, independent testing services and test-equipment manufacturer headquartered in Akron, New York. Founded in the late 1970s and operating for approximately 47 years, the company serves automotive OEMs and suppliers, aerospace and defense primes, commercial space operators, and battery/energy storage producers. Its core offering spans testing services — crash testing, sled testing, battery cell-to-pack abuse testing, vibration and environmental simulation, pyrotechnic-shock testing, materials and flammability testing, and hydraulic durability — executed across a North American laboratory network of 10+ sites covering the United States, Canada (Mississauga), and Mexico (Querétaro).

The company's underlying technology is grounded in proprietary, capital-intensive physical test assets rather than software platforms. MGA manufactures and operates resonant-beam Mechanical Impulse Pyrotechnic Simulator (MIPS) pyroshock tables, including Gen II variants with robotic cannon control and jib crane positioning; 200+ environmental chambers spanning -100°C to 150°C; 40+ electrodynamic shakers with 15+ multi-axis simulation tables; 12+ accelerator sled facilities; 100+ Anthropomorphic Test Devices; and FAA Multi-Purpose Flammability systems. These assets are credentialed to deliver regulated certifications across FMVSS, FAA Parts 23/25/27/29, DO-160, MIL-STD-810, and UN38.3. MGA additionally sells several of these systems to external manufacturers and regulatory bodies worldwide and operates an equipment rental channel (rent.mgaresearch.com).

The business model combines project-based professional services revenue (testing engagements scoped per program) with equipment sales and a smaller recurring stream from equipment rentals, calibration, custom fixture fabrication, and — as of 2025 — external environmental chamber repair services. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales by engineering-led teams to OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, defense contractors, and regulators, supported by a content-marketing presence on the company website and participation in industry events such as the ESV conference. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer concentration visibility is limited, but the disclosed portfolio includes enterprise engagements such as FMVSS baseline crash testing for Faraday Future.

Name

MGA Research

Legal name

MGA Research Corporation

Website

https://mgaresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MGA Research Corporation is a privately held US-based independent testing and test-equipment manufacturer serving automotive, aerospace/defense, and battery producers. It operates 10+ laboratories in the US, Canada, and Mexico, providing crash, vibration, environmental, pyroshock, and battery abuse testing along with proprietary equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Testing Services & Equipment

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (811210)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Compliance Audit Support & Documentation (Emissions/Safety/Environmental) (TLAKANAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Military Aerospace Ground Support Equipment (GSE) & Test Systems (IMABAMAL), Formation, Testing & Quality/Metrology Equipment for Batteries (EUAFABAK), Metrology, Calibration & Testing Equipment (Balances, pH/DO, Standards) (HLAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Automotive crash testing
• Vehicle safety testing
• Pyroshock test equipment
• Battery abuse testing
• Environmental simulation testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Testing Services: MGA provides comprehensive testing services for automotive, aerospace, and defense industries. Services include crash testing, battery testing, environmental simulation, vibration testing, pyroshock testing, materials testing, and calibration services. Revenue is generated through project-based testing engagements with enterprise clients.
2. Test Equipment Sales: MGA manufactures and sells proprietary testing equipment including safety equipment (impactors, crash facilities), battery abuse testing systems, durability test controllers, pyroshock tables, environmental chambers, and test fixtures. Equipment is sold to manufacturers and regulatory bodies worldwide.
3. Equipment Rentals: MGA offers equipment rentals through rent.mgaresearch.com, allowing customers to rent testing equipment for short or long-term use.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MGA Research Corporation provides independent third-party safety, durability, and performance testing services for the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries, complemented by the design and manufacture of proprietary testing equipment (pyroshock tables, environmental chambers, crash facilities, sled systems, durability controllers). Services span component-level to full-vehicle and full-aircraft testing in compliance with standards such as FMVSS, FAA Parts 23/25/27/29, DO-160, MIL-STD-810, and UN38.3.

Product overview

MGA Research Corporation offers comprehensive testing services and equipment solutions across automotive, aerospace, and defense industries. The core offering includes Testing Services (crash testing, battery testing, aircraft testing, vibration testing, materials testing, hydraulic durability) paired with Test Equipment product lines (pyroshock tables, environmental chambers, crash facilities, life cycle stations, sled systems). Supporting services include calibration, equipment rentals, and custom fixture fabrication. The company operates 10+ laboratories across North America including facilities in Akron NY (headquarters), Mississauga Canada, and multiple US states, providing services to manufacturers and regulatory bodies worldwide. The product portfolio spans from component-level testing equipment to full vehicle crash facilities, supporting certification to standards including FMVSS, DO-160, MIL-STD-810, and UN38.3.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Testing Services
• Vehicle Safety Testing
• Battery Testing
• Aircraft Testing
• Space & Defense Testing
• Vibration Testing
• Materials Testing
• Hydraulic Durability & Chassis Testing
• Calibration Services
• Fabrication & Fixtures
• Equipment Rentals
• Full Crash Test Facility
• Accelerator Sled Facility
• Large Pyroshock Table
• Large Mass Pyroshock Table (250kg capacity)
• Mobile Pyroshock Table
• Remote Fire Interface
• Mobile Propulsion System
• Environmental Chambers
• AGREE Chambers
• Vertical Flammability Chamber
• FAA Multi-Purpose Flammability Chamber
• Hybrid Life Cycle Station
• Side & Rear Impact Cart
• Linear Impact System
• Free Motion Headform System
• Environmental Chamber Repair Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs) available for crash testing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Faraday FutureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2025Faraday Future engaged MGA Research to conduct baseline FMVSS crash testing for their FX Super One model. This represents a testing services engagement rather than a strategic partnership.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: SGS provides industrial testing, inspection, and certification services across automotive, aerospace, and energy storage verticals, competing for the same regulated testing engagements as MGA.
• Intertek: Intertek provides a full suite of testing, inspection, and certification services spanning automotive, aerospace, and energy storage. Its broad incumbent positioning overlaps with MGA's regulatory-driven testing services and battery/EV testing work.
• Element Materials Technology: Element is a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) with extensive automotive, aerospace, and environmental testing capacity. While broader in scope than MGA, Element competes for the same OEM and tier-one testing mandates.
• TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is a global TIC company offering automotive, aerospace, and battery testing/certification services to OEMs and component suppliers, directly overlapping with MGA's FMVSS, DO-160, and UN38.3 testing capabilities.
• TESIS GmbH / Horiba: HORIBA is a leading manufacturer of emissions, drivetrain, and vehicle testing equipment with a global service network. Its automotive test equipment and validation services overlap both MGA's testing services and equipment product lines.

Others

• MTS Systems (Amphenol): MTS manufactures hydraulic and electrodynamic testing systems used in MGA's hydraulic durability and vibration testing capabilities, and competes in the broader test-equipment market that MGA is now selling into with its own product line.
• Kistler Group: Kistler supplies high-precision sensors, measurement systems, and testing equipment widely used in crash testing and pyroshock applications. It is an adjacent ecosystem vendor/competitor to MGA's equipment business.

Direct peers

• Applus+ IDIADA: Applus+ IDIADA operates automotive proving grounds and testing labs in Spain and globally, providing crash, EMC, ADAS, and environmental testing for OEMs. Its multi-vertical automotive engineering services overlap directly with MGA's vehicle safety and battery testing capabilities.
• Transportation Research Center (TRC): TRC is the largest independent automotive proving ground in the US, providing vehicle crash testing, durability, and component validation for FMVSS compliance — directly comparable to MGA's core automotive safety testing business.
• Dynamic Research Inc. (DRI): DRI is an independent automotive testing lab specializing in crash testing, brake testing, and FMVSS compliance for OEMs and tier-one suppliers — a focused direct peer to MGA's automotive testing business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mgaresearch

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 MGA Research