Vektrex

What Vektrex does

Vektrex Electronic Systems, Inc. is a San Diego-based designer and manufacturer of precision test and measurement instrumentation for LED, VCSEL, and laser diode devices. Founded in 1986, the company sells the SpikeSafe product family — pulsed Source Measure Units (SMUs), precision pulsed current sources, and DC current sources — built around patented SpikeSafe transient protection, Continuous Power Conversion technology, and 18-bit true differential digitizers with sub-microsecond rise times, 0-100% duty cycle, 400V compliance, and currents to 80A. Around this hardware core, Vektrex assembles turnkey systems including LED Reliability Test Systems, Burn-In Systems, Automated Light Measurement Systems, and DCP LED Test Stations, plus a software stack (STARS, Control Panel, STARPLOT, LEDBench, LM-92 UV Measurement) and Python/C# APIs for test automation.

The company serves LED manufacturers (Lumileds, CREE-LED, ams-OSRAM, Semi-LEDs, Crystal IS/Asahi-Kasei), laser and VCSEL manufacturers, UV-LED manufacturers, NVLAP-certified LM-80 laboratories (Intertek, DEKRA-IST), and luminaire OEMs. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with custom-configured quote-based pricing, complemented by a partner distribution network spanning 10 countries and integrated technology partnerships with Instrument Systems, GigaHertz-Optik, and esz AG. Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of instruments and integrated systems, with supporting software, accessories, and professional services.

Vektrex monetizes through five revenue streams: hardware sales of SMUs and current sources; turnkey integrated systems; software (some recurring); professional services for customization, integration, and calibration; and accessories. Four of five major LED manufacturers and over 40% of LM-80 labs worldwide standardize on SpikeSafe, and the company holds leadership roles on IESNA LM-80, LM-85, and LM-92 standards committees — collectively underwriting a defensible niche position in the LED and laser test instrumentation market.

Name

Vektrex

Legal name

Vektrex Electronic Systems, Inc.

Website

https://vektrex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vektrex designs and manufactures precision pulsed Source Measure Units, current sources, and turnkey LED/VCSEL/laser test systems, serving LED manufacturers, laser makers, UV-LED producers, and LM-80 labs in 10 countries with patented SpikeSafe technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LED Test and Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)

Keywords

• LED test equipment
• Source measure units
• Pulsed current sources
• LED reliability testing
• Thermal measurement systems

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of precision pulsed source measure units (SMUs), current sources, and test instruments including SpikeSafe Performance Series, DC/Continuous Pulse, and DC Current Sources. Products are designed, developed, and manufactured in the USA.
2. Turnkey Systems: Complete integrated testing solutions including LED reliability systems, burn-in test systems, LM-80 test systems, light measurement systems, and UV-LED characterization systems with thermal control, instrumentation, and software.
3. Software Applications: Software products including Control Panel, STARS (Test and Reliability Software), STARPLOT, LM-92 UV Measurement, LEDBench, and Python/C# APIs for automation and control of test equipment.
4. Professional Services: Customization, integration, fixturing, calibration, and technical support services for system deployments.
5. Accessories and Components: Current sensors, sense resistors, shunts, drive cables, trigger cables, force/sense cables, and thermocouple accessories.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vektrex designs, develops, and manufactures precision pulsed Source Measure Units (SMUs), DC and pulsed current sources, and complete turnkey test systems for LED, VCSEL, laser diode, and UV-LED characterization, reliability, burn-in, and LM-80/LM-92 compliance testing. Its offering combines SpikeSafe-branded hardware with proprietary software (STARS, Control Panel, STARPLOT, LEDBench, LM-92 UV Measurement) and Python/C# APIs for automated test orchestration.

Product overview

Vektrex offers a comprehensive portfolio of precision test and measurement solutions for LED, VCSEL, and laser diode manufacturers. The core product line centers on SpikeSafe Source Measure Units (SMU) and precision pulsed current sources, complemented by turnkey systems including LED Reliability Test Systems, Burn-In Test Systems, Automated Light Measurement Systems, and DCP LED Test Stations for UV-LED characterization. Software applications include STARS for reliability testing, Control Panel for SMU operation, STARPLOT for data visualization, LEDBench for automated light measurements, and LM-92 UV Measurement Software. The product architecture combines modular hardware (SpikeSafe current sources and SMUs) with integrated software control (STARS, Control Panel) and thermal management solutions (ITCS), enabling configurations from benchtop 8-channel systems to large-scale 1000+ channel reliability installations. Vektrex products are designed, developed, and manufactured in the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SpikeSafe Source Measure Unit (SMU) Precision pulsed source measure unit that combines current sourcing with an integrated 18-bit true differential digitizer, optimized for LED, VCSEL, and laser diode testing with submicrosecond rise/fall times, 400V compliance, and currents to 60A.
• SpikeSafe High Current Source Measure Unit High-current pulsed SMU supporting currents from 10A to 80A with 400V compliance voltage for power electronics and demanding industrial device testing.
• SpikeSafe Performance Series Precision Pulsed Current Source Precision pulsed current sources with minimum pulse widths as low as 1 microsecond for VCSEL, laser diode, and semiconductor testing, supporting DC, single pulse, and continuous pulse modes with no duty-cycle limitations.
• SpikeSafe DC/Continuous Pulse Current Source Reliable DC constant current or precision pulsed current drive optimized for reliability and burn-in testing with minimum pulse widths of 10 microseconds.
• SpikeSafe DC Current Sources Constant current sources for LED, VCSEL, and laser diode reliability testing, burn-in, and LM-80 test applications, available in single and multichannel configurations.
• STARS (SpikeSafe Test and Reliability Software) Test and reliability software managing 1 to 1,024 independently controlled source channels, enabling unattended automated operation of reliability, burn-in, LM-80, and IEC-Q102 tests.
• Control Panel Software Application Software for connecting, configuring, and controlling SpikeSafe current sources and SMUs, with visualization tools for IV/LIV curves and device monitoring.
• STARPLOT Graphical reliability data viewing software that displays voltage, current, and temperature data from STARS to identify trends and issues quickly.
• LEDBench Automated light measurement software for 1 to 80 light-emitting devices mounted on load boards, delivered with the Automated Light Measurement System.
• LM-92 UV Measurement Software Software application for performing LM-92-22 UV LED measurements using the Differential Continuous Pulse (DCP) method for accurate electro-optical characterization.
• Burn-In Test System LED and laser burn-in test system with 8 individually controllable source channels at 4A per channel, built-in transient protection, and Python API support for small to high-capacity applications.
• LED Reliability Test System High-capacity LED reliability and burn-in test systems with modular architecture supporting up to 1,024 channels, 98% energy efficiency, and 175,000-hour MTBF.
• Automated Light Measurement System (ALMS) Complete automated light measurement system for LM-80 testing with 0.05% luminous flux repeatability, supporting up to 80 DUTs with integrated thermal control.
• DCP LED Test Station Turnkey UV-LED characterization and measurement system integrating a Vektrex SMU with a GigaHertz-Optik BTS2048 spectroradiometer for LM-92-22 DCP method measurements.
• Integrated Thermal Control System (ITCS) Closed-loop thermal control system with up to 10kW power handling for uniform temperature control up to 150°C in a compact, energy-efficient footprint.
• Thermal Measurement Solutions Complete turnkey thermal measurement systems based on DC/Pulsed SMU instruments for junction temperature, thermal resistance, and structure function measurements per JEDEC standards.
• VCS Series Isolated Hall Effect Current Sensors High-bandwidth current sensors with amplified output for measuring current in test systems, featuring 50Ω voltage output for direct oscilloscope connection.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% energy efficiency reduces operational electricity costs and shortens ROI
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• esz AG Calibration & MetrologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partneresz AG calibration & metrology and Vektrex Electronic Systems, Inc. launched a strategic partnership to provide calibration services and metrology solutions for Vektrex products in the European market, enhancing service capabilities for EU customers.
• Instrument SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Instrument Systems for integration of CAS-140 spectrometer with Vektrex SMU products for automated light measurement systems. Instrument Systems also developed SpecWin Pro spectral analysis software for use with Vektrex instruments.
• GigaHertz-OptikcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to supply complete UV-LED measurement systems including BTS2048 spectrometer integrated with Vektrex pulsed SMU for accurate UV-LED characterization and DCP method implementation per LM-92 standard.
• Global Distribution PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVektrex product distribution, sales, and support centers found in 10 countries: USA, China/North, China/South, Germany, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Taiwan, and United Kingdom.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Keysight Technologies: Global test & measurement leader offering source measure units (B2900 series), precision instrumentation, and lab software. Overlaps with Vektrex in SMU-based precision electrical characterization, but Keysight serves a much broader set of end markets beyond LED/laser.
• Keithley Instruments (Tektronix): Pioneer of precision source measure units (2400/2600/2651 series) widely used in semiconductor and optoelectronic device characterization. Directly competes with Vektrex's SpikeSafe in high-precision pulsed and DC sourcing, but lacks Vektrex's LED/laser-specific turnkey systems and standards alignment.
• National Instruments (NI): Modular PXI-based source measure units and data acquisition platforms used for device characterization and reliability testing. Competes with Vektrex in flexible SMU-based test setups, particularly at university and research-grade customers that need broader I/O.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Global T&M giant in signal and spectrum analysis, oscilloscopes, and power supplies. Adjacent in precision electronic measurement but with limited LED-specific turnkey offerings, representing a potential broad-incumbent threat if it packages optoelectronic test solutions.
• Yokogawa Test & Measurement: Precision measurement and source-measurement instruments (GS, WT series power meters and SMUs) used in industrial and electronic test. Competes with Vektrex in DC and high-precision sourcing for component test, primarily serving industrial automation customers.
• AMETEK Programmable Power: Programmable DC power supplies, electronic loads, and power test instruments used in reliability and burn-in applications. Adjacent competition in high-current sourcing for LED/power-device reliability work, with broader industrial reach.

Direct peers

• Chroma ATE: Taiwan-based manufacturer of LED reliability test systems, burn-in testers, programmable power supplies, and DC sources used by LED packagers and fixture makers. Direct competitor to Vektrex in LED reliability and burn-in systems, especially across Asian manufacturing customers.
• ITECH Electronic: Manufacturer of programmable DC power supplies, electronic loads, and pulsed test instruments used in LED driver and component test. Overlaps with Vektrex in DC and pulsed current sourcing for LED reliability, typically at lower price points with broader portfolios.

Emerging players

• GDS Instruments: Specialized manufacturer of high-voltage source measure units and precision sourcing for niche semiconductor and reliability applications. Smaller, niche-focused peer with overlapping pulsed-current and SMU capabilities for low-volume semiconductor and LED characterization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Vektrex1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Vektrex