California NanoSystems Institute

What California NanoSystems Institute does

California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) is a university-organized research institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, founded in 2000, that conducts and translates research in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Its core offering is access to seven shared technology centers — ALMS, EICN, MSSR, NanoLab, NPC, BMS, MSCL, and INML — that provide fabrication, characterization, and analytical instrumentation to UCLA faculty, external academic users, and industry partners. CNSI operates three integrated functions: fundamental research, translation through the Magnify Incubator and associated sub-brands (BioPACIFIC MIP, ImmunoVec), and workforce training via a new IEEE microcredentials program in AI and semiconductors.

The institute's research portfolio spans diffractive optical networks and computer vision, biomaterials and DNA-nanoparticle synthesis, generative AI for encryption, and metabolite-sensing anomaly detection, with affiliated investigators producing peer-reviewed output and recognized awards including a 2025 Nobel Prize (Omar Yaghi) and 2026 honors across Nano Research, Keithley, Aminoff, RSC Centenary, AVS, and Guggenheim fellowships. Leadership includes Associate Directors Aydogan Ozcan and Heather Maynard, with Anne Andrews and Paul S. Weiss also affiliated in scientific leadership roles.

CNSI's business model is non-commercial: it is funded primarily through competitive federal grants from NSF, NIH, DOE, and ARPA-H ($40.7M ARPA-H EMBODY award via ImmunoVec, $19.8M NSF BioPACIFIC MIP renewal, ~$2.5M NIH biomaterials), supplemented by industry partnerships (Johns Hopkins, MD Anderson, IEEE) and philanthropy. Revenue mechanics are grant-driven rather than product-priced, with the Magnify Incubator generating equity-linked upside from portfolio spin-outs such as ImmunoVec and BioPACIFIC MIP rather than recurring service revenue.

Name

California NanoSystems Institute

Legal name

California NanoSystems Institute

Website

https://cnsi.ucla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) is UCLA's nanoscience and nanotechnology research institute, founded in 2000, operating seven shared technology centers and the Magnify Incubator to advance research, translation, and AI/semiconductor workforce training for academic and industry users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nanoscience Research Infrastructure

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Nanoscience research
• Nanotechnology platforms
• Shared research facilities
• Startup incubation
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California NanoSystems Institute operates shared nanoscience research infrastructure at UCLA, including multiple technology centers for advanced microscopy, electron imaging, nanofabrication, molecular screening, and nano/pico characterization. It runs the Magnify Incubator to support early-stage companies and hosts the NSF BioPACIFIC MIP biobased materials platform. CNSI also delivers nanoscience education and workforce development programs across K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.

Product overview

California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) is a university research institute at UCLA that functions as a multi-service research infrastructure rather than a commercial product company. Its offerings include: (1) Magnify Incubator - a startup incubation program for early-stage companies; (2) Seven technology centers providing shared instrumentation facilities (Advanced Light Microscopy and Spectroscopy Lab, Electron Imaging Center for Nanosystems, Molecular Screening Shared Resource, UCLA Nanofabrication Lab, Nano and Pico Characterization Laboratory, Brillouin-Mandelstam Spectroscopy Facility, Materials Structure Characterization Laboratory); (3) NSF BioPACIFIC MIP research center for biobased materials; and (4) Education programs including workforce development, K-12 outreach, undergraduate/graduate training, and the Nanovation Competition. CNSI serves as an interdisciplinary hub connecting nanoscience research with commercialization and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magnify Incubator: Startup incubator at UCLA focused on technology ventures emerging from CNSI and UCLA research
• BioPACIFIC MIP

Products and services

• Magnify Incubator
• Advanced Light Microscopy and Spectroscopy (ALMS) Lab
• Electron Imaging Center for Nanosystems (EICN)
• Molecular Screening Shared Resource (MSSR)
• UCLA Nanofabrication Lab (NanoLab)
• Nano and Pico Characterization Laboratory (NPC)
• NSF BioPACIFIC MIP
• Technology Training Program
• Summer Capstone Program
• Nanovation Competition
• Nanoscience Lab Summer Institute

Quantifiable outcome

• 2026 Nano Research Award to Xiangfeng Duan for pioneering advances in low-dimensional materials
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability21 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Collaborating with ImmunoVec on preclinical development of DNA-loaded polymeric nanoparticle platform for treating autoimmune diseases as part of ARPA-H EMBODY program
• MD Anderson Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Collaborating with ImmunoVec on advancing novel cell engineering technology from preclinical development through first human trial
• UCLA Samueli School of EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located interdisciplinary partnership with engineering school for joint research initiatives and technology development
• UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint faculty appointments and collaborative research programs in chemistry and nanoscience
• UCLA Integrated NanoMaterials Laboratory (INML)coreTechnology or IntegrationCNSI partner facility providing integrated nanomaterials characterization services
• UCLA Molecular Instrumentation CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationCNSI partner facility providing molecular characterization capabilities
• Brillouin - Mandelstam Spectroscopy FacilitycoreTechnology or IntegrationCNSI partner facility for Brillouin-Mandelstam spectroscopy research
• Materials Structure Characterization Laboratory (MSCL)coreTechnology or IntegrationCNSI partner facility for materials structure characterization
• IEEEstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IEEE to create standardized skills-based microcredentials for AI and semiconductor manufacturing roles, addressing critical workforce shortages

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MIT.nano: MIT's dedicated nanotechnology research and shared-facility institute. Comparable in mission (interdisciplinary nanoscience, shared characterization and fabrication infrastructure) and academic standing.
• Penn State Materials Research Institute: Penn State's interdisciplinary materials and nanotechnology research institute with shared characterization facilities. Comparable in mandate to translate nanoscale research into applications across multiple disciplines.
• Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science: Cornell's Kavli-funded nanoscience institute with comparable interdisciplinary research mandate spanning physics, materials, and biological applications of nanotechnology.
• Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology: Georgia Tech's nanofabrication and electronics research facility. Comparable in offering shared cleanroom and characterization infrastructure, with a strong translational and workforce-development orientation.
• Columbia Nano Initiative: Columbia University's university-wide nanoscience initiative spanning shared facilities and interdisciplinary programs. Comparable as an academic institute coordinating nanoscience research across engineering, physics, and biomedical disciplines.
• UCSB California NanoSystems Institute: The sister University of California institute sharing the CNSI name, mission, and structure. Operates complementary nanoscience facilities at UC Santa Barbara, making it the closest direct peer in mandate and operating model.
• Stanford Nano Shared Facilities: Stanford's centralized nanoscale fabrication and characterization shared facility. Directly comparable in service model (open-access tools for academic and industry researchers) and in operating within a top-tier research university.
• University of Chicago Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility: University of Chicago's shared nanofabrication facility serving interdisciplinary researchers. Comparable operating model as a university-hosted nanofab open to internal and external users.

Broad incumbents

• Argonne National Laboratory: DOE national lab with substantial nanoscience and advanced materials research programs (CNM, APS). Comparable as a large-scale publicly funded research operator serving similar scientific communities.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory: DOE national lab operating major nanoscience user facilities (e.g., NSLS-II, CFN) that serve similar academic and industry researchers. Broader in mandate but overlapping in advanced materials and nanofabrication capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cnsiatucla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCX79z3OLVLmpS2i7kahQEgw
• Facebookfacebook.com/cnsiatucla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/15098712

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 California NanoSystems Institute