International Institute for Nanotechnology

Name

International Institute for Nanotechnology

Legal name

International Institute for Nanotechnology

Website

https://iinano.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nanotechnology Research Institute

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Biosensors & Lab-on-Chip (BioMEMS) (HDAHALAK), Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE), Additive Manufacturing Education & Academic Programs (IMAAAJAB)

Keywords

• Nanotechnology research
• Nanomedicine development
• Nanomaterials discovery
• Nanoscience education
• Research institute programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: Primary funding from government agencies including National Cancer Institute, Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. The institute represents over $2.7 billion in nanoscience research, educational programs, and supporting infrastructure.
2. Technology Licensing and Spin-out Companies: Revenue generated through licensing agreements and equity stakes in spin-out companies founded by faculty members including Nanosphere, AuraSense, TERA-print, Azul 3D, MattIQ, Flashpoint Therapeutics, and Exicure
3. Philanthropic Donations: Private donations supporting research programs, fellowships, and the Kabiller Prize endowment. The Ronald and JoAnne Willens Center for Nano Oncology was established through a $10 million gift.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The IIN conducts and coordinates multidisciplinary nanotechnology research across medicine, energy, environment, and advanced nanomaterials, while delivering graduate and undergraduate education in nanoscience. It develops proprietary platforms such as Spherical Nucleic Acids, Dip-Pen Nanolithography, the Megalibrary materials discovery platform, and HARP 3D printing, transferring these to industry through licensing agreements and faculty-founded spin-out companies. It also runs educational programs, fellowships, and the Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine.

Product overview

The International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) at Northwestern University is the first and largest nanotechnology institute in the United States, representing over $2.7 billion in nanoscience research. Rather than offering commercial products, the IIN develops foundational nanotechnology platforms and research programs. The core technology portfolio includes Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) — a revolutionary class of nanostructures for drug delivery and immunotherapy — and the Megalibraries Technology Platform for high-throughput nanomaterials discovery. Additional innovations include HARP (High-Area Rapid Printing) for advanced manufacturing, Nanoflares for cellular diagnostics, Smart Sponges for environmental remediation, and Synthetic Melanin for radiation protection. The institute operates through mission-focused research programs in nanomedicine, nanoenergy, nanoenvironment, and advanced nanomaterials, supported by specialized centers including the Willens Center for Nano Oncology and NU-CCNE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Northwestern University Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (NU-CCNE): Partnership between IIN and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center advancing cancer nanotechnology research.
• NTU-Northwestern Institute for Nanomedicine (NNIN)
• Ronald and JoAnne Willens Center for Nano Oncology
• Nanotechnology for Universal Clean Air & Water Security (NU-CAWS)
• Center for Nanocombinatorics
• Convergence Science & Medicine Institute (CSMI)
• Center of Excellence for Advanced Bioprogrammable Nanomaterials (C-ABN)

Products and services

• Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) A proprietary class of nanostructures developed at the IIN for therapeutic delivery, immunotherapy, and diagnostic applications, licensed to and commercialized through spin-out companies including Exicure and Flashpoint Therapeutics.
• Megalibraries Technology Platform A high-throughput nanomaterials discovery platform using combinatorial library synthesis and screening to accelerate identification of new catalysts, alloys, and functional materials for clean energy and other applications.
• HARP (High-Area Rapid Printing) 3D Printing Technology A high-throughput 3D printing technology capable of rapidly printing hard, elastic, or ceramic objects for manufacturing applications including automotive, aerospace, dentistry, and orthotics, commercialized through spin-out Azul 3D.
• Nanoflares Spherical nucleic acid-based diagnostic technology for detecting genetic targets in living cells, used for identifying abnormal scar tissue and cancer biomarkers.
• Synthetic Melanin Bio-inspired radiation protection materials and coatings derived from melanin, developed for use as lightweight shields against harmful radiation, protective coatings for uniforms, and non-allergenic hair dye formulations.
• Smart Sponge Nanocomposite oil-absorbing material with magnetic nanostructures and a carbon-based substrate that can absorb over 30 times its weight in oil while being reusable and harmless to marine life, developed for environmental remediation.
• Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Highly porous crystalline materials with ultrahigh surface area for gas storage, water purification, and protection against chemical warfare agents, commercialized through spin-out NuMat Technologies.
• Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine An endowed international award program recognizing outstanding achievement in nanoscience and nanomedicine, awarded biennially by the IIN.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2.7 billion in cumulative nanoscience research represented by the institute
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Toyota Research InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026$36 million collaboration to accelerate the discovery of materials that will drive the clean energy transition, leveraging megalibrary technology for materials discovery.
• NuMat TechnologiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Spin-out company founded by NU-CAWS researchers, the first company to commercialize system-level products enabled by metal-organic frameworks for industrial applications including gas storage and water purification.
• U.S. Air Force Research LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership through the Center of Excellence for Advanced Bioprogrammable Nanomaterials (C-ABN) from 2015 to 2021, focused on bioprogrammable nanomaterials for military and civilian needs with 16 research projects across three thrust groups.
• Nanyang Technological University (NTU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership through the NTU-Northwestern Institute for Nanomedicine (NNIN) from 2014 to 2021, allowing researchers to collaboratively develop new foundational technologies in disease diagnostics, timed-release therapeutics, and targeted drug delivery methods.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Supported the Northwestern University Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (NU-CCNE) from 2005 to 2021, uniting scientists, engineers, and clinicians for cancer research and nanoscale materials for therapeutics.
• Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Partnership with NU-CCNE uniting scientists, engineers, and clinicians at Northwestern for the first time to advance understanding of metastasis and develop novel nanoscale materials for cancer therapeutics.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Center for Nanoscale Materials (Argonne National Laboratory): Another DOE-funded nanoscience user facility focused on nanophotonics, nanomanufacturing, and quantum information science. Comparable to IIN as a multi-disciplinary research platform with national user access, theory, and translational partnerships with industry.
• Smalley-Curl Institute (Rice University): Rice University's university-wide nanotechnology institute, historically focused on carbon nanomaterials, nanophotonics, and quantum nano-structures. Comparable as a university-anchored nanotech hub that produces high-citation output, faculty spin-outs, and federally funded centers.
• Center for Functional Nanomaterials (Brookhaven National Laboratory): DOE user facility providing nanofabrication, electron microscopy, and theory capabilities. A peer of IIN's research infrastructure in supporting open-access nanoscience and producing breakthroughs that translate to industrial and energy applications.
• MIT.nano: MIT's dedicated nanotechnology research and education facility, operating as a university-wide shared lab similar to IIN's role at Northwestern. Both institutes concentrate interdisciplinary nano-research, drive spin-out activity, and serve as flagship US nodes for the National Nanotechnology Initiative.
• Molecular Foundry (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory): DOE-funded nanoscience user facility focused on inorganic nanostructures, organic and biomolecular materials, and theory. Directly comparable to IIN's role as a national-scale platform for collaborative nanoresearch, with significant overlap in materials-by-design and bio-nano programs.
• Kavli Nanoscience Institute (Caltech): Caltech's university-based nanotechnology institute hosting shared nanofabrication and characterization facilities. Directly comparable to IIN as a small, elite academic hub for foundational nanoscience, with strong overlap in materials discovery, quantum nano-structures, and bio-nano interfaces.
• Stanford Nano Shared Facilities: Stanford's centralized user facility for nanofabrication, nano-characterization, and molecular imaging. Comparable to IIN's shared instrumentation footprint and the way it serves as a multi-disciplinary anchor for nanoscience across Stanford's engineering and medical schools.

Regional players

• National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS, Japan): Japan's national laboratory for materials science with significant overlap in functional nanomaterials, sputtering/quantum thin films, and standardization. A geographically distinct peer whose scope in academic-industrial nanotechnology collaboration parallels IIN's mission in the US.
• Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences: European basic-research institute with strong nanobiophysics, molecular machines, and biomaterials programs broadly comparable to IIN's bio-nano and advanced materials agenda. Functions in a different geography and funding model but is a recognizable peer in academic nanotech research excellence.

Emerging players

• NanoScience Technology Center (University of Central Florida): UCF's interdisciplinary nanotech research and education center. Less elite than IIN but overlaps as an academic institute fostering nano-fabrication, nano-bio, and sensor research with strong industrial and translational activity in Florida.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IINanoNU
• Facebookfacebook.com/193752423992772
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-institute-for-nanotechnology-at-northwestern-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 International Institute for Nanotechnology