The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersPasadena, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech
- Legal name
- California Institute of Technology
- Website
- https://kni.caltech.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Research Institute and Nanofabrication Facility Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- R&D / Prototyping & MPW Shuttle Foundries (HDAHACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)
Keywords
Where The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- The Kavli Foundation Funding: The Kavli Foundation, established by Fred Kavli in 2000, provides core funding to KNI as the first Kavli Institute dedicated to nanoscience. The foundation's mission focuses on stimulating basic research for long-term benefit to humanity.
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Co-Funding: Additional support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation helped establish and fund the KNI Laboratory facility.
- Fletcher Jones Foundation Support: The Fletcher Jones Foundation supports the Director position of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute.
- Laboratory Usage Fees: The KNI Laboratory operates as a campus recharge center, billing hourly general cleanroom and equipment usage rates. External users (academic, government, industry) pay additional membership fees.
- Endowed Prize Programs: KNI manages endowed programs including the Nils Asplund FAST Prize ($30,000 for materials + up to $10,000 for lab fees), KNI-Wheatley Scholars ($30,000 seed funding), and KNI Catalyst Award ($1,000 prize).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | KNI Superuser compensation for graduate students assisting with lab operations and training |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | KNI Catalyst Award prize for DEI contributions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Nils Asplund FAST Prize for advancing KNI Lab capabilities |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | KNI-Wheatley Scholars seed funding for junior faculty |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) operates a 7,500 sq ft multi-user nanofabrication and characterization cleanroom facility at Caltech, providing researchers access to advanced instrumentation for electron beam lithography, ion beam lithography, optical and two-photon lithography, deposition (e-beam evaporation, sputtering, PECVD, ALD), ICP-RIE etching, and electron, ion, and scanning probe microscopy. It also funds and administers nanoscience research programs, including seed-grant prizes, fellowships, and catalyst awards that support early-career researchers and cross-disciplinary nanoscience work.
Product overview
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) at Caltech is a research institute and shared facility, not a traditional software or product company. It operates the KNI Laboratory, a 7,500 sq ft multi-user nanofabrication and characterization facility that provides access to advanced instrumentation including lithography tools (electron beam, ion beam, optical, two-photon), deposition systems (electron beam evaporators, sputtering, PECVD, atomic layer deposition), etching equipment (ICP-RIE), and microscopy (SEM, FIB, TEM, AFM). The KNI also manages educational and research support programs including the KNI Superusers Program, KNI Catalyst Award, KNI-Wheatley Scholars, Nils Asplund FAST Prize, and SURF-the-WAVE Fellowships. Research areas span Evolution of the Solar System, Nano-architected Materials, Quantum Nanophotonics, Quantum Straintronics, and Subtractive Manufacturing for Quantum Materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KNI Laboratory A 7,500 sq ft multi-user nanofabrication and characterization cleanroom facility providing researchers access to advanced instrumentation for electron beam lithography, ion beam lithography, optical and two-photon lithography, deposition (e-beam evaporation, sputtering, PECVD, ALD), ICP-RIE etching, and electron, ion, and scanning probe microscopy (TEM, SEM, FIB, AFM), serving Caltech, JPL, Southern California university, and external industry users.
- KNI-Wheatley Scholars An endowed program providing $30,000 of seed funding to one tenure-track Caltech faculty member annually to pursue novel proof-of-concept demonstrations in nanoscience.
- Nils Asplund FAST Prize A $30,000 materials prize plus up to $10,000 in KNI Lab fees supporting collaborative projects that create new tools and techniques for nanoscience research, awarded across multi-year project periods.
- SURF-the-WAVE Fellowships Summer research fellowships supporting undergraduate students from marginalized and non-traditional backgrounds to conduct nanoscience research at Caltech through KNI-affiliated labs.
- KNI Superusers Program A program leveraging advanced researchers' expertise to support the broader user base and cleanroom operations through knowledge sharing, user training, and tool maintenance, offering graduate-student participants $4,000/year supplemental income.
- KNI Catalyst Award An annual $1,000 shared prize recognizing change agents who advance inclusion, equity, and accessibility in STEM through KNI.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over two decades of breakthrough discoveries in nanoscale photonics, materials science, and biotechnology
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)coreJPL, managed by Caltech, is a key partner where researchers utilize the KNI Laboratory for space-related nanoscience research. JPL researchers work alongside Caltech faculty across multiple research initiatives.
- Center for Teaching, Learning & Outreach (CTLO)minorCampus resource center partnering with KNI for education and outreach initiatives supporting students and the local community.
- Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CCID)minorPartners with KNI on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives including outreach programs and student support.
- Student-Faculty Programs Office (SFP)minorCollaborates with KNI on fellowship programs including SURF, WAVE, and the Caltech Connection mentorship program.
- Caltech YminorPartners with KNI on community engagement and outreach programs for students and local community.
- Caltech ConnectionminorNear-peer mentorship program pairing undergraduate students from community colleges and minority-serving institutions with Caltech grad student and postdoc mentors, supported by KNI.
- NSF ATE Micro- and Nano-Technology Education Center (MNTEC) at Pasadena City CollegeminorNSF ATE center providing resources and opportunities for students and educators in nanoscience. KNI is a contributor and partner.
- Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute at UC BerkeleyminorAdditional Kavli Institute dedicated to energy nanoscience, part of the global network of Kavli nanoscience institutes.
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science (KIC)minorPart of the global network of Kavli nanoscience institutes, dedicated to nanoscale science research.
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at University of OxfordminorPart of the global network of Kavli nanoscience institutes, dedicated to nanoscience discovery.
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of TechnologyminorPart of the global network of Kavli nanoscience institutes, dedicated to nanoscience research.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science: Sister Kavli nanoscience institute embedded in a university nanofabrication ecosystem; comparable in mission, foundation backing, and multi-user facility model.
- Center for Nanoscale Materials (Argonne National Laboratory): DOE Office of Science user facility offering nanofabrication, characterization, and cleanroom access; comparable mission and multi-user operating model.
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials (Brookhaven National Laboratory): DOE Office of Science user facility providing open-access nanofabrication and characterization tools to academic and industry researchers; comparable facility-user model and toolset.
- Marvell Nanolab at UC Berkeley: University nanofabrication facility at Berkeley serving hundreds of researchers with similar lithography, deposition, and etch capabilities.
- MIT.nano: MIT's flagship nanotechnology facility; comparable multi-user cleanroom infrastructure, cross-disciplinary research scope, and recharge-based access model.
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at University of Oxford: Sister Kavli nanoscience institute at Oxford; same foundation network and nanoscience research mission, providing a useful international benchmark.
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology: Sister Kavli nanoscience institute at TU Delft; same foundation network and research focus on nanoscale devices and quantum nanoscience.
- Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute at UC Berkeley: Sister Kavli nanoscience institute; both operate as multi-user research facilities with foundation funding and shared focus on nanoscale science, though Berkeley's center emphasizes energy nanoscience.
- Columbia Nano Initiative: University-wide nanoscale research initiative at Columbia providing shared nanofabrication tools and cross-disciplinary research programs comparable to KNI's model.
- Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF): University multi-user nanofabrication facility serving Stanford researchers; comparable toolset, recharge-center business model, and academic open-access user base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech social profiles
Digital presenceThe Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech
What does The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech do?
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) operates a 7,500 sq ft multi-user nanofabrication and characterization cleanroom facility at Caltech, providing researchers access to advanced instrumentation for electron beam lithography, ion beam lithography, optical and two-photon lithography, deposition (e-beam evaporation, sputtering, PECVD, ALD), ICP-RIE etching, and electron, ion, and scanning probe microscopy. It also funds and administers nanoscience research programs, including seed-grant prizes, fellowships, and catalyst awards that support early-career researchers and cross-disciplinary nanoscience work.
Is The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech a public or private company?
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech founded?
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech based?
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech is headquartered in Pasadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. The Kavli Foundation Funding is the primary driver. The others are gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Co-Funding, fletcher Jones Foundation Support, laboratory Usage Fees and endowed Prize Programs.
Who are The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Center for Nanoscale Materials (Argonne National Laboratory), Center for Functional Nanomaterials (Brookhaven National Laboratory), Marvell Nanolab at UC Berkeley, MIT.nano, Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at University of Oxford, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology, Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute at UC Berkeley, Columbia Nano Initiative and Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF).
Does The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech.
What industry is The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech in?
The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech's product category is Research Institute and Nanofabrication Facility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHACAI, R&D / Prototyping & MPW Shuttle Foundries, with a secondary code of EDAHAEAA, Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive). Its NAICS code is 541713 and its SIC code is 8731.