Nikalyte Ltd

What Nikalyte Ltd does

Nikalyte Ltd is a privately held UK-based (Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire) designer and manufacturer of physical vapour deposition (PVD) systems and instruments for nanoparticle and thin-film deposition. Founded in 2020 by Prof. Alistair Kean, who serves as CEO, the company has built a portfolio of capital equipment including the NEXUS ultra-high vacuum PVD platform, the NL-UHV nanoparticle deposition source (with NL-D1, NL-D2, and NL-D3 configurations) featuring inline quadrupole mass filtering (NL-QMS) for real-time nanoparticle size control, the NL-PCS vibratory powder coating system, Tri-Stellar triple-target sputter sources, Mini E-Beam evaporators, Hybrid MBE sources for metal-organic precursors, and the NL-FLEX roll-to-roll system. A consumables line of gold and silver SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) substrates (£45/pack, MOQ 5) provides recurring revenue alongside premium toll-coating services performed at the Heyford Park site. The business operates through direct enterprise sales for capital systems, online e-commerce for consumables, and a 2025 channel partnership with Alba Scientific b.v. for European distribution outside Spain. Customers span academic institutions (University of Oxford, University of Leoben, University of York, UHI Inverness, UC Irvine), research facilities (Diamond Light Source), and analytical instrument companies (Agilent Technologies, Wasatch Photonics), with stated reach to 100+ organisations globally across materials science, semiconductors, photonics, energy storage, forensics, environmental monitoring, and life sciences.

Name

Nikalyte Ltd

Legal name

Nikalyte Ltd

Website

https://nikalyte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nikalyte Ltd designs and manufactures physical vapour deposition (PVD) systems and instruments for nanoparticle and thin-film deposition, including the NEXUS UHV platform, nanoparticle sources, powder coaters, and SERS substrates. The company serves academic research institutions, government laboratories, and industrial R&D customers across materials science, semiconductors, energy storage, forensics, and life sciences, operating from Oxfordshire, UK, with European distribution via Alba Scientific b.v.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vacuum Deposition Equipment

NAICS

Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Deposition Equipment (CVD/PVD/ALD/Epitaxy) (HDAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Physical vapour deposition systems
• Nanoparticle deposition equipment
• Thin film coating systems
• SERS substrates manufacturing
• Vacuum deposition instruments

Headquarters

HQ city

Bicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PVD Systems and Instruments: Sale of capital equipment including NEXUS UHV PVD systems, NL-UHV nanoparticle sources, NL-Powder Coating Systems, magnetron sputter sources, e-beam evaporators, and hybrid MBE sources. Systems are customizable with various options for substrate heating, biasing, load-lock, and automation. Sales through direct inquiry, quotes for enterprise customers.
2. SERS Substrates and Consumables: Recurring revenue from consumable SERS substrates sold in packs of 5. Gold and silver nanoparticle substrates available at tiered pricing with volume discounts (5-10 units, 11-19, 20-99, 100+). Minimum order quantity of 5 packs for online orders; formal quotations available from 10 packs.
3. Premium Coating Services: Coating services using NL50 Benchtop Nanoparticle Deposition at Heyford Park location. Provides toll coating for customers who need functional coatings without purchasing equipment.
4. Custom System Design and Integration: Custom PVD system designs and integration services for specialized industrial applications including large-scale reel-to-reel coating systems. Market-leading service and support for existing systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nikalyte Ltd designs, manufactures, and sells Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) systems and instruments used to create ultra-pure nanoparticles and thin-film coatings for academic and industrial research. The product range spans the NEXUS ultra-high vacuum PVD system, NL-UHV nanoparticle deposition sources with QMS mass filtering, magnetron sputter sources, e-beam evaporators, hybrid MBE sources, NL-PCS powder coating systems, plus vacuum-fabricated gold and silver SERS substrates for trace molecular detection. The company also offers premium toll-coating services and custom system design for industrial reel-to-reel applications.

Product overview

Nikalyte Ltd is a provider of nanoparticle deposition and thin film PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) systems, instruments, and SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) substrates. The core product portfolio centers on the NEXUS ultra-high vacuum deposition system which integrates multiple deposition techniques including the NL-UHV nanoparticle source (available in NL-D1, NL-D2, and NL-D3 configurations) with optional NL-QMS mass filtering for precise size control. Supporting instruments include Stellar magnetron sputter sources, Tri-Stellar triple-target sputter sources, Mini E-Beam evaporators, and Hybrid MBE sources. The company also offers NL-PCS powder coating systems for 3D objects and powders, NL-FLEX for flexible substrates, and vacuum-fabricated gold and silver SERS substrates for trace molecular detection. All systems are controlled via SPECTRUM recipe-driven software. Products serve research and industrial applications in catalysis, energy storage, photonics, life sciences, and environmental monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NL-UHV Series: Nanoparticle deposition source using terminated gas condensation technique for ultra-high vacuum environments
• NEXUS
• NL-QMS
• SERS
• Stellar
• Tri Stellar
• Hybrid MBE Source
• NL-Powder Coating System (NL-PCS)
• NL-FLEX
• Evap-4

Products and services

• NEXUS Ultra-High Vacuum PVD System Versatile UHV deposition system integrating up to five deposition sources including the 3-headed nanoparticle source with QMS mass filtering, Mini E-Beam Evaporator, Magnetron Sputter Source, Thermal Boat Source, and K-cell. Base pressure below 5e-7 Torr with substrate heating to 800°C, DC/RF bias, and optional load-lock. Targets research and industrial customers requiring multi-technique deposition in a single platform.
• NL-UHV Nanoparticle Deposition Source Ultra-high vacuum nanoparticle deposition source using Terminated Gas Condensation to produce pure, alloy, hydrocarbon-free, non-agglomerated nanoparticles. Available in NL-D1 (single 1", 75W), NL-D2 (single 2", 100W), and NL-D3 (triple 1", 3x75W) configurations. Optional inline NL-QMS mass filter enables real-time size selection in the 1-20 nm range.
• NL-QMS Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Inline mass filter for real-time scanning or filtering of deposited nanoparticles by mass or diameter, with adjustable size distribution in the 1-20 nm range, ±2% mass resolution accuracy, and 100 to 10^6 amu mass spectrum coverage. Operated via Windows software with preloaded mass calibration data and is compatible with NL-UHV nanoparticle deposition sources.
• Stellar Magnetron Sputter Sources UHV-compatible magnetron sputter sources supporting both DC and RF operation with configurable balanced/unbalanced magnetic fields and up to 40% target utilisation. Targets thin-film deposition in research and production applications.
• Tri-Stellar Triple Target Sputter Source Triple-target sputter source enabling multi-target co-sputtering of up to three materials individually or as alloys in a single vacuum run. Compatible with DC (conductive metals) and RF (insulating LiPON targets) operation with bakeable UHV-compatible design.
• Mini E-Beam Evaporator (Evap-4) Compact electron beam evaporation source designed for thin-film deposition within ultra-high vacuum environments, suitable for integration with other Nikalyte deposition sources and modules.
• SERS Substrates (Gold and Silver) Vacuum-deposited SERS substrates offering up to 1000x Raman signal enhancement at ppb-level sensitivity. Available in gold (785nm, 830nm) and silver (532nm, 785nm) variants, sold in packs of 5 with tiered volume pricing. Ultra-pure hydrocarbon-free nanoparticles require no drying. Independently validated by Agilent Technologies and Wasatch Photonics. Used in forensics, environmental monitoring, food safety, and life sciences.
• NL-PCS Powder Coating System Vibratory bowl-based PVD system for uniform coating of powders, pellets, and small 3D objects. Three chamber configurations (PCS100 0.15L, PCS250 0.5L, PCS400 2L) with 2-5 deposition sources including magnetron sputter, nanoparticle, ion, and RF atom sources. In-situ QCM provides real-time mass loading monitoring. Chemical-free process with no solvents, precursors, or binders.
• Hybrid MBE Source Heated gas injector system with automated pressure-regulated feedback loop for controlled metal organic flux delivery to MBE chambers. Independent temperature control of bubbler and gas manifold with multiple purge points for reload without venting. Suitable for TTIP, VTIP, HMDT, TET precursors used in superconducting materials, high bandgap semiconductors, and magnetics growth.
• NL-FLEX Flexible PVD System PVD system designed for deposition on flexible substrates and roll-to-roll coating applications, enabling continuous processing of flexible materials for industrial production.
• Premium Coating Services Toll-coating services using the NL50 Benchtop Nanoparticle Deposition system at the Heyford Park location, providing functional coatings for customers who need application results without purchasing capital equipment.
• Custom PVD System Design and Integration Bespoke PVD system design, build, and integration services for specialized industrial applications including large-scale reel-to-reel coating systems, alongside market-leading service and support for existing Nikalyte installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• SERS detection sensitivity down to parts-per-billion (PPB) levels validated by Agilent and Wasatch Photonics
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alba Scientific b.v.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership between Nikalyte and Alba Scientific b.v. expanding Nikalyte's presence across Europe (excluding Spain). The partnership aims to transform how Europe accesses high-performance nanoparticle and thin film technology. Alba Scientific, founded by Benjamin L. Holmes based in the Netherlands, provides dedicated support to researchers in quantum, nano, and life sciences across European universities, research labs, and industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PVD Products: US-based manufacturer of PVD, PLD, and sputter deposition systems for research and small-scale production. Overlaps directly with Nikalyte on UHV deposition systems, multi-target sputtering, and custom system design.
• Moorfield Nanotechnology: UK-based manufacturer of PVD and thermal evaporation systems for research and industrial R&D, including benchtop coaters and UHV deposition tools. Closely comparable product architecture, target customer (academic and industrial R&D), and UK base.
• Plassys Bestek: French manufacturer of UHV evaporation and sputtering systems with a strong footprint in academic and quantum-materials research. Closely comparable product portfolio (e-beam, sputter, MBE-related tooling) and end-user base.
• Mantis Deposition: UK-based manufacturer of UHV thin-film deposition systems, including sputtering, evaporation, and PLD sources for materials research. Comparable niche positioning in research-grade PVD instrumentation and similar geographic market.
• Angstrom Engineering: Canadian manufacturer of magnetron sputtering, e-beam evaporation, and ALD/PVD systems for R&D and pilot-scale production. Closely comparable target customer (academic and industrial thin-film labs) and similar product positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Oxford Instruments: UK-based global provider of high-technology equipment, including PVD, ALD, and plasma deposition systems for semiconductor, materials, and research applications. Direct overlap in vacuum deposition equipment but operates across a much broader portfolio spanning nanotechnology, healthcare, and analytics.
• Renishaw: UK-based manufacturer of Raman spectroscopy and analytical instrumentation. Indirectly comparable through the SERS detection ecosystem where Nikalyte's substrates plug into Renishaw's Raman instruments.
• ULVAC: Japanese leader in vacuum technology with a full range of PVD, sputtering, and plasma deposition equipment for semiconductor, display, and energy applications. Major incumbent across many of the same deposition markets Nikalyte serves.
• Scienta Omicron: European manufacturer of surface-science and thin-film deposition equipment (MBE, UHV chambers, evaporators) serving academic and industrial research. Overlaps with Nikalyte's UHV deposition and MBE source products but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• HORIBA Scientific: Global manufacturer of Raman, SERS, and analytical spectroscopy instrumentation. Comparable end-market (forensics, pharma, environmental) where Nikalyte's SERS substrates serve as consumables for HORIBA-class instruments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NikaLyte_nano
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOSh-U1_NilJTlCzEVNW4PQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nikalyte
• Instagraminstagram.com/nikaknowsnano

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Nikalyte Ltd