Sentys Inc.

What Sentys Inc. does

Sentys Inc. is a privately held nanotechnology instrumentation company founded in 2009 by Rickmer Kose and headquartered at 584 Castro St #245, San Francisco, California. The company operates as a specialized US-facing distribution and integration intermediary for four German manufacturers of ultra-high vacuum and cryogenic scientific equipment — CreaTec Fischer & Co. GmbH, CryoVac, HORST GmbH, and PREVAC — curating their products for sale to academic, government, and industrial customers worldwide. Its product portfolio is organized into four subsystems: LT-STM/AFM (low-temperature scanning probe microscopy operating at 4 K to 300 K), Deposition (MBE, MiniMBE, magnetron sputtering, e-beam evaporation, and effusion cells), Analytics (photoelectron spectroscopy, FTIR, MOKE, TPD/TDS, tribometers), and UHV-Cryotechnology (cryogenic-free, bath, Konti, and JT cryostats reaching as low as 450 mK), plus turnkey Complete Systems and supporting modules.

Revenue is generated through two streams: hardware sales of capital instrumentation sourced from German manufacturing partners and resold directly to end customers, and custom system integration and ongoing support services including bespoke design, unlimited phone and email support, and minimum one-year warranties. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by curated German channel partners, with marketing concentrated on the company website (sentys.com), direct phone/email contact, and presence at industry conferences; there is no indication of digital advertising or broad demand-generation campaigns. The team consists of PhD-level professionals, and customer segments span research institutions and universities (primary, conducting atomic-scale nanoanalysis and thin film research) and industrial clients in semiconductor, chemical, automotive, environmental technology, and food sectors requiring precision temperature control and vacuum systems. No revenue, headcount, funding, customer counts, or named customer logos are publicly disclosed.

Name

Sentys Inc.

Legal name

Sentys Inc.

Website

https://sentys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sentys Inc. is a privately held, San Francisco-based nanotechnology instrumentation distributor and integrator founded in 2009, curating ultra-high vacuum, cryogenic, deposition, and surface analysis systems from four vetted German manufacturers for sale to research institutions and industrial clients globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nanotechnology Research Instrumentation

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC)

Keywords

• Scanning probe microscopy
• Thin film deposition
• Ultra-high vacuum
• Cryogenic systems
• Surface analysis instrumentation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Nanotechnology Instrumentation Equipment Sales: Sentys generates revenue through the sale of nanotechnology research equipment including LT-STM/AFM systems, deposition systems, analytics equipment, cryostats, and complete systems. Products are sourced from manufacturing partners and sold directly to research and industrial customers.
2. Custom System Integration and Support Services: Revenue from bespoke system design, integration, and ongoing support services. The company provides tailored solutions in collaboration with manufacturers, offering personalized, enduring support throughout customer careers with unlimited phone and email support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sentys Inc. distributes and integrates specialized nanotechnology research instrumentation sourced from vetted German manufacturing partners, including low-temperature scanning probe microscopes (LT-STM/AFM), thin film deposition systems (MBE, e-beam, magnetron sputtering), electron energy analyzers (XPS, AES, UPS), and UHV cryogenic systems. The company delivers turnkey complete systems combining these technologies and provides bespoke system design, integration, and ongoing technical support to research institutions and industrial clients worldwide.

Product overview

Sentys Inc. is a nanotechnology instrumentation distributor and integrator offering a modular platform built around its flagship LT-STM/AFM system. The portfolio spans four specialized subsystems: Deposition (MBE, MiniMBE, magnetron sputtering, e-beam evaporation, and effusion cells), Analytics (photoelectron spectroscopy, FTIR, MOKE, TPD/TDS, and tribometers), and UHV-Cryotechnology (cryogenic free cryostats, bath cryostats, and Konti cryostats), all backed by bakeout equipment, power supplies, and spare parts. The company also offers Complete Systems as integrated, turnkey UHV configurations combining multiple subsystems for end-to-end research workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LT-STM/AFM Systems Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope and atomic force microscope systems for nanoanalysis and atom/molecule manipulation across 4-300 K, available in 4 K and 1 K configurations. Sold to research institutions and industrial clients requiring atomic-resolution imaging and spectroscopy.
• MBE Systems Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) systems designed and built in partnership with CreaTec for epitaxial thin film growth, including OLED-MBE and complex custom configurations. Targeted at research and industrial users requiring precise thin film deposition.
• MiniMBE Compact Epitaxy System Compact epitaxial growth system featuring a growth chamber, load-lock chamber, optional buffer chamber, up to 11 effusion cells, face-down zero-force substrate transfer, and substrate rotation. Compatible with LT-STM/AFM for in-situ investigations. Aimed at research labs needing a small-sample MBE solution.
• 032 PRIMS Magnetron Sputtering System Compact plug-and-work magnetron sputter deposition unit with three sputter-down source ports supporting co-deposition, compatible with up to 2-inch sample substrates with optional heating and rotation. Sold to research and small-scale industrial users.
• Semi-industrial MS Systems Semi-production high-vacuum system for fast, repeatable thin film coating combining DC/RF magnetron sputtering, reactive sputtering, and electron beam evaporation with automated touch-screen operation. Targeted at industrial users requiring production-grade coating capability.
• CreaTec Effusion Cells (Evaporators) Ultra-high vacuum effusion cells for evaporating elements and compounds to generate ultrapure molecular and atomic beams, operating from -60°C to 2400°C. Sold as standalone components to research and industrial users of MBE and evaporation systems.
• Photoelectron Spectroscopy Systems Photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), HPPES, Advanced PES, and Synchrotron End Station systems for advanced surface analysis. Sold to research institutions and industrial clients requiring electron energy analysis capabilities.
• FTIR Spectroscopy Systems Infrared spectroscopic chamber equipped with precision sample positioning, viewports, and potassium bromide glass ports, prepared for use with Bruker Optics Inc. infrared spectrometers. Sold to research labs requiring FTIR analysis.
• MOKE Systems UHV system for in-situ real-time magneto-optical Kerr effect studies of ultra-thin magnetic films and multilayers, analyzing reflection of polarized light through a sample under a magnetic field. Targeted at magnetic materials research labs.
• TPD/TDS System Stand-alone UHV unit for measuring adsorption and desorption of ultrathin films with high-precision temperature control over a wide temperature range. Sold to research institutions studying surface chemistry.
• Tribometers UHV tribometer with a 6-axis force sensor for studying tribological and mechanical properties including indentation and fracture experiments across a wide temperature range from UHV to ambient pressure. Sold to research labs studying material mechanics.
• Cryogenic Systems (Cryostats) Cryogenic free cryostats (PT Top Loader, GM Top Loader, Dry Micro, Dry 1K Top Loader), Bath Cryostats for UHV applications, Konti Cryostats, and UHV JT Cryostats reaching temperatures as low as 450 mK. Sold to research institutions and industrial clients requiring ultra-low temperature environments for SPM, optical, and analytical experiments.
• Complete Systems Integrated, turnkey UHV systems combining multiple technologies (e.g., XPS, UPS, IPES) for complete nanotechnology research workflows. Sold as custom-engineered solutions to research institutions and industrial clients.
• Bakeout Equipment, Power Supplies, and Spare Parts Supporting components including bake-out equipment, power supplies, spare parts, and consumables for ongoing maintenance and operation of nanotechnology instrumentation. Sold as add-on items to existing Sentys customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 years of LT-STM/AFM expertise with partner CreaTec
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CreaTec Fischer & Co. GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationEstablished in 1992 and headquartered in Erligheim near Stuttgart, Germany, with a subsidiary in Berlin-Adlershof. CreaTec specializes in manufacturing tailored ultra-high vacuum (UHV) components and systems for growth, analysis, manipulation, and evaporation. Key products include LT-STM/AFM systems (since 2000), effusion cells, manipulators, MiniMBE systems, and control software. CreaTec has 25+ years of expertise in MBE systems and is a cornerstone partner for Sentys.
• CRYOVAC Gesellschaft für Tieftemperaturtechnik mbH & Co. KGcoreTechnology or IntegrationFounded in 1975 in Troisdorf near Cologne, Germany. CRYOVAC pioneers cryogenic and low temperature vacuum systems, offering open or closed cycle systems, sample-in-vacuum setups, gas exchanges, and configurations from compact microscopic analysis solutions to room-sized bath cryostats. Products include PT Top Loader, GM Top Loader, Dry Micro, Dry 1K Top Loader, Bath Cryostats, Konti Cryostats, and UHV JT Cryostats. 45+ years of experience with rigorous in-house manufacturing from design through machining, brazing, and welding.
• HORST GmbHsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEstablished in 1975 in Troisdorf near Cologne, Germany. Leading authority in low temperature technologies with 35+ years expertise in designing and manufacturing custom electric heaters including textile heaters. Serves chemical, environmental technology, food, automotive, semiconductor, and vacuum technology industries. Key metrics: >70 employees, >7.5 million euros revenue per year, >30% export share, approximately 1000 active customers annually, 3000 square meter production area.
• PREVACsupportingTechnology or IntegrationInnovative company with over two decades of experience in advanced vacuum techniques. Team of experts including engineers, designers, scientists, and programmers. Serves global research institutions and enterprises with solutions for overcoming territorial and technological constraints. Focuses on comprehensive research, project analysis, and close collaboration for seamless solution alignment with objectives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sentys-inc

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 Sentys Inc.