L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC.
L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc. is a privately held Manassas-based firm that designs cryogenic radiometers and supporting optical measurement instruments for national measurement laboratories, space agencies, defense contractors, and research institutions globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersManassas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. does
L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc. is a privately held, physicist-owned corporation founded in 2001 by Dr. Steven R. Lorentz and headquartered in Manassas, Virginia. The company designs and builds primary standard instruments for absolute optical radiometry, with its core product line consisting of cryogenic electrical-substitution radiometers (CryoRad I, II, and III) operating at approximately 4 Kelvin. Supporting instrumentation includes high-efficiency photodiode trap detectors (LTD-10 and LTD-11), the TC-04 cryogenic controller, the Model 3300 transimpedance amplifier, the Model 3100 temperature controller, and the Detector Comparator Rotary System. The company's proprietary cavity designs and feed-forward control algorithms enable measurement accuracies below 0.005%, a level of precision that positions L-1 as a reference supplier for national measurement institutes worldwide.
The company sells exclusively to a narrow institutional customer base comprising national measurement laboratories (NIST, PTB, NPL, NRC, METAS, INMETRO), space agencies (NASA, NOAA), defense and aerospace contractors and laboratories (Boeing, JPL, LANL, Space Dynamics Laboratory), and select research institutions (Scripps Research Institute). Distribution is direct via quotation-based sales; no resellers, distributors, or channel partners are used. L-1 also provides custom research and design services for specialized applications, including space-flight instrumentation. Its most notable space project is the NISTAR instrument aboard the DSCOVR spacecraft, which operates at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1 approximately one million miles from Earth and was developed under a partnership with NOAA, NASA, and the U.S. Air Force.
L-1 generates revenue from two streams: capital equipment sales of its scientific instruments and professional services for custom research, design, and flight-instrument development. Pricing is custom and non-public, reflecting the low-volume, high-mix nature of orders. The firm was founded on the back of the 2001 acquisition of the cryogenic radiometer product line from Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRI), which gave L-1 ownership of the LaserRad-II, CryoRad (ACR), and CryoRad-II product lines that continue to evolve through successive generations. With a headcount of 1–10 employees, the company operates a global footprint spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and South America through direct institutional relationships rather than localized sales infrastructure.
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC.
- Legal name
- L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc.
- Website
- https://l-1.biz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc. is a privately held Manassas-based firm that designs cryogenic radiometers and supporting optical measurement instruments for national measurement laboratories, space agencies, defense contractors, and research institutions globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Radiometric Instruments
- NAICS
- Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)
Keywords
Where L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manassas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Scientific Instrument Sales: Sale of cryogenic radiometers, photodiode trap detectors, transimpedance amplifiers, temperature controllers, and related accessories. Products are high-precision scientific instruments sold as complete systems with supporting electronics and software.
- Custom Research & Design Services: Custom research and design services to meet individual customer needs, including specialized projects like the 10CC infrared collimator, modified digital mirror devices with custom windows, and flight instrument development for space missions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quotation-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
L-1 Standards and Technology designs, manufactures, and sells cryogenic electrical substitution radiometers (CryoRad I, II, and III) and supporting optical measurement instruments for absolute optical power measurements. The company also produces photodiode trap detectors, transimpedance amplifiers, temperature controllers, and calibration systems used by national metrology institutes, space agencies, and research institutions. Additionally, L-1 provides custom research and design services for specialized projects including space-qualified flight instrumentation.
Product overview
L-1 Standards and Technology, Inc. is a leading builder of primary standard instruments for optical radiometry. The product portfolio centers on cryogenic radiometers (CryoRad I, II, and III), which are electrical substitution radiometers designed for highly accurate optical radiation measurements. Supporting products include photodiode trap detectors (LTD-10, LTD-11), the Model 3300 transimpedance amplifier, and Model 3100 temperature controller. The TC-04 CryoRad Controller provides electronic control for the radiometer systems. The Detector Comparator Rotary System enables calibration of transfer standard detectors using the CryoRad III as a reference. The company also provides custom research and design services and manufactures the NISTAR instrument for the DSCOVR space mission. Accessories include Brewster's angle windows and calibration reference resistors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CryoRad III Cryogenic Radiometers Next generation universal cryogenic electrical substitution radiometer designed for convenient detector calibrations with laser, lamp, or monochromator illumination. Features novel cavity design enabling use with beams as fast as f/8 without changing or moving the receiver, with absolute accuracy below 0.005%. Targets national measurement laboratories, space agencies, and research institutions requiring primary standard optical power measurements.
- CryoRad II Cryogenic Radiometers The first universal cryogenic electrical substitution radiometer designed for convenient detector calibrations with laser, lamp, or monochromator illumination. Standalone table-top version with absolute accuracy of 0.005% with laser illumination.
- CryoRad I Cryogenic Radiometers Cryogenic radiometer suitable for mounting within a user's thermal vacuum chamber for irradiance or radiance measurements of blackbody sources.
- Detector Comparator Rotary System Detector calibration system designed to measure absolute power responsivity of transfer standard detectors at wavelengths from 370 nm to 2400 nm using CryoRad III as the reference detector. Consists of laser system, monochromator system, and comparator system.
- TC-04 CryoRad Controller Electronic controller upgrade from TC-02 with power resolution of 100 fW. Includes integrated AC-bridge thermometry, heater power measurement, and temperature controller. Features feed-forward control algorithm reducing measurement time.
- Photodiode Trap Detector LTD-10
Quantifiable outcome
- Measurement uncertainty < 0.005% with laser illumination
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NOAA/NASA/U.S. Air Force (DSCOVR Partnership)coreDSCOVR mission is a partnership between NOAA, NASA, and the U.S. Air Force. NOAA operates DSCOVR from the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility and processes data at the Space Weather Prediction Center. L-1's NISTAR instrument is part of this mission.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Newport / MKS Instruments: Optical components, systems and metrology instrumentation including power/energy meters. Same broad category as L-1 (optical measurement) but serves R&D and industrial markets with a vastly wider portfolio.
- Thorlabs: Large photonics components and instrumentation vendor with optical power meters, photodetectors and detector calibration accessories. Overlaps with L-1's trap detector and TIA products but at lower precision and broader commercial scale.
- Keysight Technologies: Global test & measurement leader with electrical signal analysis and calibration instrumentation. While not focused on cryogenic radiometry, Keysight is the benchmark broad incumbent for high-precision measurement and could expand into L-1's adjacent categories.
- Ophir Optronics (MKS Instruments): A division of MKS Instruments providing laser measurement solutions including power/energy meters, beam profilers and thermal sensors. Broadly comparable optical measurement portfolio but a much larger, diversified vendor serving industrial laser markets.
Direct peers
- Gentec Electro-Optics (Gentec-EO): Manufactures laser power and energy meters, photodetectors and beam diagnostics. Overlaps with L-1's photodiode trap detectors and transimpedance amplifier business in optical power measurement, though Gentec-EO is more commercial/industrial.
- ReRa Solutions: Dutch spin-off from Radboud University Nijmegen commercializing cryogenic electrical-substitution radiometers (e.g., LIFT, iQCam) — the closest functional competitor to L-1's CryoRad line, with similar target customers (national metrology institutes).
- Bentham Instruments: UK-based designer and manufacturer of radiometric, photometric and detector calibration instrumentation (e.g., DTR6 double monochromator) for national labs. Directly competes with L-1 in primary optical power measurement and detector characterization systems.
Emerging players
- Pike Technologies: Specializes in FTIR accessories and IR spectroscopy tools. Partial overlap with L-1's infrared collimator and low-background IR measurement work, particularly for research labs.
- StellarNet: Manufactures compact spectrometers, radiometers and light measurement systems for field and lab use. Adjacent in radiometric measurement but targets lower-accuracy industrial and educational applications rather than primary standards.
Others
- National Instruments (NI): Supplies modular data acquisition, PXI and LabVIEW-based test/measurement platforms. Functions as an ecosystem enabler (e.g., LabVIEW integration referenced by L-1) rather than a direct competitor; relevant for ecosystem positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. social profiles
Digital presenceL-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC.
What does L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. do?
L-1 Standards and Technology designs, manufactures, and sells cryogenic electrical substitution radiometers (CryoRad I, II, and III) and supporting optical measurement instruments for absolute optical power measurements. The company also produces photodiode trap detectors, transimpedance amplifiers, temperature controllers, and calibration systems used by national metrology institutes, space agencies, and research institutions. Additionally, L-1 provides custom research and design services for specialized projects including space-qualified flight instrumentation.
Is L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. a public or private company?
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. founded?
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. based?
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. is headquartered in Manassas, United States, in the North America region.
How does L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Scientific Instrument Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Research & Design Services.
Who are L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Newport / MKS Instruments, Thorlabs, Keysight Technologies and Ophir Optronics (MKS Instruments). Direct peers are Gentec Electro-Optics (Gentec-EO), ReRa Solutions and Bentham Instruments. Emerging players are Pike Technologies and StellarNet. National Instruments (NI) is listed as an others.
Does L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. have an API?
No public API is recorded for L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC..
What industry is L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC. in?
L-1 STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, INC.'s product category is Scientific Radiometric Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAC, Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches), with a secondary code of IMAGAFAH, Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services). Its NAICS code is 334515 and its SIC code is 3825.