Updated:
Aeluma
Aeluma was founded in 2019 by Jonathan Klamkin, a former UCSB professor whose research group at the university pioneered integration techniques for...
Aeluma
Aeluma was founded in 2019 by Jonathan Klamkin, a former UCSB professor whose research group at the university pioneered integration techniques for photonic and electronic devices on silicon. The firm is headquartered in Goleta, California, and went public via a direct listing on the OTCQB market in 2022. Klamkin serves as CEO and CTO, driving a technology roadmap focused on gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) devices grown on silicon substrates. The company operates a fabless model, designing chips and developing its heterogenous integration process while outsourcing wafer fabrication to a commercial foundry. Its core addressable markets are LiDAR and 3D sensing for autonomous vehicles, AI optical interconnects for data centers, and RF/microwave components for defense communications. Aeluma secured a multi-year Department of Defense contract in 2023 to prototype advanced infrared sensors for missile warning systems, and holds cooperative R&D agreements with Army and Navy labs. Commercial engagement includes collaboration with a major automotive Tier-1 supplier on long-range LiDAR receiver arrays. Aeluma maintains a lean, public-company structure with fewer than 25 employees. As of its fiscal year ending June 2024, the firm operated with approximately $3 million in cash and generated modest contract revenue — a posture typical of pre-revenue deep-tech development companies. The firm has disclosed prototype shipments to defense and commercial partners, and has expanded its cleanroom facility in Goleta to support accelerated device testing and qualification. Structurally, Aeluma is distinct as a publicly listed semiconductor development firm commercializing university-born research without a captive wafer fab. Its technology targets the cost structure problem that has historically limited compound semiconductors to niche, high-performance applications by enabling high-volume silicon wafer-scale manufacturing — a fabrication approach that, if industrialized, collapses the unit economics between premium optoelectronic performance and mass-market silicon pricing.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2019
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Goleta
Corporate office
Goleta, CA, United States
Principals
Jonathan Klamkin
CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is Aeluma's core technology differentiation?
Aeluma grows compound semiconductor materials like gallium arsenide and indium phosphide directly on large-diameter silicon wafers, rather than on the small, expensive native substrates the industry has used for decades. This heterogenous integration approach allows high-performance optoelectronic and RF devices to be manufactured in high-volume silicon foundries, dramatically lowering unit costs. The technique draws on molecular beam epitaxy processes developed at UCSB, where founder Jonathan Klamkin led the Integrated Photonics Laboratory.
Is Aeluma a publicly traded company?
Yes, Aeluma went public in 2022 and trades on the OTCQB market under the ticker ALMU. The direct listing was unusual for a pre-revenue semiconductor development firm of its size. As a public company, it files quarterly and annual reports with the SEC, providing full transparency into its balance sheet and development milestones.
Who runs investment decisions at Aeluma?
Aeluma is an operating company, not an investment firm. It does not allocate capital to external managers or deploy funds into portfolio companies. Capital allocation decisions — issuing equity, managing R&D spend, capital equipment purchases — are made by CEO Jonathan Klamkin and subject to board oversight. Institutional investors participate via public equity purchases.
What end markets does Aeluma's technology serve?
Aeluma targets three primary verticals: automotive LiDAR and 3D sensing for autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems; AI optical interconnects for hyperscale data centers; and defense sensing and communications, including infrared sensors for missile warning systems. The defense segment is the most near-term revenue driver, with active DoD contracts and cooperative research agreements.
Does Aeluma manufacture its own chips?
No. Aeluma operates fabless — it designs the chip architectures and develops its proprietary growth process, but outsources wafer fabrication to a commercial III-V foundry partner. The firm handles design, process development, testing, and qualification in-house at its Goleta, California facility. This fabless structure keeps fixed costs low while the company scales toward production volumes.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: