Best Semiconductors Companies in Illinois, United States
The 128 best Semiconductors companies in Illinois, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Littelfuse.
Our analysis of 69 Semiconductors companies
$22.3b in tracked funding; 88% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Semiconductors companies in Illinois
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founded | Founder | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Littelfuse Manufacturer of circuit protection, power control, and sensing technology solutions | $350M | 114 mo ago | 18,000 | 1927 | Edward Sundt Founder | 1,770 patents Electrical circuit protection components and power semiconductor devices | — |
| 2 | Knowles Supplier of advanced micro-acoustic and human interface solutions | $150M | 121 mo ago | — | 1946 | Jeffrey Niew President and CEO | 1,002 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 3 | The Partner Companies Group of companies providing specialty manufacturing services 21Funding top 30%Talent top 38%Global bottom 25%Market bottom 24% All 4 signals ▾Fundingtop 30% Talenttop 38% Globalbottom 25% Marketbottom 24% Funding: Raised $100.0M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 21/100 | $100M | 7 mo ago | 11 | 1997 | Scott Bekemeyer Co-Founder and Co-Chairman | — | 1 expansion · 1 award |
| 4 | Eagle Test Semiconductor Test Equipment from Teradyne | $95M | 272 mo ago | 6,648 | 1976 | — | — | — |
| 5 | viaPhoton Provider of fiber-based infrastructure solution | $92M | 49 mo ago | 56 | 2020 | Baber Abbas CEO | 94 patents Fiber optic cable management, distribution, and termination hardware for telecom networks | 2 launchs |
| 6 | Azumo Manufacturer of front-lit liquid crystal technology for displays | $56M | 49 mo ago | 41 | 2004 | — | 43 patents Film-based lightguide backlighting and edge‑light management for displays and privacy modes | — |
| 7 | Flexterra Flexible Developer of flexible transistors for the semiconductor industry | $56M | 70 mo ago | 9 | 2005 | Fabrizio Doni Chairman & CEO | — | — |
| 8 | Rubicon Provider of monocrystalline sapphire products for optical and industrial applications | $49M | 103 mo ago | 12 | 2001 | — | 286 patents Integrated waste collection logistics, monitoring, and hydraulic pump control systems | — |
| 9 | NuCurrent Developer of chip modules for wireless charging 69Innovation top 10%Patents top 13%Funding top 17%Moat top 21% All 10 signals ▾Innovationtop 10% Patentstop 13% Fundingtop 17% Moattop 21% Techtop 39% Growthtop 43% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 40% Newsbottom 22% Innovation: 728 patents (top 3% of patent-holders) · 541 filings since 2022 vs 133 in 2017-21 Patents: 728 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 541 filings since 2022 vs 133 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $22M | 9 mo ago | 37 37 → 45 (+22%) · sector median +18% | 2009 | Jacob Babcock CEO and Founder | 728 patents Industrial IoT wireless power and data transfer with multimode antenna technologies | 1 launch |
| 10 | CoreCentric Solutions Provider of repairing and re-manufacturing services of appliances and appliance parts | $17M | 19 mo ago | 103 | 1995 | Thomas Healy President & CEO | 9 patents Design and manufacturing of ergonomic exercise chairs for health-focused furniture | — |
| 11 | Richardson Electronics Provider of engineered solutions, power tubes, and display technologies | $15M | 150 mo ago | 485 485 → 551 (+14%) · sector median +18% | 1947 | — | — | 1 job opening · 1 launch · 2 partnerships |
| 12 | Rhaeos Developer of a noninvasive device to monitor CSF and manage hydrocephalus 35Talent top 28%Funding top 32%Patents top 32%Innovation top 34% All 9 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 32% Patentstop 32% Innovationtop 34% Moattop 38% Globalbottom 40% Marketbottom 24% Techbottom 23% Newsbottom 18% Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated Funding: Raised $12.8M across 13 rounds · 13 rounds over 6 yrs (2.2/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | $13M | 14 mo ago | 10 10 → 20 (+100%) · sector median +18% | 2018 | Amit Ayer Co-Founder | 16 patents Medical wearable thermal sensing and non‑invasive fluid flow monitoring devices | — |
| 13 | FreshAir Sensor Developer of an air-sensor device to detect tobacco and marijuana smoke 55Talent top 22%Moat top 31%Innovation top 35%Growth top 35% All 10 signals ▾Talenttop 22% Moattop 31% Innovationtop 35% Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 38% Patentstop 38% Producttop 40% Techtop 48% Marketbottom 32% Globalbottom 31% Talent: Analyst team rating 5/5 · 3 named leaders on record Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 15 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $12M | 18 mo ago | 36 | 2013 | John O'Toole Co-Founder | 15 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 14 | EpiWorks Developer of semiconductor wafers | $8M | 302 mo ago | 57 | 1997 | — | 10 patents Manufacturing multi-junction semiconductor photovoltaic cells for high-efficiency solar power. | — |
| 15 | Electroninks Provider of particle-free conductive inks for application in printed electronics | $7M | 52 mo ago | 33 33 → 43 (+30%) · sector median +18% | 2013 | — | 72 patents Printable conductive inks and metallized structures for printed electronics and flexible circuits | 5 launchs · 1 partnership |
| 16 | Artisan Technology Group Provider of commercial,industrial, military electronic test and lab equipment services | $7M | 74 mo ago | 48 | 1999 | — | 2 patents Environmental sensing and automated remediation system integration | — |
| 17 | Tagore Provider of GaN semiconductor technology for RF and power applications | $7M | 11 mo ago | 38 | 2011 | Amitava Das Co-Founder & COO | — | 1 launch · 1 award |
| 18 | EPIR Manufacturer of IR-based imaging sensors | $6M | 35 mo ago | 28 | 1997 | Siva Sivananthan Founder and Chief Executive Officer | 34 patents Infrared/terahertz focal plane arrays, wafer optical metrology, and high‑speed spectroscopy | — |
| 19 | Inprentus Manufacturer of x-ray diffraction gratings | $6M | 68 mo ago | 13 13 → 16 (+23%) · sector median +18% | 2012 | Peter Abbamonte Founder & CSO | — | 2 launchs |
| 20 | Diagnostic Photonics Optical imaging of tissue microstructure | $5M | 125 mo ago | 5 | 2008 | — | — | — |
| 21 | Scout Provider of wireless home security | $4M | 40 mo ago | 5,000 | 2013 | — | 3 patents Advanced hyperspectral imaging sensors for aerial/vehicle platforms and adjustable vehicle hitch systems. | — |
| 22 | Alcorix Provider of precision micro and nanofabrication services | $4M | 33 mo ago | — | 2014 | Nicolaie Moldovan Founder | 7 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 23 | ANDalyze Provider of water quality monitoring sensors | $2M | 119 mo ago | 6 | 2005 | Bill Thalheimer CEO | 10 patents Portable fluorescence-based chemical sensing devices and reagent‑integrated sensor housings. | — |
| 24 | NanoPattern Technologies Developer of nano-inks for display systems | $2M | 11 mo ago | 7 | 2019 | Dmitri Talapin Co-Founder | — | 1 award |
| 25 | Sivananthan Laboratories Manufacturer of infrared sensors | $2M | 47 mo ago | — | 2009 | — | 14 patents Infrared imaging sensors and quantum‑dot photodetector technologies for high‑speed, high‑temp applications | — |
| 26 | Inspirit IoT Provides AI development and consulting services for hardware acceleration | $1M | 93 mo ago | 3 | 2011 | — | — | — |
| 27 | Tezzaron Online marketplace for buying, selling, and repairing used mobile phones and laptops | $1M | 132 mo ago | — | 1987 | James Ayers CEO | — | — |
| 28 | SigmaTron International Provider of electronic manufacturing services | $888K | 132 mo ago | 2,950 | 1991 | Gary Fairhead Chairman | 2 patents Rotary selector switches with twist‑mount mechanisms for electrical control panels | — |
| 29 | Phi Optics Provider of spatial light interference technology-based optical microscopy solutions | $450K | 47 mo ago | 7 | 2009 | Gabriel Popescu CEO & Founder | — | — |
| 30 | NuCrypt Quantum optical instrumentation and advanced photonic technology solutions provider | $424K | 59 mo ago | — | 2003 | Prem Kumar Founder & CEO | 15 patents Photonic frequency conversion and RF‑optical signal processing for high‑speed communications | — |
| 31 | KEYENCE Manufacturer of factory automation sensors, measuring instruments, and vision systems | $225K | 41 mo ago | 10,580 10,580 → 6,689 (-37%) · sector median +18% | 1974 | Takemitsu Takizaki Co-Founder | — | 5 launchs |
| 32 | Digital Dipstick Manufacturer and supplier of Fitbit for tractors | $225K | 96 mo ago | — | 2017 | Allan Dikeman Co-Founder | — | — |
| 33 | Iris Light Provider of laser solutions for silicon photonics | $20K | 14 mo ago | 3 | 2018 | Chad Husko CEO | — | — |
| 34 | Abbott Provider of rapid diagnostics products and solutions for point-of-care testing. | — | 63 mo ago | 146,511 | 1900 | Ron G CEO | 467 patents Monoclonal antibody therapeutics targeting amyloid‑beta and related proteins for Alzheimer’s disease | — |
| 35 | CTS Corporation Provider of sensing, motion devices and connectivity components | — | 213 mo ago | 4,081 4,081 → 3,955 (-3%) · sector median +18% | 1896 | — | 714 patents Automotive pedal and brake sensor systems with force emulation and fault detection | 1 launch |
Top 12 Semiconductors companies in Illinois
#1
Late Stage · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1997 · 11 employees$100Mraised▾
Group of companies providing specialty manufacturing services. Its portfolio includes photochemical etching, metal fabrication, injection molding, electroforming, CNC machining, and plating services. Also offers engineering design, testing & validation, supply chain management, and assembly services.
- Nov 2025PE$100M
#2
Series C · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2009 · 37 employees$22.1Mraised▾
NuCurrent is a fabless semiconductor company which develops high-efficiency antennas for wireless charging applications. It sells both pre-designed / customized antenna modules to OEMs to be integrated into their devices. Their product range also covers surface-mount inductors or induction heating coils.
- Sep 2025Series C$982.4K
- May 2024Series C$100K
- Sep 2023Series C$1.1M
- Nov 2022Series C$3.5M
#3
Series A · Evanston, Illinois · founded 2018 · 10 employees$12.8Mraised▾
Developer of a noninvasive device to monitor CSF and manage hydrocephalus. It offers a wireless non-invasive thermal flow sensor that is placed over the neck to monitor the ventricular shunt function and detect or measure CSF. Its data is transferred to an app to manage hydrocephalus.
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$298.8K
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$4.1M
- Mar 2025Grant (prize money)$1.9M
- Mar 2025Grant (prize money)$306.5K
#4
Series A · Arlington Heights, Illinois · founded 2011 · 38 employees$6.7Mraised▾
Provider of GaN semiconductor technology for RF and power applications. It provides users with a company that specializes in Gallium Nitride-on-Silicon (GaN-on-Si) semiconductor technology for Radio Frequency (RF) applications. They develop RF GaN devices such as RF switches, power amplifiers, and low noise amplifiers for various applications including public safety, tactical radio, and 5G infrastructure.
- Jul 2025Series A$2M
- Jun 2023Conventional Debt$1.5M
- Nov 2021Conventional Debt$4M
- Jul 2019Grant (prize money)$224.9K
#5
Early Stage · Carol Stream, Illinois · founded 1995 · 103 employees$17.2Mraised▾
Provider of repairing and re-manufacturing services of appliances and appliance parts
- Nov 2024Conventional Debt$5M
- Nov 2021Unattributed$2.2M
- Jan 2021Conventional Debt$6M
- Nov 2015Unattributed$4M
#6
Series B · Lebanon, Illinois · founded 2013 · 36 employees$11.8Mraised▾
Developer of an air-sensor device to detect tobacco and marijuana smoke. It provides a two-plug adapter that fits over existing wall outlets and leverages Wi-Fi to send infraction information to a central monitoring system, which results in an email to the admin. Its device comprises polymer sensors that detect specific airborne chemicals like the biological receptors in the human body that is by binding only with the target molecule, making them sensitive and specific and resetting when the target molecules are cleared. It also provides an app that allows users to monitor the detection of smoke.
- Nov 2024Series B$3.7M
- May 2023Series A$1M
- Sep 2019Grant (prize money)$1.5M
- Jan 2019Series A$3.5M
#7
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019 · 7 employees$1.7Mraised▾
Developer of nano-inks for display systems. It enables the patterning of high-resolution quantum dot downconverter layers via its patented nanoparticle lithography process which is compatible with the conventional lithography processes too. The main feature of this technology is its high conversion efficiencies.
- Jul 2025Seed$1.2M
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$1.7M
- Dec 2023Seed$1.7M
- Jan 2020Grant (prize money)$224.9K
#8
Series B · Aurora, Illinois · founded 2020 · 56 employees$92.2Mraised▾
viaPhoton is a technology company that provides fiber-based infrastructure solutions. It offers various products which include fiber trunks, fiber arrays, patch cords, trunk modules, and more. It also provides infrastructure design tools.
- May 2022Series B$80M
- Apr 2021Series A$6.2M
- Feb 2021Series A$6M
- Nov 2019Seed$105K
#9
Series B · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2004 · 41 employees$56.1Mraised▾
Manufacturer of front-lit liquid crystal technology for displays. It develops front-lit reflective LCDs that consume low power. Its features include a thin display stack, power efficiency, ambient light utilization, colour enhancement, and low-powered light-emitting diodes. It has applications in medical, educational, industrial, wearables, automotive, consumer electronics, and IoT systems.
- May 2022Series B$30M
- Dec 2020Series B$9M
- Nov 2018Series B$9M
- Aug 2017Series A$3.1M
#10
Public · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1927 · 18000 employees$350Mraised▾
Manufacturer of circuit protection, power control, and sensing technology solutions. The company provides products such as fuses, solid-state relays, TVS diodes, and fuse holders. These components support applications including power tools, industrial automation, alternative energy, and electric vehicles. The company also offers technical resources such as design guides and product test reports.
#11
Funding Raised · Bolingbrook, Illinois · founded 1997 · 28 employees$5.9Mraised▾
Manufacturer of IR-based imaging sensors. It offers IR materials and sensors used in high-performance imaging systems. It also works in collaboration with its foundry to invent, model, predict and demonstrate new techniques and technologies for the creation of materials and devices. It caters to defence, commercial and space usages.
- Jul 2023Grant (prize money)$206.5K
- Feb 2023Grant (prize money)$206.5K
- Feb 2022Grant (prize money)$1.3M
- Jun 2021Grant (prize money)$200K
#12
Series B · Skokie, Illinois · founded 2005 · 9 employees$56Mraised▾
Flexterra Flexible develops and manufactures flexible transistors for the semiconductor industry. It uses flexible thin-film transistors technology to provide its proprietary ActivInk materials that have application in electronics, display devices, etc. It claims that the devices developed from this material will be soft, ambient, and organic. The company has developed its product in collaboration with the SAES Group.
- Jul 2020Series B$3M
- Feb 2016Series B$13.7M
- Dec 2015Series B$3.3M
- Aug 2014Series B$7.4M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Semiconductors coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Semiconductors in Illinois is moving
A read on the academic research around Semiconductors in Illinois — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 146 papers.
UIUC, IIT, and UIC lead Illinois semiconductor research, focusing on 3D IC/TSV integration, SiC materials, and VLSI design with an optimistic tone (breakthroughs and advancements dominating concerns 115 to 16).
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign99
- Illinois Institute of Technology18
- University of Illinois Chicago17
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale7
- Northern Illinois University4
- Electronic circuit12
- Integrated circuit11
- Transistor9
- Silicon7
- CMOS6
- Reliability (semiconductor)1→3
- Optoelectronics1→3
- Integrated circuit4
- Electronics3
- Semiconductor device3
- Reliability (semiconductor)3
- Context (archaeology)2
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.