PulseForge plans to double its footprint and headcount
Austin, TX – October 23, 2026 – It’s no secret Texas has historically been known as an energy state. But as the global economy continues to shift, Round Rock-based PulseForge Inc. CEO Jon Gibson thinks “chips are the new oil.”
Gibson would know as his company’s recent growth is buoyed by the semiconductor industry. So much so that on Oct. 22, the Round Rock City Council gave the go-ahead to a $600,000 incentive to fund a $20 million expansion for the company north of Austin that will aid it to double its footprint and headcount. But that could just be the start.
“I think that this will continue for decades,” Gibson told the Austin Business Journal. “I think interestingly enough if you look at the other companies that are rapidly growing in this area, ones which will require our equipment and services and materials, they are also going into space. I think the ultimate size of that opportunity is almost unquantifiable.”
PulseForge was spun out of NovaCentrix in 2022 and has its headquarters at about 56,000 square feet at 400 Parker Drive. The equipment and materials and consumable maker makes specialized tools, primarily for the semiconductor industry, including manufacturing equipment and thermal processing technology. But Gibson said those can be applied to a variety of other industries, including electronics, automotive, and energy and defense.
The business currently works with what Gibson would only reference as “the biggest companies in the world.” While he declined to name them, PulseForge in the past has publicly acknowledged partnerships with private and public entities like a handful of global universities and companies in Korea.
Right now, Gibson said the company’s technologies are being commercially adopted, and it needs to scale up to meet those requirements. That has precipitated the need to expand both the research-and-development and manufacturing sides of the business. It currently has 50 employees, with an average salary upward of $100,000.
PulseForge is considering taking over an adjacent building in what’s called Corridor Park from Prologis Inc. (NYSE: PLD)
The company could also potentially build out a similarly sized option elsewhere in Round Rock, Austin’s largest suburb with roughly 141,000 people that is just north of the capital city. The expansion is expected to be about 65,000 square feet.
The performance-based agreement between PulseForge and the Round Rock Transportation and Economic Development Corp. requires the company to find space in Round Rock, create at least 60 additional jobs and invest $20 million in the site to be eligible for $600,000 in economic incentive payments, according to city documents.
The company needs to invest $6 million in improvements to the facility itself and $14 million in machinery and equipment. Half of that investment, along with at least 20 hires, are required by 2029, while the other half and 40 additional jobs are required by 2031. The company would receive $250,000 in 2030 and $350,000 in 2032 should it hit those goals, according to documents.
Round Rock Chamber President and CEO Jordan Robinson said the city has “built a strong foundation in the semiconductor industry by supporting the growth of companies already investing in our community.” Other examples include KoMiCo Technology Inc. and Tekscend Photomask Inc.
“PulseForge’s expansion builds on that success, strengthening our role in the semiconductor supply chain and creating more opportunities for people to build careers in advanced manufacturing. We’re proud to partner with PulseForge as it enters its next chapter in Round Rock,” Robinson said in a statement.
Gibson said the need for incentives is precipitated by the fact the company has, until now, mostly privately funded any investments and it needs to keep up with its customers.
“To the extent that we can have any assistance with that and to help with that growth is greatly appreciated,” Gibson said, adding the Round Rock Chamber and city teams “were great to work with.”
“I think an environment like that, that is so pro-growth … that’ll bring other companies and continue to encourage other companies to expand here. I think that the future is just very bright,” Gibson said.
He said the biggest challenges are meeting the needs of customers. That requires solving technical challenges, answering equipment-related concerns or meeting manufacturing and supply chain needs.
“It’s a multi-year process with customers where there are constant interactions with the customer, the customer’s scientists with our scientists, virtually and in-person around the world,” he said.
But there is a lot of growth on the horizon – and that’s what they plan to do with the expansion.
For one, the company plays a vital role in the advanced packaging industry. That is largely handled outside of the United States, with some estimates putting the domestic market share of that industry around 3%. But Gibson said there’s an opportunity for that to happen here along with wealth of fabrication.
“The equipment is manufactured here, it’s engineered here, we do all of the process work here for those materials that go alongside the equipment. But if the customers’ packaging is overseas, then that’s where our equipment goes and that’s also where we have to supply our consumables,” he said. “There’s absolutely no reason that the United States, Texas and Central Texas shouldn’t be doing exactly the same thing.”
PulseForge’s equipment has also found a niche in helping thin down wafers. The company has developed a process with materials and equipment that is cleaner, faster and produces a higher yield. Having that thin layer opens up the technology to be used in other applications, like data centers, solar and space – and the confluence of all three.
“As you go thinner in materials, you can do the same amount of compute with a smaller amount of area. In other words, they’re more efficient,” he said.
The company is also pursuing funding opportunities through the federal CHIPS Act and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund.
Gibson believes right now Central Texas is the “epicenter” of semiconductor manufacturing. Austin has garnered the “Silicon Hills” nickname because of its role in that, but it is now extending as far east as Elon Musk’s Terafab in Grimes County.
He thinks Texas’ business-friendly environment, support from the federal, state and local levels, and a wealth of qualified scientists and technicians they can tap into creates a perfect formula for that to continue.