Built on Trust: Four Decades of Iris Technology Innovation
Four decades of innovation, resilience, and relationships that matter.
Some companies start with venture capital. Iris Technology began with something different — a handshake on Valentine’s Day, 1986, that set a course for four decades of innovation and impact.
Edward J. O’Rourke and Peter J. Wheel launched Prism Engineering Partnership with technical expertise, industry experience, and a shared conviction: the best work happens when you chart your own course. After the partnership changed, Ed’s wife Cheryl stepped in to help carry the vision forward. Her untimely passing in 1988 marked a turning point. On December 12, 1988, Ed incorporated Iris Technology Corporation, transforming grief into purpose and laying a foundation that has endured for nearly forty years.
A Culture Built to Last
Walk through Iris today and you will notice something unusual. People stay. Not for a year or two, but for decades.
Our leadership team includes directors who have been here for 17, 13, and 12 years. Others have contributed their expertise for 8 and 6+ years, dedicating much of their careers to Iris’s growth. Even newer leaders are already making their mark, bringing fresh energy while reinforcing continuity. This is not a coincidence. It is what happens when people build careers, not just jobs, around work that matters.
Led by Co-GM and CFO Marguerite Leveille alongside directors in Business Development, Program Management, Engineering, Operations, and Compliance, Iris balances institutional knowledge with forward momentum. When people believe in what they are building, they do not leave. They commit.
The Day the White House Called
Personally selected by the Secretary of the Navy to represent Iris Technology, Mr. O’Rourke stood on a national stage as both an innovator and a voice for small business ingenuity.
By 2012, Iris Technology had spent more than a decade pioneering energy solutions for deployed forces, including radio power adapters, inverter systems, and solar-powered tactical equipment. Thousands of units had already been delivered into the field, supporting Marines and soldiers operating in some of the world’s most demanding environments.
Then came April 19, 2012.
Ed O’Rourke stood in the White House as one of only nine individuals nationwide recognized as a Champion of Change under President Obama’s administration. Personally selected by the Secretary of the Navy, Ed represented more than Iris. He represented the impact of small-business ingenuity applied to real operational problems.
The event was broadcast live. For the Iris team, the real recognition came from knowing the work was making a difference where it mattered most, in the field.
From Earth to Orbit
While building tactical power systems, Iris was also reaching beyond the atmosphere.
In 1988, Iris delivered its first space payload and ground station to the Army Material Technology Laboratory through a subcontract with Sparta, Inc. The Space Materials Experiment, SME-M1A, launched on March 24, 1989 aboard a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral. The mission succeeded. The hardware performed. Iris achieved TRL-9 and demonstrated the ability to deliver in the most unforgiving environment imaginable: space.
That early success opened doors. Over the years, Iris developed cryocooler control electronics for the Missile Defense Agency, AFRL, NASA, and prime contractors. At the core were proprietary vibration control algorithms and input ripple attenuation circuits, protected through patents and commercial secrecy.
By 2021, Iris had evolved again. The company delivered its first Focal Plane Interface Electronics, often described as the brains behind the lens for advanced infrared imaging systems. Beginning with 4k×4k arrays and expanding to 8k×8k performance, Iris FPIE systems now support multiple Space Development Agency programs. These systems enable high-speed image acquisition and real-time processing for space situational awareness and missile warning missions.
In 2023, Iris partnered with the Air Force Research Laboratory and Coherent on an advanced imaging system for cislunar space. The effort supports AFRL’s ORACLE program and extends U.S. space awareness beyond geosynchronous orbit.
From a payload on a Delta rocket to systems monitoring the space between Earth and the Moon, Iris has spent three decades proving one thing. We build hardware that works when failure is not an option.
Built to Deliver
Innovation earns attention. Infrastructure earns trust.
Iris Technology maintains ISO-9000 and AS-9100 certifications and routinely passes DCAA and DCMA audits. In November 2025, the company achieved CMMC Certification Level 2. These are not marketing badges. They demonstrate that when Iris commits to delivering on schedule, on specification, and with full traceability, that commitment holds.
What Comes Next
We are accelerating.
Our tactical teams are driving breakthroughs in size, weight, and power that directly impact operational readiness. Our space division continues to set new benchmarks in imaging performance and reliability. We are delivering to customers such as L3Harris and supporting government programs that did not exist five years ago.
The through-line from 1986 to today is not nostalgia. It is ingenuity. It is the belief that the hardest problems attract the brightest minds, and that great engineering is built on relationships that endure.
Ed O’Rourke, now serving as Trustee of the O’Rourke family trusts, has spent nearly forty years ensuring Iris remains what it was always meant to be. A company where vision meets resilience, innovation is backed by integrity, and the mission always comes first.
Iris Technology Corporation has been delivering mission-critical solutions to defense and aerospace customers for nearly four decades. From tactical power systems to advanced space imaging, we solve the problems that matter most.
Timeline: Moments That Shaped Iris
1986 - Prism Engineering Partnership founded on Valentine's Day
1988 - Iris Technology Corporation incorporated; first space payload delivered
1989 - SME-M1A space payload launches from Cape Canaveral (March 24)
1998 - First product: PAC-216/U Radio Power Adapter for Marine Corps
2000 - QP-1800 inverter system introduced (14,000+ units delivered to date)
2011 - Hosted Assistant Secretary of Defense Sharon Burke for site visit
2012 - Ed O'Rourke honored at White House as "Champion of Change"
2021 - First Focal Plane Interface circuitry delivered
2023 - Collaborated on AFRL ORACLE cislunar imaging program
2025 - Achieved CMMC Certification Level 2 (November)
2026 - Continuing to deliver for L3Harris, SDA programs, and government customers