Sprint Electric
Sprint Electric is a UK industrial motor control manufacturer, founded in 1987, designing and producing digital DC drives and the patented Generis AC regeneration drive. It serves global industrial customers across metals, paper, plastics, printing, wire and cable, entertainment, and material handling via direct sales, 70+ distributors in 40+ countries, and an e-commerce storefront.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersArundel, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sprint Electric does
Sprint Electric Limited is a UK-based, privately held industrial motor control manufacturer founded in 1987, headquartered in Arundel, West Sussex, with an R&D presence at the University of Nottingham. The company designs and manufactures digital DC drives (PL/X, JL/X, PL/XD, 340/680/1220, XLV, SL series, plus open chassis and enclosed variants), AC slip-ring drives, and small DC-DC drives, and in November 2025 launched production units of Generis, a patented AC regeneration drive using single-stage power conversion with no DC link and no electrolytic capacitors, achieving ultra-low harmonic distortion (<4% THD) and a 0.99 power factor without external filters. The PL/X platform spans 5kW to 1MW output across five chassis sizes, supporting four-quadrant regenerative operation, 28-bit encoder feedback, and integrated function-block programming that removes the need for an external PLC in many applications.
Sprint Electric sells primarily through direct enterprise sales from its UK headquarters supported by a team of DC motor control specialists, complemented by a network of 70+ approved distribution partners across 40+ countries that supply local technical sales and hold stock. Approximately 80% of production is exported to more than 75 countries. A direct e-commerce storefront at shop.sprint-electric.com handles sales of standard DC drives with publicly listed unit pricing ranging from roughly £124 for entry-level DIN-rail drives to over £18,000 for high-power PL/X units. End markets span metals, paper, plastics, printing, wire and cable, lifts/hoists/cranes, entertainment (including theme park rides and space communications), and material handling, with named customers such as Goonhilly Earth Station, Amusement Technical, Shakespeare Monofilament, a Yorkshire lino manufacturer, and a UK tyre rubber factory.
Revenue is generated principally through hardware sales of drives and ancillary products (digital panel meters, reversing units, buffer cards), supplemented by bespoke retrofit and custom drive configuration work for specialist applications. The company is privately held and backed by Foresight Group following investments totalling £3.9 million in 2023 and 2024, alongside £300,000 of Innovate UK grant funding and £500,000 from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund. Joint Managing Directors Gary Keen and Dr Mark Gardiner continue to lead the business, with Tim Routsis (former CEO of Cox Powertrain and Cosworth) serving as Non-Executive Chair. The Generis product line and a 2025 strategic supplier agreement with Innomotics (formerly Siemens Motors) are the principal vectors for expanding the company into the £16 billion AC variable speed drive market.
Sprint Electric firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sprint Electric
- Legal name
- Sprint Electric Limited
- Website
- https://sprint-electric.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sprint Electric is a UK industrial motor control manufacturer, founded in 1987, designing and producing digital DC drives and the patented Generis AC regeneration drive. It serves global industrial customers across metals, paper, plastics, printing, wire and cable, entertainment, and material handling via direct sales, 70+ distributors in 40+ countries, and an e-commerce storefront.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sprint Electric industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Motor Control Drives
- NAICS
- Motor and Generator Manufacturing (335312), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)
- SIC
- Motors & Generators (3621), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- EV/Industrial Charging Power Electronics (Chargers, rectifiers, power stages) (IMAGADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DC Motors (Brushed, Brushless DC) (IMAGACAB), AC Motors (Induction, Synchronous) (IMAGACAA)
Keywords
Where Sprint Electric is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arundel
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sprint Electric business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- DC Drive Sales: Sale of digital DC drives and DC motor controllers across multiple series (PL/X, JL/X, PL/XD, 340/680/1220, XLV, SL) ranging from entry-level to high-power industrial applications. Products sold directly from HQ and through distributor network globally.
- AC Drive Sales (Generis): Sale of Generis AC regeneration drives targeting the £16 billion AC variable speed drive market. New product line developed through partnership with University of Nottingham to address gap in regenerative AC drive technology.
- Ancillary Products: Sale of complementary products including digital panel meters, reversing units, and buffer cards for single and three-phase drive systems.
- Custom/Retrofit Solutions: Bespoke motor control solutions for specialist applications including space communications, fairground rides, and industrial machinery retrofits, often involving custom drive configurations and system integration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 340/680/1220 Series DIN Rail Mount DC Drives - Entry-level compact DC drives |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | PL/X Series High-Performance Digital DC Drives - 5kW to 1MW output power |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SLE Series Analogue DC Drives - 2Q analogue drives up to 44kW |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | XLV Series Low Voltage DC Drives - Fast response linear DC drives |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Open Chassis and Enclosed DC Drives - Entry to mid-range DC drives |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sprint Electric product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sprint Electric designs and manufactures digital and analogue industrial motor control solutions, including a portfolio of DC drives (PL/X, JL/X, 340/680/1220, XLV, SL series), digital AC slip-ring drives, and the patented Generis AC regeneration drive. Products are built in the UK and sold directly and through a global distributor network for use in industrial applications across metals, paper, plastics, printing, wire and cable, lifts, entertainment, and material handling.
Product overview
Sprint Electric manufactures industrial motor control technology as a portfolio of complementary drive products. The core offering spans Digital DC Drives (PL/X Series, JL/X Series, 340/680/1220 Series, XLV Series, SL Series, Open Chassis-Mount, and Enclosed variants) and AC Drives (Generis regenerative drive). The PL/X Series represents the flagship digital DC drive platform with power ratings from 5kW to 1MW, while Generis is the breakthrough AC regeneration drive using single-stage power conversion. Products are designed for industrial applications across metals, paper, plastics, printing, material handling, and entertainment industries. The company also offers ancillary items to complement their drive ranges.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Generis AC Regeneration Drive AC regeneration drive using single-stage power conversion that provides high-performance AC motor control with energy regeneration, ultra-low harmonics (THD under 4%), and unity power factor (0.99). Features four-quadrant control as standard, eliminating the need for active front end drives or braking resistors.
- PL/X Series Digital DC Drives High-performance digital DC drives available in 2Q (single direction) and 4Q (fully regenerative) variants. Output power ranges from 5kW to 1MW, with 5 compact chassis sizes rated from 12A to 2250A, supporting 28-bit encoder feedback and integrated function block programming.
- JL/X Series Digital DC Drives Digital DC drive series providing motor control for industrial applications.
- PL/XD Series Digital DC Drives Digital stack driver variant within the PL/X family of DC drives.
- 340/680/1220 Series DC Drives Ultra-compact DIN-rail mount DC drives for easy integration with other drives and control equipment, available in 340, 680, and 1220 variants including regenerative XRi options.
- XLV Series DC Drives Fast response linear DC drives for low voltage DC motors, available in 12V, 24V, and 48V variants.
- SL Series (SLE) Analogue DC Drives Analogue 2Q DC drives delivering output current up to 106A to control motors up to 44kW with standard field current of 2.5 Amps.
- Open Chassis-Mount DC Drives Open chassis-mount DC drives allowing easy integration with other drives and control equipment.
- Enclosed DC Drives DC drives housed in high-quality aluminium enclosures, available in seven drive models.
- Ancillary Items Complementary items for single and three phase drives including Digital Panel Meters, Reversing Units, and Buffer Cards.
Quantifiable outcome
- Energy savings through regenerative braking returning kinetic energy to mains supply, avoiding energy waste in braking resistors
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sprint Electric
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sprint Electric technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Sprint Electric partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sprint Electric competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ABB: Global market leader in industrial drives (ABB Drives) and motors. Directly competes with Sprint in the AC VSD space (ACS series) and has huge R&D and channel advantages over Sprint's Generis.
- Innomotics (Siemens): Siemens' motors and large drives business spun out as Innomotics. Both a competitor (Sinamics drives) and strategic partner of Sprint under their 2025 SPS supplier agreement to match motors with Generis drives.
- Schneider Electric: Sells Altivar VFDs covering the same general-purpose AC drive market Sprint targets with Generis, alongside broader industrial automation and energy management offerings.
- Rockwell Automation: Major industrial automation vendor with Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives covering AC and DC applications in similar industrial verticals (metals, paper, printing) to Sprint.
- Mitsubishi Electric: Global manufacturer of inverters and servo drives (FR-A, MR-J series) competing in the AC drive market Sprint targets with Generis, particularly in EMEA industrial segments.
- Eaton: Diversified power management manufacturer whose Drives & Motors Controls portfolio competes with Sprint in industrial motor control and power conversion, particularly for materials handling and heavy industry.
Direct peers
- Danfoss: Major global VFD and motor manufacturer (VLT, VACON) competing head-to-head with Sprint in AC variable speed drives, including low-harmonic regenerative variants for industrial applications.
- Control Techniques (Nidec): A specialist drives manufacturer (now part of Nidec) with Unidrive and Commander ranges covering DC and AC industrial drives. Closest direct specialist competitor to Sprint, particularly in DC drives and 4-quadrant applications.
- Yaskawa: Japanese manufacturer of AC drives (A1000, D1000 regenerative) and motion control products. Direct competitor to Generis in regenerative AC drives with comparable low-harmonic performance targets.
- Parker Hannifin: Industrial motion and control specialist offering AC drives, DC drives, and motor controllers across metals, paper, and material handling — the same core verticals Sprint serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sprint Electric social profiles
Digital presenceSprint Electric compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Sprint Electric financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sprint Electric leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Sprint Electric funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sprint Electric 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 Sprint Electric
What does Sprint Electric do?
Sprint Electric designs and manufactures digital and analogue industrial motor control solutions, including a portfolio of DC drives (PL/X, JL/X, 340/680/1220, XLV, SL series), digital AC slip-ring drives, and the patented Generis AC regeneration drive. Products are built in the UK and sold directly and through a global distributor network for use in industrial applications across metals, paper, plastics, printing, wire and cable, lifts, entertainment, and material handling.
Is Sprint Electric a public or private company?
Sprint Electric is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Sprint Electric founded?
Sprint Electric was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sprint Electric based?
Sprint Electric is headquartered in Arundel, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sprint Electric make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. DC Drive Sales are the primary driver. The others are AC Drive Sales (Generis), ancillary Products and custom/Retrofit Solutions.
Who are Sprint Electric's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ABB, Innomotics (Siemens), Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, Mitsubishi Electric and Eaton. Direct peers are Danfoss, Control Techniques (Nidec), Yaskawa and Parker Hannifin.
Does Sprint Electric have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sprint Electric.
What industry is Sprint Electric in?
Sprint Electric's product category is Industrial Motor Control Drives. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGADAF, EV/Industrial Charging Power Electronics (Chargers, rectifiers, power stages), with a secondary code of IMAGACAB, DC Motors (Brushed, Brushless DC). Its NAICS code is 335312 and its SIC code is 3621.