Other World Computing
Other World Computing (OWC) is a privately held, Woodstock, Illinois-based designer and distributor of Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 storage, connectivity, and PCIe expansion hardware, serving creative professionals, video production teams, SMBs, and increasingly AI engineers through direct e-commerce and global channel partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersWoodstock, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Other World Computing does
Other World Computing (OWC), founded in 1988 and headquartered in Woodstock, Illinois, designs, manufactures, and distributes high-performance storage, connectivity, and PCIe expansion products with a heavy emphasis on Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 ecosystems. The company's core hardware portfolio includes the Express and Envoy lines of NVMe SSD enclosures, ThunderBlade high-performance RAID arrays, Jellyfish and ThunderBay shared storage solutions for video teams, the Mercury Helios PCIe expansion chassis, the StudioStack hybrid storage device for Mac Studio/Mac mini, and the Stack AI accelerator for local AI workloads. OWC complements its hardware with proprietary software — SoftRAID, MacDrive, Dock Ejector, and the Strada peer-to-peer collaboration platform — and with technology lifecycle services delivered through its wholly owned subsidiaries SellYourMac.com and PowerON Services.
OWC generates the majority of its revenue through one-time hardware sales distributed via direct-to-consumer e-commerce (owc.com and regional storefronts for Canada and Europe) and a global channel of resellers, system integrators, and specialist retailers. Software revenue comes primarily from perpetual licenses (e.g., MacDrive at $59.99 new / $29.99 upgrade) bundled with hardware, while a smaller but growing stream of recurring software revenue is being built around the Strada collaboration platform. The company's customer base spans creative professionals, video production teams, SMBs, enterprise IT/ITAD buyers, education, government, houses of worship, and — increasingly — AI engineers and data scientists who require local high-throughput storage for LLM inference.
Strategic execution in 2025–2026 has been notable: OWC launched a broad portfolio of Thunderbolt 5-certified products, invested in Strada for cloud-displacing peer-to-peer collaboration, signed M2M Direct as its UK distribution partner for European expansion, appointed a CFO with Marvel Entertainment scale credentials, and acquired PowerON Services to broaden IT asset disposition and trade-in services. The company is privately held, employs 101–250 people, and positions itself as a sustainability leader — operating the first 100% on-site wind-powered technology manufacturer/distributor headquarters in the U.S., with LEED Platinum and Energy Star certification.
Other World Computing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Other World Computing
- Legal name
- Other World Computing, Inc.
- Website
- https://owc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Other World Computing (OWC) is a privately held, Woodstock, Illinois-based designer and distributor of Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 storage, connectivity, and PCIe expansion hardware, serving creative professionals, video production teams, SMBs, and increasingly AI engineers through direct e-commerce and global channel partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Other World Computing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Storage and Connectivity Hardware
- NAICS
- Computer Storage Device Manufacturing (334112), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (334118), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429)
- SIC
- Computer Storage Devices (3572), Computer & Office Equipment (3570), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Expansion Cards & Internal Add-ons (Sound, Capture, USB, RAID/HBA, NIC) (HDACAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Storage & Interface Controllers (SSD/NVMe/UFS/USB/PCIe) (HDAHABAG), Enterprise Hardware Recycling (Servers, Storage, Networking) (BPALAIAI), ITAD, Electronics Recycling & Parts Harvesting Retail (CRACAJAF), Embedded & Industrial Network Interfaces (PCIe/M.2/SOM/SoC NICs) (HDAFAEAI)
Keywords
Where Other World Computing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Woodstock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Other World Computing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: OWC generates the majority of its revenue from selling physical technology products including external drives, internal SSDs, memory cards, connectivity docks, PCIe expansion solutions, and accessories through direct e-commerce and channel partners.
- Software Licenses and Subscriptions: OWC generates revenue from software products including MacDrive (perpetual licenses at $59.99 new / $29.99 upgrade), SoftRAID, and other utility software. Software is also bundled with hardware drives with promotional license periods.
- Apple Device Trade-In and Lifecycle Services: Through its acquisition of SellYourMac.com and PowerON Services, OWC offers IT asset disposition, trade-in programs, reverse logistics, and technology value recovery services, creating a comprehensive technology lifecycle management platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | MacDrive 12 new user license |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | MacDrive 12 upgrade license |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | OWC Express 4M2 Ultra (non-SoftRAID) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | OWC Express 4M2 Ultra (with SoftRAID) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | OWC 2-meter Thunderbolt 5 Cable |
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Strada Collaboration Platform (bundled with qualifying OWC drives) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Other World Computing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Other World Computing (OWC) designs, manufactures, and distributes high-performance computer hardware focused on storage, connectivity, and expansion — including Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 external SSDs, drive enclosures, PCIe expansion chassis, Thunderbolt docks and hubs, memory cards, and shared network storage. The company complements its hardware with proprietary software (MacDrive, SoftRAID, Dock Ejector, Strada) and operates IT asset disposition and Apple device trade-in services through the SellYourMac.com and PowerON Services brands.
Product overview
Other World Computing (OWC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance technology products primarily focused on storage, connectivity, and professional workflows. The company provides a platform-plus-modules architecture consisting of core hardware products (Thunderbolt 5 drives, NVMe SSDs, PCIe expansion, docking solutions) supplemented by proprietary software (MacDrive, SoftRAID, Dock Ejector, Strada) and acquired brands (SellYourMac.com, PowerON Services). Key product lines include the OWC Express series of portable and desktop SSD enclosures, ThunderBlade high-performance RAID arrays, Jellyfish network storage for video teams, Mercury Helios PCIe expansion chassis, and StudioStack hybrid storage solutions. The portfolio is unified by Thunderbolt 5 technology as a core differentiator, with software products like Strada enabling collaborative workflows across OWC's storage hardware. The company serves creative professionals, IT departments, and enterprise customers with solutions spanning external drives, internal drives, connectivity, memory cards, PCIe expansion, software applications, and technology lifecycle services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OWC Express 4M2 Ultra First certified Thunderbolt 5 four-slot NVMe M.2 SSD enclosure enabling users to install their own drives and configure RAID 0/1/4/5/10 or JBOD with speeds up to 6622MB/s, targeted at creative professionals and AI workloads.
- OWC Envoy Ultra World's first and fastest Thunderbolt 5 bus-powered portable SSD with speeds over 6000MB/s, waterproof/dustproof/crushproof design with integrated Thunderbolt 5 cable, available up to 8TB.
- OWC Express 1M2 80G Portable USB4 80Gb/s NVMe SSD with over 6000MB/s peak real-world speed, patented aircraft-grade aluminum passive cooling, compatible with Macs, PCs, iPad Pros, Chromebooks, and Surface devices. Available up to 8TB.
- OWC ThunderBlade X12 High-performance Thunderbolt 5 storage array with up to 6600MB/s peak and 5990MB/s sustained write speeds, 12 NVMe SSD blades, triple display support up to 4K, and capacity expanded up to 192TB.
- OWC StudioStack World's first Thunderbolt 5 stackable hybrid storage solution for Mac Studio and Mac mini, combining up to 8TB NVMe SSD plus 24TB HDD with speeds up to 6302MB/s, plus three Thunderbolt 5 and three USB-A ports.
- OWC ThunderBay Flex 8 Industry's first Thunderbolt 3/4 storage, docking, and PCIe expansion solution with eight drive bays supporting U.2/M.2 NVMe and SATA/SAS drives for up to 192TB capacity and speeds up to 2,750MB/s.
- OWC Jellyfish Network attached storage (NAS) solution for video teams, providing lightning-fast shared storage that streamlines collaboration with easy setup and robust performance for creative teams.
- OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress Cards High-performance CFexpress Type A and Type B memory cards for professional photographers and videographers, enabling up to 2x faster ingesting with Sony Alpha and FX cameras.
- OWC Guardian Password-protected portable SSD with 256-bit AES OPAL hardware encryption that automatically encrypts data when written and decrypts when read.
- OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dual 10GbE Network Dock First all-in-one Thunderbolt 5 dock with three independent high-speed Ethernet ports (2x 10GbE + 1x 2.5GbE), four Thunderbolt 5 ports, and four USB ports, enabling simultaneous multi-network workflows, link aggregation up to 20Gb/s NAS access, and triple display support up to 8K.
- OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock Thunderbolt 5 dock with 11 ports of connectivity including 3 Thunderbolt ports, 3 USB ports, SD/microSD card readers, analog audio, and 140W power delivery.
- OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub Thunderbolt 5 hub expanding connection possibilities of Mac, PC, or iPad Pro with 3 Thunderbolt 5 (80/120Gb/s) ports plus USB 3.2 (10Gb/s) Type-A.
- OWC Mercury Helios 5S PCIe expansion chassis providing one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot for half-length, full-height PCIe cards plus three Thunderbolt 5 (80Gb/s) ports with 15W power delivery each, enabling PCIe card usage with Thunderbolt/USB4 notebooks and small form factor computers.
- OWC 2-Meter Thunderbolt 5 Cable Fully certified 2-meter Thunderbolt 5 cable delivering 80 Gb/s bandwidth, high-bandwidth display support, and up to 240W power delivery.
- OWC ClingOn Cable stabilizer accessory that screws into OWC Thunderbolt and USB-C device housings to reduce cable strain and accidental disconnection in active workspace environments.
- OWC Stack AI World's first Thunderbolt 5 AI accelerator and storage hub for running larger AI models locally on Windows and Linux PCs (Mac support planned). Expands GPU working memory through high-speed flash storage to enable local AI workloads instead of recurring cloud AI fees. Compatible with ecosystem AI agents and applications including OpenClaw at launch.
- OWC MacDrive 12 Software providing Windows users with complete native read/write access to Mac disk formats including HFS+, APFS, and encrypted APFS volumes directly in Windows Explorer without conversions or cloud uploads. Priced at $59.99 (new) / $29.99 (upgrade).
- OWC SoftRAID Proprietary RAID management software for creating, managing, and monitoring advanced RAID sets across OWC storage devices.
- OWC Dock Ejector Free utility software enabling safe disconnection of multiple drives in a single click, ensuring all data is written before disconnection to protect against data loss.
- Strada Peer-to-peer collaboration platform (patent-pending virtual file editing technology) enabling remote teams to access, share, review, and edit large video files directly from local OWC drives without cloud storage, uploads, or subscriptions. Bundled free for promotional periods with qualifying OWC drives.
- SellYourMac.com Apple device trade-in marketplace acquired by OWC, enabling customers to sell, reuse, and recycle Apple devices. Service has expanded to Canada as of 2025.
- PowerON Services IT asset disposition, trade-in programs, reverse logistics, and technology value recovery services acquired by OWC to expand its technology lifecycle management capabilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- OWC Stack AI enables local AI model processing at a one-time hardware cost versus recurring cloud AI service fees
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Other World Computing
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Other World Computing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature10 records
Other World Computing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- PowerON ServicescoreOWC acquired PowerON Services in June 2026, a company specializing in IT asset disposition, trade-in programs, reverse logistics, and technology value recovery. The acquisition strengthens OWC's technology lifecycle management capabilities and complements its existing SellYourMac.com business, creating a comprehensive platform for upgrading, redeploying, and managing technology assets while reducing electronic waste.
- M2M DirectcoreM2M Direct was appointed as OWC's UK distribution partner effective April 6, 2026, expanding access to OWC's full product portfolio across specialist retailers, value-added resellers, system integrators, and e-commerce channels. The partnership is a key component of OWC's broader European growth strategy, pairing OWC's established UK presence with M2M Direct's channel reach and expertise.
- StradaflagshipOWC invested in Strada in December 2025, with CEO Larry O'Connor describing Strada's peer-to-peer video technology as revolutionary with potential to disrupt expensive cloud subscription models. The partnership combines Strada's software with OWC's hardware products to serve remote video production teams globally across all budgets and platforms. OWC bundles Strada licenses with qualifying OWC drives. Strada CEO Michael Cioni stated plans to expand the Strada network worldwide.
- SellYourMac.comflagshipOWC acquired SellYourMac.com, a prominent Apple products trade-in company based in Cincinnati, in September 2022. The acquisition strengthened OWC's position as a leading marketplace for Apple device trade-ins and refurbishments. SellYourMac later expanded its services to Canada in 2025, providing a platform for Canadians to sell, reuse, and recycle Apple devices.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Other World Computing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- LaCie: LaCie, a Seagate-owned premium storage brand, sells rugged and high-capacity external drives for creative professionals. It competes with OWC across the creative-pro external drive category as part of Seagate's broader portfolio.
- SanDisk Professional (Western Digital): SanDisk Professional (formerly G-Technology) offers high-performance portable and desktop storage aimed at creative workflows. As part of Western Digital, it competes with OWC's storage lineup with much larger corporate backing.
Emerging players
- Synology: Synology builds network attached storage solutions for SMB and creative teams, partially overlapping with OWC's Jellyfish NAS products. Synology is broader in software-defined storage but lacks OWC's Thunderbolt specialization.
- QNAP: QNAP provides NAS and shared storage hardware with strong positioning in SMB and prosumer video workflows. It is an adjacent competitor to OWC Jellyfish in the team-shared storage category.
Direct peers
- CalDigit: CalDigit designs and sells Thunderbolt docks, RAID storage, and PCIe expansion solutions aimed at creative professionals and Mac/PC power users. It competes head-to-head with OWC across the Thunderbolt dock and storage enclosure categories.
- HighPoint Technologies: HighPoint designs RAID HBAs, NVMe storage controllers, and PCIe expansion solutions for workstations and servers. It competes with OWC in the PCIe RAID and expansion storage categories, particularly for high-throughput workflows.
- Plugable: Plugable designs and sells Thunderbolt and USB-C docks, hubs, and adapters for productivity and creative users. It competes directly with OWC's Thunderbolt 5 Dock and Hub products.
- Sabrent: Sabrent manufactures NVMe SSDs, SSD enclosures, and Thunderbolt storage products at competitive price points. It is a direct competitor to OWC's Express and Envoy portable SSD lines.
- Sonnet Technologies: Sonnet manufactures Thunderbolt expansion chassis, PCIe cards, and high-performance storage for Mac and PC professionals. It is a direct comparable to OWC's Mercury Helios expansion line and Thunderbolt storage products.
- Promise Technology: Promise Technology builds high-performance RAID storage and shared storage solutions for creative, video, and enterprise customers. It directly overlaps with OWC's ThunderBlade, ThunderBay, and Jellyfish NAS lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Other World Computing social profiles
Digital presenceOther World Computing compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Other World Computing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Other World Computing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Other World Computing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Other World Computing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Other World Computing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A11 records
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Other World Computing
What does Other World Computing do?
Other World Computing (OWC) designs, manufactures, and distributes high-performance computer hardware focused on storage, connectivity, and expansion — including Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 external SSDs, drive enclosures, PCIe expansion chassis, Thunderbolt docks and hubs, memory cards, and shared network storage. The company complements its hardware with proprietary software (MacDrive, SoftRAID, Dock Ejector, Strada) and operates IT asset disposition and Apple device trade-in services through the SellYourMac.com and PowerON Services brands.
Is Other World Computing a public or private company?
Other World Computing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Other World Computing founded?
Other World Computing was founded in 1988. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Other World Computing based?
Other World Computing is headquartered in Woodstock, United States, in the North America region.
How does Other World Computing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Licenses and Subscriptions and apple Device Trade-In and Lifecycle Services.
Who are Other World Computing's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are LaCie and SanDisk Professional (Western Digital). Emerging players are Synology and QNAP. Direct peers are CalDigit, HighPoint Technologies, Plugable, Sabrent, Sonnet Technologies and Promise Technology.
Does Other World Computing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Other World Computing.
What industry is Other World Computing in?
Other World Computing's product category is Professional Storage and Connectivity Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAGAJ, Expansion Cards & Internal Add-ons (Sound, Capture, USB, RAID/HBA, NIC), with a secondary code of HDAHABAG, Storage & Interface Controllers (SSD/NVMe/UFS/USB/PCIe). Its NAICS code is 334112 and its SIC code is 3572.