CalDigit
CalDigit is a privately held US hardware manufacturer of Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations and hubs, serving creative professionals, power users, and enterprise buyers globally through direct storefronts, Amazon, and Apple Store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersPlacentia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CalDigit does
CalDigit is a privately held, US-headquartered hardware manufacturer founded in the mid-2000s (firmographic year 2004; company history records storage-solution operations from 2006) and based in Placentia, California. The company designs and sells Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations, hubs, storage devices, cables, and adapters, with a product portfolio spanning Thunderbolt 3 (TS3 Plus, Mini Dock), Thunderbolt 4 (TS4, Element Hub, USB-C HDMI Dock), and Thunderbolt 5 (TS5, TS5 Plus, Element 5 Hub) generations. Core technical differentiators include a Thunderbolt 5 dynamic "Bandwidth Boost" delivering up to 120Gb/s, sustained full-wattage laptop charging (up to 140W on TS5/TS5 Plus) that does not throttle under USB load, integrated 2.5GbE or 10GbE Ethernet, and proprietary software including a macOS Docking Station Utility and an Apple SuperDrive compatibility driver.
The company operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and marketplace distribution model with seven regional e-commerce storefronts (US, UK, EU, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Asia-Pacific) plus Amazon presence in 12+ country marketplaces and Apple Store placement in nine countries. CalDigit targets creative professionals, power users, desktop workstation owners, mobile professionals, and enterprise buyers, with products sold as one-time hardware purchases priced between $179.99 (Element Hub) and $499.99 (TS5 Plus) and a certified refurbished program in the US, UK, and EU. The Element Hub holds NDAA compliance, opening US federal and defense procurement as an additional channel. The firm appears to be bootstrapped, with no disclosed venture funding, no M&A activity, and no institutional investors identified in the available sources.
CalDigit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CalDigit
- Legal name
- CalDigit
- Website
- https://caldigit.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CalDigit is a privately held US hardware manufacturer of Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations and hubs, serving creative professionals, power users, and enterprise buyers globally through direct storefronts, Amazon, and Apple Store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CalDigit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Computer Docking Stations
- NAICS
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417), Electronics and Appliance Retailers (44921)
- SIC
- Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734), Electronic Connectors (3678)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tablet/Ultrabook Docking & Connectivity (Docks, Hubs, Adapters) (HDACAMAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Thunderbolt Docks & Hubs (HDACAHAB)
Keywords
Where CalDigit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Placentia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
CalDigit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling physical docking stations, hubs, storage devices, cables, and accessories directly to consumers and through retail channels. Products sold as one-time purchases with no mandatory subscriptions.
- Refurbished Products: Company operates a certified refurbished product program through regional storefronts (US, UK, Europe) offering discounted factory-tested previous-generation hardware.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Thunderbolt 5 Docks - TS5 Plus (20 ports, 10GbE) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Thunderbolt 5 Docks - TS5 (15 ports, 2.5GbE) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Element 5 Hub - Thunderbolt 5/USB4 v2 Hub |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Element Hub - Thunderbolt 4/USB4 Hub |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | TS3 Plus - Thunderbolt 3 Dock |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Dock - Portable Bus-Powered Thunderbolt 3 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | USB-C SOHO Dock - Small Office Home Office |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
CalDigit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CalDigit designs and sells Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations, hubs, external storage devices, cables, and adapters for Mac and PC professionals. The product line centers on the Thunderbolt Station (TS3 Plus, TS4, TS5, TS5 Plus) and Element Hub (Element Hub, Element 5 Hub) families, complemented by storage products, certified cables, and networking adapters. Products are sold as one-time hardware purchases via CalDigit's regional e-commerce storefronts, Amazon marketplaces worldwide, and Apple Stores in select countries.
Product overview
CalDigit is a hardware manufacturer specializing in docking stations, hubs, storage solutions, cables, and adapters using Thunderbolt and USB-C technology. The product portfolio centers on the Thunderbolt Station dock line (TS3 Plus, TS4, TS5, TS5 Plus) offering increasing port counts and performance from Thunderbolt 3 through Thunderbolt 5, complemented by the Element Hub series (Element Hub, Element 5 Hub) as compact hub alternatives. Supporting products include storage devices (AV Pro 2, Tuff nano), specialized cables (Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable, Thunderbolt 4 Pro Cable), and adapters (Connect 10G). The docks are designed primarily for Mac and PC professionals seeking expanded connectivity, with varying charging capabilities (87W-140W) and display support (up to quad displays on M5 Max).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TS5 Thunderbolt 5 dock with 15 ports, 140W laptop charging, 2.5GbE networking, and quad display support on M5 Max Macs; designed for creative professionals and power users seeking high-bandwidth workstation connectivity.
- TS5 Plus Thunderbolt 5 dock with 20 ports, 140W laptop charging, and 10GbE networking for high-performance workstation connectivity; offers the highest port count of any Thunderbolt 5 dock.
- TS4 Thunderbolt 4 dock with 18 ports, 98W laptop charging, 2.5GbE Ethernet, dual 6K 60Hz display support, and Intel Evo compatibility.
- TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock with 15 ports, 87W laptop charging, dual 4K 60Hz display support, SD 4.0 UHS-II card reader, Digital Optical Audio (S/PDIF), and Apple SuperDrive compatibility.
- Element 5 Hub Compact Thunderbolt 5/USB4 v2 hub with 9 ports including 4x Thunderbolt 5, 3x USB-A 10Gb/s, and 2x USB-C 10Gb/s; supports up to 90W host charging and up to 4 displays on M5 Max Macs with reversible design.
- Element Hub Thunderbolt 4/USB4 hub with 8 ports (4x Thunderbolt 4, 4x USB-A 10Gb/s) supporting 8K or dual 4K 60Hz displays, 60W laptop charging, and reversible design; NDAA compliant for government/defense use.
- Mini Dock Bus-powered Thunderbolt 3 mini dock available in dual HDMI or dual DisplayPort variants, supporting dual 4K 60Hz displays with Gigabit Ethernet; designed for traveling professionals.
- USB-C SOHO Dock Gen.2 USB-C dock targeting small office/home office users with 4K 60Hz monitor support, bus-powered operation with pass-through charging, and SD/microSD card readers.
- USB-C HDMI Dock Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C dock with dual 4K 60Hz monitor support, universal connectivity, 94W laptop charging, and SD card reader across 10 ports.
- Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable Thunderbolt 5 certified cable supporting up to 120Gb/s performance for connecting Thunderbolt 5 devices.
- Thunderbolt 4 | USB4 Cable Thunderbolt 4 certified cable providing 40Gb/s performance and up to 100W power delivery for Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, and USB4 connections.
- Thunderbolt 4 Pro Cable Professional-grade Thunderbolt 4 cable for high-performance connectivity and extended reach applications.
- Connect 10G USB-C to 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter enabling high-speed wired network connectivity for laptops and workstations.
- AV Pro 2 External storage solution designed for creative professionals requiring reliable, high-performance storage.
- Tuff nano Portable rugged SSD storage solution for professionals requiring durable external storage on the go.
Quantifiable outcome
- 17x faster storage performance than USB 3.0 hubs with up to 6,200MB/s Thunderbolt 5 speeds
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CalDigit
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CalDigit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
CalDigit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CalDigit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ugreen: Ugreen is a broad incumbent in USB-C and charging accessories that has launched competitive Thunderbolt 5 docks and is regularly benchmarked against CalDigit (e.g., in Digital Trends and AppleInsider buying guides). It brings significant scale and aggressive pricing pressure to the category CalDigit leads.
- Anker: Anker is a broad incumbent in consumer charging and connectivity, now expanding aggressively into Thunderbolt docks (per recent Prime Day roundups naming Anker alongside CalDigit). It competes with CalDigit on price and scale, but does not specialize in the premium TB5/Mac-ecosystem niche.
- Belkin: Belkin is a broad incumbent in connectivity, charging, and docks with a long-running Thunderbolt and USB-C dock line. While it does not specialize in the high-port-count, Mac-creator niche, it competes at adjacent price tiers and is a familiar comparison point for buyers evaluating CalDigit docks.
Emerging players
- iVanky: iVanky is an emerging player in the Thunderbolt dock category, with its FusionDock Ultra TB5 dock included in Tom's Hardware's 2025 comparison against CalDigit's TS5/TS5 Plus. It represents the wave of newer entrants pushing into CalDigit's premium TB5 territory.
- Razer: Razer entered the Thunderbolt 5 dock category in 2025 and was included in Tom's Hardware's six-way comparison alongside CalDigit's TS5 and TS5 Plus. As a gaming-peripheral incumbent extending into productivity docks, Razer represents an emerging competitor rather than a category veteran.
Direct peers
- Satechi: Satechi is a direct peer in Mac-ecosystem accessories and USB-C/Thunderbolt hubs, frequently appearing in the same Thunderbolt dock roundups as CalDigit. Its design-forward, Mac-anchored positioning overlaps heavily with CalDigit's primary customer persona.
- OWC (Other World Computing): OWC is the most direct competitor to CalDigit — a long-standing Mac-focused accessory and storage brand offering Thunderbolt docks (e.g., Thunderbolt Hub, Thunderbolt 5 dock) and storage. Tom's Hardware directly compared OWC's dual-10GbE TB5 dock against CalDigit's TS5 at the $499–$500 price point, confirming they compete head-to-head in the premium Mac dock segment.
- Hyper (Targus / HyperDrive): Hyper (now part of Targus) is a direct peer offering Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 hubs and docks; its HyperDrive Next TB5 dock was benchmarked head-to-head against CalDigit's TS5 Plus in Tom's Hardware's 2025 six-way comparison. Both target productivity and creative professionals with compact hub form factors.
- Sonnet Technologies: Sonnet is a direct peer focused on Thunderbolt expansion products, docks, and pro-media connectivity hardware for Mac and PC workstations. It serves the same creative-professional and pro-AV customer base as CalDigit with overlapping Thunderbolt dock SKUs.
- Plugable Technologies: Plugable is a direct peer in the Thunderbolt docking station category, offering a broad portfolio of TB4 and USB-C docks and hubs marketed to similar professional and prosumer audiences. It is regularly mentioned alongside CalDigit in Thunderbolt dock buying guides and roundups.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CalDigit social profiles
Digital presenceCalDigit compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CalDigit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CalDigit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CalDigit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CalDigit 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 CalDigit
What does CalDigit do?
CalDigit designs and sells Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations, hubs, external storage devices, cables, and adapters for Mac and PC professionals. The product line centers on the Thunderbolt Station (TS3 Plus, TS4, TS5, TS5 Plus) and Element Hub (Element Hub, Element 5 Hub) families, complemented by storage products, certified cables, and networking adapters. Products are sold as one-time hardware purchases via CalDigit's regional e-commerce storefronts, Amazon marketplaces worldwide, and Apple Stores in select countries.
Is CalDigit a public or private company?
CalDigit is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CalDigit founded?
CalDigit was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CalDigit based?
CalDigit is headquartered in Placentia, United States, in the North America region.
How does CalDigit make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are refurbished Products.
Who are CalDigit's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ugreen, Anker and Belkin. Emerging players are iVanky and Razer. Direct peers are Satechi, OWC (Other World Computing), Hyper (Targus / HyperDrive), Sonnet Technologies and Plugable Technologies.
Does CalDigit have an API?
No public API is recorded for CalDigit.
What industry is CalDigit in?
CalDigit's product category is Computer Docking Stations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAMAM, Tablet/Ultrabook Docking & Connectivity (Docks, Hubs, Adapters), with a secondary code of HDACAHAB, Thunderbolt Docks & Hubs. Its NAICS code is 33411 and its SIC code is 5734.