What Plextek Consulting does

Plextek Consulting (legal entity Plextek Services Limited) is a UK-based engineering consultancy founded in 1989 and headquartered in the Cambridge Technology Cluster (Great Chesterford, Saffron Walden). The firm delivers advanced RF, radar, sensing, and embedded-electronics solutions to enterprise and government clients across defence and security, space and satellites, industrial, health and consumer, navigation, and security and surveillance verticals. Its service model pairs multidisciplinary teams with clients from concept through to manufacturing support, anchored by three proprietary technology platforms: the PLX-T60 configurable mmWave radar module, the PLX-U16 Ubiquitous Radar, and the Configurable IoT Framework. The PLX-T60 platform received the 2026 King's Award for Enterprise: Innovation, the UK's highest business honour.

The company's revenue mix combines professional services (custom engineering consulting, project-based and quote-based) with hardware sales of its technology platforms. Plextek works directly with enterprise and government clients on bespoke engagements, exemplified by mmWave radar networks deployed across 17 UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority sites, an ISAC technique for FMCW radar developed with UCL under Innovate UK funding, custom BLDC motor control firmware for iFIT connected fitness equipment, and predictive-maintenance sensors for a global healthcare product company. It also maintains a wholly-owned subsidiary, Ignite Exponential, focused on strategic innovation consulting. Technical differentiators include low SWaP-C design expertise, sensor fusion with AI-driven command and control, integrated sensing and communication, and patented innovations including international patent grants for non-pharmaceutical pain management technology.

Plextek has been awarded ISO 9001 quality accreditation, the Armed Forces Covenant employer pledge, and the King's Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2026. It has accumulated additional recognitions including Technology Company of the Year 2026 (Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards), Best Use of Innovation 2025 (Global Business Tech Awards), and Technology Excellence Stevie Award 2025 in Aerospace Technology. Senior leadership comprises CEO Brent Hudson, SVP Engineering Vicky Larmour, and Director Timothy Jackson.

Name

Plextek Consulting

Legal name

Plextek Services Limited

Website

https://plextek.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Plextek Consulting is a UK engineering consultancy founded in 1989 in the Cambridge Technology Cluster, delivering custom RF, mmWave radar, sensing, and embedded-electronics solutions to enterprise and government clients across defence, space, industrial, and healthcare verticals, anchored by proprietary PLX-T60 and PLX-U16 radar platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RF and Radar Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429), Other Specialized Design Services (541490)

SIC

Communications Equipment, Nec (3669), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports) (HDAIAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wi‑Fi IoT & Device Onboarding/Provisioning (802.1X, DPSK, MDM integrations) (HDAFACAL)

Keywords

• RF engineering consulting
• MmWave radar systems
• Embedded electronics design
• Signal processing solutions
• Defence technology consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Custom engineering consultancy providing advanced technology solutions across multiple sectors including defence, space, industrial, and healthcare. Services range from initial concept through to manufacturing support, delivered by multidisciplinary teams working directly with clients.
2. Technology Platform Products: Commercialisation of proprietary technology platforms including configurable mmWave radar modules and IoT frameworks sold to customers for integration into their own products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Plextek is a B2B engineering consultancy that designs and delivers custom RF, radar, sensing, and embedded electronics solutions for defence, space, industrial, and healthcare clients, from concept through manufacturing support. The firm also commercialises three proprietary technology platforms (PLX-T60 Configurable mmWave Radar Module, PLX-U16 Ubiquitous Radar, and a Configurable IoT Framework) that customers integrate into their own products.

Product overview

Plextek is an engineering consultancy offering advanced technology solutions across RF, sensing, and electronics domains. The core offering consists of three 'white-label' technology platforms: the PLX-T60 Configurable mmWave Radar Module, the PLX-U16 Ubiquitous Radar, and the Configurable IoT Framework. These platforms serve as accelerators for product development, with the radar modules enabling rapid custom radar solution deployment and the IoT framework supporting battery-powered connected device development. Plextek also delivers custom engineering solutions across multiple application areas including defence, satellites and space, security, industrial, and health/consumer sectors. Technical papers including 'Sensing in Space' and 'Mobile Base-Station Radio Unit Design Challenges' support the consulting portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PLX-T60: Configurable mmWave radar module platform for rapid development and deployment of custom radar solutions.
• PLX-U16 Ubiquitous Radar
• Configurable IoT Framework

Products and services

• Custom RF and Radar Engineering Consulting Project-based custom engineering consultancy providing multidisciplinary RF, radar, signal processing, embedded systems, and AI/ML solutions for defence, space, industrial, and healthcare clients from concept through to manufacturing support.
• PLX-T60 Configurable mmWave Radar Module Configurable millimetre-wave radar platform for customers to integrate into their own products, enabling rapid development and deployment of custom mmWave radar solutions at scale. UK registered trademark.
• PLX-U16 Ubiquitous Radar Multi-directional radar system detecting returns from many directions simultaneously and accurately, differentiating between drones and birds and determining drone size and type for counter-UAS and surveillance applications.
• Configurable IoT Framework IoT framework that enables rapid development and deployment of custom connected device solutions, particularly those requiring extended operation on battery power.
• Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) for FMCW Radar Award-winning frequency-hopping technique that embeds communication data into FMCW radar waveforms using a chirplet method, enabling simultaneous sensing and data transmission from a single antenna and RF chain with minimal computational overhead.
• Autonomous Radar Networks for Critical Infrastructure Security mmWave radar sensors integrated with AI-driven command and control for autonomous, cost-effective security monitoring of nuclear decommissioning sites and other critical national infrastructure.
• Custom BLDC Motor Control Solution Bespoke BLDC motor control solution for connected fitness equipment delivering exceptionally low torque ripple, using field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms with Park and Clarke transforms, PID control, and space vector modulation.
• 60 GHz Millimetre-Wave Radar System Compact 60 GHz radar system using Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) technology with 512-element slot array antenna achieving detection up to 100 metres with sharp pencil beam and 4 by 9 degree beamwidth.
• Surveillance Radar for Comprehensive Threat Detection Passive Electronically Scanned Array (PESA) radar for perimeter surveillance providing long-range detection of personnel and vehicles at several kilometres with low false-alarm rate and no moving parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.4 percentage point improvement in image retrieval accuracy (from 78.4% to 83.8%) using semantic segmentation for visual scene matching
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University College London (UCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership with UCL to develop the Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technique for FMCW radar. This project produced award-winning technology and was supported by Innovate UK funding.
• EspanarocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner for autonomous radar networks project. Plextek's mmWave radar integrated with Espanaro's Consilium AI-enabled command and control platform for nuclear site security monitoring.
• iFIT Health & Fitness InccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient partner for custom BLDC motor control solution development for connected fitness equipment. Plextek delivered custom motor control PCB and firmware achieving exceptionally low torque ripple.
• BeeleadersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMechatronics company specialising in sports science and health-focused motion systems. Partnered with Plextek on motor control project for iFIT fitness equipment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Saab: Swedish defence and aerospace company with a leading radar and sensor surveillance business, including the Giraffe and GlobalEye families. Competes with Plextek on ground-based and airborne surveillance radar, particularly for counter-drone applications.
• QinetiQ: UK-listed defence technology company providing advanced sensing, communications, and platform solutions to military and security customers. A larger incumbent competing with Plextek on defence radar and space electronics programmes.
• Thales: French multinational defence, aerospace, and digital security prime with a strong radar and electronic warfare portfolio. Competes with Plextek on air traffic control, surveillance radar, and space sensing programmes globally.
• BAE Systems: UK-headquartered global defence prime with deep electronic systems, radar, and space capabilities. Represents both a competitor on large defence programmes and a potential prime partner for Plextek as a specialist sub-contractor.
• Leonardo: Global aerospace, defence, and security prime with a substantial radar and sensing portfolio including surveillance and counter-UAS systems. Competes with Plextek as a prime contractor on larger defence radar programmes while also being a potential acquirer of specialist IP.

Direct peers

• PA Consulting: Global engineering and technology consultancy with significant defence, space, and security practices. Competes with Plextek on bespoke RF/sensing and embedded systems work for government and enterprise clients, though at much larger scale.
• Cambridge Consultants: Cambridge-based deep-tech engineering consultancy within the same Cambridge Technology Cluster as Plextek. Offers custom RF, sensor, and product development services to defence, medical, and industrial clients with a comparable project-to-platform business model, making it the closest direct peer.
• Roke Manor Research: UK defence research firm (now part of Chemring) specialising in electronic warfare, sensors, and communications. Closely comparable to Plextek's electronic warfare, radar, and GNSS-resilience work for UK defence customers.

Emerging players

• Arbe Robotics: Israeli mmWave radar company focused on automotive imaging radar chipsets. While targeting a different primary market (automotive) than Plextek, Arbe is a relevant emerging competitor in the broader mmWave radar space and validates growing commercial demand for the technology.
• Echodyne: US-based radar specialist using metamaterials technology for compact, high-performance surveillance radars targeting counter-UAS, perimeter security, and autonomous systems. Comparable to Plextek's PLX-U16 ubiquitous radar in targeting drone detection markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PlextekGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/Plextek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plextek-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plextek Consulting