Gencoa
Gencoa designs and manufactures magnetron sputter cathodes, plasma deposition sources, and process control instruments for vacuum thin film coating. The Liverpool-based company serves semiconductor, optical, display, solar, and decorative coating industries globally through direct sales and a distributor network spanning 16+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLiverpool, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Gencoa does
Gencoa is a Liverpool-based designer and manufacturer of vacuum coating technology, founded in 1994 and operating as Gencoa Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales. The company develops magnetron sputter cathodes (circular, rectangular, and rotatable), plasma and ion sources, and process control instruments for thin film deposition under vacuum. Its product portfolio spans the 3G Circular, Circular FFE, XH, VTFLEX, and GRS-series magnetrons, plus the Speedflo reactive gas controller, Optix multi-gas plasma sensor, VACGAS-G16 chalcogen sensor, Hip³ rapid ion etching system, Activated Oxygen Plasma Source, and supporting power supplies. Notable proprietary technologies include the Monte Carlo plasma simulation code developed in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, the Hip³ joint patent with Nano4Energy, and Full Face Erosion magnetics that achieve >50% target utilization.
The company serves customers in the semiconductor, optical coatings, glass and display coating, hard coatings, web coating/packaging, and decorative/automotive sectors, with application use cases ranging from wafer coating and thin film solar cells to architectural glass, OLED displays, and antimicrobial coatings. Gencoa operates an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system (held since 2006) and maintains an R&D facility with eight vacuum development machines supporting both product development and commercial services.
Gencoa's business model is anchored in direct sales of capital equipment from its Liverpool headquarters, complemented by a global network of regional agents and distributors across China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey, the UK, USA, Brazil, and the Middle East/Africa. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of magnetrons, plasma sources, and process control instruments, alongside R&D commercial services spanning simulation, PVD layer development, plasma etching studies, and chemical sensing engagements ranging from single-day to multi-month projects. Pricing is quote-based, with the company providing remote and on-site process optimization support in the UK, USA, Germany, China, and Taiwan. Retrofit magnetics upgrades for other manufacturers' cathodes provide a recurring service-based revenue layer, and the company supplements sales with active participation in industry conferences (ISSP, AVS, SVC TechCon) and an extensive technical content marketing program.
Gencoa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gencoa
- Legal name
- Gencoa Ltd
- Website
- https://gencoa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gencoa designs and manufactures magnetron sputter cathodes, plasma deposition sources, and process control instruments for vacuum thin film coating. The Liverpool-based company serves semiconductor, optical, display, solar, and decorative coating industries globally through direct sales and a distributor network spanning 16+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gencoa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vacuum Coating Equipment
- NAICS
- Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Deposition Equipment (CVD/PVD/ALD/Epitaxy) (HDAHAEAB)
Keywords
Where Gencoa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liverpool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gencoa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Thin Film Deposition Equipment Sales: Gencoa designs and manufactures equipment used in the deposition of thin films, including magnetron sputter cathodes, plasma sources, and process control instruments. Revenue is generated through direct sales of products and associated commercial R&D services.
- R&D Commercial Services: Gencoa provides commercial services ranging from simulation and design, PVD layer development, plasma etching/cleaning studies, and chemical sensing from vacuum and atmosphere. These services complement product sales and can involve project work ranging from single day engagements to several months.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Speedflo reactive gas controller - available in two options with choice of sensor configurations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Gencoa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gencoa designs and manufactures magnetron sputter cathodes (circular, rectangular and rotatable) and plasma deposition components used for thin film deposition under vacuum. The company also produces process control and sensing instruments (Speedflo reactive gas controller, Optix multi-gas plasma sensor, VACGAS-G16 chalcogen sensor), plasma/ion sources, arc sources, effusion cells and OEM spares. R&D commercial services from simulation to pilot production complement the hardware portfolio.
Product overview
Gencoa is a vacuum coating technology company designing and manufacturing a comprehensive portfolio of magnetron sputter cathodes, plasma deposition components, and process control instruments for thin film deposition. The product portfolio spans three main hardware categories: (1) Circular and Rectangular Planar Magnetrons — including the 3G Circular, Large Circular, Circular FFE (full face erosion), and Circular VTech variants; single, dual, compact, XH (high target use), and VTFLEX (variable field) rectangular magnetrons; and GRS-S, GRS-C, GRS-V, and GRS-M rotatable magnetrons. (2) Plasma and Ion Sources — including the Linear Ion Source, IMC75 Circular Ion Source, Plasma Treater, Activated Oxygen Plasma Source, Hip³ rapid ion etching system, and Arc Source for metal nitride coatings. (3) Process Control and Sensing Instruments — including Optix (multi-gas plasma spectroscopy sensor), VACGAS-G16 (chalcogen sensor), Speedflo reactive gas controller (8-channel and Speedflo Mini 3-channel options), Pulsed Cracker Effusion Cell with SeS sensor, Active Anode, and iM300/iM3000 power supplies. These are complemented by Retrofit Magnetics for magnetic upgrades, Magnetic & Plasma Simulation Software for design optimization, R&D Commercial Services for process development, and Maintenance & Spares for ongoing support. Gencoa's products serve applications across semiconductor (wafer coating), optical coatings, hard and decorative coatings, web coating (packaging, displays, solar), and decorative/metallized plastic moulding. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and has been providing solutions to the vacuum coating sector for over 25 years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 3G Circular Magnetron
- Circular FFE Magnetron
- Large Circular Magnetron
- Circular VTech Magnetron
- Single Rectangular Magnetron
- Dual Rectangular Magnetron
- Compact Rectangular Magnetron
- Rectangular XH Magnetron
- Rectangular VTFLEX Magnetron
- Retrofit Magnetics
- GRS-S Rotatable Magnetron
- GRS-C Rotatable Magnetron
- GRS-V Rotatable Magnetron
- GRS-M Rotatable Magnetron
- Speedflo Reactive Gas Controller
- Optix Multi-Gas Plasma Sensor
- VACGAS-G16 Chalcogen Sensor
- Hip³ Rapid Ion Etching System
- Linear Ion Source
- IMC75 Circular Ion Source
- Plasma Treater
Quantifiable outcome
- Target utilization improvement from 20-25% to 40-50% with High Yield (HY) magnetics
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Gencoa
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Gencoa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability7 records
Feature9 records
Gencoa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- University of LiverpoolcoreCollaboration resulting in Monte Carlo code that predicts plasma distribution and target erosion for any magnetron geometry and magnetic array type. The code uses data supplied by 3D finite element modelling of the magnetic field to predict electron movement and ionization impact over the target surface.
- Nano4EnergycoreJoint development partner for pulsed cracker effusion cell technology and Hip³ high rate ion etching technology. Collaboration includes scratch resistant transparent carbon on phone displays, rapid plasma etching of 3D parts, and novel layer stacks for off-grid power generation. The pulsed cracker effusion cell is a collaborative development between Nano4Energy and Gencoa.
- Worldwide Distribution PartnerscoreGencoa sells products and provides support through partners around the world including: Shanghai Triplewins Vacuum Technology (China), Fuji-Koeki (Japan), YEONJIN S-Tech and KCMC (Korea), Rooks Vac (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand), GBIT Aerospace (Taiwan), Neyco (France), AVALUXE (Germany, Austria), BDISCOM (Italy), Inovac (Turkey), Megatech (UK), Advanced Industrial, IES Technical, STAVAC, US Technologies West (USA), Avaco (Brazil), and NiSh Concepts (Middle East, Africa).
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gencoa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Von Ardenne: Von Ardenne is a German specialist in industrial PVD and PECVD deposition equipment for architectural glass, solar, display, and semiconductor applications. It is the closest scaled direct competitor to Gencoa in large-area sputtering cathodes and deposition systems.
- Angstrom Sciences: Angstrom Sciences designs and manufactures magnetron sputtering cathodes and sputter sources used in thin-film deposition. It overlaps directly with Gencoa's circular and rectangular planar magnetron product lines, serving similar R&D and industrial customers.
- Kurt J. Lesker Company: Lesker is a global supplier of vacuum components, thin-film deposition equipment (including sputtering systems and magnetrons), and process instruments. Its KJLC® magnetron and sputter source range competes directly with Gencoa's planar magnetron portfolio across R&D and production customers.
- AJA International: AJA International manufactures sputtering and evaporation systems, including magnetron sputter sources and related thin-film deposition tools. It targets similar R&D and pilot-production customers as Gencoa, with overlap in circular magnetron offerings.
- Vac Coat Ltd: Vac Coat is a manufacturer of vacuum coating systems, magnetron sputtering tools, and thermal evaporators targeted at research and small-scale production customers. It overlaps with Gencoa's smaller-format circular magnetrons and R&D-oriented deposition offerings.
Broad incumbents
- ULVAC: ULVAC is a large Japanese vacuum and thin-film equipment manufacturer offering sputtering, plasma treatment, and process control systems across semiconductor, display, and industrial markets. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Gencoa's plasma sources and magnetrons as part of a much wider equipment portfolio.
- Applied Materials: Applied Materials is the largest semiconductor equipment manufacturer globally, with a substantial PVD/deposition franchise serving logic, memory, and advanced packaging fabs. It is a broad incumbent whose PVD product line competes for the same wafer-coating customers Gencoa serves through cluster tools and in-line sputter solutions.
- Bühler Leybold Optics: Bühler's Leybold Optics division produces large-area PVD and plasma-enhanced deposition systems for architectural glass, automotive, display, and solar applications. It competes with Gencoa's rectangular magnetrons and rotatable magnetron product lines in industrial large-area coating.
Emerging players
- Plasma-Therm: Plasma-Therm supplies plasma etch, PECVD, and deposition equipment to advanced packaging, compound semiconductor, and specialty thin-film customers. Its plasma processing expertise is adjacent to Gencoa's plasma source and reactive gas control business, particularly in semiconductor-related applications.
Regional players
- Megatech Limited: Megatech is Gencoa's UK distributor and a UK-based vacuum equipment supplier with its own thin-film deposition system and sputtering source offerings. It is comparable as a regional vacuum-coating specialist serving the same UK and European customer base that Gencoa addresses directly.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gencoa social profiles
Digital presenceGencoa compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Gencoa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gencoa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Gencoa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gencoa 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 Gencoa
What does Gencoa do?
Gencoa designs and manufactures magnetron sputter cathodes (circular, rectangular and rotatable) and plasma deposition components used for thin film deposition under vacuum. The company also produces process control and sensing instruments (Speedflo reactive gas controller, Optix multi-gas plasma sensor, VACGAS-G16 chalcogen sensor), plasma/ion sources, arc sources, effusion cells and OEM spares. R&D commercial services from simulation to pilot production complement the hardware portfolio.
Is Gencoa a public or private company?
Gencoa is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gencoa founded?
Gencoa was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gencoa based?
Gencoa is headquartered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Gencoa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Thin Film Deposition Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are R&D Commercial Services.
Who are Gencoa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Von Ardenne, Angstrom Sciences, Kurt J. Lesker Company, AJA International and Vac Coat Ltd. Broad incumbents are ULVAC, Applied Materials and Bühler Leybold Optics. Plasma-Therm is listed as an emerging player. Megatech Limited is listed as a regional player.
Does Gencoa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gencoa.
What industry is Gencoa in?
Gencoa's product category is Vacuum Coating Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAEAB, Deposition Equipment (CVD/PVD/ALD/Epitaxy). Its NAICS code is 3353 and its SIC code is 3600.