What Pololu does

Pololu Corporation is a privately held US electronics manufacturer and online retailer founded in 2001 by Jan Malášek and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company designs, manufactures, and sells a broad catalog of robotics and motion-control components — including DC gearmotors, stepper and servo motors, linear actuators, motor controllers (Maestro, Tic, Jrk, Motoron), brushed-DC and stepper motor drivers, MEMS IMUs, current and distance sensors, voltage regulators, reverse-voltage protection modules, programmable robot kits (3pi+, Zumo, Balboa, Romi), and development boards — along with custom laser cutting services and distributed Dobot collaborative robot arms. Manufacturing, PCB assembly, testing, and laser cutting are performed in-house at a company-owned Las Vegas facility equipped with a 305 kW rooftop solar system that covers over 99.5% of annual energy use.

Pololu sells primarily direct-to-consumer through pololu.com with same-day shipping worldwide and a free-shipping threshold over $75 in the US, supplemented by a global distributor network. Pricing is per-unit with volume discounts, spanning roughly $2 for small regulators up to $500+ for complex robot kits or high-performance sensors. Customers are horizontal — robotics hobbyists and makers, educators and students (including FIRST robotics teams), professional engineers and researchers, and to a lesser extent artists and designers — with no enterprise contracts or anchor accounts visible. The company is owned by five individuals, has never taken institutional funding, and operates at roughly 60 employees, down from 80 in early 2020.

Name

Pololu

Legal name

Pololu Corporation

Website

https://pololu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pololu is a US-based, privately held manufacturer and online retailer of robotics and motion-control electronics — motors, controllers, sensors, and robot kits — sold direct-to-consumer worldwide, serving hobbyists, educators, and engineers from its Las Vegas facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robotics and Electronics Components

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (339920), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail (CRACAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

RC Model Kits & Parts (Cars, Drones, Boats, Planes) (CRALAKAI)

Keywords

• Robotics electronics components
• Motor controllers
• Motion control modules
• Robot kits
• Electronic sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electronics Components Sales: Pololu generates revenue primarily from selling robotics and electronics components including motors, motor controllers, sensors, voltage regulators, and development boards through their e-commerce platform. Products range from individual components to complete robot kits with various price points based on complexity and functionality.
2. Custom Laser Cutting Services: Pololu offers custom laser cutting services for 2-D parts from plastics, woods, and other materials, as well as custom laser cutting of mylar surface-mount (SMT) solder stencils.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pololu manufactures and sells robotics and electronics components through pololu.com, including programmable robot kits, DC gearmotors, stepper motors, linear actuators, RC servos, motor controllers, motor drivers, sensors, voltage regulators, reverse voltage protectors, and development boards. The Las Vegas facility produces its own PCBs, supports custom configurations, and same-day ships worldwide, with a secondary line offering custom laser cutting of 2D parts and SMT solder stencils.

Product overview

Pololu Robotics and Electronics is a US-based manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of robotics and electronics components, motor controllers, sensors, and power electronics. The product lineup includes programmable robot kits (3pi+, Zumo, Balboa, Romi, Cobot), various motors (DC gearmotors, stepper motors, linear actuators, RC servos), motor control solutions (Jrk, Tic, Motoron, Maestro controllers, and motor drivers), sensors (MEMS IMUs, current sensors, distance sensors, ToF LIDAR, encoders), power electronics (voltage regulators, reverse voltage protectors), development boards, and custom manufacturing services (laser cutting, SMT stencils). Products are manufactured in-house at the Las Vegas, Nevada facility, enabling customization capabilities. The company sells directly to customers worldwide with same-day shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pololu: Primary brand for robotics and electronics components including motors, sensors, motor controllers, and robot kits.

Products and services

• 3pi+ Robot A high-performance, programmable autonomous robot featuring an ATmega32U4 microcontroller, integrated motor controllers, sensors, and expansion options for advanced robotics applications such as robotics competitions and education.
• Zumo Robot A tracked robot kit designed for robot competitions and battle applications, featuring a metal gearmotor chassis and compatible with various Pololu sensors and controllers.
• Balboa 32U4 Robot A balance robot platform with an integrated ATmega32U4 microcontroller, IMU sensors, and motor control capabilities for balance and motion control projects.
• Romi Robot Chassis A differential-drive robot chassis platform with integrated encoders, providing a customizable base for robotics research and prototyping.
• Dobot MG400 Desktop Cobot Robotic Arm Collaborative robot arm distributed by Pololu starting with the Dobot MG400 Desktop Cobot, designed for automation in educational and light industrial settings.
• DC Gearmotors Brushed DC motors with integrated gearboxes offering various gear ratios for different torque and speed requirements, including Micro Metal Gearmotors and 37D Metal Gearmotors with encoders.
• Linear Actuators Electromechanical linear motion devices including Glideforce micro, light-duty, medium-duty, and industrial-duty linear actuators with various force capacities and stroke lengths.
• Stepper Motors Stepper motors for precise position control in robotics and automation applications.
• RC Servos Radio-controlled servomotors for precise angular positioning in robotics and RC applications.
• Jrk USB PID Motor Controllers USB-connected motor controllers with PID feedback control for brushed DC motors, featuring configurable speed and acceleration settings.
• Tic USB Stepper Motor Controllers USB stepper motor controllers offering control via USB, TTL serial, I2C, hobby radio control, analog voltage, and quadrature encoder interfaces.
• Motoron Motor Controllers I2C and serial motor controllers for brushed DC motors with multiple channel options.
• Maestro USB Servo Controllers High-resolution USB servo controllers with native USB interface, independent speed and acceleration settings per channel, and internal scripting control.
• Brushed DC Motor Drivers H-bridge motor driver carriers using high-performance MOSFETs for compact, high-power motor control applications.
• Stepper Motor Drivers Stepper motor driver carriers with adjustable current limiting and selectable microstep resolutions.
• MEMS IMUs Micro-electromechanical systems inertial measurement units combining accelerometers, gyroscopes, and compasses for motion sensing.
• ACS37100 TMR Current Sensors Current sensing modules based on Allegro's XtremeSense TMR technology with galvanic isolation, up to 10 MHz bandwidth, 50ns response time, and differential TMR sensing for common-mode field rejection, available in current ranges from 25A to 200A and Compact or Large PCB variants.
• Digital Distance Sensors Digital output distance sensors for proximity detection in robotics applications.
• Time of Flight LIDAR Sensors ST Time-of-Flight distance sensor carriers for precise range measurements using laser-based LIDAR technology.
• QTR Reflectance Sensors Infrared reflectance sensor arrays for line following and edge detection in robotics applications.
• Encoders Motor encoders including magnetic encoders for speed and position feedback in gearmotor applications.
• D24V7Fx Step-Down Voltage Regulator Family Low-cost step-down switching voltage regulators covering 3.3V to 12V outputs from inputs up to 36V with 600mA continuous current, short-circuit protection, and thermal shutdown.
• Voltage Regulators Switching voltage regulators including step-down (buck), step-up (boost), and step-up/down regulators in various current ratings from 600mA to tens of amps.
• Compact Reverse Voltage Protectors and Ideal Diodes Compact protection modules that prevent damage from accidental reverse polarity connection, available in versions with and without reverse current blocking (ideal diodes) for various voltage and current ratings.
• Development Boards Programmable microcontroller boards including A-Star 32U4 Prime boards programmable in BASIC, C, and C++ via USB.
• Custom Laser Cutting Service Custom laser cutting of 2D parts from plastics, woods, and other materials, as well as custom laser cutting of mylar surface-mount (SMT) solder stencils.

Quantifiable outcome

• Generated over 99.5% of annual energy consumption from solar in 2025 (531 MWh)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Allegro MicrosystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationPololu offers carrier boards for Allegro's ACS37100 TMR (tunneling magnetoresistance) current sensors, providing an easy way for customers to use or evaluate these sensors. Pololu manufactures these boards in-house at their Las Vegas facility with support from Allegro. The partnership enables Pololu to offer high-performance current sensing solutions with up to 10 MHz bandwidth and galvanic isolation.
• Robco ElectricminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSolar installation company that installed Pololu's 305kW rooftop solar system with 630 panels. Robco Electric is a Las Vegas-based electrical contractor that handled the commercial solar installation project from planning through final connection to the grid.
• NV EnergyminorOthersLocal power utility provider in Nevada that connected Pololu's solar system to the grid and provides net metering. NV Energy approved the 305kW solar installation and provides bidirectional power measurement through a net metering meter.
• SolarEdgecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of power optimizers and inverters for Pololu's 305kW solar installation. SolarEdge P1101 optimizers connect to pairs of solar panels enabling panel-level monitoring and performance tracking through SolarEdge's monitoring platform.
• Hanwha Q CellsminorOthersManufacturer of 485W solar panels used in Pololu's rooftop installation. 630 Hanwha Q Cell panels were installed as part of the 305kW solar system.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Adafruit Industries: New York-based maker electronics retailer and manufacturer with a similar DTC-only model, broad catalog of components and breakout boards, and strong educational/maker following. Direct overlap with Pololu in motors, sensors, and power electronics.
• Seeed Studio: Shenzhen-based open-source hardware provider selling maker electronics, sensors, and modular robotics components globally. Comparable to Pololu in target customers (hobbyists, educators, engineers) and product mix, with a manufacturing-edge advantage.
• RobotShop: Canadian online robotics retailer and integrator carrying its own house-brand components and a broad multi-vendor catalog. Comparable to Pololu in serving hobbyists and educators through DTC, though with a larger distribution and reseller model.
• DFRobot: Shanghai-based manufacturer and retailer specializing in robotics components, sensors, and STEM education kits. Highly comparable to Pololu in robotics kits (e.g., competing with Zumo and 3pi+), motion-control modules, and educational positioning.
• SparkFun Electronics: Boulder, Colorado-based manufacturer and online retailer of maker electronics, breakout boards, sensors, and development tools. Closely comparable to Pololu in hobbyist/educator customer base, DTC model, and product categories (microcontrollers, motor drivers, sensors).
• Phidgets: Canadian manufacturer and retailer of USB-based sensors, motor controllers, and I/O boards for engineering and hobbyist automation. Closely overlaps with Pololu's motor controllers (Tic, Jrk) and sensor product lines, with a stronger industrial-controls orientation.
• Parallax Inc. Rocklin, California-based manufacturer of microcontrollers, robotics kits (Boe-Bot, ActivityBot), and educational electronics. Directly comparable to Pololu in educational robotics kits, sensors, and BASIC/C-programmable development boards.
• Arduino: Open-source hardware and software platform with its own line of microcontroller boards, shields, and kits. Overlaps with Pololu in development boards (A-Star 32U4), motor controllers, and the same educator/maker/hobbyist ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Mouser Electronics: Mansfield, Texas-based global authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components with extensive engineering and education reach. Overlaps with Pololu in sensors, motor drivers, and power electronics as a much broader incumbent.
• Digi-Key Electronics: Thief River Falls, Minnesota-based global electronics distributor with millions of SKUs from thousands of manufacturers. Competes with Pololu indirectly on component availability and same-day shipping, but at a vastly larger scale and broader catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pololu
• Facebookfacebook.com/PololuRobotics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2689587

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Pololu