SB Components
SB Components is a UK-based e-commerce retailer and hardware manufacturer selling Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit, and ESP32 boards plus its own branded HATs, expansion modules, and educational kits to makers, educators, and engineers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SB Components does
SB Components Ltd is a UK-based, privately held e-commerce retailer and hardware manufacturer specializing in single-board computer (SBC) and microcontroller accessories. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Cradley Heath (West Midlands), the company operates a Shopify storefront at shop.sb-components.co.uk that distributes official Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit, ROCK SBC, ESP32, BeagleBone, and Adafruit products alongside its own-branded HATs, expansion boards, sensor modules, displays, relay controllers, drone kits, and educational bundles. The catalogue spans roughly 15+ categories with unit prices ranging from $2 microcontroller chips to $499 UHF RFID readers, and global shipping to 100+ countries from the single UK warehouse.
The core technology stack centres on RP2040/RP2350 (Raspberry Pi Silicon) microcontrollers paired with cellular (4G LTE via Quectel EG25-G), LoRa/LoRaWAN, GPS/RTK, NFC/RFID, fingerprint, audio, and ePaper peripherals. Proprietary product lines include PiTalk (4G IoT HAT), PiWings drone kits (Tri/Quad/Hexacopter), PiCoder learning kit, IoTFi 4G board, PiSquare wireless HAT stacking, GatePi relay boards, EnkPi ePaper, ReadPi, Touchsy, IdentiPi, and more recent Kickstarter-launched products TRIGGR, HackStar, HackyPi 2.0, and Hack Cable.
Revenue mechanics are entirely transactional: one-time hardware unit sales via direct e-commerce, supplemented by Kickstarter pre-orders for new proprietary products and a 'Become a Distributor' B2B wholesale program. The go-to-market motion is product-led growth — self-serve storefront browsing, Kickstarter-driven launches, YouTube tutorials, blog project guides, and organic social (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn). Customer segments are horizontal across makers/hobbyists, educators, professional engineers, and resellers, with no subscription, SaaS, or recurring revenue components.
SB Components firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SB Components
- Legal name
- SB Components Ltd
- Website
- https://shop.sb-components.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SB Components is a UK-based e-commerce retailer and hardware manufacturer selling Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit, and ESP32 boards plus its own branded HATs, expansion modules, and educational kits to makers, educators, and engineers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SB Components industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Single-Board Computer Accessories and Electronics Components
- NAICS
- Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419), Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (334118), All Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (33599)
- SIC
- Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Printed Circuit Boards (3672), Electronic Components, Nec (3679)
- akta.pro primary industry
- PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail (CRACAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Electronic Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors) Retail (CRACAKAA), Business Technology & Electronics Wholesale Clubs (B2B) (CRAEAEAF)
Keywords
Where SB Components is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SB Components business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling single-board computers (Raspberry Pi, ROCK, Arduino), proprietary HATs, expansion boards, sensor modules, displays, relay controllers, drone/robotic kits, and accessories. Products sold at fixed unit prices with varying margins across brands and categories. Mix of own branded SB Components products and third-party branded products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single-unit retail pricing across all products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Clearance and discounted products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-built kits and bundled products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Official Raspberry Pi products |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
SB Components product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SB Components is a UK-based electronics retailer and product design company that designs, manufactures, and resells single-board computers, custom HATs, expansion boards, sensors, displays, and educational kits. Their catalog spans Raspberry Pi (including Pico, Pico 2, Pi 5), Arduino, micro:bit, ROCK SBC, and ESP32 platforms, combining proprietary SB Components branded accessories with officially resold branded products from Raspberry Pi Ltd, Arduino, and Adafruit. Products are sold globally via a direct e-commerce storefront, Kickstarter launches for new proprietary devices, and a B2B distributor program.
Product overview
SB Components is a UK-based electronics component retailer and manufacturer specializing in single-board computers and add-on hardware. Their portfolio centers on multiple computing platforms: Raspberry Pi (including Pico, Pico W, Pico 2, Zero, 4, 5, Compute Module), Arduino (UNO, Nano, Mega, Due, GIGA), micro:bit, ROCK SBC, and ESP32. The core product lines include: (1) Raspberry Pi Pico boards and expansions featuring the RP2040/RP2350 microcontrollers with wireless (WiFi), relay control, motor driving, GPS, LoRa, 4G cellular, RFID/NFC, audio, and display capabilities; (2) Raspberry Pi ecosystem products including HATs for motor control, relay switching, environmental sensing, GPS, LoRa/WAN, home automation, 4G IoT, NFC, fingerprint authentication, power monitoring, and RFID; (3) Arduino official boards and shields including relay shields, robotics arms (Braccio), and ML kits; (4) ROCK single-board computers with AI accelerator options; (5) micro:bit educational platforms; and (6) specialized products like the TRIGGR trading controller and drone kits (PiWings). They also distribute third-party brands including Adafruit components and accessories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Raspberry Pi Pico Board Entry-level microcontroller board based on Raspberry Pi's RP2040 chip, featuring dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, sold for hobbyist, educational, and embedded prototyping projects.
- Raspberry Pi Pico W Pico variant with built-in 802.11n WiFi, designed for wireless IoT and networked applications by hobbyists and engineers.
- PiCoder Compact DIY Learning Kit Compact DIY learning kit for Raspberry Pi Pico W combining hardware and software learning, targeted at students, hobbyists, and STEM classrooms at $177.00 USD.
- PiWings 2.0 Drone Kits Pico-powered educational drone kits available in Tri, Quad, and Hexacopter configurations for educational robotics and STEM applications.
- GatePi Relay Boards LoRa, Ethernet, and 4G-enabled relay controller boards for home automation and IoT applications, available in 4, 6, and 8 channel configurations.
- PiBeam USB IR Transceiver USB-based infrared transceiver for IR signal transmission and reception with Raspberry Pi Pico, enabling control of IR-enabled devices.
- PiSquare Wireless connectivity solution allowing multiple Raspberry Pi HATs to be stacked and controlled without physical pin connections, eliminating HAT pin conflicts.
- EnkPi ePaper Display ePaper/eInk display board based on Raspberry Pi Pico W for low-power, high-contrast visible information display applications.
- Touchsy Touch LCD Display 3.2-inch touch LCD display modules available for Pico W, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi with resistive touch capability.
- Pico Cell 4G 4G LTE cellular connectivity module powered by RP2040 with Quectel EG25-G modem for wide-area IoT connectivity, priced at $204 USD.
- LoRaWAN Expansion Module for Raspberry Pi Pico LoRaWAN expansion module enabling long-range, low-power wide-area network connectivity for Pico-based IoT deployments.
- ReadPi RFID/NFC Reader RFID and NFC reader module powered by Raspberry Pi Pico W for contactless identification applications, priced from $47 to $41 USD on clearance.
Companies that use SB Components
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SB Components technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature9 records
SB Components partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Raspberry Pi LtdcoreOfficial reseller status for Raspberry Pi products including Raspberry Pi 5, Pico/Pico 2, Pico W, Zero series, Compute Modules, AI Kit, AI HAT+, and official accessories. Sells official Raspberry Pi branded items alongside own-brand compatible products. Products include official power supplies, cases, cameras, displays, and HATs.
- ArduinocoreOfficial Arduino reseller offering Arduino UNO R4 WiFi, Nano ESP32, Mega 2560, Due, GIGA R1 WiFi, Nano Every, official shields, and cases. Provides genuine Arduino products to the maker community alongside compatible SB Components accessories.
- AdafruitmajorReseller of Adafruit products including sensors (INA260, BNO085 IMU, BME280), audio (I2S amplifier, MEMS microphone), display (Matrix Portal S3), power management (Micro-Lipo charger, MAX17048 fuel gauge), and development boards (Feather nRF52840, ESP32 Feather V2, RP2040 Prop-Maker).
- RADXA (OKDo)majorReseller of ROCK single-board computers including ROCK 4 Model C+, ROCK 4 SE, ROCK 3 Model A/C, ROCK 5 Model A, ROCK Zero 3W, ROCK 5 AIO AI board. Also distributes RADXA CM3 compute module and accessories.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform powering the shop.sb-components.co.uk storefront. Handles product catalog, shopping cart, checkout, payment processing, and order management.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SB Components competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SparkFun Electronics: US maker electronics retailer and OEM of Qwiic-standard sensors and micro:bit/Arduino/Raspberry Pi accessories. Directly comparable product range, educational kit focus, and content-driven GTM.
- Pimoroni: UK-based maker electronics retailer and proprietary hardware designer (Pico add-ons, Enviro, Inky ePaper). Closest direct peer: similar UK footprint, comparable mix of own-brand HATs and resold official SBC products, and overlapping maker/educator customer base.
- Seeed Studio: Maker electronics and IoT hardware platform offering Grove-standard modules, Wio Terminal, and Raspberry Pi accessories. Comparable product breadth, educator/industrial focus, and global shipping model.
- The Pi Hut: UK-based Raspberry Pi and maker electronics retailer. Direct peer in geographic market, SBC-led catalog, and hobbyist/educator customer focus.
- Adafruit: US-based maker electronics retailer and OEM of proprietary Feather, QT Py, and STEMMA QT boards. Direct peer in product mix, customer base, and content-led GTM; SB Components is also an Adafruit reseller.
- Waveshare Electronics: China-based manufacturer and retailer of SBC accessories, HATs, displays, and robotics kits. Comparable proprietary HAT ecosystem across Raspberry Pi, Pico, and ESP32 with global e-commerce reach.
Broad incumbents
- OKDo (RADXA): Distributor and SBC manufacturer behind the ROCK lineup sold by SB Components. Adjacent role — partner and partial competitor in SBC ecosystem accessories and ecosystem expansion.
- CPC Farnell / element14: Large UK/global electronics distributor carrying Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and micro:bit at industrial scale. Broader incumbent competitor in B2B and education procurement channels.
Emerging players
- Melopero: Italy-based Raspberry Pi and maker electronics retailer with proprietary accessories. Comparable catalog and EU/UK shipping model at smaller scale than SB Components.
Others
- Electromaker: Online maker community and marketplace with adjacent retail. Comparable content-and-commerce GTM motion aimed at the same hobbyist and educator audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SB Components social profiles
Digital presenceSB Components financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SB Components leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SB Components funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SB Components 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 SB Components
What does SB Components do?
SB Components is a UK-based electronics retailer and product design company that designs, manufactures, and resells single-board computers, custom HATs, expansion boards, sensors, displays, and educational kits. Their catalog spans Raspberry Pi (including Pico, Pico 2, Pi 5), Arduino, micro:bit, ROCK SBC, and ESP32 platforms, combining proprietary SB Components branded accessories with officially resold branded products from Raspberry Pi Ltd, Arduino, and Adafruit. Products are sold globally via a direct e-commerce storefront, Kickstarter launches for new proprietary devices, and a B2B distributor program.
Is SB Components a public or private company?
SB Components is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SB Components founded?
SB Components was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SB Components based?
SB Components is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SB Components make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Product Sales.
Who are SB Components's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SparkFun Electronics, Pimoroni, Seeed Studio, The Pi Hut, Adafruit and Waveshare Electronics. Broad incumbents are OKDo (RADXA) and CPC Farnell / element14. Melopero is listed as an emerging player. Electromaker is listed as an others.
Does SB Components have an API?
No public API is recorded for SB Components.
What industry is SB Components in?
SB Components's product category is Single-Board Computer Accessories and Electronics Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAKAF, PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail, with a secondary code of CRACAKAA, Electronic Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors) Retail. Its NAICS code is 334419 and its SIC code is 3670.