Cool Components
Cool Components Ltd is a UK-based online retailer of electronic components, development boards, and STEM education supplies, founded in 2004. It serves hobbyists, educational institutions, NHS trusts, and commercial buyers through a multi-brand authorized-reseller e-commerce catalog of 2,000+ SKUs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cool Components does
Cool Components Ltd is a UK-based online retailer of electronic components, development boards, and STEM education supplies, founded in 2004 and operated as a privately held family business. The company runs a multi-brand e-commerce storefront carrying more than 2,000 SKUs across development boards, sensors, displays, connectors, robotics, wearables, and educational kits, distributed under official reseller agreements with Arduino, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, SparkFun Electronics, Adafruit, Seeed Studio, Pololu, Pimoroni, Kitronik, BBC micro:bit, ElecFreaks, and Dobot. Operations are run from a warehouse and registered office in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, with no physical retail presence; orders are placed online and customers may collect by appointment only.
The platform serves four overlapping customer segments: individual hobbyists and makers (primary), UK and international educational institutions at the school, college, and university level (primary), NHS trusts and other public-sector research buyers, and commercial companies procuring electronics for product development. Educational buyers receive credit-account terms with 30-day payment on purchase orders above £100, and the catalog is structured with curriculum-aligned STEM bundles by year group and subject area. The storefront is powered by Shopify for commerce and Omnisend for email marketing, and the inventory is organized to support cross-ecosystem prototyping via SparkFun's Qwiic, Seeed's Grove, and Adafruit's STEMMA QT connector systems.
Revenue is generated almost exclusively through one-time hardware sales on a unit-pricing basis, with prices ranging from £0.01 for individual connectors to £900+ for robotic arms. Shipping is free on orders over £200 and the business ships globally via Royal Mail, DHL, and UPS, though lithium-battery items are restricted to mainland UK. The company has issued product recalls on power-supply SKUs and, as of the most recent data, the website displays a closure announcement indicating the business is in the process of winding down operations.
Cool Components firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cool Components
- Legal name
- Cool Components Ltd
- Website
- https://coolcomponents.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cool Components Ltd is a UK-based online retailer of electronic components, development boards, and STEM education supplies, founded in 2004. It serves hobbyists, educational institutions, NHS trusts, and commercial buyers through a multi-brand authorized-reseller e-commerce catalog of 2,000+ SKUs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cool Components industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Components Retail
- NAICS
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (335), Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419), Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (3359)
- SIC
- Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Electronic Components, Nec (3679)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electronic Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors) Retail (CRACAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DIY Kits, STEM Electronics & Maker Bundles Retail (CRACAKAN), PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail (CRACAKAF), Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC)
Keywords
Where Cool Components is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cool Components business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Electronic Components Retail: One-time hardware sales of electronic components including development boards, sensors, LEDs, motors, and accessories. Products sold at unit prices with free shipping threshold for orders over £200.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for individual components and kits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cool Components product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cool Components is an online retailer of electronic components, development boards, and maker/STEM hardware, offering 2,000+ products from authorized brands including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, SparkFun, Adafruit, BBC micro:bit, Seeed, Pololu, Pimoroni, Kitronik, ElecFreaks, and Dobot. The product range covers microcontrollers, single-board computers, sensors, displays, LEDs, connectors, motors, robotics, wearable electronics, and 3D printers, dispatched from a UK warehouse.
Product overview
Cool Components is an online retailer of electronic components and development boards founded in 2004. The company operates as a multi-brand electronics distributor offering products from Arduino, Raspberry Pi (including Pico, Pi 5, and various HATs/cases), SparkFun, Adafruit, BBC micro:bit, Seeed, Pololu, Pimoroni, Kitronik, ElecFreaks, and Dobot. Their product portfolio spans sensors (gyro, accelerometer, ultrasonic, gas, thermal imaging), displays (OLED, LCD, ePaper, LED), connectors, robotics components, and wearable electronics. They specialize in serving hobbyists, makers, students, academics, and educational institutions including schools, colleges, and universities. The company offers STEM education products organized by year groups and subjects, with dedicated bundles for primary and secondary education, and provides credit account options for educational establishments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Arduino Products
- Raspberry Pi Products
- SparkFun Products
- Adafruit Products
- BBC micro:bit Products
- Seeed Studio Products
- Pololu Products
- Pimoroni Products
- Kitronik Products
- ElecFreaks Products
- Dobot Products
- Teensy Products
- Electronic Sensors
- Displays and LEDs
- Connectors
- Robotics Components
- Wearable Electronics
- STEM Education Products
- 3D Printing Products
- RPLiDAR S1 Portable ToF Laser Scanner Kit
- Raspberry Pi Build HAT
- Pibow 3 Coupé Raspberry Pi Case
- uArm Swift Pro Robotic Arm Accessories
- Special-Order / Procurement Sourcing Service
Companies that use Cool Components
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cool Components technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Cool Components partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ArduinocoreOfficial Arduino reseller offering Arduino boards, shields, and accessories. Major brand partnership providing credibility and access to Arduino ecosystem products.
- Raspberry Pi FoundationcoreOfficial Raspberry Pi reseller stocking full range of Raspberry Pi boards, Pico, HATs, accessories, and official peripherals including Camera Module, SD cards, and power supplies.
- SparkFun ElectronicscoreOfficial SparkFun reseller. Products include SparkFun Qwiic ecosystem, sensors, microcontrollers, and development boards.
- Adafruit IndustriescoreOfficial Adafruit reseller offering Adafruit products including Feathers, CircuitPython boards, sensors, and the Qwiic/STEMMA QT ecosystem.
- Seeed StudiocoreOfficial Seeed reseller stocking Grove ecosystem products, Seeeduino boards, and Seeed's range of sensors and modules.
- PololucoreOfficial Pololu reseller for robotics components including motor controllers, sensors, and Pololu brand robotics platforms.
- PimoroniminorUK-based maker electronics brand. Products include Pibow cases, automation HATs, and Pimoroni's unique maker-focused offerings.
- KitronikminorUK educational electronics company. Products include micro:bit accessories, robotics kits, and educational bundles.
- ElecFreaksminorChina-based electronics for micro:bit and Arduino. Products include smart car kits, sensor modules, and Octopus series.
- DobotminorRobotic arm manufacturer. Products include educational and professional robotic arms for automation and learning.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform powering the online store. Processes payments, manages inventory, and handles order fulfillment.
- OmnisendminorEmail marketing platform used for customer communication and promotional campaigns.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cool Components competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pimoroni: UK-based maker electronics retailer designing and selling its own branded boards, HATs, and accessories for Raspberry Pi and micro:bit. Direct overlap in target customer (hobbyists, educators, makers) and product ecosystem partnership with Cool Components.
- Kitronik: UK educational electronics company specializing in micro:bit accessories, robotics kits, and classroom bundles. Directly competes with Cool Components in the UK STEM education channel and is listed as a partner for distribution.
- The Pi Hut: UK-focused online retailer specializing in Raspberry Pi, micro:bit, Arduino, and maker electronics. Direct competitor for hobbyists, schools, and makers in the UK with overlapping product catalog and customer base.
- SB Components: UK-based electronics manufacturer and retailer offering Raspberry Pi accessories, HATs, development boards, and educational kits. Overlaps with Cool Components in Pi ecosystem retail and STEM education supply.
Broad incumbents
- Adafruit Industries: Major US maker electronics retailer with proprietary product line (Feather, CircuitPython, STEMMA QT). Cool Components is an official reseller for Adafruit products; Adafruit competes at the brand-direct level for high-demand SKUs.
- SparkFun Electronics: US-based maker electronics retailer and educator with proprietary Qwiic ecosystem. Cool Components is an official SparkFun reseller; SparkFun competes directly with its own direct-to-consumer channel and education programs.
- Seeed Studio: Global maker electronics manufacturer and retailer known for Grove ecosystem and Seeeduino boards. Cool Components is an official Seeed reseller; Seeed operates its own direct global e-commerce channel.
- Farnell / element14: Global broad-line electronics distributor owned by Avnet, stocking Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and thousands of components. Competes with Cool Components in the UK commercial and institutional procurement channel with much larger scale and inventory.
- CPC Farnell: UK arm of Farnell serving hobbyists, makers, and education customers with a broad product catalog. Direct competitor in the UK retail market for components, development boards, and STEM education supplies.
Others
- Hobby Electronics: UK specialty electronics retailer and supplier of components, modules, and development boards. Adjacent peer serving overlapping hobbyist and education customer segments in the UK market.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cool Components social profiles
Digital presenceCool Components financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cool Components leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cool Components funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cool 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 Cool Components
What does Cool Components do?
Cool Components is an online retailer of electronic components, development boards, and maker/STEM hardware, offering 2,000+ products from authorized brands including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, SparkFun, Adafruit, BBC micro:bit, Seeed, Pololu, Pimoroni, Kitronik, ElecFreaks, and Dobot. The product range covers microcontrollers, single-board computers, sensors, displays, LEDs, connectors, motors, robotics, wearable electronics, and 3D printers, dispatched from a UK warehouse.
Is Cool Components a public or private company?
Cool Components is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Cool Components founded?
Cool Components was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cool Components based?
Cool Components is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cool Components make money?
One revenue line is on record: electronic Components Retail.
Who are Cool Components's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pimoroni, Kitronik, The Pi Hut and SB Components. Broad incumbents are Adafruit Industries, SparkFun Electronics, Seeed Studio, Farnell / element14 and CPC Farnell. Hobby Electronics is listed as an others.
Does Cool Components have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cool Components.
What industry is Cool Components in?
Cool Components's product category is Electronic Components Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAKAA, Electronic Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors) Retail, with a secondary code of CRACAKAN, DIY Kits, STEM Electronics & Maker Bundles Retail. Its NAICS code is 335 and its SIC code is 3670.