Farnell element14
Farnell element14 is a B2B electronic components distributor trading under Premier Farnell UK Limited (an Avnet subsidiary), offering 1M+ SKUs from 2,000+ manufacturers across 35+ countries, serving engineers, manufacturers and industrial buyers with a community of 890,000+ engineers and an API procurement channel.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLeeds, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Farnell element14 does
Farnell element14 is a business-to-business electronic components distributor trading as a brand of Premier Farnell UK Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avnet, Inc. The company catalogs more than 1 million stock-keeping units from over 2,000 manufacturers — including Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics, Vishay, Bourns, TE Connectivity, Molex, Tektronix, NI-Emerson, Infineon, NXP, Panasonic, Raspberry Pi and Arduino — spanning passives, connectors, semiconductors (ICs and discretes), cables, sensors, optoelectronics, LED lighting, development kits, industrial single-board computers, engineering software, RF/wireless, power supplies, circuit protection, test & measurement, tools, automation/control and security product categories. It refreshes the catalog with approximately 3,000 new SKUs per month.
The platform runs on a multi-channel architecture: country-specific storefronts across 35+ markets (uk.farnell.com and 40+ international equivalents), a trade-account telesales line (03447 11 11 11), inside technical support (+44 3447 11 11 22), an element14 Community of more than 890,000 engineers, the Hackster.io partnership, and an Application Programming Interface for registered trade accounts that supports programmatic ordering and product data retrieval. Procurement is enabled via Quick Buy, BOM Upload, Request a Quote, and the Get More For Less volume-discount program. The Multicomp Pro private-label line addresses cost-sensitive prototype-to-production needs.
Revenue is generated primarily through transactional hardware sales under 30-day-end-of-month credit terms (payment due on the 20th of the month following despatch), with a recurring/API service layer for enterprise customers and a pay-as-you-go US Stock direct-ship service. The customer base is primarily B2B — engineers, OEMs, manufacturers, and industrial buyers — with secondary exposure to educators, makers and hobbyists. Operational certifications include BS EN ISO 9001:2000, EN 9120:2018 and ISO 9001:2015, with Norton-secured e-commerce. The head office is at 150 Armley Road, Leeds (LS12 2QQ, England), with a returns and logistics facility at Logic Leeds, Halton.
Farnell element14 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Farnell element14
- Legal name
- Premier Farnell UK Limited
- Website
- https://uk.farnell.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Farnell element14 is a B2B electronic components distributor trading under Premier Farnell UK Limited (an Avnet subsidiary), offering 1M+ SKUs from 2,000+ manufacturers across 35+ countries, serving engineers, manufacturers and industrial buyers with a community of 890,000+ engineers and an API procurement channel.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Farnell element14 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Components Distribution
- NAICS
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (335), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded, Maker Platforms & Development Kits Retail (CRACAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Electronic Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors) Retail (CRACAKAA), Sensors & Modules (IMU, GPS, Camera, RF) Retail (CRACAKAC)
Keywords
Where Farnell element14 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leeds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Farnell element14 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Electronic Components Sales: Sale of electronic components including semiconductors, passives, connectors, test equipment, tools, and embedded systems to business customers. Transaction-based revenue from physical goods sales with standard payment terms of 20th of month following despatch.
- API Services: Application Programming Interface services for registered trade account holders enabling automated ordering, product data access, and system integration.
- US Stock Direct Ship: Special US stock fulfillment service with additional delivery charges for expedited international shipping.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Business-to-business pricing with trade account terms |
| Other | Multi-year contract | API Services for registered trade accounts |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | US Stock delivery service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Farnell element14 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Farnell element14 is a business-to-business distributor of electronic components and related technology products, offering more than 1 million products from over 2,000 manufacturers across categories including semiconductors, passives, connectors, embedded computers, development boards, test & measurement equipment, power supplies, sensors, and industrial automation. The company supports customers through an e-commerce platform, telephone sales, trade accounts, and an API service for automated procurement.
Product overview
Farnell element14 is a business-to-business electronic components distributor offering over 1 million products from more than 2,000 leading manufacturers. The company operates a platform-based model with core product categories spanning passives, connectors, semiconductors (ICs and discretes), cables, sensors, optoelectronics, LED lighting, development tools, embedded computers (including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and industrial SBCs), engineering software, RF/wireless, power supplies, circuit protection, test & measurement equipment, tools, and production supplies. Additional offerings include batteries, transformers, thermal management, switches, enclosures, security, automation/control, crystals/oscillators, and wireless modules. The company provides technical resources through DevKit HQ, Power Hub, and eTechJournal, while serving engineers through the element14 Community (890,000+ members). Purchasing is facilitated via Quick Buy, BOM Upload, and Request a Quote tools. Farnell also offers its own Multicomp Pro private label brand for cost-effective components from prototype to production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Multicomp Pro
Quantifiable outcome
- 890,000+ engineers engaged through element14 community
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Farnell element14
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Farnell element14 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Farnell element14 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AvnetcoreAvnet is the parent company of Premier Farnell Limited (Farnell's parent entity). Farnell is described as 'An Avnet Company' on the website. This is a corporate parent-subsidiary relationship providing Farnell with Avnet's global distribution network and resources.
- element14 Communitycoreelement14 is Farnell's proprietary online community for engineers with 890,000+ members. The community provides technical discussions, learning content, and opportunities to test new products. This is an internal/community platform that drives customer engagement and loyalty.
- Hackster.iominorHackster is a community platform dedicated to learning hardware. Farnell partners with Hackster.io to reach maker and education segments, providing exposure to hardware enthusiasts and learners.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Farnell element14 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mouser Electronics: Mouser is a major B2B electronic components distributor serving design engineers with broad catalog depth (1,000+ manufacturers), strong new-product introduction focus, and global fulfillment - a direct competitor in Farnell's core proto-to-production engine with similar emphasis on emerging semiconductor NPI.
- RS Components (RS Online): RS Components is a leading UK-based industrial and electronic product distributor serving engineers and maintenance buyers across Europe - directly comparable to Farnell's product breadth, B2B customer mix, and geographic overlap in the UK/EU.
- Future Electronics: Future Electronics is a privately held global electronic components distributor competing across passives, semiconductors, and embedded; directly comparable to Farnell on product breadth, supplier relationships, and design-in services for engineers.
- Allied Electronics & Automation: Allied is a North American industrial and electronic components distributor serving engineers and procurement professionals with comparable catalog breadth, technical content, and B2B trade account model to Farnell.
- Newark element14: Newark element14 is the North American sister brand of Farnell under the same Premier Farnell / Avnet umbrella, sharing inventory, supplier agreements, and the element14 community platform - effectively the same business in a different geography.
- Digi-Key Electronics: Digi-Key is the largest pure-play electronic components distributor globally, offering millions of SKUs from thousands of manufacturers with global shipping and online ordering - directly comparable to Farnell's model, breadth, and B2B+maker customer base.
Emerging players
- LCSC / LCSC Electronics: LCSC is a fast-growing Asia-based electronic component distributor competing on price, broad SKU coverage, and integrated PCB services - increasingly competing with Farnell in starter/maker/hobbyist and small-batch prototyping segments globally.
- Würth Elektronik eiSos: Würth Elektronik is a component manufacturer that also operates as a design-in distributor for passives, connectors, and wireless modules, targeting the same engineer customer segment with stocked, sample-friendly fulfillment - overlapping with Farnell's passive-component and maker businesses.
Broad incumbents
- Arrow Electronics: Arrow is a global broadline electronic component distributor and the strategic parent of Farnell's parent Avnet's wider peer set. While at a higher tier than Farnell, Arrow overlaps heavily in semiconductor distribution, embedded solutions, and industrial customer relationships.
- Avnet (parent): Avnet is Farnell's publicly listed parent and one of the two largest global broadline electronic component distributors. It shares inventory and supplier scale with Farnell while operating at higher-volume, broader-portfolio tier.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Farnell element14 social profiles
Digital presenceFarnell element14 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Farnell element14 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Farnell element14 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Farnell element14 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Farnell element14 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 Farnell element14
What does Farnell element14 do?
Farnell element14 is a business-to-business distributor of electronic components and related technology products, offering more than 1 million products from over 2,000 manufacturers across categories including semiconductors, passives, connectors, embedded computers, development boards, test & measurement equipment, power supplies, sensors, and industrial automation. The company supports customers through an e-commerce platform, telephone sales, trade accounts, and an API service for automated procurement.
Is Farnell element14 a public or private company?
Farnell element14 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Farnell element14 founded?
Farnell element14 was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Farnell element14 based?
Farnell element14 is headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Farnell element14 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Electronic Components Sales are the primary driver. The others are API Services and US Stock Direct Ship.
Who are Farnell element14's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mouser Electronics, RS Components (RS Online), Future Electronics, Allied Electronics & Automation, Newark element14 and Digi-Key Electronics. Emerging players are LCSC / LCSC Electronics and Würth Elektronik eiSos. Broad incumbents are Arrow Electronics and Avnet (parent).
Does Farnell element14 have an API?
Yes. Farnell provides an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows customers to access product data, inventory, pricing, and place orders programmatically. Access requires registration for a trade account with 'pay by trade account' option. Users receive authentication and authorisation keys upon approval. The API is subject to Terms of Use for API and standard Terms of Access. Farnell may establish limitations on access, number of requests, and information sought. Users must not aggregate Farnell data other than for internal business use, cannot distribute advertising through the API, and must delete cached data within 48 hours. The API is provided 'AS IS' with no warranty regarding reliability or availability. Developer documentation is at uk.farnell.com/terms-of-use-for-api.
What industry is Farnell element14 in?
Farnell element14's product category is Electronic Components Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAKAI, Embedded, Maker Platforms & Development Kits Retail, with a secondary code of CRACAKAA, Electronic Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors) Retail. Its NAICS code is 335 and its SIC code is 3670.