Farnell element14

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.

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

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

• Electronic components distribution
• Semiconductor distribution
• Embedded development boards
• Test measurement equipment
• Industrial automation products

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

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

1. 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.
2. API Services: Application Programming Interface services for registered trade account holders enabling automated ordering, product data access, and system integration.
3. US Stock Direct Ship: Special US stock fulfillment service with additional delivery charges for expedited international shipping.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AvnetcoreOthersAvnet 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 CommunitycoreGTM or Marketing Partnerelement14 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.iominorGTM or Marketing PartnerHackster 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/FarnellNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/farnellelectronics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farnell-element14

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Farnell element14