What Phidgets does

Phidgets Inc. is a privately held Canadian manufacturer of programmable USB sensors and control boards, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The company designs, manufactures, and sells a modular hardware ecosystem centered on its proprietary VINT (Versatile Interface) digital communication protocol, which provides electromagnetic-interference resistance and built-in data/power isolation across connected devices. Its product portfolio spans VINT Hubs and InterfaceKits, motor controllers (DC, BLDC, servo, stepper), motors and mechanical transmission components (belts, chains, gearboxes, linear actuators), a broad sensor catalog (temperature, humidity, pressure, load cells, position, proximity, motion, RFID), Phidget SBC single-board computers running embedded Linux, and peripheral devices such as relays, LED/LCD controllers, and I2C/SPI adapters.

The company's software stack, the Phidget22 library, exposes APIs for eight programming languages (C, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript, Swift, LabVIEW, Max) across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, complemented by the Phidget Control Panel for device visualization and testing. Phidgets distributes exclusively through a direct e-commerce storefront at phidgets.com (supporting USD and CAD), supplemented by an authorized dealer/distributor network. Revenue is generated entirely through unit-priced hardware sales with volume discounts for bulk orders; there is no subscription or recurring revenue component. The company targets three primary segments: professional engineers (prototyping, automation, robotics, data acquisition), OEMs (embedded systems integration), and educational institutions (STEM learning, lab experiments), with horizontal segmentation rather than vertical specialization.

Name

Phidgets

Legal name

Phidgets Inc.

Website

https://phidgets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phidgets Inc. is a Calgary-based manufacturer of programmable USB sensors and control boards built around its proprietary VINT protocol and multi-language Phidget22 software library, selling direct-to-customer hardware to engineers, OEMs, and educational institutions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: Phidgets generates revenue through the sale of physical products including USB sensors, controllers, motor controllers, motors, mechanical components (gears, pulleys, chains), cables, and accessories. Products are sold individually at various price points with volume discounts available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Phidgets designs and manufactures programmable USB sensors, motor controllers, motors, and mechanical transmission components organized around its proprietary VINT digital communication protocol. Products are sold individually to engineers, OEMs, and educational institutions and are supported by the Phidget22 cross-platform software library (C, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript, Swift, LabVIEW, Max) and the Phidget Control Panel for configuration and testing.

Product overview

Phidgets Inc. is a manufacturer of programmable USB sensors and control boards for USB sensing and control applications. The product portfolio is organized around a modular ecosystem consisting of VINT protocol-enabled controllers and interfaces, various sensor types (temperature, humidity, light, sound, gas, pressure, pH, load cells, position sensors, proximity, and motion), motor controllers (DC, BLDC, servo, stepper), motors (brushed DC, brushless DC, stepper, servo), mechanical components (linear actuators, belt drives, chain drives, gearboxes, shafts, bearings), and peripheral devices (relays, RFID, LED controllers, LCD displays). The system is controlled via the Phidget22 library providing APIs for C, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript, Swift, LabVIEW, and Max, and can operate on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Products include the PhidgetInterfaceKit, VINT Hubs, I2C/SPI Adapters, Addressable LED Phidget, various motor controllers and motors, comprehensive sensor offerings, and mechanical transmission components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PhidgetInterfaceKit USB interface board for reading sensors and controlling digital and analog outputs. The 0/16/16 model provides 16 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs for engineers and integrators.
• VINT Hubs Versatile Interface hubs that connect VINT devices to a computer via USB. Each port can be configured independently as analog input, digital input, or digital output.
• I2C Adapter Phidget Adapter that enables connection of I2C devices to the Phidgets ecosystem for reading sensors and controlling displays.
• SPI Adapter Phidget Adapter that enables connection of SPI devices to the Phidgets ecosystem for expanded sensor and device connectivity.
• Addressable LED Phidget Controller for addressable LED strips, enabling programmable lighting effects and color control from a Phidgets VINT system.
• Motor Controllers (DC, BLDC, Servo, Stepper) Controllers for DC motors, BLDC motors, servo motors, and stepper motors, enabling precise speed, position, and torque control in automation and robotics applications.
• USB Sensors A broad line of plug-and-play USB sensors including temperature/humidity, thermocouples, RTD, light/sound, gas pressure, pH/ORP, voltage/current, load cells, force-sensitive resistors, rotary/linear position, encoders, distance, proximity, movement, and touch input.
• RTD Phidget Resistance Temperature Detector sensor for precise temperature measurement using a Phidgets interface.
• Brushed DC Motors Standard DC motors with brushes for continuous rotation, available in multiple sizes and power ratings for motion applications.
• Brushless DC Motors BLDC motors offering better efficiency, power, and longevity than brushed motors, with sensored control for smoother operation.
• Stepper Motors Stepper motors in NEMA 11, 14, 17, 23, and 34 frame sizes with various gear ratios for precise open-loop position control.
• Servo Motors RC servo motors providing precise position control via built-in closed-loop potentiometer feedback.
• Linear Actuators DC and RC servo linear actuators providing linear motion, with stroke lengths from 30mm to 140mm and force ratings from 18N to 175N.
• Belt Drive Components GT2 and GT5 timing belts and pulleys for transmitting rotation between shafts with low backlash and efficiency up to 98%.
• Chain Drive Components ANSI #25 and #40 roller chains and sprockets for heavy-duty rotation transmission with working tension ratings of 100 lbs and 800 lbs respectively.
• Gearboxes Planetary gearboxes available in reduction ratios from 4.25:1 to 100:1 for increasing torque and reducing speed.
• Motor Mounting Brackets Steel mounting brackets for securing NEMA 11, 17, and 23 sized motors to flat surfaces (e.g., Motor Mounting Bracket NEMA 23 at $4.00 unit, $3.44 at 100+ quantity).
• Single-Board Computers (Phidget SBC) Phidget SBC devices running embedded Linux that allow Phidgets-based systems to be deployed without a separate host computer.
• RFID Components RFID readers and tags for identification and tracking applications integrated with the Phidgets ecosystem.
• Power Guards Over-voltage and over-current protection devices for safeguarding equipment connected to Phidgets systems.
• Relays Mechanical and solid-state relays for switching high-power loads via low-voltage control signals.
• LED Controllers Controllers for LED strips and arrays enabling brightness and color control from a Phidgets host.
• LCD Controllers Controllers for character and graphical LCD displays for user interface and data visualization in Phidgets projects.
• Cables and Connectors USB cables, wire cables, multi-conductor cables, and cable connectors for connecting Phidgets devices and peripherals.
• Phidget Control Panel Visualization and test software for configuring and testing Phidgets hardware devices.
• Phidget22 Library (drivers and API) Cross-platform software drivers and APIs providing programmatic control of Phidgets devices from C, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript, Swift, LabVIEW, and Max on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SparkFun Electronics: SparkFun offers a comparable catalog of USB sensors, motor drivers, and microcontroller boards via direct-to-customer e-commerce. Strong overlap in target customer (engineers, makers, education) and product-led GTM with technical documentation as primary marketing asset.
• Seeed Studio: Seeed Studio provides maker/prototying hardware including sensors, motor controllers, and SBC accessories via a similar product-led e-commerce model. Comparable in scale, target audience, and breadth of sensor-and-controller offering.
• Arduino: Arduino's open-source microcontroller platform and sensor ecosystem competes with Phidgets at the maker/education/prototyping end. Overlap is strongest in education segment; Phidgets differentiates on plug-and-play USB abstraction vs. Arduino's lower-cost DIY approach.
• LabJack: LabJack produces USB and Ethernet data acquisition (T-series, U3, U6) devices with cross-platform driver support — a near-direct competitor in the engineer/OEM USB-sensor space and a comparable small-to-mid-cap private hardware vendor.
• Measurement Computing: Measurement Computing (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) manufactures USB data acquisition and signal conditioning hardware directly comparable to Phidgets VINT Hubs and I/O boards. Serves similar engineering and OEM customers with plug-and-play USB sensors and controllers.
• Adafruit Industries: Adafruit sells sensors, motor controllers, and breakout boards via direct e-commerce to a similar engineer/hobbyist/education audience. Both companies are product-led e-commerce hardware retailers with cross-platform software support and education-focused content marketing.
• Pololu Robotics & Electronics: Pololu manufactures motor controllers (including stepper and brushed DC drivers), sensors, and robotic components with a similar small-team direct-to-customer motion. Direct overlap in motor control, encoders, and robotics-oriented sensor modules.

Emerging players

• Raspberry Pi Foundation: Raspberry Pi (Pico microcontroller + SBC family) overlaps with Phidgets in low-cost sensing/control hardware for makers, OEMs, and education. Phidgets' VINT ecosystem competes against the broader Raspberry Pi + HAT ecosystem for prototyping use cases.

Broad incumbents

• National Instruments (NI): NI (now part of Emerson) is the dominant supplier of data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments including USB DAQ boards, motor controllers, and sensor interfaces. Comparable to Phidgets at the upper end of the same product category, though NI targets large enterprise/R&D customers and offers a much broader portfolio.
• Keysight Technologies: Keysight is a global test-and-measurement incumbent spanning bench instruments, modular DAQ, and electrical test equipment. Comparable in the broad test/measurement category though Keysight operates at enterprise scale well above Phidgets' niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phidgetsinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/PhidgetsInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phidgets-inc

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 Phidgets