What Pickering Electronics does

Pickering Electronics Ltd is a specialist manufacturer of instrumentation-grade reed relays, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Clacton-on-Sea, UK, with approximately 250 employees across quality-accredited factories in the UK and the Czech Republic. The company operates as a privately-held subsidiary within the Pickering Group. Its core technology platform centers on proprietary SoftCenter construction (minimizing internal stresses on the reed switch for extended life and stable contact resistance) and formerless coil technology (enabling higher AT grade switches with greater standoff voltage and magnetic immunity), combined with mu-metal magnetic screening for ultra-high packing density and 100% Automatic Test Equipment verification on every unit. The product portfolio comprises more than 1,000 catalog reed relay parts across Single-In-Line (SIL/SIP), Dual-in-Line (DIL/DIP), Surface Mount (SMD), and ultra-high-density form factors, with high-voltage models reaching up to 20kV standoff and 12.5kV switching. The company also offers custom relay design and manufacturing services for unique application requirements.

The business model is hybrid hardware sales combined with custom design services. Standard catalog parts are sold via direct e-commerce through the company's Reed Relay Selector Tool, through a worldwide network of authorized distributors, and through regional sales offices, with publicly listed unit pricing (e.g., Series 144 parts at $15.90–$23.00 per unit). Custom relays and high-volume orders follow a quote-based pricing model. Revenue derives from one-time hardware transactions rather than recurring contracts, with free evaluation samples used as a bottom-of-funnel conversion tool. Customer concentration is diversified across primary verticals of Automatic Test Equipment (ATE), high-voltage instrumentation (hipot testers, cable testing), and semiconductor testing, with secondary applications in medical equipment, EV and charge-point testing, aerospace, mining/gas analysis, seismic data acquisition, and high-fidelity imaging. Named enterprise customers include Simco-ION, Onsemi, Telectroni, ABS, Sercel, and Phase One Electronics, with multi-decade usage relationships in mission-critical switching applications.

Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct technical sales support (including custom relay design consultation) with content marketing through extensive application guides, trade show presence (Auto Testing Expo China, SEMICON Taiwan, Productronica India), and active social/podcast channels. The company holds a comprehensive compliance stack — ISO 9001:2015, RoHS, REACH, Cyber Essentials, AEO, and UK GDPR — which is required for selling into aerospace, medical, and semiconductor OEM channels. Recent strategic emphasis has been on high-voltage product innovation (Series 63 and Series 600 in 2025), miniaturization (award-winning Series 125 ultra-high density), and the formalization of expertise through a High Voltage Switching Centre of Excellence established in March 2025.

Name

Pickering Electronics

Legal name

Pickering Electronics Ltd

Website

https://pickeringrelay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Pickering Electronics is a privately-held UK-based specialist manufacturer of instrumentation-grade reed relays with proprietary SoftCenter technology, offering over 1,000 catalog parts across multiple form factors for ATE, semiconductor testing, and high-voltage switching applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Components - Reed Relays

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677)

akta.pro primary industry

Electromechanical Components (Relays, Switches, Potentiometers, Encoders) (IMAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Reed relay manufacturing
• High voltage switching
• Automatic test equipment
• Instrumentation grade components
• Electromechanical relays

Headquarters

HQ city

Clacton-on-sea

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Reed Relay Hardware Sales: One-time hardware sales of reed relays including standard catalog parts (1000+ parts) and custom designed relays. Products available in various form factors (SIL/SIP, DIL/DIP, SMD). Revenue generated from direct purchases and distributor orders.
2. Custom Relay Design and Manufacturing: Custom reed relay design and manufacturing services for unique application requirements. Standard build options with minor variations or full custom device development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pickering Electronics designs and manufactures instrumentation-grade reed relays in Single-In-Line (SIL/SIP), Dual-in-Line (DIL/DIP), Surface Mount (SMD), Ultra-High Density, and High Voltage form factors. The company offers over 1,000 catalog reed relay parts plus custom-designed relays for automatic test equipment (ATE), semiconductor testing, high voltage switching, medical, aerospace, and EV testing applications. All relays incorporate the proprietary SoftCenter technology and are produced in ISO 9001-certified factories in the UK and Czech Republic.

Product overview

Pickering Electronics is a specialist manufacturer of high-quality reed relays for instrumentation, automatic test equipment (ATE), high voltage switching, low thermal EMF, direct drive from CMOS, RF switching, and other specialist applications. The product portfolio consists of over 1000 catalog reed relay parts across multiple form factors: Single-In-Line (SIL/SIP), Dual-in-Line (DIL/DIP), Surface Mount (SMD), and Ultra-High Density packages. Key series include Series 100-110 and 111-144 for general SIL applications, High Voltage relays (Series 60-68, 600) for applications up to 20kV standoff, Ultra-High Density relays (Series 120-125) for space-constrained applications, and legacy/classic relays for older designs. The company also offers custom relay design services and proprietary SoftCenter™ technology. Products serve applications including semiconductor testing, EV charging, cable testing, hipot testing, medical equipment, aerospace, data acquisition, and RF switching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SoftCenter: Technology used in reed relays to minimize internal stresses on the reed switch, resulting in extended life and contact resistance stability.

Products and services

• Series 100-110 Single-In-Line (SIL/SIP) Reed Relays

Quantifiable outcome

• 55+ years of reed relay industry leadership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pickering Interfaces LtdcoreOthersRelated company within the Pickering Group. Pickering Interfaces specializes in modular signal switching and simulation products for electronic test and measurement. Data controller for certain customer data processing activities.
• BSI (British Standards Institution)minorOthersExternal certification body that audits Pickering Electronics Ltd and Pickering Electronics SRO to BS EN ISO 9001:2015 standard for design and manufacture of reed relays.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hamlin Electronics (Littelfuse): Hamlin Electronics, part of Littelfuse, manufactures reed switches and reed relays as part of a much broader circuit protection and sensing portfolio. They compete with Pickering on reed switch-based switching while offering customers a wider component catalog.
• Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric is a major industrial equipment manufacturer whose relay and contactor offerings serve industrial automation, energy, and infrastructure. While not a direct reed relay competitor, Schneider competes with Pickering-adjacent switching applications in industrial HV and instrumentation markets.
• Finder S.p.A. Finder is a European relay manufacturer with a broad portfolio including PCB, industrial, and solid-state relays. While not as focused as Pickering on reed relays, Finder competes in similar instrumentation and test sockets, especially in European industrial markets.
• Panasonic Industry (Relay Division): Panasonic offers signal relays, high-frequency relays, and solid-state relays serving test & measurement and industrial customers. They overlap with Pickering on signal-level relay sockets where miniaturization and reliability are required.
• TE Connectivity: TE Connectivity is a broad incumbent offering electromechanical relays including reed relays alongside connectors, sensors, and broader industrial components. Their scale and global distribution overlap with Pickering's enterprise customer base in test & measurement and industrial markets.
• Sensata Technologies: Sensata manufactures sensors and switching components including reed switches for industrial and automotive markets. Their sensor-switching portfolio intersects with Pickering's reed relay applications in test and high-voltage instrumentation.
• Omron Electronic Components: Omron manufactures a wide range of electromechanical and solid-state relays serving industrial automation, test equipment, and semiconductor markets. They compete with Pickering on signal-level and power relays while also offering broader automation solutions.

Direct peers

• Coto Technology: Coto Technology is a specialized reed relay and reed switch manufacturer serving semiconductor test, ATE, and instrumentation. Their product range and target customer base closely overlap with Pickering's Series 100-110 and high-density families.
• Standex Electronics (formerly Standex-Meder Electronics): Standex Electronics is one of the most direct competitors to Pickering in reed relays and reed switch-based products. Both companies serve instrumentation-grade switching in ATE, medical, and test & measurement markets with overlapping form factors (SIL, DIP, SMD) and high-voltage capability.

Others

• Pickering Interfaces: Pickering Interfaces is the sister company of Pickering Electronics within the privately-owned Pickering Group. It produces modular signal switching and simulation products for electronic test, sharing customers in the ATE ecosystem but addressing system-level rather than component-level switching.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrxsZ6oXXTtL_LMy8zKYO0Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/pickeringrelay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pickering-electronics
• Xx.com/PickeringRelay

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Pickering Electronics