RS Components

What RS Components does

RS Components Co., Ltd. (アールエスコンポーネンツ株式会社) is the Japanese subsidiary of RS Group PLC, a London-listed global distributor of electronic and industrial components. Incorporated in Japan on 1998-02-12 and headquartered in Yokohama, the company operates a B2B e-commerce platform (jp.rs-online.com) that sells 800,000+ products sourced from 2,500+ global manufacturers, with 40,000+ items maintained in a domestic Japanese warehouse for same-day shipping on orders placed by 18:00. The catalog spans semiconductors, connectors, passive components, test and measurement equipment, automation and control gear, fasteners, tools, fasteners, power supplies, cables, and MRO supplies, supplemented by the RS PRO private label of 58,000+ audited products and the OKdo-manufactured ROCK line of single-board computers.

The company's technology stack centers on the DesignSpark engineering platform, which serves 600,000+ registered members globally with free PCB CAD, 3D CAD, electrical CAD, a parts lifecycle manager, cloud-based circuit simulator, technical forums, and reference designs. Enterprise procurement is supported by the BOM upload tool, PurchasingManager for budget and spend control, and eProcurement/punch-out integrations into customer ERP systems. The platform is offered in Japanese with Japanese-language customer service and FAX ordering for enterprise buyers.

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales on a pay-as-you-go basis, with tiered pricing under a 3,000 yen shipping threshold, volume discounts of up to ~75% on approximately 450,000 SKUs, and paid licenses for DesignSpark PCB Pro (60,000 yen perpetual). Customer segments are horizontal, covering design engineers and R&D professionals, manufacturing companies for production and MRO, and education/hobbyist segments; named customer logos are not publicly disclosed. The company is led in Japan by Representative Director Mika Tanaka, with the parent RS Group's CEO Simon Price (appointed 2023) and CFO Kate Ringrose (appointed 2023) overseeing global strategy.

Name

RS Components

Legal name

アールエスコンポーネンツ株式会社

Website

https://jp.rs-online.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

RS Components Co., Ltd. is the Japanese subsidiary of RS Group PLC, operating a B2B e-commerce platform distributing 800,000+ electronic and industrial components to engineers, manufacturers, and procurement professionals across Japan, with 40,000+ domestic SKUs for same-day shipping.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Components Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Supplies & MRO Marketplaces (CRAFAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electronic Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors) Retail (CRACAKAA)

Keywords

• Electronic components distribution
• Industrial supply e-commerce
• B2B electronic components
• Engineering design tools
• Procurement automation

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

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 & Industrial Supplies Sales: B2B e-commerce sales of electronic components, semiconductors, connectors, test equipment, tools, fasteners, automation control gear, cables, switches, relays, and industrial hardware. Products sourced from 2,500+ global manufacturers.
2. RS PRO Private Label: Proprietary brand products (RS PRO) offering 58,000+ high-quality industrial and electronic components at affordable prices, generating additional margin.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RS Components is a B2B e-commerce distributor of electronic components, semiconductors, connectors, passives, test equipment, automation control gear, tools, fasteners, and industrial MRO supplies, sourcing from 2,500+ global manufacturers and offering 800,000+ products with 40,000+ items in Japanese domestic stock for same-day shipping. The offering is rounded out by the RS PRO private brand (58,000+ SKUs), the DesignSpark portfolio of free/paid CAD tools, and integrated procurement software (BOM manager, PurchasingManager, eProcurement).

Product overview

RS Components is an electronic components and industrial solutions e-commerce distributor operating as a B2B platform. The product portfolio centers on 800,000+ products from approximately 2,500 global manufacturers, complemented by the RS PRO private brand (58,000+ products) and OKdo-manufactured ROCK single board computers. Key digital product offerings include the DesignSpark suite of free and paid CAD tools (DesignSpark PCB/PCB Pro, Mechanical, Electrical), BOM management tools, and PurchasingManager procurement software. The company serves R&D, prototyping, and production needs across semiconductor, automation, and industrial manufacturing sectors with same-day domestic shipping for 40,000+ in-stock items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RS PRO: Private brand offering over 58,000 high-quality, affordable industrial products and electronic components. All RS PRO products are backed by audit, inspection, testing, and the RS Approved seal representing industry standards.
• DesignSpark
• OKdo

Products and services

• RS Components Catalog (Electronic Components & Industrial Supplies) Online B2B catalog of 800,000+ electronic components, semiconductors, connectors, passives, measurement instruments, automation control gear, tools, fasteners, and industrial MRO supplies sourced from 2,500+ global manufacturers, with 40,000+ items held in Japanese domestic stock for same-day shipping. Designed for engineers, R&D teams, and manufacturing companies needing one-stop procurement.
• RS PRO (Private Brand) RS's proprietary private brand offering 58,000+ high-quality, affordably priced industrial products and electronic components, each backed by audit, inspection, testing, and the RS Approved seal. Targets customers seeking alternative sourcing with consistent quality assurance.
• DesignSpark PCB Free PCB CAD software for designing circuit diagrams and PCB layouts, with Gerber and ODB++ output, intuitive Office-like interface, easy library creation, and 3D data output compatible with DesignSpark Mechanical. Aimed at design engineers, students, and hobbyists.
• DesignSpark PCB Pro Paid professional version of DesignSpark PCB CAD with permanent license (60,000 yen excluding tax). Adds panelization, blind vias, teardrops, hatching fill, variable manager, arc routing, Japanese font support, stock check, ODB++ output, and 3D CAD integration with 15 million+ component libraries. Targets professional engineers moving from prototype to production.
• DesignSpark Mechanical Free 3D CAD software for creating 3D models with 3D printer output capability. Lightweight enough to run on non-powerful PCs, with an intuitive interface accessible to beginners and 2D CAD users transitioning to 3D. Targets design engineers, makers, and hobbyists.
• DesignSpark Electrical Free 2D CAD software for electrical schematics. Synchronizes part numbers and wiring numbers across circuit diagrams, wiring diagrams, and connection diagrams, with a rich component library linked to real-time inventory and pricing. For panel designers and electrical engineers.
• DesignSpark Toolbox Mobile smartphone application providing design utility calculators including resistor color code calculator, resonant circuit constant calculator, and number base conversion tools. Aimed at engineers and students needing quick reference in the field.
• DesignSpark Part Lifecycle Manager Web-based tool that analyzes production discontinuation risk in bills of materials and supports alternate component search. Helps design engineers and procurement professionals manage component obsolescence proactively.
• ROCK Single Board Computers High-performance single board computers including ROCK 3A, 3C, 4A, 4C+, 4SE, 5A, and 5B manufactured by OKdo, an RS Group company. Positioned as alternatives to Raspberry Pi for industrial and embedded applications. Sold by RS as authorized distributor in Japan.
• Arduino Uno Q AI-enabled Arduino development board for embedded applications and AI inference. Japan technical certification (技適) compliant, simplifying edge AI development for embedded engineers and industrial developers in Japan.
• RS PRO IO-Link Sensors Four industrial sensor models with IO-Link functionality under the RS PRO private brand, supporting factory automation, e-mobility, semiconductor manufacturing, and smart agriculture applications through IIoT connectivity standards.
• Recom AC-DC/DC-DC Power Converters RECOM brand isolated and non-isolated DC-DC converters and AC-DC converters spanning 0.25W to 960W, for industrial automation, telecommunications, consumer electronics, and medical equipment. RS Components is an authorized online distributor in Japan.
• BOM (Bill of Materials) Tool Free web-based BOM management tool that lets registered users upload Excel or PDF files to quickly order millions of components and efficiently manage parts lists, accelerating procurement for engineers and purchasing professionals.
• RS PurchasingManager Web-based purchasing management platform providing budget control, spending tracking, and procurement-to-payment efficiency. Requires no IT investment, making it accessible for mid-market buyers seeking to formalize indirect procurement without ERP overhaul.
• RS ProductPlus Procurement-sourcing service for products not listed on the RS website. Centralizes hard-to-find procurement through RS to save customer time and optimize cost utilization, expanding the effective catalog beyond the listed 800,000+ SKUs.
• RS eProcurement Integration Punch-out integration service connecting the RS catalog with customer ERP/procurement systems, enabling streamlined ordering, error reduction, and automated spend management for enterprise procurement teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same-day shipping for 40,000+ domestic stock items ordered by 18:00
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 菱洋エレクトロ (Ryoyo Electoro)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 October 2021RS Components entered into a business partnership with Ryoyo Electoro for distribution and sales collaboration in the Japanese market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Digi-Key Electronics: One of the largest global B2B distributors of electronic components with millions of SKUs and broad Japanese-language support. Directly competes with RS Components on catalog breadth, engineering customer base, and same-day shipping claims.
• Mouser Electronics: Global authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components with a comparable catalog and design-engineer focus. Mouser directly overlaps RS Components on target customer (engineers/procurement), supplier breadth, and new product introductions.
• Farnell / element14 / Newark: Avnet-owned global electronic component distributor with a comparable multi-million SKU catalog and engineering community (element14). Closest analog to RS in combining distribution with community-driven content and design tools.
• Macnica: Major Japanese distributor of semiconductors, electronic components, and IT solutions with deep relationships to Japanese manufacturers. Competes directly with RS Components Japan on semiconductor and embedded component lines for enterprise accounts.
• Chip One Stop: Japanese online distributor specializing in semiconductors and electronic components with a B2B e-commerce model similar to RS Japan. Directly competes on small-lot prototyping and production-volume procurement for Japanese engineers.
• Marutsu Elec: Japanese distributor focused on electronic components, semiconductors, and hobbyist/maker customers. Smaller catalog than RS but overlaps on prototyping and small-batch distribution to Japanese engineers and makers.

Broad incumbents

• Arrow Electronics: Global broad-line electronic component distributor serving enterprise and OEM customers across multiple regions including Japan. Overlaps with RS on electronic components but with a much larger enterprise/solutions services portfolio.
• Avnet: Global broad-line distributor and parent of Farnell/element14, serving enterprise OEMs and EMS customers. Competes with RS Japan on broad electronic component distribution but at much larger enterprise scale.
• Future Electronics: Global broad-line electronic component distributor with strong APAC presence. Competes with RS Components on large-volume semiconductor distribution to Japanese manufacturers.
• WPG Holdings: Asia-Pacific broad-line semiconductor distributor headquartered in Taiwan with operations across Asia. Competes with RS Components Japan on volume semiconductor distribution to APAC manufacturers, though more focused on Greater China and ASEAN than Japan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RSJapanMK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/rswwwchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/RSJapan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/7099

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 RS Components