Knectiv

What Knectiv does

Knectiv is a privately held, full-service product design, development, and contract manufacturing firm founded in 2017 in Austin, Texas by Nicholas J. Frank, who previously co-founded a Swiss contract manufacturing firm. The company operates a dual-shore model: a US-based product engineering team in Austin supported by a Beijing operations group led by Li Yancong, which oversees Chinese manufacturing partners, quality control, and logistics. Knectiv manages the full hardware lifecycle — product engineering (DFM, PCB design, mechanical and enclosure design, firmware coordination), turnkey manufacturing (production planning, SMT and through-hole assembly, quality control, packaging, scale-up), and global component sourcing — through a partner network in China, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and the US. Core technical capabilities span multi-layer PCB manufacturing (up to 10 layers, rigid-flex, metal core, HDI, ENIG/HASL/OSP finishes), PCB assembly (SMT, wave soldering, conformal coating), plastic injection moulding, and a comprehensive testing suite including X-ray inspection, AOI, flying probe, burn-in, and high-voltage testing. The firm is ISO 9001 certified and holds tooling to manufacture FDA-registered medical products.

Knectiv sells primarily to three vertical customer segments: medical device companies (e.g., Grin dental scopes, Steris endoscopic insufflators, EKF Diagnostics centrifuges, Valtronic blood pressure monitors, hospital patient handsets), consumer electronics brands (e.g., Elmore Bluetooth pedals partnered with Third Man Records, Focus Timer, BYOK writing keyboard, Halo Air purifiers, Dawn Theory alarm clocks), and industrial/commercial electronics manufacturers (e.g., HID Global RFID tags deployed by Swiss military and Airbus, Emerson district-station gas flow sensors, CEBI automotive window motors, Merging audio converters, Contrinex fibre-optic sensors). Pricing is quote-based, project-driven, and not publicly disclosed; typical MOQs are 1,000 units (negotiable per complexity), and per-line capacity is stated at up to 50,000 units monthly. Revenue is generated through a combination of project-based design fees and per-unit manufacturing revenue, executed via direct enterprise field sales rather than channel partners or self-service.

Knectiv's go-to-market is B2B direct, anchored by the founder's two-decade manufacturing network and a documented track record of cost reductions for customers (50% COGS reduction for Elmore Pedal, 40% for NoiseAware) and Kickstarter success for crowdfunding-stage clients (Focus Timer at 20X its goal). Distribution is purely direct enterprise — no self-service, no channel resellers — with top-of-funnel content marketing via the company blog and mid-funnel credibility signposting through founder podcast appearances and university event participation. The company has no disclosed institutional funding and reports 1-10 employees; all named investors are founders or co-founders.

Name

Knectiv

Legal name

Knectiv

Website

https://knectiv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Knectiv is a privately held, Austin-based full-service product design, development, and contract manufacturing firm that helps medical, industrial, and consumer-electronics companies take hardware from concept to scaled production via a US-engineering and China-execution dual-shore model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419)

SIC

Printed Circuit Boards (3672), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)

Keywords

• Electronic manufacturing services
• Contract manufacturing
• PCB assembly
• Product development engineering
• Plastic injection molding

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing Services: Full-service contract manufacturing including product development, prototyping, PCB manufacturing, PCB assembly, plastic injection molding, systems integration, testing, and packaging. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design services and per-unit manufacturing costs for production runs.
2. Product Development Services: Design services including ideation, CAD modeling, prototyping, DFM (Design for Manufacturing), and DFC (Design for Cost) optimization. Typically quoted as fixed-fee projects or included as part of turnkey manufacturing engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Knectiv provides full-service product engineering and contract manufacturing for hardware companies, covering design-for-manufacturing, PCB design and manufacturing, PCB assembly, plastic injection molding, systems integration, testing, and packaging. It serves as an external manufacturing partner, taking products from initial concept through prototyping to mass production with US-based accountability and global manufacturing execution.

Product overview

Knectiv is a full-service product development and contract manufacturing company offering comprehensive hardware solutions from concept to mass production. The company operates across three service pillars: Product Development (engineering, DFM, PCB design, mechanical design, firmware), Turnkey Manufacturing (production planning, assembly, quality, packaging, scale-up), and Sourcing (component procurement, BOM management). The product portfolio spans six PCB technology types (multi-layer, rigid-flex, metal core, fine-pitch BGA, HDI, specialty finishes), assembly services (SMT, through-hole, conformal coating), and plastic injection molding. The company specializes in Medical devices (Grin Scope dental scope, MC2 Hospital Patient Handset, blood pressure monitors, centrifuges, endoscopic systems, LFIA readers), Consumer Electronics (Bluetooth pedals, air purifiers, timers, keyboards, cooking stoves, alarm clocks), and Industrial products (gas flow sensors, window motors, RFID tags, audio converters, fiber amplifiers, motors, environmental sensors). Knectiv leverages a global manufacturing network across China, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and the US while maintaining US-based engineering teams. The company's integrated approach combines design and manufacturing under one roof to optimize for cost, quality, and time-to-market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Product Development Production-minded product engineering services covering DFM (Design for Manufacturing), PCB design, mechanical design, enclosure design, test fixture development, firmware coordination, and product refresh work for hardware companies from startups to enterprise OEMs.
• Turnkey Manufacturing Full-service manufacturing solution covering production planning, manufacturing execution, assembly, quality control, packaging, and scale-up support for complex hardware products across China, SE Asia, Mexico, and US partner facilities.
• Sourcing Component sourcing and bill of materials procurement services leveraging a global supplier network for hardware manufacturing clients.
• PCB Manufacturing Precision printed circuit board manufacturing spanning multi-layer boards (up to 10 layers), rigid-flex PCBs, metal core PCBs, fine-pitch BGA, HDI boards, and surface finishes including ENIG, HASL, and OSP.
• Assembly Services PCB assembly services including SMT (Surface Mount Technology), through-hole assembly, wave soldering, manual soldering, conformal coating, and systems integration for client hardware programs.
• Plastic Injection and Molding Custom plastic injection molding services from mold design to production, supporting small pilot runs to large-scale manufacturing with various SPI finish options for client products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced COGS by 50% for Elmore Pedal through enclosure redesign and PCB redesign
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Third Man RecordsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird Man Records, Jack White's independent record label, partnered with Elmore (Knectiv customer) to offer the Elmore Pedal on their online shop and across social media channels. This provides additional distribution and brand credibility for the Elmore Pedal product that Knectiv manufactures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MacroFab: MacroFab operates a software-enabled contract manufacturing platform focused on PCB assembly and low-to-mid volume EMS for startups and hardware developers. Closest comparable to Knectiv given shared US-based engineering plus factory execution model and similar SMB/startup customer focus.
• Tempo Automation: Tempo (formerly Tempo Automation) provides PCB prototyping and low-volume PCB assembly services with an emphasis on quick-turn and integrated design-to-build workflow. Comparable to Knectiv's turnkey PCB manufacturing and assembly capabilities, though focused more narrowly on PCB than full product integration.
• PCBWay: PCBWay offers PCB fabrication, PCB assembly, and CNC/injection molding services to a global hardware-maker customer base. Directly comparable on the PCB manufacturing and assembly stack Knectiv runs, though at much larger volume and with less US-side engineering presence.
• JLCPCB: JLCPCB is a high-volume, low-cost PCB prototype and assembly manufacturer serving hobbyist and startup hardware developers. Comparable on PCB and SMT assembly services, competing primarily on price/turn time rather than integrated design services.
• Epec Engineered Technologies: Epec provides custom engineering, design for manufacturing, and electronics manufacturing services for OEMs across medical, industrial, and aerospace. Highly comparable to Knectiv on the integrated design-plus-manufacturing offering for regulated US customers.

Broad incumbents

• Jabil: Jabil is one of the largest global EMS providers offering design, manufacturing, and supply chain services across consumer, industrial, healthcare, and automotive. Represents the scale incumbent against which Knectiv competes for mid-market and enterprise programs requiring global capacity.
• Flex (Flextronics): Flex is a global EMS leader providing design, manufacturing, and distribution services across healthcare, industrial, automotive, and consumer markets. Overlaps with Knectiv's full-service design-plus-manufacturing model but at vastly greater scale.
• Benchmark Electronics: Benchmark Electronics is a mid-to-large EMS provider focused on complex and regulated markets including medical, aerospace, and industrial. Closely comparable to Knectiv on medical/industrial device assembly and US-based program management.
• Creation Technologies: Creation Technologies is a mid-market EMS provider specializing in low-to-medium volume, high-complexity products for medical, industrial, and aerospace customers. Comparable to Knectiv's regulated mid-market positioning and integrated engineering support.
• Key Tronic: Key Tronic is a US-headquartered EMS provider offering design, engineering, and manufacturing services. Comparable geographic and customer footprint to Knectiv, with broader scale and OEM-focused program management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/knectiv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knectiv

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Knectiv