What EI Microcircuits does

EI Microcircuits, founded in 1984 by Robert and Lenore Else in Mankato, Minnesota, is a privately-held family-owned electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider specializing in high-mix, low-to-mid volume printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) for regulated industries. The company operates three climate-controlled manufacturing facilities in Minnesota (Mankato Pohl Road headquarters, St. Peter, and Mankato Power Drive) totaling over 100,000 square feet and unified by a shared data center, and holds the regulatory certifications required to serve medical (ISO 13485:2016, FDA-registered), aerospace & defense (AS9100-D, ITAR-registered), and industrial (ISO 9001:2015, ANSI ESD S20.20) end-markets.

The core offering is an end-to-end EMS platform spanning PCB engineering (DFM, CAD, component sourcing), rapid prototyping (via the Ninja Circuits division offering 24-hour to 10-day turnarounds), full-scale PCB production using SMT lines, through-hole assembly, robotic selective soldering, vapor phase and convection reflow, multi-stage inspection (AOI, X-ray, SPI, ICT, flying probe, functional testing), and box-build electromechanical integration. Value-added services include automated test development, conformal coating, in-house overmolding (25-ton vertical injection molding), potting, warehousing, and forward/reverse logistics. Wholly-owned subsidiary EI Sensor Technologies extends the product surface into thermistors, RTDs, and probe assemblies.

EI Microcircuits generates revenue through professional-services contract manufacturing fees across eight vertical end-markets — medical (~50% of business), industrial, energy, agriculture, HPC/AI infrastructure, aviation, military/defense, and security/surveillance — selling directly to OEMs via enterprise field sales, content marketing (the Electronic Insights blog), and quote-based pricing. No revenue, headcount, or external funding figures are publicly disclosed; the company has operated continuously as an independent, family-controlled business for over 40 years.

Name

EI Microcircuits

Legal name

E.I. Microcircuits, Inc.

Website

https://eimicro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

EI Microcircuits is a family-owned Minnesota-based electronics manufacturing services provider specializing in high-mix, low-to-mid volume PCB assembly, box-build, and value-added services for regulated medical, aerospace, defense, and industrial OEM customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronics Manufacturing Services (PCB Assembly and Box Build)

NAICS

Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing (334418)

SIC

Printed Circuit Boards (3672)

akta.pro primary industry

PCB Assembly (PCBA/EMS) (HDAHAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ruggedized/Harsh-Environment Electronics Manufacturing (IP-rated, shock/vibration, wide-temp) (IMAGAGAF), Process Control & Automation Electronics Manufacturing Services (PLCs, I/O, DCS/SCADA hardware) (IMAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Electronics manufacturing services
• PCB assembly
• Contract manufacturing
• Surface mount technology
• Box build integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Mankato

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS): Full-service contract manufacturing of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA), box-build turnkey integration, and system-level assembly services for medical, aerospace, defense, and industrial customers. Revenue is generated through manufacturing fees, engineering services, and value-added services including testing, coating, and logistics.
2. PCB Engineering Services: Design for Manufacturing (DFM) consultation, CAD design, alternate component sourcing, and project management services supporting product lifecycle from early design through production.
3. PCB Prototyping Services: Rapid prototyping services through Ninja Circuits division offering proof-of-concept builds, one-time builds, and new product introduction (NPI) services with varying turnaround times.
4. Automated Test Development: Custom test solution design and development services validating PCB functionality, including in-circuit testing and functional testing.
5. Warehousing and Logistics Services: Climate-controlled storage, inventory management, just-in-time fulfillment, and reverse logistics including warranty repair, refurbishment, and failure analysis services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EI Microcircuits is a contract electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider that designs, engineers, prototypes, and produces printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA) and box-build integrated systems for OEMs in regulated industries. The company delivers end-to-end solutions from PCB engineering and rapid prototyping through full-scale SMT production, through-hole assembly, automated test development, conformal coating, overmolding, potting, and forward/reverse logistics, operating three climate-controlled Minnesota facilities totaling over 100,000 square feet.

Product overview

EI Microcircuits is an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider offering a unified platform of PCB manufacturing services spanning the full product lifecycle. The core offering includes PCB Engineering (DFM, CAD design, component sourcing), PCB Prototyping (via the Ninja Circuits rapid prototype division), and PCB Production with state-of-the-art SMT lines. Supporting capabilities include Automated Test Development (custom test solutions), Warehousing and Logistics (forward/reverse logistics, fulfillment, repair/refurbishment), and specialized assembly services including Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Assembly, Through-Hole Assembly, PCB Inspection (AOI, X-ray, ICT, flying probe), Box Build Assemblies (electromechanical integration), PCB Overmolding (in-house injection molding), and PCB Potting (protective encapsulation). The company operates multiple climate-controlled facilities totaling over 100,000 square feet and serves high-reliability industries including medical devices, industrial controls, energy systems, agriculture technology, high-performance computing, aviation/aerospace, military, and security/surveillance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ninja Circuits: Rapid prototype company offering quick-turn PCB prototyping services.
• EI Sensor Technologies

Products and services

• PCB Engineering Full-range project management including design for manufacturing (DFM) consultation, CAD design, alternate component sourcing, PCN management, EOL risk evaluations, and stringent records control for medical devices. Targeted at OEMs needing engineering support from early design through production.
• PCB Prototyping Complete prototyping services including proof-of-concept builds, one-time builds, and new product introduction (NPI) with 5-day turnaround, plus engineering support, material procurement, and support for lead or RoHS compliant assemblies.
• PCB Production Full-scale PCB production with state-of-the-art SMT lines, through-hole assembly, advanced inspection techniques (AOI, SPI, X-ray), ICT, functional and flying probe testing, box build, overmolding, potting, and automated conformal coating.
• Automated Test Development Custom automated test solutions for PCB validation including in-circuit test development and functional test development, designed to partner with customers for specific product testing needs.
• Warehousing and Logistics Forward and reverse logistics including climate-controlled storage, real-time inventory tracking, just-in-time fulfillment, warranty repair, refurbishment services, and failure analysis with reporting.
• Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Assembly High-speed, high-precision surface mount assembly using advanced automated lines supporting Package on Package (PoP), flex and rigid-flex assemblies, vapor phase and convection reflow ovens.
• Through-Hole Assembly Robust through-hole assembly solutions for high-reliability applications featuring robotic selective soldering, wave soldering (leaded and lead-free), and AOI inspection.
• PCB Inspection Multi-level PCB inspection using automated optical inspection (AOI), X-ray inspection, 3D solder paste inspection (SPI), ICT testing, functional testing, and flying probe testing.
• Box Build Assemblies Complete electromechanical assembly including sub-assembly integration, cable and wire harness installation, functional testing, and final product packaging for deployment-ready systems.
• PCB Overmolding In-house premolding and overmolding using a 25-ton vertical injection molding machine, offering full color customization and product branding capabilities for environmental protection and durability.
• PCB Potting Precision electrical potting with controlled application process including preparation, material selection, controlled dispensing, and curing with final inspection for moisture, vibration, and environmental protection.
• Ninja Circuits Rapid Prototyping Rapid prototype company operated as a division of EI Microcircuits, offering quick-turn prototyping services for fast proof-of-concept builds to fully engineered pre-production evaluations with 24-hour, 48-hour, 5-day, and 10-day timelines.
• EI Sensor Technologies Product line offering Thermistors, RTDs and Probe Assemblies for temperature measurement and control, complementing the company's EMS business.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ninja CircuitscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Ninja Circuits is a rapid prototype company opened by EI Microcircuits in 2015, offering fast-turn prototyping services including 24-hour, 48-hour, 5-day, and 10-day timelines. It operates as a division of EI Microcircuits to support accelerated development cycles.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kimball Electronics: Kimball Electronics is a mid-sized EMS focused on medical, automotive, and industrial end markets with manufacturing operations in the US and globally. Highly comparable high-mix, engineered-solutions business model.
• Sigmatron International: SigmaTron is a US-headquartered mid-sized EMS provider with focus on industrial, medical, and aerospace/defense customers. Comparable scale and vertically-segmented customer base.
• Creation Technologies: Creation Technologies is a North American mid-market EMS focused on complex, high-reliability assemblies in medical, aerospace/defense, and industrial markets. Directly comparable in customer verticals, scale, and service-mix philosophy.
• Benchmark Electronics: Benchmark Electronics is a mid-sized US EMS serving aerospace/defense, medical, and industrial customers with high-mix engineering services. Comparable vertically-segmented regulated-industry go-to-market and engineering-led model.
• Plexus Corporation: Plexus is a mid-sized US-headquartered EMS provider focused on regulated industries (medical, aerospace/defense, industrial), with a similar high-mix, low-to-mid volume model and engineering-led customer engagement. Closest publicly traded comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Sanmina Corporation: Sanmina is a large global EMS and ODM provider with a significant precision-technology segment serving aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial markets. Overlaps with EI Microcircuits in regulated verticals but at far larger scale.
• Flex Ltd: Flex is one of the largest global EMS providers, with a Health Solutions and Aerospace/Defense/Industrial portfolio. Competes with mid-sized US EMS in the same regulated end-markets.
• Jabil Inc. Jabil is one of the largest global EMS companies, serving healthcare, aerospace/defense, and industrial customers. Broad incumbent that competes for many of the same regulated-industry programs as EI Microcircuits.
• Celestica Inc. Celestica is a large global EMS provider serving aerospace/defense, industrial, and health-tech markets. Broad incumbent competing for high-reliability assembly work similar to EI Microcircuits' scope.

Regional players

• Star Engineering & Assembly: Star Engineering is a privately held, mid-sized regional EMS provider in the US Midwest offering PCBA, box build, and engineering services. Comparable regional competitor with overlapping target customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/eimicrocircuits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ei-microcircuits

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 EI Microcircuits