element14

What element14 does

element14 is a global B2B electronic components distributor and online marketplace operating as part of the Avnet group (previously Premier Farnell). It offers access to over 1 million products from more than 2,000 leading manufacturers — including Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics, Vishay, Bourns, TE Connectivity, Molex, Raspberry Pi, Infineon, NXP, and Panasonic — across categories such as passives, semiconductors, connectors, test and measurement, RF and wireless, embedded systems, automation, power, and lighting. The company serves electronics engineers, manufacturing and industrial enterprises, procurement professionals, and the education/maker community through a horizontal distribution model with no minimum order quantity, transaction-based and quote-based pricing, and dedicated trade accounts.

The underlying platform combines a self-service e-commerce storefront with procurement-grade tooling — BOM upload, Quick Order, iBuy, and EDI/API integration for enterprise procurement systems — and a suite of technical resources (DevKit HQ, Power Hub, Smart Industry Hub, eTechJournal, Education Hub) plus an online community of 890,000+ engineers (alongside sister platform Hackster.io) for design support and product feedback. A captive private-label brand, Multicomp Pro, supplies passive components at roughly 30% lower cost than leading brands, providing margin and price flexibility. Regional headquarters operate out of Bangalore (South Asia), Leeds (EMEA), and Richfield, Ohio (Americas).

element14 generates revenue primarily through hardware sales/distribution margins on component transactions, with no minimum order requirement, volume pricing breaks, and promotional discounts on select brands. It operates a direct-to-consumer / direct-to-engineer motion complemented by trade account management, phone and live-chat sales support, and event sponsorships. Recent strategic activity — including the Smart Industry Hub launch (October 2025), expanded Digi International and Fulham distribution partnerships (January 2026), the AMD on Wheels Australia roadshow (November 2025), the return to electronica India 2026, and the Edge & Beyond Tech Day in Singapore and Vietnam (July 2026) — indicates active expansion into LED/lighting, IoT/wireless, edge AI, and Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Name

element14

Legal name

element14 India Private Limited

Website

https://in.element14.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

element14 is a global B2B electronic components distributor operating as part of Avnet, offering over 1 million products from 2,000+ manufacturers to engineers, procurement professionals, manufacturers, and makers across India, EMEA, and the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Components Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Embedded, Maker Platforms & Development Kits Retail (CRACAKAI)

Keywords

• Electronic components distribution
• Semiconductor distribution
• Engineering procurement platform
• Embedded systems supply
• Industrial automation components

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electronic Components Distribution: element14 generates revenue primarily through the sale of electronic components and industrial system design products. The company distributes components from over 2,000 leading manufacturers including Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics, Vishay, Bourns, TE Connectivity, Molex, Raspberry Pi, Infineon, NXP, Panasonic, and others. Revenue is generated through transactional product sales with no minimum order quantity requirement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

element14 operates an online distribution platform that sells more than 1 million electronic components, semiconductors, connectors, passives, development kits and related hardware from over 2,000 manufacturers. It serves professional design engineers, manufacturing buyers, procurement teams, the maker community, and educational users with no-minimum-order purchasing, contract trade-account pricing, BOM upload ordering, and value-added services such as Testing as a Service, custom sourcing, and packaging solutions.

Product overview

element14 is a comprehensive electronic components distributor operating as part of Avnet, offering over 1 million products from more than 2,000 leading manufacturers. The core offering is the element14 Online Distribution Platform, complemented by the Multicomp Pro private label sub-brand for cost-effective passive components. The company provides a portfolio of technical resources including DevKit HQ, Power Hub, and eTechJournal, along with procurement tools like the BOM Upload Tool, Quick Order, and Request a Quote services. Additional offerings include Testing as a Service (TaaS), Custom Components sourcing, Packaging Solutions, and the Smart Industry Hub platform for intelligent industrial system design. The element14 Community supports 890,000+ engineers with technical discussions and product testing opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Multicomp Pro: Private label brand for high-quality passive components such as capacitors, resistors, crystals, oscillators, fuses, inductors and thermistors, positioned as the Engineer's Choice offering quality at competitive prices.

Products and services

• element14 Online Distribution Platform Online e-commerce storefront selling more than 1 million electronic components, semiconductors, connectors, passives, development kits and related hardware from over 2,000 manufacturers, with no minimum order quantity, next-day dispatch, and trade-account contract pricing for professional buyers.
• Multicomp Pro Element14's own-brand line of passive components, connectors and electromechanical parts positioned at approximately 30% lower cost than equivalent branded parts, targeting price-sensitive prototyping, production and MRO use.
• Smart Industry Hub Online hub aggregating products, technical resources, and design content for intelligent industrial systems and smart industry / industrial automation application areas.
• Testing as a Service (TaaS) Standalone service where element14 provides component testing services to buyers requiring quality verification beyond standard distribution.
• Custom Components Sourcing Sourcing service for customers needing specialised, hard-to-find, or custom-specified electronic components beyond the standard catalogue offering.
• Packaging Solutions Custom kitting and packaging service providing tailored packaging and kitting of electronic components for production and manufacturing customers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• NI (National Instruments)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 April 2026element14 returned to electronica India 2026 after more than a decade. Event featured 'Sensors to Software' demonstration using NI technology alongside products from Raspberry Pi, STMicroelectronics, Microchip, and Molex. Partnership showcases advanced test and measurement solutions.
• FulhamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 January 2026Global distribution partnership announced January 2026 to expand access to advanced LED drivers, emergency lighting, and intelligent control solutions. Fulham brings more than 30 years of expertise in LED technology. Products now available through element14's global distribution network and online store across EMEA and APAC regions. Both companies highlighted shared values and commitment to global innovation.
• Digi InternationalcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 January 2026Expanded distribution partnership with Digi International, a provider of IoT connectivity products, through relationship with Avnet. Collaboration aims to strengthen wireless communications offerings and support Digi's technologies including Bluetooth, 5G, LoRaWAN, and Zigbee modules.
• AMDflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025element14 partnered with Avnet and AMD for 'AMD on Wheels' national roadshow in Australia (November 2025). Roadshow featured hands-on AI demonstrations, technical training, and expert panel discussions across Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Targeted healthcare, agriculture, smart cities, and sustainability sectors. Initiative combines Avnet's end-to-end product lifecycle expertise with AMD's high-performance computing technologies.
• AvnetflagshipOtherselement14 is a trading name and part of the element14 group of companies of which Avnet, Inc. (based in the USA) is the parent company. element14 operates as An Avnet Company with global distribution capabilities and integrated supply chain services.
• Hackster.iominorOthersHackster.io is a sister community platform dedicated to learning hardware, operated alongside the element14 Community. Part of the broader element14 group community ecosystem.
• 2,000+ Global ManufacturerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorelement14 maintains distribution partnerships with over 2,000 leading manufacturers including Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics, Vishay, Bourns, TE Connectivity, Molex, Raspberry Pi, Infineon, NXP, Panasonic, Omega, Tektronix, NI-Emerson, Littelfuse, and others.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arrow Electronics: Arrow Electronics is a Fortune 500 global technology distributor covering components, enterprise computing, and IoT solutions. Element14's parent Avnet is Arrow's chief rival, making Arrow a sister-distributor with overlapping supplier base and customer segments but broader enterprise services footprint.
• Würth Elektronik: Würth Elektronik is a major electronic and electromechanical component manufacturer/distributor with a strong catalog and design-in support via simulation tools and starter kits. Comparable to element14 because of overlapping passives, connectors, and electromagnetics catalog with strong engineering content focus.

Direct peers

• RS Components: RS Components (RS Group) is a UK-headquartered B2B electronic and industrial product distributor serving engineers and procurement across EMEA and APAC. Directly comparable in product breadth, target audience, and trade-account motion; operates in overlapping EMEA geographies.
• Transfer Multisort Elektronik (TME): TME is a European-headquartered electronic components distributor serving engineers and procurement across EMEA with broad passives, semiconductors, and electromechanical catalog. Comparable to element14's EMEA operations in catalog breadth and customer segments.
• Future Electronics: Future Electronics is a large global electronic components distributor serving OEM, EMS, and design-engineer customers with supply chain solutions. Comparable to element14 in breadth of line card, distribution model, and geographic coverage across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
• Mouser Electronics: Mouser is a leading global authorized distributor of electronic components with a deep new-product introduction focus, serving engineers worldwide. Closely comparable to element14 on product breadth, supplier breadth (2,000+ suppliers), and engineer-centric content marketing (e.g., Empowering Innovation Together).
• Digi-Key Electronics: Digi-Key is the largest global B2B electronic components distributor with 1M+ SKUs, serving engineers and procurement with same-day shipping and parametric search. Directly comparable to element14 in catalog breadth, target customer (engineers/procurement), and e-commerce-first model.
• Newark / element14 (NA legacy brand): Newark is the North American trading name of the same Premier Farnell/Avnet parent group, operating essentially as element14's US brand. Included to clarify that in the US market, element14 and Newark are not separate competitors but the same commercial entity under different regional branding.

Emerging players

• SparkFun Electronics: SparkFun is a US-based electronic components and dev-kit retailer focused on the maker, education, and hobbyist segments with strong open-source hardware content. Comparable to element14's Education & Maker segment and DevKit HQ offering, though smaller in scale and not a broadline industrial distributor.
• JLCPCB / LCSC: LCSC is a China-based electronic components e-commerce platform owned by JLCPCB, with a fast-growing catalog focused on price-competitive passives and semiconductors for the global maker and small-batch OEM market. Comparable to element14 in serving engineers with direct-online ordering, especially in cost-sensitive segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/element14_Avnet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/element14
• Facebookfacebook.com/farnellelectronics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farnell-element14

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 element14