What Force Technologies does

Force Technologies Ltd. is a privately held UK specialist in obsolete and end-of-life (EOL) semiconductor lifecycle management, headquartered in Collingbourne Ducis, Wiltshire. Founded in 1986 by Mike Salmon and currently led by CEO Karen Salmon (Salmon family ownership), the company provides integrated design, manufacturing, testing, authentication, and long-term storage services for semiconductors that are no longer procurable through mainstream commercial channels. It serves defence, aerospace, industrial/medical, and commercial sectors globally, with a focus on high-reliability applications tied to platform lifecycles of 20–40 years. Revenue is described as generated across multiple streams — hardware sales of obsolete and FFF (Form Fit and Function) replacement ICs, professional services for testing and upscreening, and managed long-term storage services — all of which are custom-quoted on a project basis per source.

The company's core technology offering centres on die extraction from obsolete plastic packages and re-assembly into ceramic, hermetic, or alternate plastic packages; custom IC packaging replicating rare formats such as CQFPs, flatpacks and CERDIPs; MIL-STD upscreening of commercial-grade parts to higher temperature and environmental specifications; AS6081 counterfeit authentication; and controlled-atmosphere long-term storage. Supporting infrastructure includes a library of over 500 semiconductor databooks from the 1970s–1990s used for reverse engineering, the newly opened Titan Storage Lab with 99.9995% nitrogen-controlled cabinets, the recently opened Sovereign Test Lab, and a custom on-site nitrogen generator delivered in late 2025. Certifications held include AS6081 (counterfeit avoidance), AS9100 Rev D (aerospace QMS), BS9000 (traceability), and JOSCAR (pre-qualification for the UK aerospace, defence and security supply chain).

Commercially, Force Technologies runs a B2B enterprise field-sales motion led by Commercial Director Charlotte Hughes, with direct engagement to engineering and procurement teams in regulated industries and active presence at IIOM, DSEI, Electronica, Engineering Design Show and Southern Manufacturing Show. International reach is extended through a network of regional distributors, including an exclusive partnership with Milano Brothers International covering Italy. Thought leadership is delivered via the 'Force Tech Talk' podcast, a technical blog, an email newsletter, and a YouTube channel. Pricing is bespoke per project (NRE, volume, lead-time based) with multi-year contracts for long-term storage; no standardised public pricing exists.

Name

Force Technologies

Legal name

Force Technologies Ltd.

Website

https://forcetechnologies.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Force Technologies is a UK specialist in obsolete and end-of-life semiconductor lifecycle management, serving defence, aerospace, industrial/medical and commercial clients through die extraction, custom IC packaging, MIL-STD upscreening, AS6081 authentication, and long-term nitrogen storage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Obsolete Semiconductor Solutions

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Back-End/Advanced Packaging Equipment (Die Attach/Wire Bond/Flip-Chip/TCB) (HDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Military Power Supplies, RF/Microwave Components & Ruggedized Electronics (IMABAGAJ)

Keywords

• Obsolete semiconductors
• Die extraction services
• Semiconductor upscreening
• Counterfeit component detection
• Long-term semiconductor storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Marlborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Obsolete Semiconductor Sales: Supply of Form Fit and Function (FFF) alternative replacement ICs for high reliability applications. Sourcing, stock management and sale of EOL and obsolete semiconductor components.
2. Custom Design and Manufacturing: Re-manufacturing devices to original specifications, drop-in replacement design, and reverse engineering of obsolete components for legacy system support.
3. Testing and Upscreening Services: Functional verification, burn-in, temperature cycling, visual inspection, X-ray analysis, hermeticity testing, and mechanical testing to MIL-STD and JESD standards.
4. Long-term Storage Services: Secure component storage in controlled environments with nitrogen cabinets, temperature/humidity control, and full traceability for decades-long component preservation.
5. Assembly, Packaging and Testing: Full-service IC assembly including die extraction, packaging, and testing services with in-house capabilities for QFP to hermetic ceramic package conversion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Force Technologies is a UK-based solution house that designs, manufactures, tests, and stores obsolete and end-of-life semiconductors for defence, aerospace, industrial/medical and commercial customers. Core services include die extraction and repackaging of legacy components into ceramic or hermetic packages, custom IC redesign for form-fit-function replacement, upscreening of commercial devices to MIL-STD levels, AS6081 counterfeit authentication, destructive physical analysis, device characterisation, and decades-long controlled-environment storage in the Titan Storage Lab.

Product overview

Force Technologies is a solution house for hard-to-find, end-of-life, and obsolete semiconductors, providing integrated design, manufacturing, and testing services across defence, aerospace, industrial/medical, and commercial sectors. The core offering combines die extraction and repackaging, custom design/redesign, assembly/packaging/testing, authentication, and long-term storage services into a unified obsolescence management solution. Key facilities include the Titan Storage Lab (nitrogen-controlled long-term storage) and the Sovereign Test Lab (expanded testing capabilities). The company also maintains an extensive databook library exceeding 500 titles supporting legacy system engineering. Upscreening services enable commercial devices to be qualified for military and aerospace applications. Supporting resources include the Force Tech Talk podcast series and technical white papers on die extraction techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Die Extraction and Repackaging Service extracting semiconductor die from obsolete plastic packages and re-assembling the die into ceramic or alternate plastic packages to deliver form-fit-function replacements for legacy systems.
• Assembly, Packaging and Testing Full-service IC assembly, packaging, and testing capabilities for semiconductor devices, including custom and legacy packaging formats such as QFP to hermetic ceramic conversions.
• Custom Design Custom redesign and reverse-engineering service delivering form-fit-function replacement semiconductor solutions for obsolete or EOL devices used in long-life customer systems.
• Upscreening Services Verification service that functionally tests commercial or industrial semiconductor devices to elevated temperature ranges and environmental specifications per MIL-STD, including burn-in, temperature cycling, X-ray analysis, visual inspection and hermeticity testing.
• Destructive Physical Analysis Analysis service that deconstructs semiconductor devices to evaluate internal construction, materials, and authenticity as part of counterfeit avoidance and quality investigation work.
• Device Characterisation Electrical testing and characterisation service that evaluates device performance and verifies functionality against published specifications for customer engineering and qualification requirements.
• Authentication Services Verification and authentication service ensuring component authenticity to AS6081 standards, protecting customers from counterfeit semiconductors entering their supply chains.
• Long-Term Storage Secure, controlled-environment long-term storage of semiconductor components with full traceability and compliance to AS9100 Rev D and BS9000 standards, supported by the Titan Storage Lab and on-site ultra-high-purity nitrogen generation.
• Die Sustainment Long-term preservation and management of bare semiconductor die under controlled-atmosphere conditions to keep the die available for future packaging, assembly, and FFF replacement.
• Bare Die Stock Inventory of bare semiconductor dies available for sale and use in custom assembly and packaging solutions supporting FFF replacement projects.
• FT87C257 Custom UVEPROM Solution Custom-manufactured UVEPROM device replacing obsolete 256K (32Kx8) UVEPROMs, using die extraction from PLCC packages and assembly into windowed CERDIP packages with dynamic burn-in qualification.
• FT27C256R UVEPROM Off-the-shelf FT27C256R UVEPROM device offered as a standard 256K replacement option for obsolete UVEPROM sockets.
• FFF Replacement ICs for Defence Portfolio of Form Fit and Function alternative replacement ICs supplied to high-reliability defence sector applications and used for obsolescence management on legacy military platforms with 20–25+ year lifecycles.
• FFF Replacement ICs for Aerospace Form Fit and Function replacement ICs supplied into aerospace applications requiring long-term reliability, compliance with AS9100 Rev D, and support for avionics and satellite systems.
• FFF Replacement ICs for Industrial/Medical End-of-life semiconductor support and Form Fit and Function replacement ICs for industrial automation systems and medical devices with multi-decade operational lifecycles.
• FFF Replacement ICs for Commercial Form Fit and Function replacement ICs supplied to commercial electronics manufacturers requiring cost-effective obsolete component solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ year platform continuity achievable through long-term storage and component banking strategies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Milano Brothers InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 September 2024Exclusive partnership making Force Technologies' custom solutions available to Milano Brothers' aerospace and defence clients in Italy. Milano Brothers is a boutique procurement company for electronics components serving Italian market, part of Milano Brothers Group with sites in UK, Italy (Naples), and USA (Miami). Founded 1941 in New York.
• International Institute of Obsolescence Management (IIOM)coreOthersForce Technologies is a continued member of IIOM, participating in conferences, member meetings, and industry initiatives. CEO Karen Salmon holds FIIOM status. Application Manager Ben Savage holds Member level. Charlotte Hughes holds Associate Member status.
• Make UK DefenceminorOthersForce Technologies joined Make UK, attending events and networking within the UK manufacturing and defence industry community.
• Aerospace Wales ForumminorOthersForce Technologies joined the Aerospace Wales Forum for networking and event attendance with aerospace companies in Wales and the broader UK.
• Green Machine ComputersminorOthersPresented at IIOM member meeting in Swindon 2023 on sustainability and E-waste topics. Partnered with Force Technologies for IIOM event.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Components Direct: Obsolete and hard-to-find IC distributor focused on sustaining legacy systems for aerospace, defence, and industrial OEMs. Competes with Force Technologies for the same obsolete-sourcing RFPs, though without the in-house packaging and die-extraction capabilities.
• A2 Global Electronics: Independent electronic component distributor with AS6081-accredited testing and authentication lab. Provides counterfeit avoidance and obsolete-component sourcing for defence and aerospace customers, overlapping Force Technologies' AS6081 authentication work.
• Micross Components: Provider of semiconductor packaging, obsolescence management, die banking, and hi-rel testing services for defence and aerospace. Micross operates a vertically integrated model spanning wafer/die processing through long-term storage — closely paralleling Force Technologies' capabilities.
• Lansdale Semiconductor: US-based specialty IC manufacturer focused on the re-creation of obsolete and mature-generation semiconductor devices. Like Force Technologies, Lansdale sustains legacy parts for aerospace, defence, and industrial customers with long platform lifecycles.
• Flip Electronics: Distributor specialising in obsolete, end-of-life, and hard-to-find semiconductors, with an emphasis on component authentication and supply-chain integrity. Overlaps Force Technologies' authentication and EOL sourcing services, though Flip is more distribution-led.
• Rochester Electronics: The largest authorised aftermarket and obsolete semiconductor manufacturer globally, operating as a direct competitor to Force Technologies. Rochester replicates discontinued ICs, performs upscreening, and supplies long-lifecycle parts into aerospace and defence — directly overlapping Force Technologies' core offering.

Broad incumbents

• Smith & Associates: Large independent broad-line electronic component distributor with significant obsolete and allocation franchise. While not specialist like Force Technologies, Smith competes for EOL orders and increasingly offers in-house testing and authentication — a broader incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
• Teledyne Technologies (incl. Teledyne e2v): Diversified aerospace, defence, and semiconductor-related conglomerate including Teledyne e2v, which supplies high-reliability semiconductors and lifecycle management for space and defence. Overlaps Force Technologies' hi-rel obsolescence work but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForceTechLtd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@forcetechnologies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/force-technologies-limited

Compliance5 records

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 Force Technologies