What Pearson Electronics does

Pearson Electronics, founded in 1955 and headquartered at 4009 Transport Street in Palo Alto, California, is a privately held custom manufacturer specializing in precision wide-band current transformers, high voltage pulse transformers, and capacitive voltage dividers. Its products deliver pulse-current monitoring with rise times below one nanosecond, standard accuracy within +1% to -0% of nominal sensitivity, insertion resistance below 20 milliohms, and frequency response from near-DC up to 400 MHz depending on model. The portfolio spans wide-band current monitors, hinged and demountable clamp-on current monitors, ultra-thin current transformers, coaxial in-line monitors, capacitive voltage dividers, EMC injection and current probes for MIL-STD-461 and RTCA/DO-160 testing, and powerline ripple detectors, all manufactured in the USA at an ISO 9001:2015 facility.

The company serves a horizontal set of demanding end users including particle accelerator laboratories, defense and aerospace EMC compliance teams, power system operators, medical equipment manufacturers, semiconductor and plasma researchers, and lightning test facilities such as Kennedy Space Center. Revenue is generated primarily through direct, quote-based B2B hardware sales to engineering organizations, supplemented by NIST-traceable calibration, testing, and repair services compliant with ANSI/NCSL Z540-3. Go-to-market relies on an extensive technical content library of datasheets and application notes, participation in industry conferences (APEC, ICOPS, IPMHVC, EMC+SIPI), and direct sales engagement via phone and email.

The business model is that of a niche specialty manufacturer: low-volume, high-mix custom and standard products sold at engineered pricing to a small number of technically sophisticated enterprise buyers. There is no disclosed revenue, no external funding, no M&A history, and no public listing; the firm has operated independently for seven decades with a stable 11-50 employee footprint.

Name

Pearson Electronics

Legal name

Pearson Electronics

Website

https://pearsonelectronics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pearson Electronics, founded 1955 and based in Palo Alto, manufactures precision wide-band current transformers, clamp-on monitors, capacitive voltage dividers, and high voltage pulse transformers for particle accelerator, defense, power, medical, and EMC compliance test applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wide-band current transformers and high-voltage pulse measurement instruments

NAICS

Power, Distribution, and Specialty Transformer Manufacturing (335311), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Capacitor, Resistor, Coil, Transformer, and Other Inductor Manufacturing (334416), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353)

SIC

Power, Distribution & Specialty Transformers (3612), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Transformers (Power, Distribution, Instrument, Specialty) (IMAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Transformers (CTs/VTs) & Sensors (Conventional/Optical) (EUADACAG), Substation & HV Equipment Diagnostics (Partial Discharge, DGA, SF6) (EUAEAHAH), Passive Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Ferrites) (IMAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Wide-band current transformers
• Current monitors
• Capacitive voltage dividers
• High voltage pulse transformers
• EMC test probes

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wide-Band Current Transformers and Monitors: Sale of standard and custom wide-band current transformers and current monitors for pulse-current monitoring applications across multiple industries.
2. Clamp-On Current Monitors: Sale of clamp-on current monitors including hinged designs with fast rise times for easy operation on fixed conductors.
3. Capacitive Voltage Dividers: Sale of capacitive voltage dividers for high voltage measurement applications.
4. High Voltage Pulse Transformers: Sale of high voltage pulse transformers for specialized industrial applications.
5. EMC Probes and Test Equipment: Sale of EMC injection probes, current probes, and test fixtures designed for MIL-STD-461 and RTCA/DO-160 testing requirements.
6. Calibration Services: Calibration services for wide band current monitors compliant with ANSI/NCSL Z540-3 and traceable to NIST. Includes testing, repair, and calibration services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pearson Electronics designs and manufactures precision wide-band current transformers, high voltage pulse transformers, and capacitive voltage dividers for engineering and research customers. Products feature pulse-current monitoring with rise times under 1 nanosecond, standard +1%/-0% midband accuracy, and double electrostatic shielding for high-voltage safety. Complementing hardware, the company offers NIST-traceable test, repair, and calibration services and EMC probes and fixtures designed for MIL-STD-461 and RTCA/DO-160 compliance testing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wideband Current Monitors Catalogue of wide-band current monitors for pulse and continuous current measurement in high voltage circuits, used by research institutions, defense contractors, power utilities, and medical equipment manufacturers.
• Clamp-On Current Monitors
• Custom Current Monitors Bespoke current monitor designs for non-standard apertures, sensitivities, bandwidths, and physical dimensions where catalogue products do not fit the application.
• Capacitive Voltage Dividers
• High Voltage Pulse Transformers High voltage pulse transformers for specialized industrial and research applications such as modulator and pulsed power systems.
• EMC Probes and Test Equipment EMC injection probes, current probes, and test fixtures designed for MIL-STD-461 and RTCA/DO-160 compliance testing of electronic systems in defense, aerospace, automotive, and medical applications.
• Powerline Ripple Detectors (PRD-120, PRD-240) Powerline ripple detector instruments that simplify measurement of injected audio-frequency ripple on AC power buses during MIL-STD-461G CS101 EMI testing. PRD-120 covers up to 120 Vac and PRD-240 covers 240 Vac and 270 Vdc.
• Accessories, Attenuators, Adapters, and Connectors Supporting accessories, attenuators, adapters, and connectors used with Pearson current monitors, voltage dividers, and pulse transformers.
• Test, Repair, and Calibration Services NIST-traceable calibration, testing, and repair services for Pearson wide-band current monitors, compliant with ANSI/NCSL Z540-3 and used by customers in regulated industries including defense and medical.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pulse-current monitoring down to less than 1ns rise time
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MIL-STD-461 Standards CompliancecoreOthersProducts designed to meet MIL-STD-461 requirements for electromagnetic interference testing. Includes sections CS114/115 and 116 for conducted susceptibility. Products include injection probes, current probes, and test fixtures designed specifically for MIL-STD-461G compliance testing.
• RTCA/DO-160 Standards CompliancecoreOthersEMC probes and current probes designed to meet RTCA/DO-160 requirements for aerospace electronic equipment testing. Products specifically designed for sections applicable to commercial and military aviation equipment.
• NIST TraceabilitycoreOthersCalibration services traceable to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). Calibration services comply with ANSI/NCSL Z540-3 standards. Provides confidence in measurement accuracy for regulated industries.
• Shell Diala AX Oil CompatibilityminorOthersCurrent monitors made with materials compatible with Shell Diala AX transformer insulating oil, allowing use in oil-filled high voltage applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Tektronix: Major test & measurement incumbent offering a broad portfolio of oscilloscopes and current probes (e.g., TCP series). Comparable to Pearson as a supplier of current measurement solutions to electronics and power engineers, but operating at much greater scale and product breadth.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Premier EMC test and measurement vendor offering receivers, analyzers, and conducted susceptibility test systems aligned with MIL-STD-461 and DO-160. Comparable to Pearson as an enabling supplier for the same EMC compliance workflow Pearson's injection and current probes serve.
• Keysight Technologies: Global test & measurement leader with current probes, EMC test equipment, and power analyzers. Comparable to Pearson for power-electronics and EMC test customers, though its portfolio extends across far more measurement categories than Pearson's narrow CT focus.
• Fluke (Fortive): Industrial test tool incumbent with current clamps and power quality instruments. Comparable to Pearson for field current measurement, though Fluke's catalog emphasizes handheld instruments rather than the wide-band laboratory-grade CTs Pearson specializes in.

Direct peers

• Teledyne LeCroy (Teledyne Test Tools): Supplier of oscilloscopes and current probes used in power-electronics and EMC test workflows. Directly comparable to Pearson in addressing engineers who need wide-bandwidth current measurement for switching power, motor drive, and compliance applications.
• Magnelab: Manufacturer of current transformers, Rogowski coils, and voltage sensors for power and industrial markets. Directly comparable to Pearson in producing CTs for measurement and monitoring, though Magnelab is more focused on AC power monitoring than Pearson's wide-band pulse work.
• Powertek: Specialist supplier of current transformers, wideband transducers, and high-voltage measurement products. Directly comparable to Pearson in the wide-band current measurement niche serving defense, power, and research customers.
• Hioki: Japanese manufacturer of electrical measurement instruments including current probes and sensors. Directly comparable to Pearson in selling current measurement hardware to power electronics, automotive, and industrial customers, with overlapping bandwidth and accuracy positioning.

Emerging players

• North Star High Voltage: Manufacturer of high-voltage probes, dividers, and pulse transformers. Comparable to Pearson in the high-voltage pulse measurement and capacitive divider product lines, though with a narrower commercial footprint.
• AIM-TTI (Thurlby Thandar Instruments): UK-based test instrument maker offering power supplies, signal generators, and EMC test accessories. Partially comparable to Pearson in providing test instrumentation to electronics engineers, though with a broader power-supply orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pearson-electronics-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Pearson Electronics