What Sharp & Tappin does

Sharp & Tappin Technology Ltd is a privately held UK precision engineering company incorporated in June 2003 and headquartered in a purpose-built facility in Holsworthy, Devon. The firm combines in-house mechanical, electronic, and software engineering to deliver integrated solutions spanning concept, design, and manufacture, operating four sub-brand lines: Compcut (CNC composite plate saws), Marine Technologies (waterproof marine PCs), Solar Technologies (SOL-IT and SOL-LIGHTING off-grid systems), and Engineering Solutions (bespoke special-purpose machines, robotics, aerospace, and prototyping). Revenue is generated through direct sale of capital equipment (Compcut saws, marine PCs, solar suites), quote-based bespoke engineering services, and small-batch contract manufacture, with no publicly disclosed pricing.

The company sells primarily to enterprise customers in aerospace (Augusta Westland/Leonardo), automotive (Bob Petersen Engineering), industrial manufacturing (Bott, Pneuform Bending Machines), marine, and off-grid education sectors, employing 11-50 staff and participating in industry exhibitions including JEC World and Advanced Engineering. Technically, the firm differentiates on mechatronic system integration — combining pneumatic, hydraulic, and electric actuators with proprietary control software — and on application-specific engineering such as the Compcut control system that enables non-CNC operators to produce high-quality composite test specimens. Distribution is direct enterprise sales with quote-based pricing; there is no evidence of reseller or channel partnerships.

The business is founder-owned (Ben Sharp as CEO, plus Kevin Tappin, Peter Sharp, and Paul Tappin), with no external institutional funding rounds detected in the source data, and is registered in England & Wales (company number 4779982). Geographic reach is primarily the UK with documented deployments in Angola (solar, 2013) and an ongoing European push via JEC World Paris (2019). Named case studies highlight outcomes such as 850 bhp achieved on a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine conversion for Bob Petersen Engineering, over 1 million parts produced on an automated SPM for Bott, and a large-capacity composite saw capable of 280mm cut depth for helicopter rotor blade sections.

Name

Sharp & Tappin

Legal name

Sharp & Tappin Technology Ltd

Website

https://sharpandtappin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sharp & Tappin Technology Ltd is a privately held UK precision engineering firm combining in-house mechanical, electronic, and software design-to-manufacture capability, selling Compcut CNC composite saws, rugged marine PCs, off-grid solar systems, and bespoke engineering solutions to enterprise customers in aerospace, automotive, industrial manufacturing, marine, and education sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Holsworthy

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Compcut Composite Saw Sales: Sale of advanced composite plate cutting machines for test specimen preparation. The Compcut range includes various models for cutting composite materials including carbon fibre, glass fibre, and aluminium honeycomb. Machines are sold directly to clients in aerospace, automotive, and materials testing sectors.
2. Marine Technologies Products: Sale of ruggedized marine PCs including PC Nav (low power) and PC Media (high performance) models. Products feature waterproofing and are designed for navigation, onboard office, and entertainment applications on vessels.
3. Solar Technologies Solutions: Sale and deployment of SOL-IT (solar powered IT suites) and SOL-LIGHTING systems for schools and communities in off-grid locations. Standard suite includes 8 PCs and up to 100 lights.
4. Engineering Solutions Services: Bespoke engineering services including mechanical, electronic, and software development. Services range from initial concept through design to product manufacture, serving diverse applications including special purpose machines, robotics, aerospace, and prototyping.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sharp & Tappin is a precision engineering company that designs, develops, and manufactures composite cutting machines (Compcut), ruggedized marine PCs (PC Nav and PC Media), solar-powered IT and lighting systems (SOL-IT and SOL-LIGHTING), and provides bespoke mechanical, electronic, and software engineering services spanning concept through to product manufacture. The company integrates mechanical, electronic, and software disciplines in-house to deliver custom and proprietary solutions for aerospace, marine, off-grid, and industrial clients.

Product overview

Sharp & Tappin is a precision engineering company offering a portfolio of hardware and engineering services. The core product lines include Compcut (advanced composite plate saws for cutting composite materials into test specimens, including Compcut 200 and Large Capacity models), Marine Technologies (PC Nav and PC Media rugged waterproof marine computers), and Solar Technologies (SOL-IT solar powered IT suites and SOL-LIGHTING solar lighting solutions). The company also provides Engineering Solutions services spanning mechanical, electronic, and software engineering. The products are developed in-house with full system integration capability, and the Compcut composite saws form the backbone of the company's specialized manufacturing solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Compcut: Advanced composite plate saw solutions - fully enclosed CNC machines specifically designed to efficiently and accurately machine composite panels into test specimens.
• Marine Technologies
• Solar Technologies
• Engineering Solutions

Products and services

• Compcut Composite Plate Saws Advanced composite plate saws — fully enclosed CNC machines specifically designed to efficiently and accurately machine composite panels into test specimens. Range includes Compcut 200 (compact model for R&D, university, and composite test centres) and large capacity cross-cut saw variants (up to 280mm cut depth and 1.5m capacity for helicopter rotor blade sections).
• PC Nav

Quantifiable outcome

• Produce specimen ready to test every 47 seconds
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Imetrum: UK-based precision video measurement and non-contact strain systems for materials testing. Comparable as an emerging player in the composite test measurement workflow adjacent to Sharp & Tappin's specimen preparation.

Direct peers

• ZwickRoell: Global supplier of materials testing machines including composite test systems. Comparable as a peer supplier of composite test specimen preparation and mechanical testing equipment to R&D units and universities — exactly Sharp & Tappin's Compcut customer base.
• JJ Churchill: UK precision engineering subcontractor serving aerospace and industrial OEMs with complex machined components. Comparable as a UK-based precision CNC machining and engineering services peer of similar size and customer mix.
• Digital Yacht: UK marine electronics company producing navigation computers, interfaces and onboard IT for leisure and commercial marine markets. Comparable as a peer in the marine ruggedised PC and onboard electronics category.
• Plextek: UK bespoke electronic and RF engineering design consultancy. Comparable because it sells multi-disciplinary electronic, mechanical and software design services into defence, aerospace and industrial clients — the same Engineering Solutions use case.
• CMS Industries: CNC machining centres for plastics, composites, aluminium and advanced materials. Comparable as a peer manufacturer of CNC cutting machinery serving aerospace, automotive and materials processing customers.
• Actisense: UK marine electronics specialist producing NMEA interfaces, buffers and networking for vessel systems. Comparable as a UK peer selling ruggedised marine electronic/IT products to vessel builders and integrators.
• Mecanumeric: French manufacturer of CNC cutting machines for composites, plastics, and soft metals. Comparable because it sells specialised CNC cutting equipment into aerospace and industrial customers — the same product category as Sharp & Tappin's Compcut range.
• Instron: Materials testing equipment manufacturer serving composites, aerospace and automotive labs. Comparable because its specimen preparation and mechanical testing systems overlap with Sharp & Tappin's Compcut composite saws in the same customer workflow.

Broad incumbents

• Toray Advanced Composites: Large global composites material supplier serving aerospace, automotive and industrial customers. Comparable as a broad incumbent adjacent to the composite cutting/test ecosystem Sharp & Tappin serves, and a potential upstream customer driver.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SharpTappinTech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Sharp & Tappin