Sensor City

What Sensor City does

Sensor City, operating through its legal entity Sciontec Developments Limited (registered in England and Wales), runs CENTRAL TECH, a newly-refurbished 27,000 sq ft innovation hub in Liverpool's Knowledge Quarter innovation district. The hub provides three core product lines: private office suites for teams of 4 to 16 people on an all-inclusive Sciontec AI pay-per-desk rate, Flexi Space Coworking Memberships starting at £149 per month plus VAT, and specialised prototyping labs (823–1,221 sq ft) equipped for mechanical and electronic prototyping including 3D printing, milling, lathe cutting, environmental chamber testing, and PCB fabrication. The target customer base comprises SMEs and startups engaged in technology and digitalization, with particular focus on advanced manufacturing, sustainability, sensors, and the Internet of Things.

The business model is subscription-based workspace rental, supplemented by event space hire and access to business support programmes. Tenants also gain access to the Academic Support & Knowledge (ASK) initiative, which connects them to specialist teams at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, and to the KQ Liverpool Innovation and Growth support programmes. The hub is strategically located within walking distance of Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations and benefits from full-fibre, gigabit-capable connectivity through LCR Connect. Geographic focus is the Liverpool City Region and Northwest England.

The company has 11–50 employees and operates as a private limited company with no public listing. Beyond private workspace revenue, the company's strategic positioning leans heavily on its academic and public-sector partnerships, including co-location with the Royal Academy of Engineering's Liverpool Enterprise Hub, which distinguishes it from purely commercial coworking operators. Revenue specifics, ownership structure, and management team details are not disclosed in the available data.

Name

Sensor City

Legal name

Sciontec Developments Limited

Website

https://sensorcity.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sensor City operates CENTRAL TECH, a 27,000 sq ft innovation hub in Liverpool offering private offices, coworking, and prototyping labs to SMEs and startups in sensors, IoT, advanced manufacturing, and sustainability, with academic support via the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Hub and Flexible Workspace Services

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Innovation hub services
• Prototyping lab facilities
• Flexible workspace solutions
• Business support programmes
• Sensor IoT development

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coworking Membership: Flexible coworking memberships providing desk access, chair, locker, and ultrafast WiFi for individual entrepreneurs and businesses needing plug-and-go workspace.
2. Private Office Suites: Serviced office spaces available for teams of 4-16 people with all-inclusive pricing under the Sciontec AI pay-per-desk rate model, featuring flexible terms.
3. Lab Space Rental: Specialized lab facilities for mechanical and electronic prototyping, including 823-1,221 sq ft lab spaces with state-of-the-art equipment.
4. Business Support Programmes: Access to KQ Liverpool Innovation and Growth support programmes, academic support initiatives, and university-led business training as part of the customer offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sensor City operates as the Sensor City initiative within CENTRAL TECH at Sciontec, a 27,000 sq ft innovation hub in Liverpool's Knowledge Quarter. It provides flexible workspace (private offices for teams of 4-16, coworking memberships), two prototyping labs for mechanical and electronic prototyping with 3D printing, milling, PCB fabrication and environmental chamber testing equipment, ultrafast full-fibre connectivity via LCR Connect, and business support programmes to SMEs developing sensor and IoT solutions.

Product overview

CENTRAL TECH at Sciontec is a physical innovation hub offering a portfolio of workspace solutions: private office suites for teams of 4-16 people, Flexi Space Coworking Membership, and Prototyping Labs for mechanical and electronic prototyping. The hub provides full-fibre ultrafast network connectivity through LCR Connect, access to business support programmes, academic partnerships via the ASK initiative, and event spaces within a collaborative community environment focused on technology and digitalisation businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CENTRAL TECH Innovation Hub

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Royal Academy of Engineering's Liverpool Enterprise HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Royal Academy of Engineering's Liverpool Enterprise Hub is located at CENTRAL TECH, representing a strategic co-location partnership. The hub uses CENTRAL TECH as a base to extend support to deep tech entrepreneurs in Liverpool City Region and the Northwest. This partnership positions CENTRAL TECH as a centre for innovation, collaboration and technology.
• University of LiverpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic Support & Knowledge (ASK) initiative connects CENTRAL TECH customers to specialist teams and experts at University of Liverpool to support their research and innovation objectives. Provides access to university-led business training and student/graduate talent.
• Liverpool John Moores UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic Support & Knowledge (ASK) initiative connects CENTRAL TECH customers to specialist teams and experts at Liverpool John Moores University to support research and innovation objectives. Students and graduates available for talent access.
• LCR ConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationLCR Connect provides the digital infrastructure for CENTRAL TECH, offering full-fibre, ultrafast, gigabit-capable network connectivity for customers. This next-generation, future-proofed and cloud-enabled network infrastructure supports businesses with advanced technology requirements.
• KQ Liverpool (Knowledge Quarter Liverpool)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCENTRAL TECH is located within the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool innovation district. Customers have access to KQ Liverpool's Innovation and Growth support programmes. The location provides proximity to Liverpool Science Park and other innovation facilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Techspace: Operator of curated coworking and private office space targeted at scaling technology companies in the UK and Europe. Overlaps in tech-vertical coworking positioning with a similar SMB-to-scale-up customer base.
• Second Home: Design-led coworking operator with curated member communities, often partnering with cultural and academic institutions. Comparable in community-led GTM and design-forward positioning for entrepreneurial tenants.

Broad incumbents

• IWG (Regus / Spaces): World's largest flexible-workspace operator with a broad portfolio of coworking, serviced offices, and meeting rooms. Comparable in workspace product but with far broader geographic coverage and undifferentiated customer mix.
• WeWork: Global flexible-workspace incumbent offering coworking and private offices across major markets. Overlaps in coworking product and enterprise SMB targeting but lacks Sensor City's deep-tech/sensor specialisation.

Direct peers

• Cambridge Science Park: Established UK science park offering serviced offices, labs, and innovation programmes to deep-tech and life-sciences tenants. Directly comparable in product mix and customer profile at a national premium tier.
• SETsquared Partnership: University-backed innovation hub network providing incubator space, programmes, and academic partnerships across the UK. Comparable in university-anchored model, deep-tech focus, and tenant support offering.
• Surrey Research Park: University of Surrey-adjacent park providing offices, labs, and innovation support to science and technology SMEs. Comparable university-anchored positioning and tenant profile.
• Innovation Birmingham: Midlands-based innovation campus offering coworking, offices, prototyping facilities, and accelerator programmes to tech entrepreneurs. Comparable product structure (workspace + lab + programmes) and tenant mix.
• Liverpool Science Park: Adjacent innovation hub also located within Knowledge Quarter Liverpool offering office and lab space to science and technology SMEs. Direct comparability in geography, customer segment, and physical product mix.
• Manchester Science Park: Northwest England science and innovation park providing offices, labs, and growth support to tech and deep-tech companies. Closely comparable business model, customer base, and lab/office offering, with greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sensorcityuk

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 Sensor City