What Centronic does

Centronic Ltd is a UK-based machinery manufacturer specializing in radiation detection and photonic sensing components, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Croydon, South London. The company designs and produces four core detector families under one roof: gas-filled detectors (BF3 and He-3 proportional counters for neutron detection), Geiger-Müller tubes in general purpose, low-dose, high-dose, and energy-compensated variants for gamma radiation, silicon photodiodes spanning military infrared, high-speed, amplified, photopic, infrared, and laser diffraction array formats, and coil wound (electromagnetic) detectors. Manufacturing is conducted in a single integrated Croydon facility encompassing cleanrooms, welding, coating processes, and precision machining, with ISO9001 and ISO14001 certifications plus sector-specific qualifications for nuclear, aerospace, and military customers.

The business operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exosens (Euronext Paris: EXENS), following the 2024 unification of Centronic with Photonis, Xenics, and El-Mul under the Exosens brand. Centronic sells through an enterprise field sales motion offering three engagement models — standard catalogue products, customized variants, and customer-specified bespoke designs — primarily into nuclear, defense & aerospace, industrial, research, medical, and oil & gas markets. A significant proportion of output is exported worldwide, and the company is positioned as offering the widest variety of radiation detectors of any single manufacturer, leveraging 80+ years of accumulated engineering and manufacturing expertise.

Name

Centronic

Legal name

Centronic Ltd

Website

https://centronic.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Centronic is a UK-based manufacturer of radiation detectors and silicon photodiodes — including gas-filled proportional counters, Geiger-Müller tubes, photodiodes, and ionization chambers — serving nuclear, defense, aerospace, industrial, research, and medical customers worldwide as a subsidiary of Exosens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radiation Detection Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Radiation Detection Instruments & Systems (Portal monitors, spectrometers, contamination monitors) (EUAKAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nonproliferation Technology & Detection (radiation portal monitors, RPMs, spectroscopy, forensics) (EUAKAJAG), CBRN Detection, Protection & Decontamination Systems (IMABAOAO), Radiation Protection & Health Physics Services (ALARA programs, shielding design, RSO services) (EUAKAIAJ)

Keywords

• Radiation detection sensors
• Silicon photodiodes
• Neutron proportional counters
• Geiger-Muller tubes
• Ionization chambers

Headquarters

HQ city

Croydon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Radiation Detector Product Sales: Centronic generates revenue through the sale of radiation detectors and associated components. Customers engage via three commercial models: standard catalogue products, customisation of standard products, and customer-specified bespoke designs. Revenue is derived from hardware product sales across Gas-Filled Detectors, Geiger-Muller tubes, Silicon photodiodes, and electromagnetic components.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Centronic manufactures and sells radiation detection hardware, including gas-filled detectors (BF3 and 3He proportional counters), Geiger-Muller tubes, silicon photodiodes, and ionization chambers. Products are offered through three commercial models: standard catalogue items, customised variants, and customer-specified bespoke designs, with in-house design, prototyping, manufacturing, and testing carried out at the Croydon facility. The portfolio serves nuclear, defence, aerospace, industrial, medical, research, oil and gas, and environmental monitoring customers worldwide.

Product overview

Centronic is a leading manufacturer of radiation detectors and sensors, offering a comprehensive portfolio of radiation detection solutions organized by underlying technology. The product range includes Gas-Filled Detectors (BF₃ and ³He Proportional Counters), Geiger-Muller tubes (general purpose, low/high dose gamma, energy compensated variants), Silicon photodiodes (military infrared, high speed, amplified, photopic/eye response, infrared, laser diffraction arrays, custom arrays), and Ionization Chambers (compensated and uncompensated). These detectors serve nuclear, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, research, oil and gas, and environmental monitoring markets. Products are available as standard catalogue items, customized variants, or fully bespoke designs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BF3 Proportional Counters

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Saint-Gobain Crystals: Saint-Gobain Crystals produces scintillation detectors (NaI, BGO, LaBr3, CLYC) and neutron detection materials used as sensing elements in radiation detection systems — directly comparable as a component-level supplier into the same nuclear and security detection OEMs as Centronic.
• Kromek Group: Kromek is a UK-based radiation detection specialist supplying CZT-based solid-state detectors, gamma and neutron detectors, and networked sensing platforms to nuclear, security, and medical markets — directly comparable to Centronic's nuclear/security detection franchise.
• Mirion Technologies: Mirion is the largest pure-play radiation detection and measurement company globally, offering GM tubes, proportional counters, ionization chambers, and dosimetry products that directly overlap with Centronic's gas-filled and silicon photodiode portfolio across nuclear and defense customers.
• Excelitas Technologies: Excelitas manufactures a wide range of photonic sensors and detectors, including silicon photodiodes, avalanche photodiodes, and radiation detection components serving defense, industrial, and life-sciences markets directly comparable to Centronic's photodiode and detector product lines.
• Hamamatsu Photonics: Hamamatsu is a global leader in silicon photodiodes, photomultiplier tubes, and radiation sensors with overlapping general-purpose and high-speed photodiode products serving scientific, industrial, and medical markets comparable to Centronic's photodiode portfolio.
• Berthold Technologies: Berthold is a specialist manufacturer of radiation measurement and process control instrumentation — including area monitors, dose rate meters, and nuclear instrumentation — serving nuclear power, medical, and industrial markets in direct overlap with Centronic's nuclear/health-physics segment.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Radiation Detection): Thermo Fisher offers a broad portfolio that includes radiation detection instruments, proportional counters, and dosimetry products through its Analytical Instruments segment — overlapping with Centronic on laboratory and nuclear instrumentation, though as one line within a much larger life-sciences conglomerate.
• AMETEK (ORTEC / Gatan): AMETEK's ORTEC division manufactures radiation detectors including HPGe, Si(Li), and scintillation detectors for nuclear and research applications — a closely comparable instrumentation peer operating as part of a much larger diversified electronic instruments conglomerate.
• Teledyne Technologies (FLIR / Princeton Instruments): Teledyne's FLIR and Princeton Instruments divisions produce infrared detectors, scientific cameras, and photonic instrumentation — overlapping with Centronic's infrared photodiode and laser-diffraction array products within a much larger diversified industrial conglomerate.

Others

• Photonis (Exosens sister brand): Photonis is a sister brand within Exosens, manufacturing image intensifier tubes, microchannel plates, and ion/electron detection components — adjacent rather than directly competing, but part of the same corporate group and overlapping customer base in defense and nuclear instrumentation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Exosens-Group
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExosensSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exosens-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/exosens.group

Compliance2 records

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 Centronic