PCO
PCO, an Excelitas brand since 2021, develops high-performance scientific and industrial camera systems based on proprietary sCMOS sensor technology. It serves research, industrial inspection, automotive testing, medical, and semiconductor customers via a global distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersKelheim, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What PCO does
PCO, founded in 1987 in Germany and now operating as a brand under Excelitas Technologies Corp. following its 2021 acquisition, develops and manufactures high-performance digital camera systems for scientific and industrial applications. The company's core technology is based on proprietary sCMOS image sensor architecture — PCO co-invented the sCMOS standard — and its product portfolio spans scientific cameras (pco.edge, pco.panda), high-speed cameras (pco.dimax, pco.hsr), intensified cameras (pco.dicam), FLIM systems (pco.flim), industrial cameras (pco.pixelfly), and line scan cameras (pco.horizon). The cameras cover the full electromagnetic spectrum from deep UV to shortwave infrared, with frame rates exceeding 2,000 fps, interframing times down to 100 ns, quantum efficiency up to 95%, and readout noise as low as 0.3 e-. PCO also offers custom firmware and bespoke image sensors for specialized customer requirements.
PCO generates revenue primarily through hardware sales of camera systems, with secondary streams from software licenses and SDKs (Camware, MATLAB, LabVIEW, Linux drivers) and accessories (lens mount adapters, cooling systems, Scheimpflug adapters). Pricing is quote-based and configuration-dependent, with no public price list. The go-to-market relies on a global network of 16+ authorized distributors complemented by direct regional sales offices in Europe, North America, and Asia, targeting five primary verticals: scientific research and academia, industrial manufacturing and quality assurance, automotive testing, medical and biomedical imaging, and semiconductor and electronics inspection. PCO participates actively in industry conferences, technical content marketing, and developer community programs to reach research and enterprise customers.
PCO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PCO
- Legal name
- Excelitas Technologies Corp.
- Website
- https://pco.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PCO, an Excelitas brand since 2021, develops high-performance scientific and industrial camera systems based on proprietary sCMOS sensor technology. It serves research, industrial inspection, automotive testing, medical, and semiconductor customers via a global distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PCO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific and Industrial Imaging Cameras
- NAICS
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (3343)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Imaging Sensors (CMOS/CCD/ToF/Depth) (HDAHALAF)
Keywords
Where PCO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kelheim
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PCO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Camera Hardware Sales: PCO generates revenue primarily from the sale of high-performance camera systems. The product portfolio includes scientific cameras, high-speed cameras, intensified cameras, industrial cameras, FLIM systems, and comprehensive accessory packages. Each camera system can be customized with various sensor options, cooling configurations, and interface types to meet specific application requirements.
- Software Licenses and SDK: PCO offers camera control software applications and software development kits (SDKs) available in various programming environments. Software products include Camware, SDK packages, MATLAB and LabVIEW drivers, and Linux support, generating recurring licensing revenue from development tools and firmware updates.
- Accessories and Peripheral Devices: Comprehensive selection of camera accessories including peripheral devices for image data transfer, exchangeable adapters for standardized lens mounts (C-mount, F-mount, TFL-mount, EF-mount), liquid cooling systems (pco.aquamatic III), specialized add-ons, and lens systems. Accessories provide recurring revenue stream alongside core camera sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise camera systems with configuration-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
PCO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PCO develops and manufactures high-performance digital camera systems for scientific and industrial applications, using proprietary sCMOS image sensor technology that the company co-invented. The product portfolio spans scientific cameras, high-speed cameras, intensified cameras, industrial cameras, and FLIM (Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy) systems, covering the electromagnetic spectrum from deep UV to shortwave infrared and supporting long exposures through to ultra-high-speed capture above 2000 fps.
Product overview
PCO, a brand under Excelitas acquired in 2021, offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance camera systems and machine vision lenses. The product portfolio spans scientific cameras (pco.edge series with cooled sCMOS sensors), high-speed cameras (pco.dimax series for automotive testing and industrial applications), intensified cameras (pco.dicam series for ultra-fast processes), FLIM camera systems (pco.flim for fluorescence lifetime imaging), industrial cameras (pco.pixelfly series), and line scan cameras (pco.horizon). Supporting products include camera software, accessories (lens mount adapters, pco.aquamatic III cooling, pco.scheimpflug adapter), and online tools (PCO Camera Online Tools, MachVis configurator). The complementary LINOS machine vision lens portfolio includes d.fine HR-M series, d.fine HR 2.4/128, inspec.x L series, MeVis-C lenses, Rodagon lens series, and macro CCD lenses. Together, these products provide end-to-end photonic solutions from deep UV to shortwave infrared, serving scientific research, industrial manufacturing, automotive testing, medical imaging, and semiconductor inspection applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PCO Scientific Cameras High-performance scientific cameras utilizing sCMOS image sensors for research and experimentation, available in cooled variants. Portfolio includes pco.edge series and pco.panda family ranging from high-end imaging cameras to compact scientific cameras for researchers and laboratories.
- PCO High-speed Cameras High-speed cameras designed for harsh and demanding applications, particularly in automotive safety testing, offering very high frame rates at up to 4 megapixel resolution with high light sensitivity (includes the pco.dimax product family).
- PCO Intensified Cameras Single- to multi-channel image-intensified cameras including the pco.dicam series with extreme short exposure times down to 2.5 ns for precisely addressing ultra-fast processes.
- PCO Industrial Cameras Industrial camera series leveraging extensive experience in high-performance camera development, ideally suited for system integration with high performance and reliability for machine vision and inspection applications.
- PCO FLIM Camera Systems Frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) camera systems consisting of pco.flim camera and laser with complete frequency synthesizer for modulation signal generation.
- PCO Camera Software Comprehensive selection of software products for PCO cameras, including camera control software applications (Camware) and software development kits (SDKs) for various programming languages including MATLAB, LabVIEW, and Linux.
- PCO Camera Accessories Comprehensive selection of camera accessories including peripheral devices for image data transfer, exchangeable adapters for standardized lens mounts (C-mount, F-mount, TFL-mount, EF-mount), and specialized add-ons such as liquid cooling systems and scheimpflug adapters.
- pco.dimax 3.6 ST High-speed Camera High-speed streaming camera with 1984x1808 pixel resolution, global shutter, 2166 fps frame rate, 11 µm pixel size, and Camera Link HS interface for continuous acquisition at full resolution.
- pco.dimax 3.6 DS ST CLHS High-speed Camera Double shutter CMOS high-speed camera with 250 ns interframing time, 1984x1808 pixel resolution, optimized for particle image velocimetry (PIV) applications.
- pco.hsr 8x25 CLHS Image Recorder High-speed image recorder with up to 200 Gbit/s bandwidth, 8 TB high-endurance SSD storage (60 DWPD, 2M hour MTTF), supporting up to 8 cameras simultaneously for continuous, lossless capture of the fastest transient events.
- pco.pixelfly 26 CLHS sCMOS Camera High-performance industrial camera with 5120x5120 pixel resolution, 18.1 mm sensor diagonal, air-cooled design, and CLHS interface for scientific and industrial inspection applications.
- pco.horizon 9.1 bi TDI CLHS Line Scan Camera Line scan camera with 9K resolution, 256 TDI stages, back-illuminated CMOS sensor, dual photosensitive bands, and line rates up to 600 kHz for ultra-precise inspection applications.
- pco.edge 9.4 bi CLHS sCMOS Camera sCMOS camera with photon counting capabilities combining extremely low readout noise of 0.3 e- with 85% QE, designed for Lightsheet Fluorescence Microscopy (LSFM) and Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM).
- pco.edge 5.5 DS CLHS sCMOS Camera High-resolution sCMOS camera with 2560x2160 pixel resolution, 100 ns interframing time in double shutter mode, 60% QE at 600 nm, optimized for particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) applications.
- pco.edge 26 DS CLHS sCMOS Camera High-speed sCMOS camera with 5120x5120 pixel resolution, 350 ns interframing time in double shutter mode, designed for particle image velocimetry (PIV) and wind tunnel experiments.
- pco.edge 10 bi CLHS sCMOS Camera Back-illuminated sCMOS camera with 10.5 MP resolution, 4.6 µm pixel size, 85% QE, 0.7 e- readout noise, 122 fps frame rate, optimized for microscopy, life science and physical science applications.
- pco.flim X Frequency domain FLIM camera with 1008x1008 pixel resolution, measuring fluorescence lifetimes from 1 ns to 100 µs, frame rate up to 45 double images/s, and 39% peak quantum efficiency.
- pco.scheimpflug Camera Adapter Camera adapter with V-Groove mounting system allowing adjustable tilt angle of ±18 degrees to alter the focal plane angle for selective focus and improved sharpness across 3D objects.
- pco.aquamatic III Liquid cooling system that lowers sensor temperatures and minimizes dark current noise for improved signal-to-noise ratio and image quality during extended exposures.
- LINOS Machine Vision Lenses Premium inspection and machine vision lenses including d.fine HR-M Series, d.fine HR 2.4/128, inspec.x series, MeVis-C series, Rodagon series, and accessories for industrial image processing.
- LINOS d.fine HR-M Series High-resolution inspection lens series with ultra-precision imaging performance across large field of views and large apertures optimizing light throughput, suitable for line sensors up to 16K format.
- PCO Lens Mount Adapters Lens mount adapters enabling seamless camera integration with interfaces including C-mount, F-mount, TFL-mount, and EF-mount.
Quantifiable outcome
- Quantum efficiency up to 95% with back-illuminated sCMOS sensors
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PCO
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PCO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
PCO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- SPECTROPOLcoreAuthorized distributor of PCO cameras in Poland. Provides local sales, technical support, and customer service for Polish customers requiring PCO imaging products.
- Scientific ImagingcoreAuthorized PCO distributor serving the United States market with comprehensive camera product distribution and technical support services.
- Photon Lines LtdcoreAuthorized PCO distributor for the United Kingdom market, providing local access to PCO camera products and support services.
- Photon Lines SAScoreAuthorized PCO distributor for the French market, offering PCO camera products and technical support to customers in France.
- ScitechcoreAuthorized PCO distributor serving the Australian market with local sales, support, and distribution of PCO imaging products.
- SDvisioncoreAuthorized PCO distributor in Belgium providing local market access to PCO camera products and customer support.
- Stemmer Imaging USAcoreAuthorized PCO distributor serving the North American market, specializing in machine vision and scientific imaging products.
- AZPECT Photonics ABregionalAuthorized PCO distributor in Sweden providing local access to PCO photonics and imaging products.
- Crisel InstrumentsregionalAuthorized PCO distributor serving the Italian market with local sales and technical support for PCO camera products.
- Iberoptics Sistemas ÓpticosregionalAuthorized PCO distributor in Spain offering optical imaging products and technical support services.
- Airboard TechnologyregionalAuthorized PCO distributor in Singapore providing local market access to PCO scientific and industrial cameras.
- Samwoo Scientific Co.regionalAuthorized PCO distributor serving the South Korean market with scientific imaging products and support.
- Nevis Co., Ltd.regionalAuthorized PCO distributor in Taiwan providing local access to PCO camera products and technical services.
- Özdisan ElektronikregionalAuthorized PCO distributor serving the Turkish market with electronics and imaging product distribution.
- Gloor Instruments AGregionalAuthorized PCO distributor in Switzerland providing local access to PCO scientific imaging products.
- MarubunregionalAuthorized distributor for selected PCO products (OmniCure and Phoseon UV Curing Products) in Japan.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PCO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sony Semiconductor Solutions: Dominant global image sensor manufacturer (CMOS, including Pregius). Supplies image sensors used by many of PCO's competitors and represents an upstream incumbent whose scale could pressure niche scientific camera pricing.
- Teledyne FLIR: Broad imaging incumbent spanning thermal cameras, machine vision, and scientific imaging. Adjacent overlap with PCO in industrial inspection and scientific imaging use cases as part of a much larger portfolio.
Direct peers
- Basler AG: German industrial camera manufacturer serving factory automation, inspection, and machine vision. Direct overlap with PCO's industrial cameras (pco.pixelfly) in factory QA and inspection use cases.
- Vision Research (AMETEK): Maker of Phantom high-speed cameras used in automotive crash testing, ballistics, and scientific research. Direct competitor to PCO's pco.dimax high-speed camera line for similar PIV and crash-test applications.
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Japanese manufacturer of scientific cameras, sCMOS/CCD sensors, and photonic detectors. Direct competitor across PCO's scientific, high-speed, and intensified camera lines, with comparable applications in microscopy, life sciences, and industrial inspection.
- IDS Imaging Development Systems: German industrial and machine vision camera vendor offering area-scan and 3D cameras. Comparable to PCO's industrial camera line for automated inspection and OEM integration.
- Andor Technology (Oxford Instruments): Specialist in scientific cameras (EMCCD, sCMOS, ICCD) for microscopy and spectroscopy. Closely comparable to PCO's scientific and intensified camera portfolios and competes for the same university and research-lab customers.
- Photonis: Specialist in image intensifiers and intensified camera modules for scientific, defense, and low-light applications. Direct peer to PCO's pco.dicam intensified camera family.
- Teledyne Photometrics: Designs and manufactures sCMOS and CCD cameras for life sciences and physical sciences research. Direct overlap with PCO's pco.edge scientific camera family in microscopy and low-light imaging.
- JAI (Stemmer Imaging group): Industrial camera manufacturer with area-scan, line-scan, and multi-spectral offerings. Overlaps with PCO's industrial and line-scan (pco.horizon) cameras in machine vision and inspection.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PCO social profiles
Digital presencePCO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PCO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PCO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PCO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PCO
What does PCO do?
PCO develops and manufactures high-performance digital camera systems for scientific and industrial applications, using proprietary sCMOS image sensor technology that the company co-invented. The product portfolio spans scientific cameras, high-speed cameras, intensified cameras, industrial cameras, and FLIM (Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy) systems, covering the electromagnetic spectrum from deep UV to shortwave infrared and supporting long exposures through to ultra-high-speed capture above 2000 fps.
Is PCO a public or private company?
PCO is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was PCO founded?
PCO was founded in 1987. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is PCO based?
PCO is headquartered in Kelheim, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does PCO make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Camera Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Licenses and SDK and accessories and Peripheral Devices.
Who are PCO's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Teledyne FLIR. Direct peers are Basler AG, Vision Research (AMETEK), Hamamatsu Photonics, IDS Imaging Development Systems, Andor Technology (Oxford Instruments), Photonis, Teledyne Photometrics and JAI (Stemmer Imaging group).
Does PCO have an API?
No public API is recorded for PCO.
What industry is PCO in?
PCO's product category is Scientific and Industrial Imaging Cameras. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAF, Imaging Sensors (CMOS/CCD/ToF/Depth). Its NAICS code is 3343 and its SIC code is 3827.