PLI International

What PLI International does

PLI International is a privately held B2B printed circuit board (PCB) sourcing intermediary founded in 2006 and headquartered in Placentia, California. The company acts as a single procurement partner between US-based customers — spanning aerospace, telecommunications, automotive, defense, and consumer electronics — and PCB manufacturers located in China and the US. Its service stack covers engineering, design, layout, quick-turn prototyping, and full-scale PCB procurement, with lead times as short as 3 days for domestic builds and 5 days for overseas builds. Quality is anchored by manufacturer-side certifications (UL, ISO, IPC-A-600, IPC-6012) and internally by 2D automated optical inspection and 3D microscope inspection capabilities.

The company's specialty product line includes High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs, Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) PCBs, and Thermal Shock PCBs, targeting miniaturization, precision, and durability use cases in smartphones, medical devices, and automotive electronics. Leadership consists of CEO Daniel Chen (since July 2016, with prior PLI executive tenure from April 2006 and six US patents from Rockwell Collins in advanced antenna array and electromagnetic simulation) and President Mindy Chen (since October 2016, with 18 years of copper clad laminate and PCB distribution experience).

Revenue is generated through quote-based pricing on PCB orders (transaction fees layered on manufacturer markups), supplemented by professional engineering and design services and managed overseas manufacturing services. The company operates with 11-50 employees across offices in Placentia/Anaheim, California and China, uses a sales-led go-to-market anchored by direct email quoting and a website "Get A Quote" CTA, and reports lifetime metrics of 1,369 clients, 6,720 projects, and 38,740+ orders fulfilled. No outside funding rounds, acquisitions, or public-company transactions are disclosed.

Name

PLI International

Legal name

PLI International

Website

https://plipcb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PLI International is a privately held, US-based PCB sourcing intermediary that procures printed circuit boards from manufacturers in the US and China for industrial and commercial customers, offering engineering, design, prototyping, and specialty PCB capabilities under 50 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

PCB Sourcing and Procurement Services

NAICS

Bare Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing (334412), Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing (334418), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Printed Circuit Boards (3672)

akta.pro primary industry

PCB Assembly (PCBA/EMS) (HDAHAOAI)

Keywords

• PCB sourcing services
• PCB manufacturing procurement
• HDI printed circuit boards
• PCB engineering design
• Quick-turn PCB prototyping

Headquarters

HQ city

Placentia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. PCB Sourcing and Procurement: PLI International acts as a global PCB sourcing provider, connecting customers with manufacturers in China and the US. The company earns revenue by managing the procurement process, leveraging relationships with overseas manufacturers to provide cost-competitive PCBs while maintaining quality standards. Revenue is generated through the markup on PCB orders sourced from manufacturing partners.
2. PCB Engineering and Design Services: Professional services including engineering, design, layout, and quick-turn prototype services for printed circuit boards. These services target startups and companies needing assistance with PCB development and design optimization.
3. Overseas Manufacturing Services: Outsourcing printed circuit boards and electronic design services from overseas manufacturers, with a focus on lowering development costs for start-up businesses. Boards are manufactured in China with lead times as quick as 5 days, or domestic 3-day options for urgent needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PLI International is a global PCB sourcing and procurement company that connects customers with PCB manufacturers in China and the US, offering a full range of services including engineering, design, layout, quick-turn prototyping, and full-scale PCB procurement. The company specializes in advanced PCB technologies such as HDI, LDI, and Thermal Shock PCBs, while providing quality assurance with 100% testing and certifications including UL, ISO 9001, IPC-A-600, and IPC-6012.

Product overview

PLI International is a global PCB sourcing company offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around printed circuit board procurement, engineering, and manufacturing. The core offering is PCB Sourcing Services, supplemented by PCB Engineering, Design, and Layout services and Quick-Turn and Prototype PCB Procurement. Their specialized product portfolio includes Thermal Shock PCBs designed for extreme temperature resistance, Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) PCBs for high-precision applications, High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs for compact electronic devices, and inspection services including 3D Microscope PCB Inspection and 2D Inspection Machine PCBs. The company operates with fully staffed offices in Anaheim, California and China, serving industrial and commercial users worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PCB Sourcing Services Global PCB sourcing and procurement services connecting customers with certified manufacturers in China and the US, with markup on sourced orders and revenue earned by managing the procurement process, quality control, and logistics.
• PCB Engineering, Design, and Layout Professional PCB engineering, design, and layout services for printed circuit board projects, targeting startups and companies needing assistance with PCB development and design optimization.
• Quick-Turn and Prototype PCB Procurement Rapid prototype and quick-turn PCB procurement services supporting fast-paced product development with lead times as quick as 3 days domestically or 5 days for overseas manufacturing.
• Thermal Shock PCB PCBs designed and manufactured to withstand sudden and extreme temperature changes during manufacturing and testing, using specialized materials such as ceramic PCB substrates and thermal management techniques including heat sinks.
• Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) PCB High-precision PCBs created using laser direct imaging technology that replaces traditional UV mask photolithography, using computer-controlled high-powered lasers to produce fine traces with higher accuracy and resolution and eliminate physical mask requirements.
• High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs Advanced PCBs with high component density in compact form factors, featuring microvias (diameters under 150 microns), sequential lamination, and laser drilling for smartphones, tablets, medical devices, and automotive electronics.
• 3D Microscope PCB Inspection High-resolution 3D imaging inspection services that detect defects including missing components, damaged components, misalignment, and solder joint defects with sub-micron resolution.
• 2D Inspection Machine PCB Automated 2D vision-based inspection system using cameras and image processing software to detect defects such as missing components, incorrect orientation, and solder joint quality issues against CAD specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38740+ orders fulfilled, 6720 projects completed, 1369 clients served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bittele Electronics: PCB fabrication and assembly house serving North American customers with full-turnkey PCB sourcing analogous to PLI's quote-driven, China-anchored model.
• MacroFab: Cloud-based PCB assembly and sourcing platform with US-Mexico-Texas manufacturing footprint, competing for the same industrial/IoT/startup PCB buyers with a digital-first experience.
• ALLPCB: One-stop PCB sourcing and assembly marketplace connecting buyers with Chinese manufacturers, directly comparable in business model to PLI's sourcing intermediary position.
• WellPCB: Global PCB sourcing and fabrication services targeting similar industrial/commercial B2B buyers, with comparable engineering, layout, and quick-turn offerings across China-based manufacturing.
• JLCPCB: High-volume, low-cost PCB/PCBA platform owned by JLCFA, enabling direct fab-to-customer transactions at aggressive price points that compete with PLI's sourcing fees.
• PCBPower: PCB sourcing and assembly intermediary with US/China operations serving OEMs with quick-turn prototyping and full-scale production, directly comparable to PLI's quote-based, dual-shore sourcing model.
• PCBCart: PCB prototyping and low-volume production provider offering engineering support and overseas sourcing, competing head-to-head for the same industrial/startup PCB buyer.
• PCBWay: PCB fabrication, assembly, and sourcing platform with online quoting and global shipping, representing the self-service, digitally-enabled threat to PLI's manual email-quote flow.

Broad incumbents

• TTM Technologies: Large, publicly-traded PCB manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, automotive, and telecom customers; competes with PLI for the same enterprise accounts (e.g., Verizon, Ford-tier) but at far greater scale.

Emerging players

• Sierra Circuits: US-based quick-turn PCB fabricator offering prototype and production PCBs with engineering support, overlapping with PLI's advanced PCB capabilities (HDI, controlled impedance) and quick-turn promise.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pli-international_2

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 PLI International