Little Bird Electronics
Little Bird Electronics is an Australian-owned e-commerce retailer in Hornsby, NSW, selling over 4,000 STEM and maker electronics products across Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit, ESP32, and Meshtastic platforms to schools, universities, hobbyists, and professionals across Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersHornsby, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Little Bird Electronics does
Little Bird Electronics is an Australian-owned and operated e-commerce retailer specializing in STEM and maker electronics hardware, based in Hornsby, NSW. The company sells over 4,000 SKUs across major platforms including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, BBC micro:bit, ESP32, and Meshtastic, organized into 12 categories spanning sensors, LEDs, displays, motors, prototyping, robotics, 3D printing, e-textiles, and tools. The retail platform is the primary technology layer, supported by a public OpenAPI and structured Markdown/JSON/llms.txt catalogues that enable programmatic and AI-agent access to the product catalog.
The business operates as a direct-to-consumer online store serving three distinct segments: Australian schools and universities (primary, with dedicated Net 30 payment terms, purchase order acceptance, and special education pricing), hobbyists and individual makers, and professional engineers. Distribution is exclusively domestic, with shipping handled via Australia Post Express and Standard from a Sydney warehouse. Marketing is driven by organic content (buying guides, calculators, courses, curriculum resources, and a news blog) plus email newsletters and a Fediverse presence, with phone-based inside sales available Monday-Friday.
Revenue is generated entirely through one-time hardware sales denominated in AUD inclusive of GST, with no subscription component or disclosed financials. The company is a private proprietary limited company (Little Bird Electronics Pty Ltd), co-founded by Maddy, and has not raised external funding.
Little Bird Electronics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Little Bird Electronics
- Legal name
- Little Bird Electronics Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://littlebird.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Little Bird Electronics is an Australian-owned e-commerce retailer in Hornsby, NSW, selling over 4,000 STEM and maker electronics products across Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit, ESP32, and Meshtastic platforms to schools, universities, hobbyists, and professionals across Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Little Bird Electronics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronics Components and Maker Hardware Retail
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Hardware Retailers (44414)
- akta.pro primary industry
- PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail (CRACAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Educational Supplies & Learning Toys Retail (CRALAIAL)
Keywords
Where Little Bird Electronics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hornsby
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Little Bird Electronics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Direct retail sales of electronics components, development boards, kits, tools, and accessories. Revenue is generated through one-time product transactions with no subscription components. They offer education pricing for schools and universities, suggesting volume or institutional discount mechanisms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for individual and hobbyist customers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Little Bird Electronics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Little Bird Electronics is an Australian-owned electronics retailer that sells development boards (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, BBC micro:bit, ESP32, Meshtastic), electronic kits, sensors, LEDs, displays, prototyping supplies, tools, power supplies, and 3D printing products. The catalog is targeted at STEM education, hobbyists, makers, and professional engineers, with dedicated pricing and terms for schools, universities, and government institutions.
Product overview
Little Bird Electronics is an Australian-owned retail store serving as Australia's home of Maker and STEAM electronics hardware. The company offers a diverse portfolio of electronics components, kits, and tools across multiple platforms including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, BBC micro:bit, ESP32/IoT, and Meshtastic. Their product range spans sensors, LEDs, displays, motors, robotics, 3D printing, e-textiles, and prototyping equipment. They serve schools, universities, hobbyists, and professionals with both individual components and curated collections. The company also provides educational resources including buying guides, calculators, courses, and curriculum materials for Australian educators, with special pricing and Net 30 payment terms for educational institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Raspberry Pi platform products Raspberry Pi single-board computers and related accessories sold to Australian schools, hobbyists, makers, and professionals for STEM education and electronics projects.
- Arduino platform products Arduino microcontrollers, shields, and accessories retailed for STEM education, hobbyist, and professional prototyping use.
- BBC micro:bit platform products BBC micro:bit boards and accessories sold to schools and learners for digital-technologies and STEM classroom use.
- ESP32 and IoT platform products ESP32-based microcontrollers and IoT components retailed for connected-device, maker, and STEM projects.
- Meshtastic platform products Meshtastic-compatible mesh networking hardware and accessories sold to hobbyists and developers building off-grid mesh communication projects.
- Electronic kits Pre-packaged electronics kits for STEM learners, hobbyists, and educators that bundle components and instructions for hands-on projects.
- Sensors and input components Electronic sensors and input devices retailed for use with development boards in STEM, hobbyist, and professional projects.
- LEDs and lighting components LEDs and related lighting components sold for electronics, maker, and STEM projects.
- Display modules Electronic display modules and screens retailed for maker, STEM, and professional electronics projects.
- Robotics products Robotics hardware and components sold to schools, hobbyists, and professionals for robotics and STEM projects.
- E-textiles products Wearable electronics and e-textile components retailed for STEM, design, and maker projects.
- 3D printing products 3D printers, filaments, and related supplies sold to schools, hobbyists, makers, and professionals.
- Prototyping supplies Breadboards, jumper wires, breakout boards, and other prototyping supplies sold for electronics development and STEM projects.
- Tools Hand tools, soldering equipment, and other electronics tools retailed to hobbyists, makers, students, and professionals.
- Power supplies Power supplies and related products for powering electronics projects and development boards.
- Education and government sales service Dedicated institutional sales service for Australian schools, universities, and government buyers offering separate education pricing, Net 30 payment terms, purchase-order acceptance, and dedicated phone support.
Companies that use Little Bird Electronics
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Little Bird Electronics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Little Bird Electronics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Little Bird Electronics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- SparkFun Electronics: US-based maker electronics manufacturer/retailer offering development boards, sensors, and Qwiic ecosystem. Comparable product mix for professionals and hobbyists, but serves Australia primarily via international shipping rather than local stock.
- Pimoroni: UK-based maker electronics designer and retailer with strong Raspberry Pi Pico, micro:bit and STEM education product lines. Comparable on product/category overlap for education and hobbyist makers, though primarily serves Australia via international shipping.
- DFRobot: China-based open-source hardware provider (Gravity, Boson, LattePanda) selling maker electronics, sensors and education kits globally. Comparable in product range and education segment, competing primarily through international shipping.
Direct peers
- Adafruit: US-based open-source hardware manufacturer and retailer of maker electronics (Feather, Circuit Playground, sensors, LEDs, nOOds filaments). Adafruit products appear heavily in Little Bird's catalog; competes as a direct-to-consumer alternative for Australian buyers willing to ship internationally.
- RobotShop: Global robotics retailer with strong education and hobbyist maker focus, selling robot kits, motors, controllers, sensors and components. Direct overlap with Little Bird's robotics category and education customer segment.
- Core Electronics: Australian maker/STEM electronics retailer based in Newcastle, NSW, stocking Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit, sensors, and offering education pricing. Most directly comparable competitor in the same Australian geography and target customer segments.
- Altronics: Australian electronics retailer (stores + e-commerce) carrying components, kits, tools, audio/lighting and maker platforms. Overlaps with Little Bird on hobbyists, education and professional segments in Australia.
- Jaycar Electronics: Largest Australian specialty electronics retailer with both physical stores and e-commerce, selling components, kits, tools, and maker platforms. Comparable customer overlap on hobbyists, schools and professionals, but with much broader general electronics assortment.
Broad incumbents
- Digi-Key Electronics: Massive global electronics distributor shipping to Australia with millions of SKUs including sensors, prototyping parts, and dev boards. Comparable on components/tools segment for professionals, but not focused on the maker/STEM education niche.
- element14 (Farnell): Global electronics components distributor (Avnet subsidiary) with full Australian presence serving engineers, professionals, and educational institutions. Wider portfolio than Little Bird but overlapping on components, dev boards, and tools.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Little Bird Electronics social profiles
Digital presenceLittle Bird Electronics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Little Bird Electronics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Little Bird Electronics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Little Bird Electronics 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 Little Bird Electronics
What does Little Bird Electronics do?
Little Bird Electronics is an Australian-owned electronics retailer that sells development boards (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, BBC micro:bit, ESP32, Meshtastic), electronic kits, sensors, LEDs, displays, prototyping supplies, tools, power supplies, and 3D printing products. The catalog is targeted at STEM education, hobbyists, makers, and professional engineers, with dedicated pricing and terms for schools, universities, and government institutions.
Is Little Bird Electronics a public or private company?
Little Bird Electronics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Little Bird Electronics founded?
Little Bird Electronics was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Little Bird Electronics based?
Little Bird Electronics is headquartered in Hornsby, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Little Bird Electronics make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Little Bird Electronics's main competitors?
Regional players on record are SparkFun Electronics, Pimoroni and DFRobot. Direct peers are Adafruit, RobotShop, Core Electronics, Altronics and Jaycar Electronics. Broad incumbents are Digi-Key Electronics and element14 (Farnell).
Does Little Bird Electronics have an API?
Yes. Little Bird Electronics offers a Public API that provides access to their product catalog. The API documentation is available at /public-api/v1/openapi.json. They also offer an Atom Feed at /products.atom for product updates. Developer documentation is at littlebirdelectronics.com.au/public-api/v1/openapi.json.
What industry is Little Bird Electronics in?
Little Bird Electronics's product category is Electronics Components and Maker Hardware Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAKAF, PCB, Prototyping Boards & Etching Supplies Retail, with a secondary code of CRALAIAL, Educational Supplies & Learning Toys Retail. Its NAICS code is 459120.