WECO

What WECO does

NINGBO WECO OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD. (trading as WECO) is a Ningbo, China-based private manufacturer founded in 2003 that specializes in designing, producing, and globally exporting elevator door safety detection hardware. Its core technology is multi-beam infrared light curtains and photoelectric sensors — with current models offering 32–48 infrared diodes producing 94–234 scanning beams — that detect obstacles in elevator door paths and prevent door-closure injuries. The company operates three product generations (917, 957, and 987 series), with the latter two compliant with the EN81-20 New European standard. Adjacent product lines include Automatic Rescue Devices (ARDs) for emergency power backup, photoelectric leveling switches, elevator ceiling/shaft lighting, cross-flow fans, and escalator indicator lights. Manufacturing is distributed across three assembly factories in Ningbo, Guangzhou, and Wuhan, with combined stated capacity of 1.2 million light curtain sets, 80,000 ARD sets, and 1.4 million photoelectric switches per year.

WECO's business model is direct manufacturer-to-buyer B2B export. Products are sold under quote-based negotiable pricing with low minimum order quantities (2–10 pieces for hardware), and shipped globally via sea, air, or courier to customers in more than 40 countries. The company runs an 11-language localized website as its primary sales channel and avoids distributor intermediaries. Its customer base is horizontally segmented across elevator OEMs (with form-factor-specific compatibility for Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, and Otis), elevator maintenance and service companies, residential villa-elevator developers (e.g., Monarch), and industrial/commercial building operators. Certifications include CE, CCC, ISO 9001, and EN81-20, and the company maintains a proprietary serial-number traceability system for quality control and after-sales service.

WECO is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries. The company has no public AI, software, or platform offerings — its differentiation rests entirely on 20+ years of domain specialization, OEM-compatible product variants, scaled Chinese manufacturing, and adherence to international elevator safety standards.

Name

WECO

Legal name

NINGBO WECO OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Website

https://wecolightcurtain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WECO is a Ningbo, China-based private manufacturer (founded 2003) of infrared elevator light curtains, door sensors, and automatic rescue devices, exporting to 40+ countries via three Chinese assembly factories and serving elevator OEMs, service companies, and residential developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Elevator Safety Components

NAICS

Elevator and Moving Stairway Manufacturing (333921), Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Hardware & Door Controls (Hinges, Locks, Closers, Panic Devices) (IMADAIAI)

Keywords

• Elevator light curtains
• Elevator door sensors
• Automatic rescue devices
• Elevator safety components
• Photoelectric leveling switches

Headquarters

HQ city

Ningbo

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Elevator Light Curtain Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling infrared light curtains and elevator door sensors. Products include WECO 917 series, 957 series, and 987 series with various configurations (94-234 beams, waterproof IP65, slim models, 2-in-1 types). Sold in bulk with MOQ starting at 10 sets.
2. Automatic Rescue Device (ARD) Sales: Emergency power supply devices for elevators that automatically rescue passengers during power failures. Multiple series (2P, 3P, 4P) supporting various motor capacities from 3.7KW to 18KW. Annual capacity of 80,000 sets across three factories.
3. Elevator Spare Parts: Complete range of elevator components including leveling sensors (K2, K3), cross flow fans, LED shaft lighting, escalator indicator lights, ceiling lights, and emergency power supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WECO designs, manufactures, and sells elevator door detection and safety products, with its principal offering being multi-beam infrared light curtains sold under 917, 957, and 987 product series. The portfolio also covers door sensors, elevator door detectors, automatic rescue devices (ARD), photoelectric leveling switches, and ancillary elevator spare parts such as escalator indicator lights, cross-flow fans, elevator ceiling lights, emergency power supplies, and shaft lighting.

Product overview

NINGBO WECO OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD. is a manufacturer specializing in elevator door safety products, founded in 2003 with over 20 years of experience. The product portfolio centers on three main product lines: WECO Light Curtains (including 917, 957, and 987 series), WECO Door Sensors, and WECO Automatic Rescue Devices (ARD). The light curtains and door sensors use multi-beam infrared technology to detect obstacles and prevent elevator door-related accidents, available in various models with different beam counts (94-234 beams), thicknesses (6.6mm-38mm), and protection levels (IP54-IP65). The Automatic Rescue Devices provide emergency power backup to safely evacuate passengers during power failures. Supporting products include photoelectric leveling switches (K2, K3), escalator indicator lights, cross flow fans, elevator ceiling lights, emergency power supplies, and shaft lighting. Products are CE and CCC certified and compatible with major elevator brands including Otis, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, and Toshiba.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WECO Light Curtain

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pepperl+Fuchs: German industrial sensor manufacturer with extensive photoelectric and optoelectronic product lines. Supplies sensors for elevator door and cabin applications, representing a broader incumbent competing for similar OEM design slots.
• Contrinex: Swiss-based industrial sensor manufacturer with photoelectric and proximity sensors serving elevator door and position-sensing applications. Broader industrial sensor portfolio but technically comparable to WECO's infrared sensing core.
• SICK AG: German global leader in industrial sensors including photoelectric devices for elevator door protection and shaft positioning. Larger incumbent with overlapping elevator safety use cases, though not elevator-specialist.

Direct peers

• CEDES: Swiss-based global leader in elevator light curtains, door detection sensors, and elevator safety electronics. Closest direct peer to WECO, competing on infrared light curtain technology and serving the same major elevator OEMs.
• Avire (including Memco and Janus brands): UK-headquartered specialist in elevator safety, communication, and light curtain products with the well-known Memco brand. Directly competes with WECO in elevator door detectors and light curtains for both OEM and modernization channels.
• Reer: Italian safety sensor manufacturer known for industrial safety light curtains. Competes with WECO in multi-beam infrared sensing technology, applying overlapping optoelectronic expertise to elevator-adjacent safety applications.
• Selcom: Shenzhen-based Chinese manufacturer of elevator light curtains and door safety sensors. Closest domestic Chinese competitor to WECO, with overlapping product lines targeting Chinese elevator OEMs and export markets.

Others

• Banner Engineering: US-based industrial sensor manufacturer offering photoelectric sensors and safety light curtains used in elevator and access applications. Adjacent competitor in infrared-based safety sensing technology and channels.

Regional players

• Telco Sensors: Danish photoelectric sensor specialist with elevator-specific door protection and light barrier products. Comparable to WECO in elevator sensor specialization, primarily serving European elevator OEM and modernization channels.

Emerging players

• Optex (Optex FA): Japanese photoelectric sensor specialist with elevator-relevant door detection products. Comparable in infrared sensing technology to WECO, with overlap primarily in the Asian elevator OEM ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 WECO