Princo
Princo is a privately held Taiwan-based technology firm that pioneered thin-film-coated optical media and now develops SmartWatch products after divesting its CD-R/DVD-R business to AVIC UmeDisc in 2018.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersHsinchu, Taiwan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Princo does
Princo Corporation is a privately held Taiwan-based technology firm founded in September 1983 in the Hsin-Chu Science-Based Industrial Park. The company originated as a specialist in thin-film coating technology (TiN, TiC, CrN, TiCN, TiaLN, IPG coatings), which it commercialized into reflective recordable surfaces for optical media. Princo began mass production of CD-R discs in 1995 and extended its line to DVD-R and DVD-RW in 1999, establishing itself as one of the recognized global manufacturers of recordable optical discs and building a distribution network through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Fremont, California (PRINCO America Corporation, founded 1997), Hong Kong (PRINCO Hong Kong Limited), and Asia (PRINCO Asia Enterprises Limited).
The company's commercial model historically centered on bulk hardware sales of optical discs (50 or 100 pieces per pack, 600 discs per box), with go-to-market executed via its subsidiary network covering the United States, Canada, South America, Hong Kong, and mainland China, where it also operated manufacturing capacity in Anyang City, Henan Province. In 2018 Princo transferred its recordable optical disc product line to AVIC UmeDisc (a Henan-based entity serving as Optical Storage Engineering, Technology and Research Center for Henan Province) and redirected internal resources toward SmartWatch inventions. As of the available data, Princo's product portfolio consists of SmartWatch devices, CD-R and DVD-R optical media (continued under the PRINCO brand via AVIC UmeDisc), and USB pen drives, with the parent entity now focused primarily on SmartWatch development.
Princo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Princo
- Legal name
- PRINCO Corporation
- Website
- https://princo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Princo is a privately held Taiwan-based technology firm that pioneered thin-film-coated optical media and now develops SmartWatch products after divesting its CD-R/DVD-R business to AVIC UmeDisc in 2018.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Princo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hsinchu
- HQ country
- Taiwan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Princo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Optical Disc Sales: Sale of CD-R and DVD-R optical discs, sold in bulk packaging (50 or 100 pieces per pack, 600 discs per box). In 2018, PRINCO transferred its recordable optical disc product line to AVIC UmeDisc to focus on new product inventions.
- SmartWatch Products: Following the 2018 transfer of the optical disc business, PRINCO shifted focus to SmartWatch inventions as its new primary product line.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk CD-R products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
Princo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Princo manufactures and sells recordable optical discs (CD-R and DVD-R), USB pen drives, and following the 2018 transfer of its optical disc business to AVIC UmeDisc, has shifted focus to SmartWatch products. The company applies proprietary thin-film coating technology (TiN, TiC, CrN, TiCN, TiaLN, IPG) to create durable, wear-resistant reflective recordable surfaces, with products sold in bulk packaging (50 or 100 pieces per pack, 600 discs per box).
Product overview
Princo is a technology company specializing in recordable optical media and data storage products. The company offers a portfolio of CD-R and DVD-R optical discs with various surface options (Silver Lacquer, LOGO TOP, White Inkjet Printable), USB pen drives, and the SmartWatch. Founded in 1983 with expertise in thin-film coating technology (TiN, TiC, CrN, TiCN, TiaLN, IPG), Princo built its reputation as a global leader in optical disc manufacturing before transferring that business to AVIC UmeDisc in 2018 to focus on new product inventions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable) Recordable compact discs with 700MB (80 min) capacity supporting up to 56X recording speed. Features include an authentic blue recordable surface for authentication and various surface options including Silver Lacquer, LOGO TOP, and White Inkjet Printable variants. Sold in bulk packaging (50 or 100 pieces per pack, 600 discs per box). Targeted at professional and industrial duplication customers.
- DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc Recordable) Recordable DVDs with 4.7GB capacity (2 hours) available in 4X, 8X, and 16X recording speeds. Offered in Pearl White, LOGO TOP, and White Inkjet Printable surface variants with a humidity-resistant inkjet coating. Targeted at bulk media buyers and industrial duplication customers.
- USB Pen Drive
Quantifiable outcome
- Read stability exceeds 1,000,000 times (0.7 mW)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Princo
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Princo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Princo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AVIC UmeDiscmajorIn 2018, PRINCO transferred its recordable optical disc product line to AVIC UmeDisc, a company whose R&D center is constituted by experts with master's and doctoral degrees. AVIC UmeDisc continued the PRINCO CD-R and DVD-R product line, maintaining PRINCO's quality reputation while actively researching next-generation optical discs and new production techniques. AVIC UmeDisc participated in drafting new optical disc industry standards in China and is appointed as Optical Storage Engineering, Technology and Research Center by Henan Province.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Princo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Panasonic Corporation: Major Japanese electronics manufacturer with historical strength in optical disc media (Panasonic brand blank media) and a broad consumer electronics portfolio that overlaps with Princo's adjacent product categories.
- Philips: Dutch electronics conglomerate and co-inventor of the CD format with historical leadership in optical media technology. Broad consumer electronics and health technology portfolio offers comparable adjacent product categories to Princo's current direction.
- Sony Corporation: Global electronics giant and co-inventor of CD/DVD/Blu-ray formats. Owns multiple optical media brands and competes broadly with Princo's historical product category while also being a SmartWatch incumbent with the Wena line.
Direct peers
- TDK Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of recording media including blank CD-R/DVD-R/Blu-ray discs, with proprietary thin-film coating expertise similar to Princo's technology base and comparable specialty materials know-how.
- RITEK Corporation: Taiwan-based manufacturer of CD-R, DVD-R, Blu-ray recordable discs and USB flash drives - the most directly comparable optical disc peer to Princo in scale, Taiwan-based geography, and product portfolio, including Ridata brand.
- CMC Magnetics Corporation: Taiwan-headquartered manufacturer of recordable optical media including CD-R, DVD-R, and Blu-ray discs. Direct competitor to Princo's historical product line in the global optical media supply chain with similar B2B distribution model.
- Moser Baer India: India-based manufacturer of recordable optical media including CD-R, DVD-R, and Blu-ray discs. Comparable in product focus and historical position as a global optical disc supplier with similar B2B distribution model to Princo.
- Maxell Holdings: Japanese manufacturer of recordable optical media, magnetic tapes, and storage products with a long heritage in removable storage comparable to Princo's optical disc business and engineering depth.
- Verbatim: Mitsubishi Chemical-owned brand of recordable optical discs (CD-R, DVD-R, BD-R), USB drives, and removable storage - directly competes with Princo's historical product portfolio across consumer and enterprise channels.
Emerging players
- Garmin: Leading SmartWatch and wearable technology company - directly comparable to Princo's post-2018 SmartWatch pivot direction, though operating at vastly larger scale with established product ecosystem and brand recognition in fitness/outdoor segments.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Princo social profiles
Digital presencePrinco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Princo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Princo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Princo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Princo 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 Princo
What does Princo do?
Princo manufactures and sells recordable optical discs (CD-R and DVD-R), USB pen drives, and following the 2018 transfer of its optical disc business to AVIC UmeDisc, has shifted focus to SmartWatch products. The company applies proprietary thin-film coating technology (TiN, TiC, CrN, TiCN, TiaLN, IPG) to create durable, wear-resistant reflective recordable surfaces, with products sold in bulk packaging (50 or 100 pieces per pack, 600 discs per box).
Is Princo a public or private company?
Princo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Princo founded?
Princo was founded in 1983. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Princo based?
Princo is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, in the Asia region.
How does Princo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Optical Disc Sales are the primary driver. The others are smartWatch Products.
Who are Princo's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Panasonic Corporation, Philips and Sony Corporation. Direct peers are TDK Corporation, RITEK Corporation, CMC Magnetics Corporation, Moser Baer India, Maxell Holdings and Verbatim. Garmin is listed as an emerging player.
Does Princo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Princo.