SHINKOH ELECTRONICS Co.,Ltd.

What SHINKOH ELECTRONICS Co.,Ltd. does

SHINKOH ELECTRONICS Co.,Ltd. (新光電子株式会社) is a privately held Japanese manufacturer specializing in optical semiconductor components, with approximately 50 years of operating history since founding in 1976 and headquarters in Odawara, Kanagawa. The company designs and produces a broad portfolio of photo sensors and related discrete devices, including through-beam, reflective, separate-type, actuator, prism, and limited-reflective (triangulation-based) sensors, alongside light-emitting and light-receiving elements spanning UV, visible, and infrared wavelengths. Its core technology is optical semiconductor design and packaging, with a stated focus on non-contact detection solutions used in ATMs, office automation, medical devices, inspection equipment, and factory automation.

The company sells proprietary SHINKOH-ELECS branded sensors to industrial OEMs through three domestic sales offices (Tokyo, Nagoya, Kansai), trade show participation (notably TECHNO-FRONTIER), a multi-language website, and overseas distributors and group companies across Asia and Europe. In parallel, it operates an authorized distribution business in Japan for international principals—Nichia LEDs, Faulhaber precision DC motors, MYRON-L water quality equipment, and Quantum Devices encoders—producing complementary hardware revenue. The company offers custom sensor development, including discontinued product reproduction, as a value-add service. Revenue is generated entirely through hardware sales (proprietary products plus agency distribution); no software, subscription, AI, or platform revenue streams are disclosed, and no financial figures are publicly available.

Name

SHINKOH ELECTRONICS Co.,Ltd.

Legal name

新光電子株式会社 (SHINKOH ELECTRONICS Co.,Ltd.)

Website

https://shinkoh-elecs.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SHINKOH ELECTRONICS is a privately held Japanese optical-semiconductor manufacturer with ~50 years of history, designing and selling photo sensors (through-beam, reflective, motion, and UV-IR discrete elements) and distributing Nichia LEDs, Faulhaber motors, MYRON-L water-quality equipment, and Quantum encoders to industrial OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Sensors and Photonic Components

NAICS

Electric Lamp Bulb and Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (335139)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical & Light Sensors (Photodiodes/ALS/Color/UV) (HDAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs) (HDAHAAAH), Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Photoelectric sensors
• Optical semiconductor components
• Industrial sensor manufacturing
• Photoreflector sensors
• Light emitting elements

Headquarters

HQ city

Odawara

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Proprietary Optical Sensor Products: Designs, manufactures, and sells proprietary photo sensors under the SHINKOH-ELECS brand. Products include through-beam sensors, reflective sensors, separated sensors, actuator sensors, prism sensors, limited reflection sensors, and light emitting/receiving elements. Custom product development is available.
2. Agency Sales (Distribution): Acts as a distributor for international manufacturers including Nichia (LEDs), Faulhaber (precision DC motors), MYRON-L (water quality management equipment), and Quantum Devices (encoders).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SHINKOH ELECTRONICS designs, manufactures, and sells proprietary optical semiconductor products under the SHINKOH-ELECS brand, including through-beam, reflective, separate, actuator, prism, and limited reflection photo sensors, plus discrete LEDs and phototransistors covering UV to infrared wavelengths. The company also acts as an authorized Japanese distributor for NICHIA LEDs, FAULHABER precision DC motors, MYRON-L water quality equipment, and Quantum encoders. Custom sensor development and reproduction of discontinued products are offered for specialized customer requirements.

Product overview

SHINKOH ELECTRONICS Co.,Ltd. is a specialized optical sensor manufacturer with 50 years of experience, offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on photoelectric sensors (photo sensors). The core product line includes through-beam, reflective, separate type, actuator, prism, and limited reflective sensors, complemented by discrete light emitting and receiving elements (LEDs and phototransistors). The company also distributes complementary products as authorized agent for NICHIA LEDs, FAULHABER motors, MYRON-L water quality equipment, and Quantum encoders. Custom sensor development services are available for specialized requirements. Applications span industrial equipment, medical devices, consumer electronics, inspection systems, ATMs, OA machines, and IoT systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SHINKOH-ELECS: Company brand name used for optical sensor products including photointerrupters, photoreflectors, reflective sensors, and light-emitting/receiving elements.

Products and services

• Through-beam Photo Sensors Transmission-type photoelectric sensors where an emitter and receiver are placed opposite each other to detect objects passing between them. Used by industrial equipment manufacturers for object detection on production lines.
• Reflective Photo Sensors (Photoreflectors) Photoelectric sensors that detect objects by emitting light and receiving reflections from the target surface. Includes diffuse reflection, retro-reflection, limited reflection (triangulation), and color sensing methods for presence, position, and color identification without contact.
• Separate Type Photo Sensors Photo sensors with separated emitter and receiver units, suitable for long-distance detection applications up to 2000mm.
• Actuator Photo Sensors Photo sensors integrated with actuator mechanisms for automated detection and response in industrial applications.
• Prism Photo Sensors Photo sensors using prisms for light guidance and detection, typically used with reflective targets for high-precision applications.
• Limited Reflective Sensors / Motion Sensors (KM Series) Sensors using triangulation principle for stable detection less affected by target color or material properties, suitable for presence detection and distance measurement from 5cm to 200cm. Used for non-contact UI, occupancy detection, and seating detection applications.
• Light Emitting and Receiving Elements Discrete LED and photodiode/phototransistor components including UV, visible, and infrared wavelengths in various packages including TO-18, TO-46, and surface mount types.
• KL357X Series LED Packages Dust-proof LED packages available in white (KL3570), red (KL3571), green (KL3572), blue (KL3573), and sky blue (KL3574) with easy connection and compact casing.
• KS5160 Phototransistor Phototransistor with peak sensitivity at 850nm wavelength, 30-degree half-value angle, and 4.0mA minimum light current.
• KR5500 Transparent Object Detector Reflective photo sensor specifically designed for detecting transparent objects such as film, PET, and glass with 0-4.5mm detection distance.
• KMA Series Motion Sensors Limited reflective type motion sensors using triangulation for human/object detection at distances from 5cm to 200cm, available in thin short, short, middle, and long types with NPN/PNP outputs.
• NICHIA LED Products (Agency Distribution) High-quality LEDs from NICHIA for applications ranging from lighting to safety equipment, sold as authorized Japanese distributor.
• FAULHABER Precision DC Motors (Agency Distribution) Precision DC motor drive systems from Faulhaber, a leading company in motor drive system industry, distributed in Japan by SHINKOH ELECTRONICS.
• MYRON-L Water Quality Products (Agency Distribution) Water quality management equipment from MYRON-L that enables environmental management responding to social demands, distributed in Japan by SHINKOH ELECTRONICS.
• Quantum Encoders (Agency Distribution) American encoder products from Quantum Devices adopted by diverse industries and applications, distributed in Japan by SHINKOH ELECTRONICS.
• Custom Photo Sensor Development Service Custom sensor development services for industrial customers requiring detection distance adjustment, sensitivity tuning, special wavelength changes, cable/connector specifications, housing optimization, and reproduction of discontinued products.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nichia (日亜化学)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorActs as a distributor for Nichia's LED products in Japan. The partnership allows SHINKOH to offer high-quality LEDs for applications ranging from lighting to safety equipment alongside their own sensor products.
• FaulhabercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRepresents Faulhaber precision DC motor drive systems in Japan. Faulhaber is a leading company in motor drive systems industry. Products are promoted jointly at exhibitions like TECHNO-FRONTIER.
• MYRON-LminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes MYRON-L water quality management equipment, which helps companies achieve environmental management goals.
• Quantum DevicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes encoders from Quantum Devices, an American encoder manufacturer whose products are adopted across diverse industries and applications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Keyence Corporation: Global leader in industrial sensors including photoelectric, laser, and fiber-optic sensors, with a direct-sales model serving factory automation. Closest large-scale Japanese peer in photo sensor technology.
• SICK AG: German global leader in photoelectric sensors and industrial automation sensors. Directly comparable product portfolio (through-beam, retro-reflective, diffuse-reflective sensors) targeting factory automation customers worldwide.
• Vishay Intertechnology: Global manufacturer of discrete semiconductors and passive components including a broad optoelectronics portfolio (IR LEDs, photodetectors, optocouplers). Comparable as a long-established optoelectronic component supplier with industrial focus.
• Omron Corporation: Major Japanese industrial automation company with an extensive photoelectric and fiber-optic sensor portfolio serving factory automation globally. Directly comparable as a Japanese-headquartered photo sensor manufacturer targeting industrial OEMs.
• ROHM Co., Ltd. Japanese semiconductor manufacturer with a substantial optoelectronics portfolio including phototransistors, photointerrupters, and LED components. Comparable in discrete optoelectronic component manufacturing serving industrial markets.
• Panasonic Industry (Panasonic Holdings): Major Japanese electronics manufacturer offering photoelectric sensors and optoelectronic devices for factory automation. Comparable in Japanese-headquartered photo sensor manufacturing for industrial OEMs.

Direct peers

• Autonics Corporation: Korean manufacturer of industrial automation products including a comprehensive photoelectric sensor lineup. Comparable as a specialized Asian photo sensor manufacturer targeting factory automation OEMs with broad product portfolios.
• Banner Engineering: US-based specialized manufacturer of photoelectric sensors, LED lighting, and industrial sensors with a similar focus on optical sensing technology. Comparable as a specialized sensor manufacturer with proprietary optical sensor product lines.
• Hamamatsu Photonics: Japanese specialist manufacturer of optoelectronic components including photodiodes, phototransistors, LEDs, and optical sensors. Highly comparable as a Japan-based optoelectronic component specialist serving industrial and scientific customers.

Regional players

• ifm electronic: German sensor manufacturer specializing in industrial automation sensors including photoelectric and position sensors. Comparable product portfolio; primarily serves European industrial markets with Shinkoh serving Asia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shinkoh-elecs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SHINKOH ELECTRONICS Co.,Ltd.