Boston Electronics to Distribute PremierPhotonics InGaAs Photodetectors in North America

In a recent press release, Boston Electronics, an analytical instruments distributor, agreed on a deal with PremierPhotonics, a fabless photonics manufacturer based in Livingston, Scotland, to distribute PremierPhotonics’s indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) photodetectors.¹ This agreement was previously announced on September 25^th.

What does this agreement mean for both Boston Electronics and PremierPhotonics? What are the conditions of the agreement?

This transaction aims to get PremierPhotonics’ InGaAs PIN photodiodes and avalanche photodiodes (APDs) in the hands of its North American customers significantly quicker. Under the agreement, Boston Electronics will carry PremierPhotonics' InGaAs PIN photodiodes and APDs in North America and selected international markets.¹ The companies confirmed that, as part of the agreement, the products will be stocked at Boston Electronics and in the United Kingdom.¹ Shortening the lead times for customers is the expected outcome of the agreement.¹

What applications are PremierPhotonics’s InGaAs detectors primarily used for?

InGaAs detectors are used for near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) detection in several application areas. The applications where these InGaAs detectors are used include NIR spectroscopy, optical communications, and laser-based sensing.¹ These detectors generally work in the midwave region.² For instrument developers and laboratories that depend on these components, the arrangement adds another stocked source at a time when both companies describe customer concern about supply availability.¹

Ben Waite, CEO and president of Boston Electronics, said the company has seen increasing demand for InGaAs products that are readily available. He said the PremierPhotonics line will complement the distributor's existing infrared product partnerships to form a broader IR sensor offering.

“The partnership with PremierPhotonics is very exciting for Boston Electronics,” Ben Waite, CEO and President of Boston Electronics, said in a press release. “We see growing demand for advantaged and readily available InGaAs products in the market, and we quickly recognized PremierPhotonics as a leading supplier of these products.Combined with our other infrared product partnerships, we offer comprehensive IR sensor solutions to the market.”

Matt Tyrk, CEO of PremierPhotonics, positioned the products as both an alternative to existing suppliers and a direct replacement for high-performance InGaAs devices. He said PremierPhotonics chose Boston Electronics for its application and technical expertise and its established presence in the North American market.

“Customers increasingly recognize the value of PremierPhotonics’ infrared solutions in their products,” Tyrk said in a press release. “Products from PremierPhotonics secure your InGaAs supply chain with quick lead times and product stocking at Boston Electronics and in the UK. Together with Boston Electronics we offer a fast, dependable alternative to existing suppliers or as a direct replacement for high-performance InGaAs.Boston Electronics has the application and technical knowledge, strong North American market presence, and a customer focused culture that we were looking for.”

The companies did not disclose financial terms, specific part numbers, performance specifications, or pricing. Whether the PremierPhotonics devices can serve as drop-in replacements in existing instrument designs will likely depend on package and specification compatibility, which customers would need to verify for their own applications.

What are Boston Electronics and PremierPhotonics?

Boston Electronics distributes electro-optical products including photodetectors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), tunable lasers, imaging arrays, and photon-counting detectors covering ultraviolet through terahertz wavelengths.¹ They are headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, PremierPhotonics is a Scotland-based company that designs photonic devices and handles volume manufacturing, packaging, and supply chain management through a fabless model.¹ Its portfolio includes photodetectors and laser diodes.¹

References

1. Boston Electronics, Boston Electronics Signs Distribution Agreement with PremierPhotonics. Spectroscopy Online, 2026. https://www.boselec.com/wp-content/uploads/BECMedia&Literature/Boston-Electronics-Signs-Distribution-Agreement-with-PremierPhotonics.pdf (accessed September 29, 2026).
2. Crocombe, R. Miniature Optical Spectrometers, Part III: Conventional and Laboratory Near-Infrared Spectrometers. Spectroscopy 2008, 23 (5). Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/miniature-optical-spectrometers-part-iii-conventional-and-laboratory-near-infrared-spectrometers