Delkin Devices is a privately held company that manufactures memory cards, external hard drives, and other digital storage devices. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Poway, California.
Founding and Early History
Delkin Devices was founded in 1986 by Steve Lee. Lee had previously worked as an engineer at Canon USA and decided to start his own company focused on manufacturing high quality digital storage products.
The company’s original product was the BatteryPak, an external battery pack for cameras. At the time, digital cameras were just starting to emerge but had very limited battery life. Delkin’s BatteryPak allowed photographers to extend the battery life of their cameras.
In 1987, Delkin began producing memory cards after securing a licensing agreement with Sony to manufacture Memory Stick products. Delkin was one of the first companies to manufacture Memory Stick cards for use in Sony’s digital cameras and camcorders.
Products and Innovations
Over the years, Delkin has been responsible for many innovations in the digital storage space:
- In 1994, Delkin introduced the first CompactFlash cards on the market.
- In 2004, the company developed the first 6-in-1 memory card reader.
- In 2009, Delkin produced the first SDHC memory cards available.
- In 2010, Delkin began manufacturing SDXC cards.
- In 2016, the company launched the fastest 256GB SD card.
- In 2018, Delkin produced the first 1TB SDXC card prototype.
In addition to memory cards, Delkin also manufactures a wide range of other storage products including:
- Portable hard drives
- Solid state drives (SSDs)
- Card readers
- USB flash drives
- Wireless storage devices
- RAID storage systems
Many of Delkin’s products are focused on professional photographers, videographers, and creative professionals who require high performance storage solutions.
Leadership and Ownership
Delkin Devices remains a private company owned by its founder Steve Lee. Lee has continued to lead the company as President and CEO.
In 2010, Steve’s son Mike Lee joined Delkin as Vice President. He is responsible for overseeing operations, sales, and marketing.
Other key executives include:
- Mark Schmidt – Chief Financial Officer
- Eran Soffer – Vice President of Engineering
- Luther Cockrum – Vice President of Sales, North America
- Jenny Ng – Vice President of Marketing
- Troy Sexton – Senior Director of Global Business Development
Company Facts and Financials
Here are some key facts about Delkin Devices:
- Headquarters: Poway, California
- Founder: Steve Lee
- Founded: 1986
- Products: Memory cards, hard drives, SSDs, readers, storage accessories
- Employees: Approximately 100 (2020)
- Revenue: Estimated $50-100 million annually
As a private company, Delkin does not disclose detailed financial results publicly. However, some estimates put the company’s annual revenues between $50-100 million per year. The company has continued to grow and expand its product portfolio and global distribution over the past 35+ years.
Awards and Recognition
Delkin has received a number of awards and industry recognition over the years. Some of the company’s notable achievements include:
- 5-time winner of the Consumer Electronics Association Innovations Award, including awards for the FAST memory card in 2001 and the eFilm PRO card reader in 2002.
- Multiple Editor’s Choice awards from leading photography publications like Outdoor Photographer and Digital Camera Magazine.
- Winner of the prestigious Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) award for best memory card in 2010 and 2011.
- Winner of the Red Dot Design Award in 2015 for excellence in product design.
Delkin products have also been widely used by leading professionals and organizations. For example, Delkin memory cards have been used to record footage on major Hollywood movies and used for scientific research by organizations like NASA.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Delkin has partnered with many leading technology companies over the years. Some key partnerships include:
- Sony – Delkin was an early partner for Sony Memory Stick and signed licensing deals to produce Memory Stick cards in 1987 and Memory Stick Pro cards in 2000.
- SanDisk – Delkin partnered with SanDisk in 2004 to develop new flash controller technology and high capacity CompactFlash cards.
- Intel – Delkin worked with Intel beginning in 2009 to optimize SSD controllers and firmware for solid state drives.
- RED Digital Cinema – Delkin is an authorized manufacturer of RED MINI-MAG memory cards used for recording RAW 6K/8K video footage on RED cameras.
- Teradek – Delkin and Teradek collaborated in 2018 to develop advanced wireless storage solutions for content creators.
Recent Developments
In recent years, some of Delkin’s major developments and announcements have included:
- In January 2018, Delkin unveiled lower cost versions of RED MINI-MAG memory cards.
- At CES 2019, Delkin introduced new 256GB SDXC and CFast 2.0 cards optimized for 8K video recording.
- In January 2020, Delkin showcased their 1TB SDXC memory card prototype at CES.
- In April 2020, Delkin launched lower cost devices for Nintendo Switch called Switch Easy.
- At CES 2022, Delkin launched new CFexpress Type A cards boasting speeds up to 1500MB/s read and 1000MB/s write.
The company continues to push the cutting edge of storage capacities, speeds, and performance to meet the needs of professional content creators and consumers.
Competition
Delkin faces competition from some of the largest electronics and memory companies. Key competitors include:
- Samsung – The world’s largest semiconductor company and a leader in NAND flash memory and storage devices.
- Western Digital – Major manufacturer of hard drives, SSDs, memory cards, and other storage solutions.
- SanDisk – Subsidiary of Western Digital and top supplier of memory cards and flash storage.
- Sony – Major producer of image sensors, memory cards, and storage devices.
- Lexar – Leading maker of memory cards now owned by Chinese company Longsys.
- PNY – Tech company that produces NAND flash memory cards and storage devices.
However, while Delkin is smaller than these giants, the company has carved out a niche by focusing on high performance products for professionals. Delkin also provides excellent customer service and support in the USA.
Conclusion
In summary, Delkin Devices is a privately owned manufacturer of memory cards, SSDs, and other digital storage products. The company was founded by Steve Lee in 1986 and continues to be run by the Lee family today. Delkin is unique for being one of the only major US-owned and operated memory card companies. Over its 35+ year history, Delkin has built a reputation for innovation, speed, performance and reliability. While the company faces increasing competition from tech giants, Delkin maintains a strong position in the market by catering to high-end professional users.