FastComponents™ was set-up in late 2003 to offer engineers, hobbyists, education & research establishments, and students a cheap and easy way of buying brand new high quality components. It was started by Thomas Arundel and Tsuyoshi Kihara, two product designers who were frustrated at the cost and effort required to buy commonly-used components.

Existing component suppliers would charge high prices for highly specific components and shipping, then impose a minimum order value or small order charge. Furthermore, most design exercises would require a board range of component values, which would require a significant effort to order.

Surplus suppliers could certainly beat the price of major distributors, but they couldn't offer a reliable range of component values, and the quality of their offering was often questionable.

So, the pair found an engineer in Hong Kong, a translator, marketing guru, a dependable shipping manager, and started to sell high quality components bundled up into kits.