The company was founded in 1891 by Hans Peter Prior, who would later become chairman of the Danish industry council, under the name of "Nordisk Elektrisk Ledningstraad og Kabel-Fabrik".

Over the next 90 years the company was active in a number of sectors outside the cable industry, including glass, aluminium, steel, nails, fasteners etc.

Over the next 10 years, a series of mergers and sell offs were made with the aim of concentrating on a smaller number of core businesses.

In 1999 NKT acquired German cable manufacturer Felten & Guilleaume, doubling the production capacity and adding businesses in the Czech Republic, China and Austria.

In 2017, NKT acquired Swedish-Swiss High-Voltage Cable Manufacturer, ABB HV Cables from the ABB Group including the high-voltage plant in Karlskrona and the cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria along with offices in Karlskrona, Alingsås and part of the offices in Malmö, Rotterdam and Mannheim.

NKT A/S is present all over the world and has production facilities in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland and England.