Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf
Privately held
Industry Consumer electronics
Founded 2012
Founder Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger, Christian Yan
Headquarters Toronto, Canada, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen, China
Products Nanoleaf One, Nanoleaf Bloom, Nanoleaf Gem
Services LED lighting, green technology, energy efficient lighting
Number of employees
 11-50 employees
Website nanoleaf.me

Nanoleaf is a green technology company that is currently specializing in LED lighting.[1] Founded in 2012 by three engineers, the company launched its first two products with crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter.[2] The company is focused on sustainable lighting solutions and is an official partner of the World Green Organisation.

History

Nanoleaf was founded in 2012 by three friends and engineering graduates Gimmy Chu, Christian Yan and Tom Rodinger.[3] They were each working in different industries while creating Nanoleaf on the side, but decided to quit their jobs to develop the company full-time. In January 2013, the three launched their first product on Kickstarter.[4] The crowdfunding campaign for NanoLight (later renamed Nanoleaf One) received $250,000 from the crowdfunding site, with an initial goal of $20,000. Following the success of this campaign, Nanoleaf received funding from Horizons Ventures, an investment company owned by Li Ka Shing[5] and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.[6] The company also opened their offices in Shenzhen, China and Hong Kong.[7]

Their second Kickstarter campaign for the Nanoleaf Bloom in July 2014 was similarly well received. The campaign generated $192,973 in funding with a goal of $20,000.[8]

Nanoleaf opened an office in Toronto, Canada in January 2015.

Technology

Nanoleaf utilizes patented technology that aims for energy efficiency and a sustainable manufacturing process.[9][10] The company's bulbs are made up of small LEDs on a folded circuit board and feature an origami-like design. The technology eliminates the need of a heat sink, keeping the bulb cool to the touch while reducing the amount of energy used during manufacturing. Nanoleaf bulbs also have overheat protection which allows the bulb to dim itself if it gets too hot, reducing the possibility of damage and increasing its potential life span. The bulbs are also shatter-resistant.

The Nanoleaf Aurora uses slightly different technology from the company's light bulbs. The Aurora is also made with LED chips on a printed circuit board, but features a diffuser on a flat triangular surface.

Products

Nanoleaf One

The Nanoleaf One was the company's first product, released on Kickstarter in 2013 (formerly named the NanoLight). The product claims to be the world's most energy efficient light bulb and uses patented technology with custom packaged LED chips.[11][12]

Nanoleaf Bloom

The company's second product, the Nanoleaf Bloom, was introduced in 2014 to make dimmable lighting more accessible. The Nanoleaf Bloom eliminates the need for a dimmer switch with the bulb's built-in dimming technology.[13][14] Originally offered in Black, White and Arctic Leaf colors, the Bloom was later released with different designs including patterns with the Moomin character, hearts and maple leafs.

Nanoleaf Gem

Marketed as an LED bulb for designers, the Nanoleaf Gem was released on Earth Day in 2015.[15] The Gem was the company's first dimmable glass bulb and remains their best selling light bulb to date.

Nanoleaf Ivy Smarter Kit

Launched at the end of 2015, the Nanoleaf Ivy Smarter Kit is a voice-controlled lighting system.[16][17] It is the company's first product with smart home automation and works with Siri voice control.[18] The company lists it as the world's most energy efficient smart bulb.

Nanoleaf Aurora

The Nanoleaf Aurora is a modular smart light with color changing and voice control abilities.[19][20] The Aurora is the company's first color changing product and has drawn attention from the design & lifestyle community, making its television debut on The Ellen Degeneres Show and on CTV National in Canada [21] The Aurora was initially sold in the MoMA Design Store in NYC during October 2016. It was then sold nationwide in Best Buy stores across US and Canada starting November 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "Lighting a Revolution". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Nanoleaf Bloom Dimming Bulbs Over $160,000 During Final Days on Kickstarter". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Light of a New Age". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Toronto grads invent world's most energy efficient bulb". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "Li Ka-shing Heralds LEDs as Key to Future Economic Growth". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  6. ↑ ""Asia's richest philanthropist," major Silicon Valley firm invest in alumni's Nanoleaf light bulb". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "Hong Kong: Perfect Launchpad for Overseas Green Tech Startups". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Nanoleaf Bloom Smart Lightbulb – Needs no App – No Dimmer". My Tech Report. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Alumni launch "world's most energy-efficient light bulb"". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "Hong Kong start-up Nanoleaf has created the world's most energy-efficient light bulb". Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "NanoLight Claims the World's Most Efficient Light Bulb". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "Toronto Grads Invent World's Most Energy-Efficient Light Bulb". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Nanoleaf Bloom Light Bulb Dims Without Dimmer Switch". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "Finally a Smarter Light Bulb that Doesn't Require an App to Control It". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  15. ↑ "Nanoleaf Bloom and Gem Bulbs are Openly Efficient by Design". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  16. ↑ ""Hey Siri, Movie Time!" Nanoleaf Smarter Kit Connects Home Lighting with Voice Control". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "Nanoleaf Launches New Smart Hub that Allows You to Control Your Lighting Using Siri". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  18. ↑ "Nanoleaf Launches New Product for Apple Home System". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  19. ↑ "Fixtureless Light Panels Illuminate with LEGO-like Construction". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  20. ↑ "Add a Splash of Living Paint to Your Walls with Nanoleaf's New LED Light Panels". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  21. ↑ "Canadian Startup Looks to Reinvent Lightbulb with Color-Changing Panels". Retrieved 22 November 2016.

External links

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