The managing partner founded his company Ambright 13 years ago.
(Photo: Ambright)
Munich Let there be light – in every imaginable form and at reasonable prices: Florian Ilchmann wants to revolutionize the lighting business with his high-tech company Ambright. A concept that the managing partner describes as “industrialized individuality”.
The Munich native has developed the technology for this over the past 13 years, largely with his own resources. According to his own statement, the electronic engineer, who has a doctorate, put five million euros into his hands. In order to sell his lamps, however, Ilchmann now needs outside help. “We are looking for other strategic investors,” says the 41-year-old. “Because they can support us more than just with money.”
However, he is also open to venture capitalists. Ilchmann would like to collect between five and ten million euros in the next few months.
Ambright’s core competence is a high-frequency process with which wafer-thin copper wires can be automatically attached to many surfaces. In this way, LEDs are connected to each other, which can also be freely arranged and controlled on large areas.
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Ambright built the system for this himself. Circuit boards are usually used in lighting technology, on which the conductor tracks run. Ambright’s solution is cheaper and more flexible.
In a few minutes to the individual light
With his 40-strong team, the family man also programmed software that customers can use to design their own lights. The online tool “Light Sketch” creates a complete data sheet in just a few seconds. In this way, users can design a “certified electronic product” in a very short time, says Ilchmann.
So far, the founder has only brought one other shareholder on board: the construction group Lindner from Arnstorf in Lower Bavaria. According to Ilchmann, the family business holds almost a third of the shares and invested a seven-digit amount in 2019.
Veronika Lindner, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and shareholder of the Lindner Group, does not regret the commitment: “Light is an essential element in interior design. Printing light is unique. The Ambright team has convinced us as a company and continues to impress us with its technological innovation.”
Lindner focuses heavily on interior design and is therefore very interested in innovative lighting concepts. The group has supplied the ceilings for Hong Kong airport, equipped the mosque in Mecca and also Aida’s modern Helios ships – the first cruise ships powered by liquid natural gas, one of which, the Aida Nova, was put into service in December 2018.
Ambright “prints” copper connections. This allows LED lights to be freely arranged, connected and controlled on many surfaces.
(Photo: Ambright)
Ilchmann still held a part-time position at the Technical University of Munich when he started to set up his company in 2009. The engineer got his first job before he had a single employee. The medical technology division of Siemens in Shanghai ordered lighting for computer tomographs from him. To this day, lighting systems for medical devices are an important source of revenue.
The company is small, but is growing quickly: In 2021, revenues increased by around 40 percent to 2.4 million euros, says Ilchmann. In two years, the father of two children wants to achieve a turnover of ten million euros. Siemens is still a customer, Ilchmann has also worked for well-known brands such as Swarovski, for the household appliance manufacturer BSH, the Austrian Federal Railways and BMW. Some luxury yachts today sail the seven seas with an artificial starry sky from Ambright inside the ship.
Ambright lacks customer access
There is a reason Ilchmann is on the lookout for industrial shareholders: “We are a completely newcomer in the lighting sector.” Ambright therefore still lacks customer access. Ilchmann competes against big names, such as the Austrian lighting group Zumtobel, the former Siemens division Osram and Signify, a former division of Philips.
Until now, Ilchmann has mainly produced one-offs for a few selected major customers. With the “Light Sketch” software, however, the entrepreneur is now aiming for much larger quantities. Ilchmann wants to market his lights through architects, planners and innovative dealers.
Together with the design furniture manufacturer Vitra, Ilchmann has also developed shelves with light edges. He wants to further expand the already established business with commercial customers.
A project that has so far not developed as well as hoped in view of the difficulties in stationary trade caused by Corona. However, after 13 years of development work, the medium-sized company is used to the fact that some things take time.
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