Solight Design

What Solight Design does

Solight Design Inc. is a New York–based, privately held direct-to-consumer hardware company founded in 2015 by architect and Columbia University professor Alice Min Soo Chun. The company designs, patents, and sells origami-inspired collapsible solar lanterns under sub-brands including SolarPuff, QWNN, MegaPuff, Helix, and Twilight, plus accessories such as the SolaPack backpack. Its core technology is a patented self-inflating structure built from triaxial-weave sailcloth (PET or EVA/TPU), integrated solar panels, rechargeable lithium-polymer batteries, and LED modules; flagship outputs range from 25 to 600 lumens, with IP67/IP68 waterproofing and USB power-bank functionality on premium models. Two US utility patents cover the SolarPuff and QWNN designs, and SolarPuff is exhibited at MoMA's Good Design Doing GOOD collection.

The business model is omnichannel D2C e-commerce run on Shopify (solight-design.com), shipping worldwide with multi-currency support (USD, CAD, INR, GBP, AUD, EUR, JPY) and paid acquisition layered on heavy earned media in Forbes, CNBC, Good Morning America, MSNBC, HuffPost, and the New York Times. Revenue comes from one-time hardware sales ($22.50–$349 per unit), multi-pack bundles, an Emergency Solar Lantern Bundle ($349), corporate gifting, and an affiliate/reseller program. The Give a Light humanitarian program — $25 donations plus 10% of profits — distributes lanterns through NGOs including Save the Children, the Clinton Global Initiative, Common Man for Ukraine, Navajo Strong, Stronger Than Maria, Florida Rising, and Operation Blessing, reaching 1M+ people in underserved regions and serving as a cause-marketing engine. The company is certified woman-owned, remains sub-10-person, and has taken only one disclosed funding round of $930,000 in 2018.

Name

Solight Design

Legal name

Solight Design Inc.

Website

https://solight-design.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Solight Design is a New York–based D2C hardware company that designs and sells patented origami-inspired collapsible solar lanterns (SolarPuff, QWNN, MegaPuff, Helix, Twilight) for outdoor, emergency-preparedness, off-grid, and humanitarian customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Solight Design generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer sales of their solar lanterns and accessories via their e-commerce website. Products are sold as one-time purchases with prices ranging from $22.50 to $349.00 depending on product type and configuration.
2. Humanitarian Donations (Give a Light): The Give a Light program allows customers to donate $25 solar lanterns to those in need, supporting disaster relief and underserved communities globally. This serves as both a revenue stream and social impact initiative.
3. Affiliate and Reseller Programs: Company offers affiliate programs and reseller programs for partners to sell Solight products, creating additional revenue distribution channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Solight Design manufactures and sells a line of patented, origami-inspired collapsible solar lanterns that self-inflate from flat polygons into cube or pyramid shapes. The product line includes SolarPuff, QWNN (with phone-charging power bank), MegaPuff, Twilight mini lantern, and Helix (hybrid and color-therapy variants), along with the SolaPack backpack accessory and emergency multipack bundles. Products are sold primarily direct-to-consumer via the company's own e-commerce website and supplemented by an affiliate/reseller program and a humanitarian "Give a Light" donation initiative.

Product overview

Solight Design offers a portfolio of origami-inspired collapsible solar lanterns and portable lighting solutions. The core product line includes SolarPuff™ (award-winning foldable cube lantern in hybrid and warm-only variants), QWNN™ (high-output lantern with integrated power bank), MegaPuff™ (enhanced lantern with USB-C phone charging), Twilight (mini lantern with red/white dual LEDs), and Helix (hybrid and multicolor color-therapy variants). Products share a common design language: self-inflating origami structure that folds flat for portability and expands into cube/pyramid shapes. The ecosystem includes the SolaPack backpack for transporting and passively charging lanterns, multi-pack bundles for families and emergency preparedness, and the Give a Light humanitarian program donating lanterns to disaster relief and off-grid communities worldwide. All lanterns feature solar charging, waterproof construction, and LED illumination with various lumens outputs and color modes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SolarPuff: Award-winning origami-inspired collapsible solar lantern with warm and bright light modes, self-inflating design.
• QWNN
• MegaPuff
• Helix
• Twilight
• SolaPack

Products and services

• SolarPuff™ Hybrid Solar Lantern

Quantifiable outcome

• One solar light saves 90 pounds of carbon emissions per year compared to lightbulb use
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Common Man for UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian partnership delivering thousands of solar lanterns to Ukrainian families enduring war. Founder Alice Chun was part of the 13th aid convoy in August 2025 and traveled solo to Ukraine in 2023 to personally deliver lights to children in hospitals and refugee camps, alongside 46,000 pounds of food for more than 37,000 Ukrainians.
• Navajo StrongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit dedicated to getting essential supplies to communities on the Navajo reservation. Solight partners to distribute lights in the Eastern Agency, where approximately 75% of households lack electricity. Lights enable children to do homework and families to safely navigate at night.
• Stronger Than MariacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization partnered for Hurricane Fiona relief in Puerto Rico. Previously worked with Solight after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and during 2019 earthquakes.
• Save the ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor humanitarian organization partnered with Solight for delivering lights to children and families in crisis zones globally.
• Clinton Global InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through CGI commitment for global humanitarian lighting initiatives in underserved communities.
• Florida RisingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization working for climate justice and housing. Partnered with Solight for Hurricane Ian relief in Florida, distributing lights to victims and fighting for frontline communities.
• Operation BlessingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian organization partnered for Puerto Rico relief efforts, working on the ground to deliver lights to those in need.
• NuDay - Ukrainian Refugee ReliefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit focused on Ukrainian refugee relief, partnered with Solight for delivering solar lanterns to displaced families.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration exploring how specific colors and wavelengths of light may support mood regulation, emotional balance, and stress reduction for the Helix Merlin color therapy lamp development.
• Other Give a Light PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional partners include: Care For Life, Hispanic Federation, Utah Refugee Connection, ANERA, The Senese Project, The United Way. Organizations working globally on humanitarian relief and refugee support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MPOWERD: Maker of Luci inflatable solar lanterns—the most direct competitor to Solight's SolarPuff with collapsible, waterproof, USB-rechargeable products sold across outdoor and emergency channels globally.
• LuminAID: Inflatable solar lantern brand founded on humanitarian lighting principles, selling through DTC, retail, and humanitarian channels—competes head-to-head with SolarPuff in both consumer and NGO markets.

Broad incumbents

• Goal Zero: Established portable solar power brand with broader product portfolio (panels, power stations, lights) sold through major outdoor retail; competes in solar lighting and phone-charging categories against Solight's QWNN and MegaPuff.
• Black Diamond Equipment: Climbing and outdoor brand with established camping lantern line; competes for the same outdoor enthusiast shelf space and consumer wallet share, though not in the solar-specific niche.
• Nite Ize: Broad consumer lighting and accessory company with rechargeable and solar-capable products; overlapping in the emergency-preparedness and outdoor consumer segments.
• Anker: Large consumer electronics brand with portable power banks and outdoor lighting that overlaps Solight's QWNN/MegaPuff power-bank-lantern functionality at typically lower price points.
• Streamlight: Established portable and tactical lighting manufacturer serving emergency, industrial, and outdoor channels; competes for emergency-preparedness and outdoor consumer spend.

Emerging players

• BioLite: Design-forward portable energy company with off-grid lighting and cooking products overlapping Solight's outdoor, emergency, and humanitarian segments, particularly in developing markets.
• d.light: Solar lighting company focused on off-grid and emerging-market consumers, competing directly with Solight's humanitarian and off-grid customer segments through affordable solar lanterns.

Regional players

• UCO Gear: Specialty outdoor lighting brand with collapsible and rechargeable camping lanterns; offers similar portable illumination use cases to Solight's outdoor enthusiast segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SolightDesign
• Instagraminstagram.com/solightdesign
• Pinterestpinterest.com/solightdesign
• Xx.com/Solar_Puff

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solight Design