VLNComm
VLNComm is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based private company founded in 2015 that builds LiFi (visible light communication) hardware — LED panel access points, USB adapters, and desk lamps — to deliver secure, RF-free indoor wireless networking for government, healthcare, enterprise, and automotive customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCharlottesville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What VLNComm does
VLNComm is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based private company founded in 2015 that develops Visible Light Communication (LiFi) technology — a wireless data transmission approach using intensity-modulated LED lighting rather than radio frequencies. Its three-product ecosystem comprises the LumiNex LED lighting panel access point (priced at $1,499.99), the LumiStick II USB receiver adapter (108 Mbps downlink, 53 Mbps uplink, $499.99), and the LumiLamp desk lamp (quote-based pricing), which together enable indoor optical networking with claimed benefits including wall-confined security, electromagnetic-interference-free operation, and high-density indoor positioning accuracy of approximately one inch.
The company targets six vertical segments: government and defense (SCIF and command-post applications emphasizing un-hackable, un-traceable connectivity), healthcare (electromagnetic-interference avoidance in clinical settings), enterprise and institutions (congestion relief for Wi-Fi), construction and underground sites (RF-denied environments), industry and supply chain (warehouse robotics and indoor positioning), and innovative technologies including automotive V2V/V2R communication, IoT, and VR streaming. Go-to-market combines a direct e-commerce storefront for individual and SMB buyers with quote-based enterprise and government sales, supported by partnership channels targeting consumer device OEMs, automotive Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers, and IoT manufacturers. Disclosed revenue streams include one-time hardware sales, professional services for customized deployments, and a longer-term licensing and royalty model in automotive.
VLNComm has raised approximately $5.7 million across four disclosed tranches from 2015 to 2018, including a $225,000 NSF grant (2015) and two larger rounds in late 2017 and early 2018. The company maintains a Silicon Valley office at the Plug & Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, California alongside its Virginia headquarters, and lists the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation among its sponsors and partners. No revenue figures, named customers, or issued patents are disclosed in the available source material.
VLNComm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VLNComm
- Legal name
- VLNComm
- Website
- https://vlncomm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- VLNComm is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based private company founded in 2015 that builds LiFi (visible light communication) hardware — LED panel access points, USB adapters, and desk lamps — to deliver secure, RF-free indoor wireless networking for government, healthcare, enterprise, and automotive customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VLNComm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- LiFi Optical Wireless Networking Hardware
- NAICS
- Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Electric Lamp Bulb and Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (335139)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting) (IMAGAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports) (HDAIAGAD)
Keywords
Where VLNComm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlottesville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
VLNComm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: Sale of LiFi hardware products including LED panels (LumiNex), USB adapters (LumiStick II), and desk lamps (LumiLamp). Products are sold directly to enterprise customers with enterprise pricing for bulk orders.
- Enterprise Solutions and Customization: Customized products and solutions for mission critical communication challenges in government and defense sectors. Professional services for integration and deployment.
- Automotive LiFi Integration: Partnership with OEM, Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive companies to integrate LiFi for V2V and V2R communication in autonomous vehicles.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LumiNex LED LiFi Access Point |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LumiStick II USB LiFi Adapter |
| Other | Multi-year contract | LumiLamp LiFi Enabled Desk Lamp |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
VLNComm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VLNComm develops and sells LiFi (Light Fidelity) hardware products that use modulated LED light to provide wireless data transmission. Its product ecosystem includes the LumiNex LED access point panel, the LumiStick II USB adapter for client devices, and the LumiLamp desk lamp, delivering light-based networking with simultaneous illumination. The company targets enterprise, government/defense, healthcare, industrial, and automotive applications where RF-based Wi-Fi is constrained by security, interference, or congestion.
Product overview
VLNComm offers a LiFi (Light Fidelity) ecosystem comprising three core products: LumiNex (LED LiFi access point/lighting panel), LumiStick II (USB LiFi adapter for device connectivity), and LumiLamp (LiFi-enabled desk lamp). These products work together to provide indoor wireless networking using visible light spectrum, with LumiNex serving as the primary access point and LumiStick II/LumiLamp enabling devices to connect to the LiFi network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LumiNex: LiFi-enabled LED Panel - World first LiFi enabled lighting panel providing indoor wireless networking in offices, hospitals, libraries, schools, convention centers, airports and warehouses.
- LumiStick II
- LumiLamp
Products and services
- LumiNex LiFi-enabled LED Panel World's first LiFi-enabled LED lighting panel that provides indoor wireless networking through variations in light intensity. Uses Ethernet to connect to the network and serves as a LiFi access point for offices, hospitals, libraries, schools, convention centers, airports and warehouses. Listed at $1,499.99 per unit.
- LumiStick II LiFi USB Adapter
Quantifiable outcome
- Transmission speeds up to 100 Mbps in busiest enterprise offices
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use VLNComm
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
VLNComm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
VLNComm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Plug & Play Tech CentercoreVLNComm is headquartered at the Plug & Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, California, indicating a strategic partnership for innovation and startup ecosystem engagement in Silicon Valley.
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)majorDOE is listed as a sponsor/partner, suggesting collaboration on energy-efficient lighting and communication technologies.
- National Science Foundation (NSF)majorNSF is listed as a sponsor/partner, indicating research and development collaboration in LiFi technology.
- Automotive OEM, Tier 1 and Tier 2 CompaniesmajorVLNComm is working with automotive companies to provide LiFi connectivity between cars and infrastructure for autonomous vehicles in urban areas and covered spaces.
- IoT Device Manufacturers and Robotics CompaniescorePartnerships to deliver LiFi solutions for companies experiencing wireless network issues in enterprise, manufacturing and warehouse environments.
- Consumer Device ManufacturersmajorIntegration of LiFi within smartphones, laptops, tablets and other consumer devices to provide high-speed and private connectivity experience.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VLNComm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- pureLiFi: pureLiFi is a UK-based LiFi technology company offering LiFi access points and USB/dongle receivers for enterprise and defense customers. It is the most direct competitor to VLNComm, competing head-to-head in LiFi LED panels and adapters serving similar secure-facility and enterprise use cases.
- OLEDCOMM: OLEDCOMM is a France-based LiFi company developing LiFi-enabled LED fixtures, modems, and geolocation products. Like VLNComm, it serves enterprise, healthcare, and defense-adjacent markets with light-based wireless connectivity, making it a direct comparable in product and customer overlap.
Broad incumbents
- Signify (Philips Lighting / Trulifi): Signify is one of the world's largest lighting companies and offers a Trulifi LiFi product line integrated into its professional lighting portfolio. It competes broadly in networked/connected lighting and brings massive scale, OEM relationships, and global distribution to the same LiFi category VLNComm targets.
- Acuity Brands: Acuity Brands is a major North American lighting and building solutions company with networked lighting controls (nLight, DTL). It overlaps with VLNComm at the lighting-controls-and-building-integration layer, though it does not specifically market LiFi products today.
- Current (GE Current, a Dentsu company): Current combines LED lighting with IoT sensors and software for commercial and industrial customers. It is comparable to VLNComm at the intersection of connected lighting and industrial IoT, even though it does not currently offer LiFi technology.
- Legrand: Legrand is a global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures, including lighting controls and connected building systems. It is a broad incumbent whose lighting controls and building integration portfolio overlaps with VLNComm's networked-lighting positioning.
- Signify Trulifi (standalone reference): Signify's Trulifi LiFi line integrates light-based wireless into Philips-branded luminaires for offices, industry, and healthcare. It is directly comparable to VLNComm's LumiNex and LumiStick products as a competing LiFi ecosystem from a much larger incumbent.
Emerging players
- Lucibel: Lucibel is a French lighting company that has developed LiFi-enabled luminaires through its Lucibel Pro and Oledcomm-linked activities. It is a niche, emerging player targeting similar enterprise and healthcare use cases with networked lighting products.
- Firefly LiFi: Firefly LiFi is an emerging player developing LiFi-enabled lighting and networking products. It is comparable to VLNComm as another early-stage entrant in the same product category, though with a different geographic and customer footprint.
- Casambi: Casambi provides Bluetooth-based wireless lighting control modules and software used in commercial and architectural lighting. While using RF rather than LiFi, Casambi is comparable to VLNComm as a connected-lighting ecosystem serving similar enterprise and architectural customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
VLNComm social profiles
Digital presenceVLNComm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VLNComm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
VLNComm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VLNComm M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VLNComm
What does VLNComm do?
VLNComm develops and sells LiFi (Light Fidelity) hardware products that use modulated LED light to provide wireless data transmission. Its product ecosystem includes the LumiNex LED access point panel, the LumiStick II USB adapter for client devices, and the LumiLamp desk lamp, delivering light-based networking with simultaneous illumination. The company targets enterprise, government/defense, healthcare, industrial, and automotive applications where RF-based Wi-Fi is constrained by security, interference, or congestion.
Is VLNComm a public or private company?
VLNComm is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was VLNComm founded?
VLNComm was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is VLNComm based?
VLNComm is headquartered in Charlottesville, United States, in the North America region.
How does VLNComm make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are enterprise Solutions and Customization and automotive LiFi Integration.
Who are VLNComm's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are pureLiFi and OLEDCOMM. Broad incumbents are Signify (Philips Lighting / Trulifi), Acuity Brands, Current (GE Current, a Dentsu company), Legrand and Signify Trulifi (standalone reference). Emerging players are Lucibel, Firefly LiFi and Casambi.
Does VLNComm have an API?
No public API is recorded for VLNComm.
What industry is VLNComm in?
VLNComm's product category is LiFi Optical Wireless Networking Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAIAI, Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting), with a secondary code of HDAIAGAD, Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports). Its NAICS code is 3351 and its SIC code is 3640.