LightStanza
LightStanza is a Boulder, Colorado-based SaaS company offering cloud-based electric lighting and daylight simulation software for architects, lighting designers, sustainability consultants, and manufacturers. The platform uses the validated Radiance engine and supports LEED v4, WELL v2, and prEN17037 compliance reporting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What LightStanza does
LightStanza is a Boulder, Colorado-based software company that provides a cloud-based platform for electric lighting and daylight simulation, serving architects, lighting designers, electrical engineers, sustainability consultants, and lighting product manufacturers. Founded in 2015 by Daniel Glaser, PhD, a UC Berkeley-trained lighting researcher with active IES technical committee participation and DOE/NSF innovation grant recognition, the company targets the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry with a focus on BIM-integrated workflows and green-building certification compliance.
The core product is a web application that imports native 3D models from Revit (via a dedicated plugin supporting versions 2021-2026), SketchUp, Rhino, and ArchiCAD (via IFC), and runs lighting calculations on the validated Radiance engine through a proprietary High-Performance cloud server architecture that distributes jobs across multiple servers. The platform supports point-in-time, annual, and LEED v4 / WELL v2 / prEN17037 daylight analysis with metrics including sDA, ASE, cDA, DA, UDI, average illuminance, and daylight factor, and includes a one-click USGBC-approved LEED v4 Daylight Report Card, automatic operable blind modeling per IES LM-83, BSDF material support, illuminance grid management, comparison tools, and team collaboration features. Complementary products include the Revit plugin, pre-built Revit Lighting Families, a Product Simulator for daylight products, and a Manufacturer Portal that allows lighting brands to feature their products in the in-app product library.
The company operates a freemium self-serve SaaS model with tiered plans from Free ($0, 3 calculations/month) through Starter ($35/mo), Core ($99/mo), Premium ($199/mo), and Daylight ($287.50/mo), plus a custom-priced Enterprise plan with personalized training and priority support, and annual billing discounts of 25-47%. Distribution is primarily direct through the web app supplemented by enterprise sales (Calendly-scheduled demos), regional resellers in India and Brazil, and a paid training partnership with 4 Ideal Designs. A second revenue stream comes from lighting manufacturers paying $250/month for in-app advertising and $2,750/year for product database inclusion. The company has raised approximately $1.3M in disclosed non-dilutive funding across NSF grants ($150K in 2015, $898K in 2017) and a Colorado OEDIT award ($250K in November 2025), and operates with a small team of approximately nine people.
LightStanza firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LightStanza
- Legal name
- LightStanza
- Website
- https://lightstanza.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- LightStanza is a Boulder, Colorado-based SaaS company offering cloud-based electric lighting and daylight simulation software for architects, lighting designers, sustainability consultants, and manufacturers. The platform uses the validated Radiance engine and supports LEED v4, WELL v2, and prEN17037 compliance reporting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LightStanza industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Lighting Simulation Software
- NAICS
- Electric Lamp Bulb and Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (335139)
- SIC
- Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lighting Controls & Smart Lighting Systems (BPABAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)
Keywords
Where LightStanza is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
LightStanza business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription SaaS (Tiered Plans): Recurring monthly or annual subscription with tiered plans. Revenue tiers: Free ($0, 3 calcs/month), Starter ($35/mo monthly or $26.25/mo annual), Core ($99/mo monthly or $51.67/mo annual), Premium ($199/mo monthly or $105/mo annual), Daylight ($287.50/mo monthly or $166.67/mo annual).
- Enterprise Custom Plan: Custom-tailored enterprise plan with unrestricted access to all features, personalized training, priority support. Quote-based pricing.
- Manufacturer Advertising & Product Database: Advertising placements displayed throughout the app ($250/month, 3-month minimum). Product database inclusion ($2,750/year, includes 3 months free advertising). Targets lighting product manufacturers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free — 3 calculations/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Starter — 9 calculations/month with basic renderings |
| Subscription | Monthly | Core — 18 calculations/month with reporting |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium — 40 calculations/month with LEED support |
| Subscription | Monthly | Daylight — 40 calculations/month with glare analysis |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise — Custom pricing for full access |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
LightStanza product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LightStanza is a cloud-based lighting analysis SaaS platform built on the Radiance engine that enables architects, lighting designers, and engineers to import native 3D models from Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, and ArchiCAD and run point-in-time, annual, and LEED/WELL daylight compliance simulations. It offers a one-click USGBC-approved LEED v4 Daylight Scorecard, supports BSDF-based materials and 5-phase annual methods, and delivers results faster than desktop Radiance via a proprietary distributed cloud computing architecture.
Product overview
LightStanza is a unified cloud-based lighting analysis platform comprising the core LightStanza web application, a Revit plugin for bidirectional model syncing, a Product Simulator for daylight product exploration, a LEED Daylight Scorecard module for compliance reporting, pre-built Revit Lighting Families, and a Manufacturer Portal for product integration. The platform supports model import from Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, and ArchiCAD (via IFC), runs Radiance-powered electric and daylight calculations in the cloud, and offers tiered subscription plans from Free through Daylight to Enterprise. Training is delivered through a partnership with 4 Ideal Designs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- LightStanza Cloud Platform Cloud-based lighting analysis SaaS platform for electric and daylight simulation. Users import 3D models from Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, or ArchiCAD; assign materials, IES files, and blinds; and run point-in-time, annual, and LEED compliance calculations via the Radiance engine. Sold via tiered subscriptions from Free to Daylight, plus custom Enterprise.
- LightStanza Revit Plugin Required plugin for importing Revit models into LightStanza. Supports Revit versions 2021-2026 and enables bidirectional sync of model changes and geometry between Revit and LightStanza. Distributed free to subscribers.
- LightStanza Product Simulator Daylight product simulation module that allows designers to model and explore daylight products such as skylights, translucent glazing, dynamic glass, automated shading systems, and redirect films, including BSDF data integration.
- LightStanza Manufacturer Portal Platform for lighting product manufacturers to feature their products in LightStanza's built-in product library and reach designers/specifiers; includes advertising placements ($250/month) and product database inclusion ($2,750/year).
- LightStanza Training Courses Paid online training courses for LightStanza users, including a Daylighting Design course and a Revit Lighting Families course, delivered in partnership with 4 Ideal Designs; supplemented by monthly open office hours with the LightStanza team.
Quantifiable outcome
- Proven within 4% accuracy vs. real-world measurements (Vaidya & Prasad, 2019, CEPT University)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use LightStanza
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
LightStanza technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature9 records
LightStanza partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered regional, minor and core.
- GAURAV VAKILregionalGaurav Vakil is an energy efficiency and green building consultant based in India serving as a regional reseller. He holds LEED Green Associate, GRIHA CP, and IGBC-AP certifications and has an M-Tech in Building Energy Performance. He represents LightStanza for licensing, support, and training in the Indian market.
- LEUKOMregionalLEUKOM is the official representative for licensing, support, and training of LightStanza in Brazil. They serve as a regional reseller and support hub for Brazilian customers.
- 4 Ideal Designsminor4 Ideal Designs offers LightStanza training courses including a Daylighting course and Revit Lighting Families course through their online platform (4idu.4idealdesign.com). These are official training partners.
- Various Lighting Manufacturers (via Product Database)coreMultiple lighting manufacturers partner with LightStanza to feature their products in the built-in product library, enabling designers to directly specify their products during simulations. Manufacturers include those shown in the product library logos (Line 1: major manufacturers). Manufacturers pay for advertising ($250/month) and product database inclusion ($2,750/year).
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LightStanza competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LightStanza social profiles
Digital presenceLightStanza financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LightStanza leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
LightStanza funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LightStanza 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 LightStanza
What does LightStanza do?
LightStanza is a cloud-based lighting analysis SaaS platform built on the Radiance engine that enables architects, lighting designers, and engineers to import native 3D models from Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, and ArchiCAD and run point-in-time, annual, and LEED/WELL daylight compliance simulations. It offers a one-click USGBC-approved LEED v4 Daylight Scorecard, supports BSDF-based materials and 5-phase annual methods, and delivers results faster than desktop Radiance via a proprietary distributed cloud computing architecture.
Is LightStanza a public or private company?
LightStanza is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was LightStanza founded?
LightStanza was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is LightStanza based?
LightStanza is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does LightStanza make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription SaaS (Tiered Plans) is the primary driver. The others are enterprise Custom Plan and manufacturer Advertising & Product Database.
Does LightStanza have an API?
No public API is recorded for LightStanza.
What industry is LightStanza in?
LightStanza's product category is Lighting Simulation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABAGAC, Lighting Controls & Smart Lighting Systems, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAJ, Lighting Design Services. Its NAICS code is 335139 and its SIC code is 3825.