SWITCH Lighting

What SWITCH Lighting does

SWITCH Lighting Ltd is a privately held, founder-managed New Zealand manufacturer of architectural LED lighting products, headquartered and produced at a build-to-order facility in Nelson Whakatū. The company designs, engineers and assembles interior, exterior, commercial, ribbon and controller/driver products across more than 270 SKUs in five categories, with premium ZELA, D-LIGHTZ and Art Series luminaires differentiated by high CRI (90+ to 97+), IC-F rated thermal management, Sunset Dimming, Tunable White, three-step MacAdam Ellipse color consistency, and the proprietary SLiC smart control system built on Casambi Bluetooth Low Energy mesh technology. A dedicated low-voltage DC driver range addresses marine, yacht, motorhome and off-grid residential applications.

The business model combines hardware sales of in-house engineered luminaires with a professional lighting design service sold through three Lighting Hub showrooms (Auckland, Nelson, Christchurch) and a network of territory-based lighting consultants. Distribution is exclusively through electrical wholesalers across New Zealand, supplemented by specification-driven sales into commercial and hospitality projects (e.g., The Grand by SkyCity, Meriton Suites, Red16, Amazonita, Rehutai Museum), with emerging Australian projects sourced through partner TEC-LED in Sydney. The company monetises across residential, commercial/hospitality, marine and off-grid verticals, ranging from economical sLED series products to premium ZELA architectural lines, with pricing not publicly disclosed.

The company was founded in 2009 by Gerard Woods (Managing Director) and is operated by a team of approximately 14-16 staff. It has secured repeated industry recognition including Deloitte Fast 50 fastest-growing manufacturer awards (2015, 2016, 2017), NZ Trade Group and Corys Electrical Supplier of the Year awards (2019, 2021, 2023) and IES ANZ NZ People's Choice and Commendation awards (2023). Two Callaghan Innovation grants (2017 and 2021) are the only disclosed funding events; there is no institutional investor or parent company. Revenue, profitability and headcount growth figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

SWITCH Lighting

Legal name

Switch Lighting Ltd

Website

https://switch-lighting.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SWITCH Lighting is a privately held New Zealand manufacturer of architectural LED luminaires, designing, engineering and building its range at a Nelson facility for residential, commercial, hospitality, marine and off-grid customers across New Zealand and Australia, distributed via electrical wholesalers and Lighting Hub showrooms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural LED Lighting

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Residential Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335131)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights) (IMAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Architectural LED lighting
• LED downlights
• Smart lighting control
• Commercial lighting fixtures
• Lighting design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nelson

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. LED Luminaires and Fixtures: Primary revenue stream from designing, engineering and manufacturing architectural LED lighting products including downlights, pendant lights, wall lights, path lights, bollards, ribbon lighting, and commercial fixtures. Products are customisable and built to order at the Nelson factory.
2. Professional Lighting Design Services: Comprehensive lighting design service where qualified lighting designers create bespoke lighting plans tailored to client budgets and visions, reviewing building floor plans and providing complete luminaire schedules.
3. Controllers, Drivers and Accessories: Supporting revenue stream from drivers (constant current, constant voltage, control system, DC-DC converters, marine drivers), SLiC control systems, sensors, adapter plates, brackets, and installation accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Switch Lighting designs, engineers, and manufactures architectural LED luminaires and fixtures in Nelson, New Zealand, organised across interior, exterior, commercial, ribbon lighting, and controllers/drivers/accessories categories. Products are built to order at the in-house Nelson factory and distributed exclusively through electrical wholesalers across New Zealand. The company also offers a professional lighting design service and the SLiC smart lighting control platform powered by Casambi.

Product overview

Switch Lighting is New Zealand's leading manufacturer of architectural LED lighting solutions, designing, engineering, and building products in Nelson, New Zealand since 2009. The product portfolio is organized around five main categories: Interior Lighting (featuring ZELA, D-LIGHTZ, E-LIGHTZ, Mini-LIGHTZ, Spot-LIGHTZ, sLED series, Pendant Lights, Indirect Lighting), Exterior Lighting (Wall Lights, Path Lights, Bollard Lights, Marker-LIGHTZ, Spot-LIGHTZ), Commercial Lighting (Fire Rated Downlights, sLED Commercial products), Ribbon Lighting (LED strips, Neon strips, Aluminium Profiles), and Controllers/Drivers/Accessories. The SLiC (Switch Lighting Intelligent Control) platform powered by Casambi provides smart lighting control via Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking. Products range from economical sLED series for budget-conscious installations to premium ZELA architectural luminaires with high CRI options (up to 97+). The company also offers professional lighting design services and low voltage solutions for off-grid and marine applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SLiC (Switch Lighting Intelligent Control): Smart lighting control system powered by Casambi, providing precise control over brightness, colour, and scenes.

Products and services

• ZELA Fixed & Deep Fixed Downlights Premium architectural LED downlight series with multiple configurations (Fixed, Deep Fixed, Tilt, Deep Tilt). Features ultra low glare (ULG) lenses, prismatic, clear glass, opaque, and lens variants with various beam angles. High CRI options (90+ for Pure Colour Professional Series, 97+ for Art Series). Designed for premium residential and commercial interior installations.
• ZELA Tilt & Deep Tilt Downlights Premium architectural LED downlight series with tilt adjustability, available in Deep Tilt and standard Tilt configurations. Features Sunset Dimming capability for warm mood lighting that emulates natural sunset progression. Replaces 50W halogen fittings, ideal for retrofit projects.
• ZELA Fire Rated Downlights Fire-rated architectural LED downlights meeting fire safety standards, available in Fixed, Tilt, and Deep Fixed configurations with multiple lens options including prismatic, clear glass, ultra low glare, opaque, lens, and asymmetric beam patterns. Designed for commercial projects requiring fire safety compliance.
• ZELA décor Pendant Light Premium pendant luminaire with slim ceiling rose design and adjustable cable length. Available with prismatic, clear glass, lens, or honeycomb diffusers. Features tunable white option, multiple beam angles (9° to 55°), and IP20 rating. Designed for premium architectural interior installations.
• ZELA Art Spot Semi-recessed LED downlight designed for precision lighting in galleries, hallways, and architectural spaces. Features 350° pan rotation and 95° tilt adjustability with multiple beam angles and high CRI options.
• D-LIGHTZ Fixed & Tilt Downlights Economical LED downlight series designed to replace 50W halogen fittings, available in Fixed and Tilt configurations. Features Sunset Dimming option and high CRI ratings (90+ Professional Series, 97+ Art Series) for superior colour rendering. Targeted at retrofit and mainstream residential projects.
• E-LIGHTZ Low Voltage Downlights Low voltage LED downlight solution with adjustable colour temperature. Features Sunset Dimming capability for circadian rhythm support. Available in silver and black finishes. Designed for residential applications using low voltage systems.
• Mini-LIGHTZ Interior Downlights Compact LED downlights for cabinet and display lighting. Available in multiple mounting options including friction fit and spring mount. Features low glare design with high CRI. Suitable for residential display and accent applications.
• Spot-LIGHTZ Interior Spotlights High-powered LED spotlights for accent and feature lighting. Available in constant current and constant voltage versions. Suitable for both interior and exterior applications with IP ratings up to IP65.
• Mini Downlights (Linear) Versatile LED linear lighting for interior applications. Features ultra low glare prismatic lens for sharp, defined beam patterns. Ideal for kitchen countertops and workstations.
• CIRRO Indirect / Ceiling Washer Lighting Architectural LED linear lighting for cove and indirect illumination. Available in multiple lengths and colour temperatures with high CRI options. Designed for indirect architectural lighting applications.
• Ribbon Lighting LED strip luminaires for both interior and exterior applications. Includes Ribbon Strip, Neon Strip, and Aluminium Profiles for architectural lighting installations.
• Exterior Wall Lights Exterior wall-mounted lighting fixtures providing up/down illumination. Available in single or double configurations with high CRI LED sources for architectural outdoor applications.
• Path Lights Exterior path and garden lighting fixtures. Mushroom-style design with spike mounting for landscape illumination.
• Bollard Lights Exterior bollard lights for path and landscape lighting. Available in hardwood finishes and multiple designs for architectural outdoor applications.
• Marker-LIGHTZ Exterior Marker Lights Compact marker lights for exterior applications. Low voltage options available for marine, landscape, and architectural detailing.
• sLED Commercial Downlights Commercial LED downlight series for offices, retail, and public buildings. High CRI options available for accurate colour rendering. Designed for task and general illumination in commercial spaces.
• SLiC (Switch Lighting Intelligent Control) Smart lighting control platform powered by Casambi using Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking. Enables wireless control of individual luminaires, scene setting, colour temperature tuning, brightness adjustment, and scheduling. No central hub required. Includes Casambi CBU-ASD control units, Casambi Cloud Gateway, Casambi Xpress wall controls, Casambi-enabled microwave presence detectors, CBU relay, CBU-PWM4, and CBU-TED dimmer modules.
• LED Drivers LED drivers including constant current, constant voltage, control system drivers, DC-DC converters, insulation coverable drivers, and marine-grade drivers for various installation requirements.
• LED Installation Accessories Accessories including adapter plates, brackets, hoods, LED tools, sensors, spikes, and waterproof connectors for installation flexibility.
• Professional Lighting Design Service Professional lighting design service with comprehensive illumination planning. Includes review of building floor plans, fixture scheduling, and bespoke designs tailored to budget and vision. Delivered by Switch Lighting's qualified lighting designers based at the Nelson head office and Lighting Hubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of over 80% compared to incandescent lighting
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CasambicoreTechnology or IntegrationCasambi provides the wireless technology platform powering Switch Lighting's SLiC (Switch Lighting Intelligent Control) system. The partnership enables smart lighting control through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh network technology, allowing individual luminaire control, scene setting, colour temperature adjustment, and scheduling without requiring a central hub.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Halcyon Lighting: NZ-based LED lighting manufacturer offering residential and commercial luminaires through similar wholesale and trade channels; directly competes with Switch Lighting in the same product categories and geography.
• Modular Lighting Instruments: Architectural LED downlight and linear lighting manufacturer focused on premium specification projects; comparable in target customer (architects, designers) and product category to Switch's ZELA line.
• Delta Light: Belgian architectural lighting manufacturer specialising in premium downlights, track lights, and linear fixtures for high-end hospitality and commercial projects; directly comparable in specification-driven premium niche.
• iGuzzini: Italian architectural lighting manufacturer serving museums, hospitality, and high-end commercial projects worldwide; comparable on premium specification focus and integrated design-engineering model.

Broad incumbents

• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting giant offering residential, commercial, and architectural LED luminaires; competes broadly with Switch in NZ but spans a vastly wider portfolio and price range.
• ERCO: German architectural lighting specialist with strong museum, gallery, and hospitality focus; broader global footprint but serves the same premium specifier base as Switch Lighting.
• Zumtobel Group: Austrian lighting group encompassing Zumtobel, Thorn, and Tridonic; competes with Switch in commercial architectural lighting globally, particularly on premium specification projects.

Regional players

• Beacon Lighting: Australia's largest specialty lighting retailer and wholesaler with private-label products; competes with Switch in the trans-Tasman market, particularly for residential and commercial LED fixtures.
• Havit Lighting: Australian commercial and architectural LED lighting supplier with strong trade/wholesale channel; comparable in product mix (downlights, exterior, smart controls) and trade-distribution GTM.

Others

• Casambi: Finnish Bluetooth mesh smart lighting control platform that powers Switch's SLiC; comparable as the underlying technology partner and an emerging player in the wireless lighting controls space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/switchlightbulbs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/switch-lighting
• Instagraminstagram.com/switchlightingnz
• Xx.com/switchlightbulb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 SWITCH Lighting