Crystal IS

What Crystal IS does

Crystal IS, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Green Island, New York, manufactures ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UVC LEDs) built on proprietary bulk Aluminum Nitride (AlN) substrate technology for water, air, and surface disinfection as well as sensing applications. The company's core technical differentiator is its bulk AlN substrate platform, which enables lattice-matched pseudomorphic growth of UVC epitaxial layers with peak power output at 265 nm, achieving more than double the internal quantum efficiency of sapphire-based alternatives and a Lambertian emission pattern that simplifies optical integration. Products are organized under three sub-brands: Klaran (UVC LED components and integrated reactors for point-of-use and point-of-entry water disinfection), Optan (UVC sensor LEDs for absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy in water quality and gas sensing), and Substrates (bulk AlN wafers sold to semiconductor manufacturers and research institutions).

The business operates as an OEM-embedded B2B component supplier, selling directly to manufacturers across consumer, commercial, and industrial water treatment markets, with flagship customers including Amway's eSpring Water Treatment System. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of LED components, integrated reactor systems, and AlN substrates, supported by application engineering services. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, channel partnerships with water reactor design specialists (Watersprint, Aquisense, UVDF), and the global reach of its parent company Asahi Kasei, which acquired Crystal IS in 2011. The company holds NSF/ANSI 55 Class B and ISO 9001:2015 certifications, leverages over 25 years of accumulated AlN expertise, and is increasingly pursuing adjacent markets in air quality, surface disinfection, and RF power semiconductors through collaborations such as its work with Cornell University on XHEMT transistors.

Name

Crystal IS

Legal name

Crystal IS, Inc.

Website

http://www.cisuvc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Crystal IS manufactures UVC LEDs and bulk Aluminum Nitride substrates for OEM customers in water disinfection, air quality, and sensing markets; the company sells Klaran LEDs, Optan sensor LEDs, and AlN substrates as a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

UVC LED Components and Aluminum Nitride Substrates

NAICS

Electric Lamp Bulb and Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (335139), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)

Keywords

• UVC LED technology
• Water disinfection systems
• Aluminum nitride substrates
• UV sensor LEDs
• Mercury-free disinfection

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. UVC LED Components: Sale of UVC LED components (Klaran product line) for water disinfection applications. Solid-state semiconductor devices sold as discrete components for integration into OEM products.
2. UVC LED Systems: Sale of UVC LED systems including reactors and integrated solutions for water treatment. These complete systems are sold to manufacturers and end customers.
3. AlN Substrates: Sale of bulk aluminum nitride substrates to other semiconductor manufacturers and research institutions. Crystal IS has achieved 99% usable area on 100 mm bulk AlN substrates.
4. Optan UVC Sensor LEDs: Sale of UVC sensor LEDs for sensing applications including water quality monitoring, gas sensing, and spectroscopy.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Crystal IS manufactures UVC LEDs, UVC LED-based water disinfection reactors, and bulk Aluminum Nitride (AlN) substrates. Its products emit germicidal light in the 260–270 nm range for water, air, and surface disinfection and are sold as discrete components and integrated systems to OEM manufacturers, appliance makers, and semiconductor companies for incorporation into consumer, commercial, and industrial applications.

Product overview

Crystal IS offers a unified product portfolio centered on Aluminum Nitride (AlN) UVC LED technology for disinfection applications. The core offerings include Klaran (water disinfection LEDs and reactors), Optan (sensor LEDs for water quality monitoring), and Substrates (bulk AlN substrates). The products are built on Crystal IS's proprietary bulk Aluminum Nitride technology, which enables higher internal efficiency and lower internal absorption compared to sapphire-based alternatives. The portfolio serves water, air, and surface disinfection markets across consumer, commercial, and industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Klaran: UVC LEDs and systems for water disinfection applications
• Optan
• Substrates

Products and services

• Klaran UVC Disinfection LEDs UVC LED product line emitting germicidal light in the 260–270 nm range for point-of-use and point-of-entry water disinfection; sold to OEM manufacturers for integration into water treatment appliances, dispensers, and industrial systems.
• Optan UVC Sensor LEDs UVC Sensor LEDs for absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, gas sensing, and online real-time water quality monitoring, offering low power usage and high accuracy for instrument OEMs and research institutions.
• Bulk Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Substrates Bulk Aluminum Nitride substrates with low defect density, high UV transparency, and low impurity concentrations, serving as the foundation for high-performance UVC LEDs and supplied to semiconductor manufacturers and research institutions.
• Klaran UVC LED Reactor UVC LED-based water reactor systems designed for integration into water dispensers, coolers, and beverage equipment, offering maintenance-free operation lasting the lifetime of the host product.
• Klaran WS Series UVC LED Retrofit Kit UVC LED Retrofit Kit for water cooler systems providing microbiological disinfection capability for existing equipment.
• Klaran WR Series UVC LED Reactor UVC LED Reactor designed for water cooler systems with proven microbiological effectiveness testing protocols for commercial water disinfection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25% more energy efficient than mercury lamp-based systems
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• AmwayflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 30 April 2024Amway selected Crystal IS to treat and disinfect water in its new eSpring Water Treatment System. Crystal IS's Klaran UVC LEDs provide point-of-use disinfection ensuring reliable purification without affecting temperature, taste, or smell of the water.
• Asahi KaseicoreOthers · 1 January 2011In 2011, Crystal IS was acquired by Asahi Kasei, a diversified Japanese holding company with more than 45,000 employees serving customers in over 100 countries through technical innovation in materials, homes and healthcare business sectors. Crystal IS operates as a subsidiary maintaining its brand and operations.
• Cornell UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell researchers collaborated with Crystal IS to produce ultra-low dislocation density AlN single crystals used in development of next-generation XHEMT RF transistors for 5G/6G networks and defense radar systems.
• WatersprintcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWater reactor design partner providing complete UVC LED-based water disinfection solutions integrated with Crystal IS LEDs for commercial applications.
• AquisensecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWater reactor design partner specializing in UVC LED disinfection systems for commercial and industrial water treatment applications.
• UVDFcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWater reactor design partner offering UVC LED-based disinfection solutions for point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment.
• CDI (Component Distributors Inc.)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrototype development partner providing distribution and support for Crystal IS products in prototype development and evaluation.
• SEMIminorOthersIndustry association membership supporting the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industry.
• WaterCooler EuropeminorOthersIndustry association membership for water cooler and dispensers industry in Europe.
• UVSAFEminorOthersIndustry coalition focused on safe use of UV technology for disinfection and sterilization applications.
• Advanced UV for LifeminorOthersIndustry initiative promoting UV technology applications for life sciences and healthcare disinfection.
• International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA)minorOthersProfessional association dedicated to the advancement of ultraviolet disinfection and treatment technologies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Seoul Viosys: South Korean LED manufacturer and one of the leading global suppliers of UVC LEDs under its Violeds brand. Competes directly with Crystal IS's Klaran line in water, air, and surface disinfection applications, with a broader product portfolio across visible and UV wavelengths.
• Bolb Inc. Emerging US-based UVC LED company developing high-output deep-UV LEDs for disinfection and sterilization. Competes with Crystal IS in germicidal UVC LED performance and is targeting similar water, air, and surface disinfection use cases.
• Nichia: Japanese LED market leader with a strong UVC LED product line used in sterilization and water treatment. As the largest general LED manufacturer, Nichia competes directly with Crystal IS in UVC LEDs while offering broader illumination and specialty lighting products.
• AquiSense Technologies: US-based specialist in UVC LED water treatment systems and a Crystal IS channel partner. Competes directly in UVC LED-based point-of-use, point-of-entry, and industrial water disinfection, often sourcing LEDs from Crystal IS or peer manufacturers like Seoul Viosys.
• Luminus Devices: US-based specialty LED manufacturer offering UV/UVC, visible, and infrared LEDs for industrial, medical, and horticultural applications. Luminus's UV LED portfolio competes directly with Crystal IS's Klaran disinfection LEDs and Optan sensor LEDs.

Broad incumbents

• Halma plc: UK-listed safety and environmental technology group owning UV water treatment brands including Hanovia and Berson. Halma serves municipal, industrial, and commercial UV disinfection markets with traditional lamp-based systems and is a comparable incumbent to Crystal IS in the broader water disinfection space.
• Trojan Technologies: Specialist in UV water treatment systems for municipal, industrial, and recreational water applications. A long-standing incumbent in UV disinfection whose transition to UV LED technology would intersect with Crystal IS's growth opportunity.
• ams Osram: Large European optoelectronics conglomerate producing LEDs, lasers, and sensors including UVC LEDs for disinfection and horticultural lighting. While not exclusively focused on UVC, ams Osram's scale, automotive and industrial channels, and UV portfolio position it as a broad incumbent competitor.
• Xylem: Global water technology company with significant UV disinfection systems under the Wedeco and other brands, serving municipal and industrial water treatment. While primarily a system integrator using mercury and UV lamp technology, Xylem represents the incumbent installed base that UVC LED suppliers like Crystal IS are disrupting.
• Lumileds: Global LED lighting company producing automotive, specialty, and illumination LEDs. While not a pure-play UVC competitor, Lumileds is a broad optoelectronics incumbent whose general LED scale and R&D resources overlap with Crystal IS's addressable customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cisuvc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crystal-is

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors7 records

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 Crystal IS