CoolLED
CoolLED Limited designs and manufactures LED illumination systems for fluorescence and transmitted-light microscopy, serving academic research institutions, clinical labs, neuroscience researchers, and life-science instrument OEMs globally through direct sales and a multi-region reseller network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersAndover, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CoolLED does
CoolLED Limited designs and manufactures LED illumination systems used as light sources in fluorescence microscopy and transmitted illumination applications. Founded in 2006 as a four-person team in Andover, Hampshire, and acquired in 2015 by AIM-listed scientific instrument group Judges Scientific PLC, the company built its business on proprietary active-cooling LED hardware that enables irradiance levels up to five times greater than competing LED microscope lighting, plus a direct-fit (non-liquid-light-guide) delivery architecture claimed to be unique in the market. The product portfolio spans single-wavelength units (pE-100, pT-100), the pE-300 Series (lite, white, ultra, opto variants), the pE-340fura for Fura-2 calcium imaging, the 4-channel pE-400 Series, the 8-channel pE-800 Series, the 16-wavelength pE-4000, and the newly launched 10-channel pE-10 for spatial biology and multiplex fluorescence imaging, supplemented by OEM illumination customization and microscope-specific adaptors.
The systems integrate via USB with twelve or more third-party imaging software platforms (including μManager, MetaMorph, cellSens, NIS Elements, SlideBook, LAS X, and Inscoper) and support sub-7µs TTL triggering for high-speed imaging. Customers are predominantly academic research institutions, university core microscopy facilities, neuroscience and calcium-imaging labs, clinical and pathology labs, life-science instrument OEMs (Nanolive, Inscoper), and industrial inspection users; CoolLED's value proposition rests on replacing toxic and degrading mercury/metal-halide lamps with stable, controllable, mercury-free LED sources offering multi-decade cost-of-ownership savings.
CoolLED monetizes through direct B2B enterprise sales (quote-based pricing, multi-year contracts) and a global reseller network covering the UK/Ireland (Photon Lines), Japan (Givetechs), Norway (Denton Mikroskopi), Australia/New Zealand (Coherent Scientific), and Sweden (BergmanLabora AB), alongside a dedicated OEM customization channel via OEMIllumination.com. The company offers free loan units for evaluation, holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, ACT Label sustainability accreditation for the pE-300 and pE-400 Series, an EcoVadis Silver Medal, and WEEE/RoHS/REACH compliance, and operates from its Andover headquarters with a registered London office.
CoolLED firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CoolLED
- Legal name
- CoolLED Limited
- Website
- https://coolled.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CoolLED Limited designs and manufactures LED illumination systems for fluorescence and transmitted-light microscopy, serving academic research institutions, clinical labs, neuroscience researchers, and life-science instrument OEMs globally through direct sales and a multi-region reseller network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CoolLED industry classification
Industry- Product category
- LED Microscopy Illumination Systems
- NAICS
- Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination) (IMAGAIAG)
Keywords
Where CoolLED is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Andover
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CoolLED business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- LED Illumination Systems: Sale of LED illumination hardware systems for fluorescence microscopy, transmitted illumination, calcium imaging, and optogenetics applications. Products include pE-100, pT-100, pE-300 Series, pE-400 Series, pE-800 Series, pE-4000, and pE-10.
- OEM Custom Configurations: Customized LED technology configurations for manufacturers seeking to integrate CoolLED illumination into their own products. Accessed via www.OEMIllumination.com.
- Accessories and Adaptors: Sale of accessories, adaptors, and replacement parts including DMi8 Infinity Port adaptors (32E, 33E) for enhanced irradiance delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise/B2B direct sales - custom quotes based on product configuration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
CoolLED product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CoolLED designs and manufactures LED illumination systems for fluorescence microscopy and transmitted illumination. Its product portfolio covers single-wavelength units (pE-100), the pE-300 Series (lite, white, ultra, opto), the pE-340fura calcium imaging system, the pE-400 and pE-800 Series multi-channel systems, the 16-wavelength pE-4000, the 10-channel pE-10 multiplex system, and the pT-100 transmitted illumination unit, sold to research, clinical, and OEM customers worldwide via direct sales and resellers.
Product overview
CoolLED designs and manufactures cutting-edge LED Illumination Systems for fluorescence microscopy and transmitted illumination applications. The product portfolio centers on multiple LED illumination system families: the entry-level pE-100 single-wavelength system; the pE-300 Series (including pE-300lite, pE-300white, pE-300ultra, and pE-300opto) for everyday to advanced fluorescence and optogenetics; the pE-340fura for calcium imaging; the pE-400 Series (pE-400 and pE-400max) for routine to advanced fluorescence with 4-channel control; the pE-800 Series (pE-800 and pE-800fura) for 8-channel illumination; the pE-4000 research system with 16 wavelengths spanning 365-770 nm; the new pE-10 10-channel multiplex fluorescence system (365-850 nm); and the pT-100 transmitted illumination system. The portfolio also includes OEM illumination customization and accessories/adaptors for microscope integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- pE-100 Single-wavelength LED Illumination System offering 20 wavelength options from 365-770 nm for specialised fluorescence applications.
- pT-100 LED Transmitted Illumination System for brightfield, darkfield, DIC, Dodt gradient contrast, and phase contrast applications, available in broad white and narrow bandwidth options (525, 635, 770 nm).
- pE-300lite Simple white light LED Illumination System for everyday fluorescence microscopy, providing a cost-effective solution with precise irradiance control in 1% steps.
- pE-300white Everyday controllable LED Illumination System for fluorescence microscopy with broad spectrum white light and individual channel control for common fluorophores.
- pE-300ultra Fast controllable LED Illumination System for high-speed fluorescence microscopy applications, featuring individual channel control with TTL triggering up to 20 microseconds and inline excitation filter support.
- pE-300opto LED Illumination System specifically designed for optogenetics applications in neuroscience, featuring 470 nm, 550 nm, and 635 nm channels to cover a wide range of opsins with sub 10 microsecond TTL triggering.
- pE-340fura Bespoke LED Illumination System for Fura-2 ratiometric calcium imaging, featuring 340 nm and 380 nm LEDs optimised for high-precision calcium measurements, also supporting everyday fluorescence microscopy.
- pE-400 Controllable white light LED Illumination System for routine to advanced fluorescence microscopy, with broad spectral coverage from 365-635 nm and inline excitation filter holders.
- pE-400max Fast, 4-channel LED Illumination System for fluorescence microscopy, offering individual channel control for enhanced performance in live cell imaging and optogenetics applications where speed and control are crucial.
- pE-800 8-channel LED Illumination System offering lightning-fast control for advanced fluorescence applications, with spectral coverage from 365-740 nm.
- pE-800fura Supercharged LED Illumination System optimized for calcium imaging and Fura-2 ratiometric applications, featuring 340 nm and 380 nm wavelengths alongside broad spectral coverage from 340-635 nm.
- pE-4000 Research-grade LED Illumination System featuring 16 selectable wavelengths spanning 365-770 nm, offering broad spectral coverage from UV to near-infrared for advanced fluorescence microscopy applications.
- pE-10 10-channel LED Illumination System for Multiplex Fluorescence, featuring spectral coverage from 365-850 nm with under 7 microsecond global switching for advanced spatial biology and multiplex imaging applications.
- OEM Illumination Customised LED illumination solutions for manufacturers, providing CoolLED's LED technology in bespoke configurations for OEM instrument developers, accessed via www.OEMIllumination.com with try-before-you-buy options.
Quantifiable outcome
- Energy savings of £30,000 over 25,000 hours compared to mercury lamps
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CoolLED
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CoolLED technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature6 records
CoolLED partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Photon LinescoreUK and Ireland reseller specializing in photonics expertise, advanced microscopy, imaging and optical solutions for customers across the region.
- GivetechscoreJapan-based reseller combining decades of bioimaging expertise with local support for Japanese researchers, including support for International Space Station applications.
- Denton MikroskopicoreNorwegian reseller with more than 30 years of microscopy experience providing specialist microscopes, optical solutions, service, training and technical support for research, healthcare, education and industry.
- Coherent Scientific (formerly Lennox)coreAustralia and New Zealand reseller combining more than 35 years of experience with advanced imaging expertise and trusted technical support for researchers.
- BergmanLabora ABcoreLong-established Swedish supplier of lab instrumentation providing microscopy systems, analytical instruments and local expert support.
- My Green LabcoreACT Label certification partnership for sustainability; My Green Lab provides the environmental impact factor label for CoolLED's pE-300 and pE-400 Series products.
- University of StrathclydeminorAcademic collaboration for development of pE-340fura LED Illumination System for Fura-2 ratiometric calcium imaging.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
CoolLED competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Evident (Olympus Scientific Solutions): Evident (formerly Olympus life science) produces integrated fluorescence microscope systems with built-in LED illumination, competing with CoolLED at the bundled system level and as a potential OEM customer for components.
- Nikon Instruments: Nikon Instruments offers integrated fluorescence microscopes with proprietary LED illumination, representing another large microscope OEM whose bundled approach limits standalone LED illumination growth.
- Excelitas Technologies: Excelitas is a large photonics and optoelectronics manufacturer offering LED illumination modules and light sources for life sciences, industrial, and machine vision applications, with broader scale but less specialization in microscopy than CoolLED.
- Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Carl Zeiss is a major microscope manufacturer offering integrated LED light sources across its Axio and LSM fluorescence platforms, positioning it as a broad incumbent that competes with CoolLED at the full-system level.
- Thorlabs: Thorlabs offers a broad photonics portfolio including LED light sources, drivers, and microscopy accessories, providing competitive alternatives to CoolLED across the life sciences and optics research market.
- Leica Microsystems: Leica Microsystems (Danaher) is a leading microscope OEM that ships integrated LED illumination as part of its fluorescence microscope systems, representing the bundled competitor most likely to compress CoolLED's standalone retrofit opportunity.
- Andor Technology (Oxford Instruments): Andor (Oxford Instruments) supplies scientific cameras and microscopy solutions including illumination, and shares CoolLED's UK/Ireland life sciences customer base; a former Andor product manager is on CoolLED's team, underscoring the overlap in talent and customer ecosystems.
Direct peers
- Lumencor: Lumencor designs and manufactures solid-state illumination engines, including multi-wavelength LED light engines used in fluorescence microscopy and life science imaging, making it the closest direct competitor to CoolLED in standalone LED microscopy illumination.
- Omicron Scientific Laserage: Omicron produces high-performance LED and laser light sources for fluorescence microscopy, optogenetics, and super-resolution applications, competing head-to-head with CoolLED's pE-Series in research labs.
- Cairn Research: Cairn Research is a UK-based specialist in LED and monochromator-based light sources for fluorescence microscopy and optogenetics, directly competing with CoolLED across academic and neuroscience research customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CoolLED social profiles
Digital presenceCoolLED compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
CoolLED financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CoolLED leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CoolLED funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CoolLED 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 CoolLED
What does CoolLED do?
CoolLED designs and manufactures LED illumination systems for fluorescence microscopy and transmitted illumination. Its product portfolio covers single-wavelength units (pE-100), the pE-300 Series (lite, white, ultra, opto), the pE-340fura calcium imaging system, the pE-400 and pE-800 Series multi-channel systems, the 16-wavelength pE-4000, the 10-channel pE-10 multiplex system, and the pT-100 transmitted illumination unit, sold to research, clinical, and OEM customers worldwide via direct sales and resellers.
Is CoolLED a public or private company?
CoolLED is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CoolLED founded?
CoolLED was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CoolLED based?
CoolLED is headquartered in Andover, United States, in the North America region.
How does CoolLED make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. LED Illumination Systems are the primary driver. The others are OEM Custom Configurations and accessories and Adaptors.
Who are CoolLED's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Evident (Olympus Scientific Solutions), Nikon Instruments, Excelitas Technologies, Carl Zeiss Microscopy, Thorlabs, Leica Microsystems and Andor Technology (Oxford Instruments). Direct peers are Lumencor, Omicron Scientific Laserage and Cairn Research.
Does CoolLED have an API?
No public API is recorded for CoolLED.
What industry is CoolLED in?
CoolLED's product category is LED Microscopy Illumination Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAL, Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL), with a secondary code of IMAGAIAG, Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination). Its NAICS code is 335132 and its SIC code is 3826.