Watchlight
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersEl Cajon, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Watchlight does
Watchlight Corporation, founded in 1972 by Paul Piscatelli in El Cajon, California, is a privately held, full-service security systems provider that installs, monitors, services, and supports intrusion detection, fire alarm, access control, and video surveillance systems for residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers. The company operates a UL-Listed Central Station (certified since 2004 and audited annually), holds TMA Five Diamond and CSAA Dispatcher certifications, and reports more than 50,000 monitored subscribers with an average monitoring response time of 30 seconds or less. Its technology stack combines professional 24/7/365 central station monitoring, cellular alarm transmission through Verizon and AT&T, NVR/DVR video recording, and smartphone application control with integrations to Amazon Alexa and Google Home for smart home automation.
The company earns revenue through a mix of recurring monthly monitoring subscriptions (the dominant and most predictable stream), one-time system installations, professional services, and managed services including custom fabrication of gates, cages, and security hardware. Go-to-market is sales-led via a direct phone line (800-698-1160) and website quote requests, augmented by a growing network of dealers and affiliates that is enabling national expansion beyond the Southern California base. Watchlight serves a broad vertical mix spanning residential, corporate, government (including named references Helix Water District and Otay Water District), education, healthcare, financial institutions, jewelry stores (under UL Mercantile certification), retail, manufacturing, warehousing, and food services. The company maintains 51-100 employees and operates as an independent, founder-owned enterprise with no disclosed institutional funding, acquisitions, or leadership transitions.
Watchlight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Watchlight
- Legal name
- Watchlight Corporation
- Website
- https://watchlight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Watchlight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Security Alarm Monitoring Services
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional Monitoring (Burglar/Intrusion) (HSAHAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fire Alarm Monitoring Services (HSAHAAAI), Video Surveillance (CCTV) Monitoring Services (HSAHAAAE)
Keywords
Where Watchlight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- El Cajon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Watchlight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Security Monitoring Services: Recurring monthly monitoring fees for alarm, fire, access control, and video monitoring services. The company has over 50,000 subscribers.
- Security System Installation: One-time installation of security systems including intrusion detection, fire detection, access control, and video surveillance systems for residential and commercial properties.
- Professional Services: Installation, service, remote monitoring, managed security, and remote technical support services.
- Smart Home Automation: Integration services for smart home devices including lighting, appliances, thermostats, garage doors, and alarm systems controllable via smartphone.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Quote-based pricing for security monitoring services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Watchlight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Watchlight Corporation is a full-service security company providing installation, service, monitoring, and technical support for intrusion detection, fire alarm, access control, and video surveillance systems across residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers. The company operates a UL-Listed Central Station delivering 24/7/365 professional monitoring with a 30-second or less average response time to over 50,000 subscribers, complemented by smart home automation, doorbell cameras, backup power, wiring/networking, fire compliance, and custom fabrication services.
Product overview
Watchlight Corporation offers a unified full-service security platform providing installation, service, monitoring, and technical support across four core product areas: Intrusion Detection Systems (sensors, motion detectors, panic buttons), Fire Alarm Monitoring (smoke detectors, sprinklers, pull stations), Access Control Systems (badges, fobs, gate codes), and Video Surveillance (cameras, DVR/NVR). These core offerings are supported by add-on modules including Doorbell Cameras and Smart Home Automation (for lighting, thermostats, garage doors control via smartphone), plus professional services encompassing 24/7 Monitoring, Backup Power Solutions, Wiring & Networking, Fire Compliance, and Custom Fabricating. The company serves diverse industries including residential, commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, government, and retail.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Intrusion Detection Systems
- Fire Alarm Monitoring
- Access Control Systems
- Video Surveillance
- Doorbell Cameras
- Smart Home Automation
- 24/7 Professional Monitoring
- Backup Power Solutions
- Wiring & Networking
- Fire Compliance Services
- Custom Fabricating
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 50,000 subscribers trust Watchlight for their security monitoring needs.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Watchlight
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Watchlight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
Watchlight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Watchlight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Watchlight social profiles
Digital presenceWatchlight compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Watchlight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Watchlight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Watchlight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Watchlight 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 Watchlight
What does Watchlight do?
Watchlight Corporation is a full-service security company providing installation, service, monitoring, and technical support for intrusion detection, fire alarm, access control, and video surveillance systems across residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers. The company operates a UL-Listed Central Station delivering 24/7/365 professional monitoring with a 30-second or less average response time to over 50,000 subscribers, complemented by smart home automation, doorbell cameras, backup power, wiring/networking, fire compliance, and custom fabrication services.
Is Watchlight a public or private company?
Watchlight is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Watchlight founded?
Watchlight was founded in 1972. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Watchlight based?
Watchlight is headquartered in El Cajon, United States, in the North America region.
How does Watchlight make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Security Monitoring Services are the primary driver. The others are security System Installation, professional Services and smart Home Automation.
Does Watchlight have an API?
No public API is recorded for Watchlight.
What industry is Watchlight in?
Watchlight's product category is Security Alarm Monitoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAHAAAA, Professional Monitoring (Burglar/Intrusion), with a secondary code of HSAHAAAI, Fire Alarm Monitoring Services. Its NAICS code is 561621.