Claypaky

What Claypaky does

Claypaky is an Italian professional entertainment lighting manufacturer founded in 1976 and headquartered in Seriate, in the Bergamo manufacturing district. The company designs, engineers, and produces automated lighting fixtures — including moving heads, LED luminaires, IP-rated outdoor units, and laser-source fixtures (notably the Xtylos platform) — used in concert touring, theatre, television and film production, corporate events, and architectural installations worldwide. Its customer base spans rental production houses, broadcasters, venues, and event organizers in over 100 countries, served through a network of regional distributors and dealers.

The core technology stack combines precision optics, motorized mechanics, lamp/LED/laser light sources, and embedded firmware implementing industry-standard lighting control protocols (DMX, Art-Net, sACN, RDM). Recent R&D has extended into connected-fleet capabilities via the CloudIO platform, which adds IoT-based remote diagnostics and telemetry across installed fixture bases. Manufacturing, optical engineering, and product design remain concentrated at the Italian headquarters, while commercial activities are run through country-level distribution partners.

The business model is hardware-driven: Claypaky sells fixtures at premium ASPs (typically low five to low six figures in EUR per unit, depending on tier) through exclusive regional distributors, generating revenue on unit shipment plus aftermarket spares, service, and accessories. CloudIO, if commercialized at scale, introduces a potential recurring software/managed-services revenue layer atop the installed base. Revenue is subject to capex cycles of large rental houses and the broader cadence of live-event and broadcast production capex.

Name

Claypaky

Legal name

Claypaky

Website

https://claypaky.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Claypaky is an Italian designer and manufacturer of professional automated lighting fixtures — moving heads, LEDs, and laser-source luminaires — sold through a global distributor network to concert touring, theatre, broadcast, and event production customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Entertainment Lighting

NAICS

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

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design & Rental (MPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lighting Design & Lighting Equipment Rentals (THAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Professional lighting fixtures
• Entertainment lighting manufacturer
• Moving head fixtures
• LED stage lighting
• Theatrical lighting equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergamo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lighting Fixtures Sales: Sale of professional entertainment lighting fixtures including moving heads, effect lights, static lights, and digital products. Products are sold through a global network of distributors and directly to rental companies and production companies.
2. CloudIO Digital Services: IoT-based maintenance and diagnostic services for lighting fixtures, including remote assistance and color calibration capabilities.
3. Technical Support and Training: Onsite and online training, technical workshops, repair services, and maintenance support for customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Claypaky designs, manufactures, and sells professional entertainment lighting fixtures including LED and laser-sourced moving heads (beam, spot, profile, wash), effect lights, static theatrical lights, and the CloudIO IoT maintenance platform. The company serves professional rental companies, production companies, venues, and event producers worldwide with a portfolio spanning over a dozen product families used in concerts, theatre, television, film, cruise ships, theme parks, and architectural installations.

Product overview

Claypaky is a professional entertainment lighting manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of lighting solutions across four categories: Moving heads (beam, spot, profile, wash), Effect lights (LED battens, strobes, hybrid fixtures), Static lights (Fresnel, Par, cyc lights), and Digital IoT devices (CloudIO maintenance platform). The product lineup includes major families: Arolla (white LED profile/spot/wash moving heads with IP66 Aqua variants), Sharpy/Ultimo (arc-lamp beam and hybrid fixtures), B-Eye/Volero (LED wash/beam/FX with pixel mapping), Xtylos/Skylos (laser-sourced fixtures), Tambora (LED battens with Advanced Layer Management), Mini-B/Midi-B (compact LED beam/wash), Axcor (entry-level white LED moving heads), K-Eye (six-color HCR washlights), Shield Family (IP66 weather-resistant variants), and ADB by Claypaky (theatrical static fixtures). CloudIO is the first IoT/cloud-connected device for the entertainment lighting industry, enabling remote diagnostics, firmware updates, and predictive maintenance across RDM-compliant fixtures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Noise reduction up to 7dB while maintaining 90% of light output with LOW-NOISE mode on Ultimo Sharpy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core and minor.

• ShowMediaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2026Appointed as new Business Partner for Slovakia, representing the full Claypaky portfolio across the Slovak market. ShowMedia will support lighting professionals in live entertainment, theatre, television, touring, and installation projects.
• DecomacregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 March 2026Appointed as official distributor in Brazil, representing a new chapter for Claypaky in the country. The partnership is designed as broader collaboration to reinforce brand's local presence, strengthen technical support, and foster relationships with lighting designers, rental companies, and entertainment professionals.
• TheatrixxregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 December 2025Appointed as official distributor in Canada, providing leading presence in the Canadian market for Claypaky's professional entertainment lighting products.
• ACSONregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2025Appointed as new exclusive distributor for Spain with solid market presence and decades of experience in professional lighting for entertainment and architectural applications. ACSON is recognized for technical expertise, customer service, and commitment to quality.
• EK Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2025ARRI announced the sale of its subsidiary Claypaky to EK Inc., a strategic move as part of ARRI's strategic realignment to focus on core business. EK Inc. operates one of the most advanced lighting production and development facilities in the industry, providing a strong foundation for Claypaky's continued growth.
• Clay Paky Deutschland GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 March 2025Established as a dedicated local organization to serve as primary contact for all German customers and partners, effective April 1, 2025. This strategic setup demonstrates Claypaky's commitment to investing in the German market and building closer customer relationships.
• EntediregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distributor for the United Kingdom, providing Claypaky products and support to the UK market including sponsorship of Cambridge University European Theatre Group.
• Marbo TraderegionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor in Romania, supplying Claypaky fixtures including Arolla Profile MP to National Theatre Bucharest.
• NovoliteregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distributor of Claypaky lighting in Peru, hosting exclusive Sharpy Plus Sessions for the local lighting community.
• Hermes Music ProfesionalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial exclusive distributor in Mexico, organizing Shield Family Open Days and product demonstrations in the region.
• Inner Circle DistributionregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distribution partner coordinating availability of Ultimo Sharpy through premier rental houses across the country including 4Wall Entertainment, Bandit Lites, Brown Note Productions, and others.
• Politecnico di MilanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClaypaky supports the Master in Lighting Design and LED Technology program, opening its doors to students for educational purposes and professional development of future lighting professionals.
• LD Talent ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner supporting young lighting designers through Claypaky's educational initiatives and talent development programs.
• Production FuturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in Claypaky's initiatives to foster knowledge exchange and support aspiring professionals in the lighting industry.
• ARRIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer parent company that owned Claypaky. In May 2025, ARRI sold Claypaky to EK Inc. as part of strategic realignment. ARRI continues to focus on its core business while recognizing Claypaky's potential and ensuring its future growth under new ownership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SGM Light: Danish IP-rated LED lighting manufacturer focused on outdoor and architectural applications; competes with Claypaky's Shield Family in IP66/stadium segments.
• ADJ Products: US lighting manufacturer with broad moving-head and effect portfolio serving events, mobile DJs, and mid-tier production; adjacent peer in the same fixtures-and-effects category.

Direct peers

• Martin Professional (HARMAN): Danish-origin professional entertainment lighting manufacturer (now part of HARMAN) offering MAC moving heads and LED fixtures directly competing with Claypaky in touring, theatre, and broadcast.
• ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls): Theatrical lighting, controls, and architectural dimming manufacturer; competes with Claypaky/ADB in theatre static fixtures and increasingly in LED moving heads.
• Elation Professional: US-based manufacturer of moving heads, LED washes, and effect lighting serving concerts, theatre, and rental houses with comparable product categories to Claypaky.
• GLP (German Light Products): German manufacturer of LED moving heads and impression-series fixtures for concerts, TV, and events; comparable German-engineering positioning to Claypaky.
• High End Systems: US-based console and automated lighting manufacturer (now part of ETC) offering Sola-series moving heads competing with Claypaky in theatre, broadcast, and live events.
• Chauvet Professional: US manufacturer of professional LED moving heads, washes, and effects for touring, theatre, and architectural markets, often competing on price-performance against Claypaky.
• ROBE Lighting: Czech-based manufacturer of moving heads, LED fixtures, and effect lights for concert, theatre, and TV; competes head-to-head with Claypaky across Sharpy/Ultimo-class beam and Arolla-class profile categories.

Broad incumbents

• ARRI: Former parent of Claypaky and a broader lighting/camera manufacturer for film, broadcast, and events; competes in the high-end lighting space with SkyPanel and L-series plus now competes with its former subsidiary.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/clay.paky
• Xx.com/claypakynews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clay-paky

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Claypaky