What Derksen does

Derksen Lichttechnik GmbH is a German manufacturer of professional LED gobo projection systems, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr region. The company designs, develops, and assembles its PHOS-branded projector portfolio in Germany, with aluminium and steel housing components sourced from domestic suppliers. PHOS projectors span power tiers from 15W to 160W and cover form factors including indoor, track-mounted (LT), recessed ceiling (downlight), adjustable (move), outdoor, pole-mounted, and rotating variants, all specified for 24/7 continuous operation with a minimum 35,000-hour LED lifespan at L70 brightness. The core technology is analogue gobo projection: laser-engraved glass stencils bearing customer artwork are inserted into the projector to cast text, graphics, logos, and photorealistic images onto surfaces, with optional keystone correction for oblique installations and CMYK multi-colour capability up to four colours.

The company's go-to-market is exclusively B2B and sales-led, targeting museums, retail point-of-sale, architects, lighting designers, hospitality venues, healthcare facilities, and industrial safety applications. Customers include recognizable enterprises such as IKEA, Accenture, L'Oréal, University Hospital Cologne, the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum, and the Bayreuth Opera House Museum. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of projectors and recurring or repeat orders of custom glass gobos, with pricing provided on a quote basis per project. Distribution spans more than 36 countries, supported by regional channel partners (e.g., Projektionstechnik Drechsler in Austria) and co-development relationships with lighting design firms. The company is privately held and founder-led, with Managing Director Frank A. Derksen overseeing operations and no institutional investors disclosed.

Name

Derksen

Legal name

Derksen Lichttechnik GmbH

Website

https://derksen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Derksen Lichttechnik GmbH is a German manufacturer of professional LED gobo projection systems under the PHOS brand, serving B2B customers in museums, retail, hospitality, architecture, and industrial safety across 36+ countries with project-based custom hardware and glass gobo sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Projection Lighting Equipment

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

Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)

Keywords

• LED gobo projectors
• Projection lighting systems
• Architectural illumination equipment
• Custom glass gobos
• Museum exhibition lighting

Headquarters

HQ city

Gelsenkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PHOS LED Projectors: Sale of proprietary PHOS LED projection systems including indoor, outdoor, pole mount, downlight, and rotator variants. Products sold exclusively B2B.
2. Custom Gobo Manufacturing: Customized gobo production based on customer-provided digital data. Gobos are manufactured using laser engraving on specially coated glass. Delivery typically within two business days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Derksen manufactures and sells professional LED gobo projection systems under the proprietary PHOS brand, offering indoor, outdoor, pole-mount, recessed, lighting-track, adjustable, and rotating projector variants (PHOS 15 to PHOS 160). It also produces custom laser-engraved glass gobo stencils (monochrome or up to four CMYK colours, typically delivered in two business days) and provides a keystone-correction service for angled installations. All hardware is assembled at its Gelsenkirchen facility and sold exclusively to B2B customers such as museums, retailers, architects, lighting designers, and industrial safety buyers across 36+ countries.

Product overview

Derksen Lichttechnik GmbH is a German manufacturer of professional LED gobo projection systems sold under the protected PHOS brand. The product portfolio spans a comprehensive range of projector models (PHOS 15 through PHOS 160) across multiple form factors: indoor, track-mounted (LT), recessed downlight, move (adjustable), outdoor, pole mount, and rotator (rotating). Complementing the hardware, Derksen offers custom laser-engraved glass gobo projection motifs in monochrome or multi-colour (CMYK), a keystone correction service for angled installations, and an online projection calculator for system planning. All projectors are developed and assembled in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, with components sourced from German suppliers and international manufacturers meeting European safety standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PHOS: Protected brand name for Derksen's range of LED projectors and projection systems. Includes PHOS indoor, PHOS outdoor, PHOS pole mount, PHOS rotator, PHOS move, PHOS downlight, and PHOS LT (lighting track) product lines.

Products and services

• PHOS indoor Compact LED projection lights for interior spaces including retail environments, museums, and exhibition halls; available in multiple power tiers (PHOS 15, 25, 45, 65, 85) with flexible mounting options. Intended for B2B integrators and end users such as retailers, museums, architects, and lighting designers.
• PHOS LT (Lighting Track / Stromschiene) LED projectors designed for installation on lighting-track systems, allowing flexible positioning and reconfiguration in ceilings; includes power variants from PHOS 15 LT through PHOS 85 LT. Sold to B2B buyers such as retail and museum installers.
• PHOS downlight Recessed ceiling projectors designed to be discreetly hidden in suspended ceilings; includes PHOS 25, 45, 65, and 85 models with compact downlight variants. For B2B customers integrating concealed projection into architectural interiors.
• PHOS move Adjustable LED projectors allowing motorized or manual repositioning of the projection angle and focus, suited for dynamic display requirements; available in PHOS 45 move and PHOS 85 move models. Sold to B2B clients needing flexible projection aims.
• PHOS outdoor Weather-resistant LED projectors designed for exterior installations such as building facades, pathways, and outdoor signage; includes PHOS 25, 45, 65, and 85 outdoor models. For B2B buyers in architectural and public-space lighting.
• PHOS outdoor pro High-performance weather-resistant outdoor projectors offering enhanced brightness and durability for demanding exterior applications; available in PHOS 45 and 85 outdoor pro models. Targeted at B2B customers requiring higher-output exterior projection.
• PHOS Mastmontage (Pole Mount) Outdoor projectors designed for mounting on poles and masts in public spaces such as streets, plazas, and parking areas; available in standard and compact ('s') variants across PHOS 25, 45, 65, and 85 power tiers. Sold to B2B clients such as municipalities and public-space designers.
• PHOS Mastmontage pro (Pole Mount Pro) Professional-grade pole-mounted outdoor projectors with enhanced performance specifications for demanding public-space installations; includes PHOS 45s and 85s pole mount pro models. Targeted at B2B customers with high-performance public-lighting requirements.
• PHOS rotator Rotating LED projectors that automatically cycle through multiple gobo patterns for dynamic projection displays; available in indoor and outdoor variants for PHOS 45 and 85 models. Sold to B2B clients in retail, events, and signage.
• PHOS 160 High-power LED projector models delivering maximum brightness for large-scale projection applications, available in standard and pole-mount configurations. Sold to B2B customers needing high-output projection.
• Projection Gobos (Projektionsmotive) Custom-manufactured glass gobo templates for PHOS projectors, engraved using laser technology from customer-supplied artwork; supports up to 4 CMYK colours, durable, heat-resistant, and non-fading; typical delivery within two working days. Available in black-and-white and colour variants. Sold to B2B customers needing tailored projection motifs.
• Keystone Correction Service Pre-distortion service that adjusts gobo artwork to compensate for trapezoidal image distortion caused by oblique projection angles, ensuring straight, correctly proportioned imagery on the target surface. Provided to B2B customers with non-perpendicular installation requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000+ operating hours LED lifespan at L70 brightness
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered regional and core.

• Projektionstechnik DrechslerregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian distribution partner for Derksen products. Responsible for distribution and support of Derksen projection systems in Austria, as seen in the Steiermark Schau exhibition project at the History Museum Graz.
• IFI LightingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLighting design firm that created the lighting concept for Nammos Village in Mykonos, incorporating Derksen PHOS outdoor projectors into the architectural lighting design. Represents a key collaboration for luxury retail projects.
• INNOCAD ARCHITEKTUR ZT GMBHregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition design firm that collaborated on the Steiermark Schau project at Universalmuseum Joanneum, specifying Derksen PHOS projectors for the 'what it was' exhibition.
• Sein & Schein GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLighting designers who worked on the Opera House Museum Bayreuth project that won the German Design Award 2024. Collaborated with Derksen for the PHOS 15 projection systems used throughout the exhibition.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Altman Lighting: Altman manufactures theatrical, architectural, and museum lighting, including gobo and image projection fixtures. It competes with PHOS in the museum and exhibition segment with comparable B2B project-based sales.
• Martin Professional (Harman): Martin is a global architectural and entertainment lighting manufacturer (now part of Harman) whose exterior and façade lighting fixtures overlap with Derksen's outdoor and pole-mount PHOS projector lines in the architectural lighting segment.
• Signify (Philips Lighting): Signify is the global lighting leader (Philips) with broad architectural, retail, and outdoor lighting portfolios. Its architectural façade and color-changing fixtures overlap with PHOS outdoor and architectural projection solutions in commercial projects.
• ERCO: ERCO is a German architectural lighting specialist with a deep product range for museums, retail, and façades. Its architectural and exhibition lighting solutions intersect with PHOS projectors for museum and high-end retail applications.
• American DJ (ADJ Products): ADJ offers a broad lighting portfolio including gobo projectors (e.g., IKON series) for retail, events, and architectural applications. It competes with PHOS on price-sensitive and event-focused gobo projection, but with a much wider lighting catalog.
• Traxon Technologies (ams OSRAM): Traxon supplies architectural media façades, dynamic façade lighting, and control systems for large-scale exterior installations. Its media- façade product line intersects with Derksen's PHOS outdoor and pole mount projector offerings in architectural lighting projects.

Direct peers

• Apollo Design Technology: Apollo manufactures custom gobos and gobo projectors used in theatrical, architectural, and retail lighting applications. It overlaps directly with Derksen's laser-engraved glass gobos and PHOS projector product line for B2B projection customers.
• Rosco Laboratories: Rosco is a leading global manufacturer of gobos, projection equipment (Image Pro series), and architectural/entertainment lighting. It directly competes with Derksen's PHOS projectors and custom gobo offering for museum, retail, and architectural projection projects.
• GoboPlus: GoboPlus designs and supplies gobo projectors and custom gobos for architectural, retail, and event lighting. It is a direct competitor in the niche gobo projection segment that Derksen serves with its PHOS range.

Emerging players

• Gantom Lighting: Gantom produces compact specialty LED projectors (including gobo and image projection models) targeted at themed entertainment, museums, and architectural applications. It competes in the niche where Derksen's smaller PHOS indoor and downlight projectors operate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/derksen-lichttechnik-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Derksen