ViALUX

What ViALUX does

ViALUX Messtechnik + Bildverarbeitung GmbH is a privately held German photonics company founded in 2000 in Chemnitz that designs, manufactures, and sells subsystems and modules based on Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing (DLP®) technology, including Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) and Phase Light Modulation (PLM) subsystems. Its product portfolio spans V-Modules in three performance tiers (UltraSpeed, SuperSpeed, Hi-Speed), PLM modules, STAR Core and PRIME Core optics, STAR-07 spatial light modulators, Direct Link Sensor (DLS) modules, and the ALP Controller Suite software API, together with branded systems such as the BodyLux® medical 3D scanner and the AutoGrid® optical strain analysis system.

The company operates as a Texas Instruments Design House Partner, giving it privileged access to DLP® chip technology and enabling it to deliver complete subsystems, OEM customization, firmware and optomechanical integration, and certified quality under ISO 9001:2015 and EN ISO 13485:2016. ViALUX sells primarily through direct sales from Chemnitz supplemented by distribution partners in Japan, China, and Singapore, exporting more than 80% of production and serving industrial, medical, research, and scientific customers in machine vision, 3D scanning, spectroscopy, lithography, 3D printing, bioengineering, and emerging AR/VR applications. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales, software licenses tied to ViALUX hardware, and project-based OEM customization, with pricing on a quote basis under standard 30-day payment terms. The company is led by co-CEOs Oliver Seifert and Jens Kümmel and is recognized by IHK Chemnitz as a "Hidden Champion" in a global DLP® niche.

Name

ViALUX

Legal name

ViALUX Messtechnik + Bildverarbeitung GmbH

Website

https://vialux.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chemnitz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Products: Sale of DMD modules (UltraSpeed, SuperSpeed, Hi-Speed V-Modules), PLM modules, spatial light modulators/projection modules, 3D scanners, optics, and accessories. One-time purchase with ex-works delivery terms.
2. Software Licenses: ALP Controller Suite software licensing for DLP® subsystem control. License grants right to use while ViALUX retains ownership. Non-transferable to non-ViALUX hardware.
3. Customization Services: OEM customization services including interface adaptations, firmware modifications, optomechanical integration, and system integration support for application-specific solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ViALUX develops, manufactures, and sells DLP-based optical subsystems built around Texas Instruments Digital Micromirror Devices (DMD), including ready-to-use V-Modules, Phase Light Modulation (PLM) modules, projection optics, projectors, and 3D scanners. The company supports these hardware platforms with the ALP Controller Suite software API and offers application-specific derivative products such as BodyLux for medical body scanning and AutoGrid for optical strain analysis, serving industrial, medical, automotive, and research customers globally.

Product overview

ViALUX offers a comprehensive portfolio of DLP® (Digital Light Processing) technology products centered on Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) and Phase Light Modulator (PLM) subsystems. The core offerings include V-Modules in three speed tiers (UltraSpeed, SuperSpeed, Hi-Speed) for amplitude light modulation, and PLM Modules for phase-based light control. These subsystems are complemented by STAR Core and PRIME Core optics, spatial light modulators (STAR projectors), Direct Link Sensor (DLS) modules for machine vision, and the ALP Controller Suite API software. The company also produces branded products including BodyLux® medical 3D scanners and AutoGrid® optical strain analysis systems. The architecture is modular, allowing customers to select components based on wavelength, resolution, speed, and application requirements, with the V-Modules serving as the core processing units controlled via the ALP API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BodyLux®: 3D scanner for medical applications - compression products, bandages, orthoses
• AutoGrid®

Products and services

• V-Modules (UltraSpeed, SuperSpeed, Hi-Speed) Ready-to-use DLP evaluation modules integrating Texas Instruments DMD chips, electronics, and thermal management to provide high-speed programmable pattern projection for OEM and research customers.
• PLM Modules (Phase Light Modulation) Specialized modules that enable fast, complex phase and amplitude patterns using DMD technology for applications such as structured light, optical trapping, and computational imaging.
• Projection Optics Optical lenses and projection optics designed to pair with ViALUX DLP modules, enabling complete projection setups for customer applications.
• Projectors Integrated DLP-based projectors that combine V-Modules with optics and electronics for end users needing ready-to-use programmable projection hardware.
• 3D Scanners 3D scanning systems based on ViALUX DLP modules and structured-light technology, sold as application-specific products such as body scanning.
• BodyLux Medical 3D Scanner Sub-brand product offering a turnkey 3D body scanning system based on ViALUX DLP technology for medical, clinical, and anthropometric use cases.
• AutoGrid Optical Strain Analysis Sub-brand product for optical, non-contact full-field strain and deformation measurement, used as an alternative to traditional strain gauges in automotive and materials testing.
• ALP Controller Suite Software and API Software API and application suite for controlling V-Modules and PLM Modules, enabling customers to program and synchronize DLP patterns with their host systems and experiments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000 Hz maximum switching rate for phase light modulation systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

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

• Texas InstrumentscoreTechnology or IntegrationViALUX is a Design House Partner for the Texas Instruments DLP® product line. This partnership provides access to DLP® chip technology and enables ViALUX to develop and manufacture DLP® subsystems with full technical support from Texas Instruments.
• Marubun CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner representing ViALUX products in Japan. Exhibits ViALUX products at major industry events including ITE (International Technical Exhibition on Image Technology and Equipment) and JPCA Show in Tokyo.
• AunionTech Co., LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner presenting ViALUX products at LASER World of Photonics China exhibitions, providing local sales and support for the Chinese market.
• Sintec Optronics Pte LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner representing ViALUX in Singapore and Southeast Asia, exhibiting at APE Asia Photonics Expo.
• Silicon SaxonyminorOthersRegional industry association for semiconductor and electronics industry in Saxony, Germany. Membership supports networking and industry collaboration.
• SPIEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. Active participation in conference program committees including OE111 and OE403 for emerging DLP-based systems applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hamamatsu Photonics: Large Japanese photonics incumbent with broad optical component and module portfolio (SLMs, detectors, light sources) that overlaps with ViALUX's machine vision, spectroscopy, and bioengineering end-markets.
• Thorlabs: Broad incumbent in photonics components, instruments, and systems with significant overlap in optical measurement, microscopy, and light modulation products—sells to many of the same academic and industrial customers.
• Keyence: Global machine vision and industrial sensor incumbent serving manufacturing quality control customers—an end-application competitor to ViALUX's AutoGrid optical strain analysis and machine vision modules.
• Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions): Industrial measurement and imaging conglomerate whose 3D scanning, machine vision, and microscopy offerings compete with ViALUX's BodyLux and AutoGrid products in medical and industrial inspection markets.

Emerging players

• Digital Light Innovations: Emerging niche provider of DLP-based modules and structured light subsystems for 3D scanning and machine vision, with partial overlap to ViALUX's DLS and V-Module product lines.
• Optotune: Emerging player in adaptive optics and light modulation products that serves similar machine vision, 3D printing, and AR/VR applications—thematically adjacent to ViALUX's PLM/SLM roadmap.

Direct peers

• Meadowlark Optics: Direct peer in liquid crystal-based spatial light modulators and polarization optics for research, biomedical, and industrial imaging applications—an adjacent technology platform serving overlapping customers.
• HOLOEYE Photonics: Direct competitor in spatial light modulators and phase modulation modules based on liquid crystal and DMD technologies. Targets similar applications in optical testing, microscopy, and holography.
• Forth Dimension Displays (Radiant Vision Systems): Direct competitor in spatial light modulators and DMD-based subsystems; offers similar high-performance binary/greyscale SLMs used in machine vision, 3D scanning, and optical testing—the same core use cases as ViALUX.

Others

• Texas Instruments DLP Products: Supplier/strategic partner rather than direct competitor, but TI occasionally sells DLP chipsets, EVMs, and reference designs that compete with ViALUX's subsystem-plus-software offering for the most capable integrator customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bodylux

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 ViALUX