NIGHTSEA
NIGHTSEA designs modular fluorescence observation systems—LED light sources, matched barrier filters, and the Eclipse MicroTent darkness enclosure—for research and education markets. It operates as a product line within Electron Microscopy Sciences after a 2024 acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLexington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What NIGHTSEA does
NIGHTSEA designs and sells modular fluorescence observation and imaging systems built around LED light sources at specific excitation wavelengths paired with matched barrier filters. The portfolio centers on two flagship products: the Model SFA Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter, which adds fluorescence capability to existing stereo microscopes without modification and supports six wavelength sets (UV, Violet, Royal Blue, Cyan, Green) covering 80+ fluorophores including GFP, RFP, DAPI, and the Alexa Fluor series, and the Xite portable battery-powered flashlight system for lab and field use. The patent-protected Eclipse MicroTent (US Patent No. 10,175,467) supplies portable blackout capability, enabling fluorescence microscopy outside dedicated dark rooms, including outdoors in full sun. Specialized adapters extend the platform to Keyence VHX-series, VH-ZST, and VH-Z100 digital microscopes and to the Hirox RH-2000.
The company was founded by Dr. Charles Mazel on technology originally developed under a NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for coral reef research. In September 2024, Electron Microscopy Sciences (EMS) — NIGHTSEA's long-time master distributor — completed the acquisition of the company, and NIGHTSEA now operates as a product line within EMS from Hatfield, Pennsylvania.
Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of modular systems and accessories, distributed via EMS as master distributor, regional microscope dealers, and specialized channel partners including InVivo Biosystems (InVivo FLite C. elegans systems since 2020) and Seafluor Consulting (custom Eclipse MicroTent enclosures since 2023). The customer base spans over 1,700 research and educational institutions globally, with NIGHTSEA equipment cited in 300+ publications across 170+ journals. The company runs the annual KEY Award program (instituted 2015), which donates SFA systems to new faculty researchers and supports both community development and lead generation.
NIGHTSEA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NIGHTSEA
- Legal name
- NIGHTSEA
- Website
- https://nightsea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NIGHTSEA designs modular fluorescence observation systems—LED light sources, matched barrier filters, and the Eclipse MicroTent darkness enclosure—for research and education markets. It operates as a product line within Electron Microscopy Sciences after a 2024 acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NIGHTSEA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Microscopy Equipment and Accessories
- NAICS
- Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination) (IMAGAIAG)
Keywords
Where NIGHTSEA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lexington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NIGHTSEA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fluorescence Hardware Sales: Revenue generated from sale of fluorescence observation equipment including Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapters, Xite flashlight systems, and accessories. Products sold through EMS master distributor and local dealers. Pricing is modular with base systems and add-on wavelength combinations.
- Accessories and Consumables: Sales of accessories including battery packs, eye shields, Eclipse MicroTent feedthrough patches, additional barrier filter glasses, and light head options. Complement core hardware sales and provide ongoing revenue from existing customer base.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter (Model SFA) complete systems |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Xite Portable Fluorescence Flashlight Systems |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Eclipse MicroTent and accessories |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
NIGHTSEA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NIGHTSEA designs, manufactures, and sells practical, economical fluorescence excitation and observation hardware that adds fluorescence capability to existing stereo microscopes and enables portable/field fluorescence imaging. The portfolio centers on the Model SFA Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter and the Xite Portable Fluorescence Flashlight System, both built around six interchangeable LED wavelength light heads paired with matched barrier filters covering 80+ fluorophores, and is complemented by accessories such as the Eclipse MicroTent portable blackout enclosure, battery packs, and microscope-specific adapters.
Product overview
NIGHTSEA offers a focused portfolio of fluorescence observation and imaging tools centered around two core products: the Model SFA Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter and the Xite Portable Fluorescence Flashlight System. Both systems share a modular wavelength architecture supporting six excitation/emission combinations (UV, Violet, Royal Blue with longpass or bandpass, Cyan, Green) that work with a wide range of fluorophores. The SFA is a complete add-on system for stereo microscopes that requires no modification to the existing microscope, while the Xite is a portable battery-powered flashlight for lab and field use. The product ecosystem includes accessories enabling portable operation (Battery Pack, Eclipse MicroTent), environmental control (Tru-Block Eye Shields), specialized illumination (Infrared 850nm source), and microscope integrations (Keyence VHX/VH-ZST/VH-Z100 adapters, Hirox RH-2000). A partnership with InVivo Biosystems and Dino-Lite produces the InVivo FLite turnkey system for C. elegans screening. The company also offers a KEY Award program providing SFA systems to new faculty researchers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Cuts rework time in half for NDT applications
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NIGHTSEA
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NIGHTSEA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature5 records
NIGHTSEA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Seafluor ConsultingminorAs of 2023, Seafluor Consulting provides custom darkness enclosures for NIGHTSEA's Eclipse MicroTent technology, handling custom solutions for larger microscope installations.
- InVivo BiosystemscorePartnership to offer InVivo FLite turnkey digital fluorescence imaging systems combining NIGHTSEA's modular add-on fluorescence capability with Dino-Lite Edge digital microscopes for convenient C. elegans screening.
- Electron Microscopy Sciences (EMS)coreEMS acquired NIGHTSEA and serves as master distributor for the complete product line. EMS has been the long-time master distributor and is now the go-to source for the full range of NIGHTSEA fluorescence solutions. EMS also co-sponsors the annual KEY Award for New Faculty.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NIGHTSEA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Leica Microsystems: Leica provides complete fluorescence microscopy systems and illumination solutions; NIGHTSEA's portable, modular add-on approach serves customers who want fluorescence capability without investing in a full Leica platform.
- Carl Zeiss Microscopy: Zeiss offers full microscopy systems with integrated fluorescence illumination; NIGHTSEA's modular adapters are designed to attach to existing stereo microscopes including Zeiss platforms, making it a complementary add-on rather than a direct competitor.
- Nikon Instruments: Nikon offers stereo and inverted microscopes with fluorescence options; comparable to NIGHTSEA in serving life-science and industrial microscopy customers, but as a broad incumbent with a much wider product portfolio.
Direct peers
- Prizmatix: Prizmatix builds high-power LED light sources for fluorescence microscopy and optogenetics, comparable to NIGHTSEA in delivering wavelength-specific LED illumination for biological imaging research.
- Cairn Research: Cairn Research supplies fluorescence illumination systems, optogenetics tools, and microscopy accessories for life-science labs, with overlapping wavelength-specific LED offerings comparable to NIGHTSEA's SFA product.
- CoolLED: CoolLED designs and manufactures LED illumination systems specifically for fluorescence microscopy across multiple wavelength bands, directly competing with NIGHTSEA's SFA light heads in the same product category and serving the same research customer base.
- Lumencor: Lumencor produces solid-state light engines for fluorescence microscopy with multiple wavelength options, overlapping directly with NIGHTSEA's modular multi-wavelength excitation approach for research labs.
- Excelitas Technologies (X-Cite): Excelitas' X-Cite line is a leading LED fluorescence illumination system for microscopy, comparable to NIGHTSEA in delivering wavelength-specific excitation light for life-science imaging applications.
- Mightex Systems: Mightex manufactures LED light sources and microscope illumination modules for fluorescence and other microscopy applications, competing with NIGHTSEA on wavelength-specific LED excitation systems.
Emerging players
- Chroma Technology: Chroma manufactures high-performance optical filters used in fluorescence microscopy, including the bandpass and longpass filters that pair with NIGHTSEA's LED excitation sources; complementary rather than directly competing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NIGHTSEA social profiles
Digital presenceNIGHTSEA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NIGHTSEA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
NIGHTSEA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NIGHTSEA 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 NIGHTSEA
What does NIGHTSEA do?
NIGHTSEA designs, manufactures, and sells practical, economical fluorescence excitation and observation hardware that adds fluorescence capability to existing stereo microscopes and enables portable/field fluorescence imaging. The portfolio centers on the Model SFA Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter and the Xite Portable Fluorescence Flashlight System, both built around six interchangeable LED wavelength light heads paired with matched barrier filters covering 80+ fluorophores, and is complemented by accessories such as the Eclipse MicroTent portable blackout enclosure, battery packs, and microscope-specific adapters.
Is NIGHTSEA a public or private company?
NIGHTSEA is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was NIGHTSEA founded?
NIGHTSEA was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NIGHTSEA based?
NIGHTSEA is headquartered in Lexington, United States, in the North America region.
How does NIGHTSEA make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fluorescence Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are accessories and Consumables.
Who are NIGHTSEA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Leica Microsystems, Carl Zeiss Microscopy and Nikon Instruments. Direct peers are Prizmatix, Cairn Research, CoolLED, Lumencor, Excelitas Technologies (X-Cite) and Mightex Systems. Chroma Technology is listed as an emerging player.
Does NIGHTSEA have an API?
No public API is recorded for NIGHTSEA.
What industry is NIGHTSEA in?
NIGHTSEA's product category is Microscopy Equipment and Accessories. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAIAK, Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights), with a secondary code of IMAGAIAG, Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination). Its NAICS code is 33513 and its SIC code is 3827.