LITES

What LITES does

LITES NV is a Belgian family-owned private company headquartered in Vilvoorde, Belgium, that operates a specialized rental house for cinema and broadcast production equipment. Operating from two adjacent Vilvoorde sites - a headquarters and camera rental facility with attached film and underwater studios at Fabrieksstraat 81, and a lighting warehouse with maintenance operations at Mechelsesteenweg 319 - LITES supplies high-end cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, power generation, transport, and underwater filming capability to film, television, commercial, and broadcast production clients. The company is led by CEO Wim Michiels and COO/Studio Manager Dymphna Michiels, supported by a team of approximately 20 members spanning camera, lighting, studio, electronics, and administrative functions.

The product portfolio includes premium digital cinema cameras (Arri Alexa 35, Mini LF, Sony Venice, Phantom Flex 4K, Red Komodo), an unusually broad lighting range (Arri, Kino Flo, K 5600, Creamsource family), an extensive lens library spanning prime, vintage, full-frame, and anamorphic categories (Cooke, Hawk, Zeiss, Arri Enso, Signature Primes, Tribe7, Angenieux, Leica Leitz, Canon Range Finders), grip and dollies, ultra-silent power generators from 2kVA to 200kVA, and equipped lighting and camera trucks and vans. A core differentiator is LITES Water Stage & Film Studios, an underwater filming facility with weather simulation, HSE SCUBA certified operators, safety divers, and underwater camera housings for major cinema bodies. Supporting offerings include the LITES Shop (consumables, Pelicases, I-Tools), still photography equipment rental, and a formalized tiered 24/7 technical support service.

Revenue is generated primarily through daily and weekly equipment rental, studio space rental, retail sales of consumables, and 24/7 on-set technical services billed at tiered hourly rates (EUR 45 / EUR 90 / EUR 135 with a 3-hour minimum). The company pursues a sales-led B2B go-to-market, accepting customized quote requests through its website and engaging directly with production managers; no formal digital marketing channels are documented. Customer references span more than 90 productions including both Belgian projects (Noordzee Texas, Parade's End) and international titles (Under Paris, Titane, Luther – The Fallen Sun, Professor T UK, Les Misérables, The White Queen). LITES is privately held with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional ownership and previously operated under the name CINéLITES.

Name

LITES

Legal name

LITES NV

Website

https://lites.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LITES NV is a Belgian family-owned rental house supplying cinema and broadcast cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, power generators, trucks, and an underwater filming studio to film, television, and commercial production clients from two Vilvoorde locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and broadcast equipment rental

NAICS

Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53249)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lighting Design & Rental (MPAGAKAB), Soundstage & Stage Rental (Film/TV) (MPADAIAA), Studio Lighting & Grip Infrastructure Services (MPADAIAF), Industrial Power & Energy Equipment Rental/Leasing (Generators, Light Towers, Compressors) (TLABAFAG)

Keywords

• Cinema equipment rental
• Lighting rental services
• Underwater filming facilities
• Broadcast production equipment
• Lens rental houses

Headquarters

HQ city

Vilvoorde

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Rental of high-end camera, lighting, grip equipment and vehicles with daily/weekly pricing. Equipment includes cinema cameras, lenses, lighting fixtures, generators, trucks/vans. Rental period starts when equipment leaves premises and ends when returned.
2. Film Studios & Water Stage: Rental of film studio space including specialized underwater filming stage with weather simulation capabilities
3. LITES Shop: Sale of consumables for lighting and camera, small tools, Pelicases, and I-Tools products like contrast glasses
4. 24/7 Service & Technical Support: Technical assistance by phone and on-set intervention outside standard business hours, charged at hourly rates with minimum 3-hour billing

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

LITES rents high-end cinema cameras, lenses, lighting, grip equipment, trucks, vans and silent power generators, and operates specialized film studios including a high-tech waterstage for underwater production, to film, television, commercial and broadcast clients in Belgium and internationally. The company bundles the rental with 24/7 technical support, on-set intervention, and equipment replacement, and sells selected consumables, tools and I-Tools products through the LITES Shop.

Product overview

LITES is a leading Belgian rental house offering a comprehensive portfolio of cine- and broadcast equipment rental services. The core offerings include LITES CameraRental (high-end digital camera equipment at Fabrieksstraat 81, Vilvoorde), LITES LightingRental (cinema and TV lighting from brands like Arri, Kino Flo, K 5600, and Creamsource at Mechelsesteenweg 319), and LITES Water Stage & Film Studios (high-tech underwater filming facility with weather simulation). Supporting services include grip equipment (dollies, accessories), trucks/vans and ultra-silent power generators (2kVA-200kVA), an extensive lens library (prime lenses, anamorphics), specialty equipment like Teradek Bolt 6 XT transmitters and IBE Raptor Scope adapters, a retail shop for consumables and I-TOOLS products, and 24/7 technical service support. The company also rents still photography equipment and underwater camera housings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LITES CameraRental Rental of premium digital cinema cameras, lenses, anamorphics and specialty optics (Arri Enso, Signature Primes, Tribe7 Black Wing, Canon Range Finder / Dreamlens, Leica Leitz, Cooke SP3, Angenieux Optimo, Loawa 10mm, Cooke Anamorphics, Atlas Mercury, Hawk V-Series, Zeiss Master Anamorphic), plus accessories and grip, for film, television, commercial and broadcast productions. Customers submit equipment lists online and receive a personalized quote; the rental period starts when equipment leaves the LITES building and ends on full functioning return.
• LITES LightingRental Rental of the complete range of cinema and TV drama lighting equipment, including premium A-brands such as Arri, Kino Flo and K 5600 and the Creamsource family (Micro bicolor, Vortex 4, Vortex 8, spaceX 1200, Vortex 24), plus grip accessories and basic dollies such as the GFM Quad Dolly. Based at the Vilvoorde lighting warehouse with repairs and maintenance support on site.
• LITES Water Stage & Film Studios Rental of a high-tech waterstage capable of simulating any weather condition, with HSE SCUBA-certified underwater operators, safety divers and assistants, advanced underwater communication and UW LED lighting. Underwater camera housings are available for Alexa 35, Mini & Mini LF, Sony Venice, Phantom Flex 4K, Sony FX3 and Red Komodo. Film studio space is also provided on the same Vilvoorde site.
• LITES 24/7 Service Technical assistance delivered by phone or in person on set for LITES-supplied equipment, available continuously including outside standard business hours. Service is charged at tiered hourly rates with a minimum 3-hour intervention, and outside-hours order preparation carries a minimum 50 EUR charge. Travel is billed at 0.6 EUR/km plus travel expenses.
• Trucks, Vans & Power Generators Rental of fully equipped lighting trucks, camera trucks and vans, and ultra-silent power generators covering the full 2kVA to 200kVA spectrum to supply on-location power for film, commercial and broadcast shoots.
• LITES SHOP Sale of consumables for lighting and camera work, small production tools, Pelicases and the full I-TOOLS product range including contrast glasses, available to crew and productions using LITES rental equipment.

Named customers16 records

Segments3 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Cinegrell: Swiss rental house for film equipment. Comparable in size and offering to LITES, but operates primarily in the Swiss market rather than Belgium, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Panalux: Specialist lighting rental division serving feature film, episodic, and commercial productions globally. Directly comparable to LITES' LightingRental line (Arri, Kino Flo, K 5600, Creamsource fixtures).
• Keslow Camera: US-based high-end cinema camera and lens rental house serving feature, episodic, and commercial productions. Directly comparable business model: large premium fleet, project-based B2B rental, and dedicated technical support.
• Vantage Film: German rental house for cinema cameras, lighting, and grip equipment serving European film and TV productions. Closest geographic peer in continental Europe with a comparable premium-brand fleet.
• Panavision: Global cinema equipment rental company with proprietary cameras, extensive lens libraries, and integrated lighting (Panalux). Competes with LITES for high-end feature and episodic productions in Europe.
• ARRI Rental: ARRI's rental division offers high-end camera and lighting rental globally, including Alexa and Signature Prime fleets. Direct overlap with LITES on cinema cameras, anamorphic/full-frame lenses, and premium lighting for film/TV productions.
• Band Pro Film & Digital: Long-established cinema equipment rental and reseller serving film and broadcast productions. Overlap with LITES on premium camera bodies, lenses, and accessories for high-end shoots.

Others

• RED Digital Cinema: Manufacturer of digital cinema cameras including the Komodo, which LITES houses for underwater use. Supplier relationship rather than competitor, but defines the technology stack LITES rents against.
• Creamsource: Manufacturer of high-end LED lighting fixtures (Vortex, SpaceX) listed in LITES' portfolio. Adjacent player — supplier rather than competitor — but informs the competitive structure of premium lighting rental.

Broad incumbents

• NEP Group: Large-scale broadcast and live event production services provider. Overlaps with LITES on broadcast television support but operates as a much broader, multi-service incumbent rather than a specialty cinema rental.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lites.belgium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lites

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 LITES