Laser Guidance
Laser Guidance, Inc. designs and manufactures patented LED and laser-based airfield, portable runway, and tactical landing zone lighting systems for US and allied militaries, civil aviation authorities, and municipal street lighting markets globally, supplemented by aerospace consulting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersRedmond, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Laser Guidance does
Laser Guidance, Inc. is a privately held Redmond, Washington-based engineering company founded in 1993 by Dr. David Shemwell and Dr. Alan Vetter to commercialize laser-based visual landing aid systems originally developed for US Navy aircraft carriers. The company designs and manufactures LED and laser-based precision guidance and lighting systems for permanent airfields, portable military runways, tactical landing zones, maritime navigation, and municipal street lighting, supported by patented LED optics (US Patent No. 6,573,659) and a portfolio of FAA-, ICAO-, STANAG-, and UFC-compliant products including the PAPI MKII, runway edge lights, REILs, MALSR approach lights, PALS trailered portable airfields, and the LZ-PALS man-portable tactical landing zone system with diode laser centerline and glideslope indicators.
The business operates three revenue streams — hardware sales of permanent and portable airfield lighting, OEM street/area lighting (RoadStar, AreaStar, Constellation, Orion), and technical consulting on propulsion, LIDAR, fiber optics, and aerospace systems for NASA, Boeing, and Space-X. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales to military and civil aviation authorities, a network of regional channel representatives across Africa (Rwanda, DRC, Nigeria, Ghana) anchored by the wholly-owned Laser Guidance Rwanda, Ltd. subsidiary, an OEM partnership with Prefos, Ltd. in Ghana for local assembly and eventual manufacture, and a long-standing licensing arrangement with Raytheon for US Navy aircraft carrier production. Pricing is quote-based under multi-year contracts, with no public price list.
The company's competitive positioning rests on regulatory certifications (FAA/ICAO/STANAG/UFC), patented optics, founder technical expertise, and 30+ years of military field-proven reliability. Customer concentration is heavily skewed toward US Department of Defense and allied military procurement, with supplementary civil aviation authority and municipal projects across at least a dozen countries.
Laser Guidance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Laser Guidance
- Legal name
- Laser Guidance, Inc.
- Website
- https://laserguidance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Laser Guidance, Inc. designs and manufactures patented LED and laser-based airfield, portable runway, and tactical landing zone lighting systems for US and allied militaries, civil aviation authorities, and municipal street lighting markets globally, supplemented by aerospace consulting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Laser Guidance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aviation Lighting Systems
- NAICS
- Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK), Road Lighting & Visibility Safety Systems (Street Lighting, High-Mast, LED Upgrades, Solar Beacons) (TLAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where Laser Guidance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redmond
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Laser Guidance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Airfield Lighting Systems: Sale of permanent LED airfield lighting products including PAPI systems, runway edge lights, REILs, approach lights, solar power pods and stations. Revenue from hardware sales with installation services.
- Portable Airfield Lighting Systems: Trailer-based portable airfield lighting systems (PALS) for military applications, providing deployable runway lighting capability.
- Street Lighting Products: LED street lighting systems including RoadStar, AreaStar, Constellation, and Orion product lines for municipal and infrastructure applications.
- Consulting Services: Technical consulting and engineering assistance provided to NASA, Boeing, and Space-X on various engineering projects including propulsion systems, lidar systems, and fiber optic development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quotation based on project requirements |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Laser Guidance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Laser Guidance designs, engineers and manufactures patented LED and laser-based precision guidance and lighting systems for aviation, military and municipal applications. Core products include permanent airfield lighting (PAPI, runway edge lights, REILs, MALSR), trailer-deployable portable airfield lighting (PALS) and man-portable tactical landing zone systems (LZ-PALS with DLCL/DLGI laser centerline and glideslope indicators). The company also produces solar-powered street and area lighting (RoadStar, AreaStar, Constellation, Orion) and offers technical consulting on laser optics, propulsion and LIDAR systems.
Product overview
Laser Guidance offers a diversified portfolio of LED and solar-powered lighting systems across aviation, military, maritime, and street lighting applications. The core products include airfield lighting systems (PAPI, runway edge lights, REIL, MALSR, and portable/temporary airfield solutions), landing zone tactical lighting (LZ-PALS with laser centerline and glideslope indicators), and LED street/area lighting (RoadStar, AreaStar, Constellation, Orion series). Supporting infrastructure includes Solar Power Pods (SPP) and Solar Power Stations (SPS) for off-grid deployments. The company also provides consulting services leveraging expertise in laser optics, propulsion systems, LIDAR, and fiber optic telecommunications for clients including NASA, Boeing, and Space-X. Founded in 1993, the company pioneered laser-based visual landing aids for US Navy aircraft carriers and has since expanded into civil aviation, military portable systems, and street lighting markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RoadStar: Solar LED street lighting system with focused LED technology for roadway illumination, 42W or 84W versions, manufactured in the USA.
- AreaStar
- Constellation Series
- Orion Series
- L Z-PALS
- PALS
- PAPI MKII
Products and services
- PAPI MKII (Precision Approach Path Indicator)
Quantifiable outcome
- Uses 1/10th the power of conventional airfield lighting units
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Laser Guidance
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Laser Guidance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Laser Guidance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Prefos, Ltd.corePrefos, Ltd. in Kumasi, Ghana serves as the primary distribution and assembly partner for Laser Guidance street lighting products in Ghana. The partnership involves final assembly of RoadStar streetlights with plans to eventually manufacture complete support structures including arm, battery box, and adjustable solar panel frame in Ghana.
- RaytheoncoreLaser Guidance laser-based visual landing aid systems for US Navy aircraft carriers are built under license by Raytheon. This is a licensing partnership for manufacturing and distribution of proven military systems.
- Pascal BakaraniminorLocal representative in Rwanda handling sales and installation support for Laser Guidance products in the region.
- Dieudonne BakaraniminorLocal representative in D.R. Congo/Kinshasa handling sales and relationship building with aviation and infrastructure officials.
- David TersoominorLocal representative in Nigeria/Abuja handling sales and regional business development.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Laser Guidance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Astronics Corporation: Supplies lighting and electrical power systems for aircraft interiors, cockpits, and exterior aviation applications, with a significant aerospace and defense business. Comparable to Laser Guidance in the aviation lighting domain and shares exposure to US military and commercial aerospace procurement programs.
- Carmanah Technologies: Specializes in solar-powered LED airfield lighting, including portable runway lights and edge lighting for off-grid and military applications. Highly comparable to Laser Guidance's solar PAPI and PALS product lines and shares the same emerging-market and tactical military customer overlap.
- ADB Safegate: Global leader in airfield lighting and airside solutions, offering PAPI, runway edge lights, REILs, MALSR, and full airfield lighting control systems. Directly competes with Laser Guidance across both civil aviation authorities and military customers, and serves as the benchmark competitor for FAA/ICAO-compliant systems globally.
- TKH Airport Solutions: Netherlands-based airfield lighting and ground-based power solutions provider offering LED PAPI, runway lighting, and CCR/control systems. Directly competes in the same ICAO/STANAG-compliant airport lighting category as Laser Guidance and serves both civil and military aviation markets.
- OCEM Airfield Lighting: Italy-based manufacturer of airfield lighting systems including PAPI, runway edge lights, and approach lighting with strong FAA/ICAO compliance. Competes head-to-head with Laser Guidance for civil aviation authority contracts and offers a similar full-system product portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Eaton (Cooper Lighting): Diversified power management company with a lighting division covering street, area, and industrial LED solutions as well as airfield-grade lighting components through its Crouse-Hinds business. Overlaps with Laser Guidance in commercial/industrial lighting and select airfield electrical infrastructure.
- Signify (Philips Lighting): Global leader in LED lighting with broad municipal street lighting and infrastructure offerings. Directly comparable to Laser Guidance's Constellation, Orion, and RoadStar product lines for municipal and commercial customers, though at much larger scale and with broader geographic coverage.
- Acuity Brands: Large North American lighting manufacturer with deep municipal, commercial, and industrial LED street and area lighting portfolios. Comparable to Laser Guidance on the street/area lighting side, including utility-grade cobrahead replacements and solar streetlight systems.
- Raytheon Technologies: Tier-1 US defense prime that manufactures Laser Guidance's laser-based visual landing aid systems for US Navy aircraft carriers under license. Comparable as a defense systems integrator and customer/channel for Laser Guidance's most strategic military program, with overlapping FAA/military certification expertise.
- Honeywell Aerospace: Diversified aerospace prime supplying avionics, lighting, and guidance systems to military and commercial aviation customers worldwide. Overlaps with Laser Guidance in aircraft-carrier-grade systems (via legacy technology lines) and FAA/ICAO-compliant avionics, but operates at vastly greater scale across many product lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Laser Guidance social profiles
Digital presenceLaser Guidance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance13 records
Laser Guidance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Laser Guidance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Laser Guidance subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Laser Guidance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Laser Guidance 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 Laser Guidance
What does Laser Guidance do?
Laser Guidance designs, engineers and manufactures patented LED and laser-based precision guidance and lighting systems for aviation, military and municipal applications. Core products include permanent airfield lighting (PAPI, runway edge lights, REILs, MALSR), trailer-deployable portable airfield lighting (PALS) and man-portable tactical landing zone systems (LZ-PALS with DLCL/DLGI laser centerline and glideslope indicators). The company also produces solar-powered street and area lighting (RoadStar, AreaStar, Constellation, Orion) and offers technical consulting on laser optics, propulsion and LIDAR systems.
Is Laser Guidance a public or private company?
Laser Guidance is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Laser Guidance founded?
Laser Guidance was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Laser Guidance based?
Laser Guidance is headquartered in Redmond, United States, in the North America region.
How does Laser Guidance make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Airfield Lighting Systems are the primary driver. The others are portable Airfield Lighting Systems, street Lighting Products and consulting Services.
Who are Laser Guidance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Astronics Corporation, Carmanah Technologies, ADB Safegate, TKH Airport Solutions and OCEM Airfield Lighting. Broad incumbents are Eaton (Cooper Lighting), Signify (Philips Lighting), Acuity Brands, Raytheon Technologies and Honeywell Aerospace.
Does Laser Guidance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Laser Guidance.
What industry is Laser Guidance in?
Laser Guidance's product category is Aviation Lighting Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAIAB, Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior), with a secondary code of IMAGAIAK, Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights). Its NAICS code is 335132 and its SIC code is 3640.