Maxel

What Maxel does

Maxel AB is a privately held Swedish lighting company, founded in 1933 and headquartered in Spånga, Sweden. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes LED lighting products for indoor and outdoor applications, with a product portfolio spanning track systems, recessed fixtures, surface-mounted and pendant luminaires, linear lighting systems (FAKTOR), LED tape, acoustic lighting, and architectural outdoor lighting. Its technical stack centers on Citizen LED chips with Ra90+ color rendering, DALI-compatible dimming, and application-specific variants such as IP65/IP67-encapsulated LED tape, side-bending Moonlight strips, and DarkSky-approved outdoor luminaires.

The company's business model is B2B project sales: it operates a quotation-based pricing process without publicly disclosed list prices, supported by a regional direct sales force that includes dedicated project-sales staff for electrical contractors and lighting consultants/specifiers for architects. Maxel also acts as the exclusive Swedish distributor for three European manufacturers — LEC Lyon (since 2023), PLANLICHT (since January 2024), and LIGMAN (since January 2025) — which materially extends its range into French and Austrian specialty outdoor and architectural lighting. Customer segments include architects, lighting designers, electrical contractors, and property owners/developers, with project references spanning commercial offices (Microsoft Stockholm, Lundbergs Fastigheter), student housing (Albano), and public squares (Brunkebergstorg).

Beyond product distribution, Maxel offers fixture inventory assessment, retrofitting, and refurbishment services through its Återbruk offering, allowing clients to upgrade existing fixtures to LED rather than replacing them. The company holds EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) verification across its portfolio, positioning it for Nordic public-procurement and sustainability-certification mandates. Headcount is 11–50 employees, and the company is privately held with no disclosed external funding or parent company.

Name

Maxel

Legal name

Maxel AB

Website

https://maxel.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maxel AB is a Swedish LED lighting designer, manufacturer, and distributor founded in 1933, serving Swedish architects, lighting designers, electrical contractors, and property developers through project-based sales and exclusive agencies for LEC Lyon, PLANLICHT, and LIGMAN.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Spånga

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maxel designs, manufactures, and distributes indoor and outdoor LED lighting fixtures and systems for commercial, public, and residential projects. Its portfolio includes track-mounted spotlights, recessed and surface-mounted downlights, linear lighting systems, LED tape, and outdoor luminaires, supported by DALI control, Citizen LED chip integration, and IP65/IP67 encapsulated solutions. The company also serves as the Swedish agent and distributor for partner brands LIGMAN, PLANLICHT, and LEC Lyon.

Product overview

Maxel is a Swedish lighting company established in 1933, offering a comprehensive portfolio of indoor and outdoor lighting solutions. The core product lineup includes multiple fixture families: IMPULS track-mounted spotlights, BEAM spotlights (available in fixed, zoom, projector, and wallwasher variants), AIM projectors, FAKTOR linear lighting systems, recessed fixtures (SOHO, CAPELLA, LUNA, NOIR, NOVA), pendant fixtures (ENO, FLARE), and surface-mounted fixtures (ENLIGHT, POINTER). Supporting the fixture lines are LED tape products (LEDtape, MOONLIGHT 360, Moonlight Side), LED drivers in various control protocols (DALI, CASAMBI, 1-10V, phase dimming), and extensive track systems (Global trac Pulse 3F). Maxel also distributes products from partner brands LIGMAN (architectural outdoor), PLANLICHT (high-quality Tyrolean fixtures), and LEC Lyon (French LED outdoor specialists). A notable service offering is fixture recycling and retrofitting. Products are controlled via DALI protocol, and custom linear systems can be designed using the online Faktor Konfig configurator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FAKTOR: Linear lighting system designed for visual comfort and constructed for best performance with endless possibilities and combinations
• FLARE
• IMPULS
• BEAM
• SPIRIT
• REPLACE G3
• MOONLIGHT 360
• T-LINE
• CAPELLA
• LUNA
• ENLIGHT
• AIM PROJEKTOR
• LEDtape
• SOHO

Products and services

• FLARE Product family combining design and light comfort, designed for visual comfort and constructed for optimal performance. Aimed at architectural lighting projects.
• FAKTOR Linear Lighting System

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LIGMANcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Maxel represents LIGMAN in Sweden with their entire product range. LIGMAN is a leading manufacturer of architectural outdoor lighting. The partnership enables Maxel to offer even more project-specific lighting solutions for outdoor environments. LIGMAN specializes in high-quality architectural exterior luminaires.
• PLANLICHTcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Maxel is agent and distributor for PLANLICHT GMBH in Sweden since January 2024. PLANLICHT specializes in high-quality luminaires known for Tyrolean quality since 1986, illuminating spaces worldwide including hotels, shops, public buildings, and private residences. PLANLICHT offers comprehensive service from consulting and planning to customized lighting solutions.
• LEC LyoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2023Maxel represents LEC Lyon in Sweden with their entire product range. Since 1977, LEC Lyon has focused on LED technology and is well-known in France and internationally for high-tech, unique, and qualitative lighting of specific outdoor projects. LEC creates project-specific lighting solutions for outdoor environments through collaboration with lighting consultants, designers, architects, and installers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fagerhult Group: Swedish-headquartered architectural and commercial lighting manufacturer with a multi-brand portfolio (Fagerhult, iGuzzini, Thorn, Zumtobel-era acquisitions). Direct competitor to Maxel in the Swedish specification market, serving architects, designers, and contractors across commercial and institutional segments.
• Ateljé Lyktan: Historic Swedish lighting manufacturer (founded 1934) producing indoor and outdoor luminaires with strong specification presence in Scandinavian public-sector and architectural projects. Closely comparable in heritage, geography, and target customer base to Maxel.
• Annell Lighting Group: Swedish lighting distributor and specification company representing multiple premium international architectural brands. Closely comparable business model to Maxel — both sell and specify partner-brand indoor/outdoor luminaires to Swedish architects and electrical contractors.

Broad incumbents

• ERCO: German specialist manufacturer of architectural lighting for museums, offices, retail, and outdoor spaces with a strong specification-led sales model. Comparable to Maxel in focusing on architects and designers, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Zumtobel Group: Austrian professional lighting group with Thorn and Zumtobel brands targeting architectural and office applications. Active across Europe with strong specification focus — comparable in customer base and DALI/controls integration to Maxel.
• iGuzzini: Italian architectural lighting manufacturer (now part of Fagerhult Group) with strong design-led portfolio targeting museums, retail, and urban projects. Comparable to Maxel in specification focus and product-design emphasis on visual comfort.
• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting leader with the Philips, Color Kinetics, and Interact brands covering architectural, commercial, and outdoor segments. Competes with Maxel on large-scale commercial and office projects and on DALI/connected lighting specifications.
• Glamox: Norwegian-headquartered European lighting manufacturer with broad indoor, outdoor, and marine portfolios serving commercial, healthcare, education, and industrial customers. Comparable to Maxel in product breadth and architectural specification focus, but with substantially larger scale and pan-European reach.

Regional players

• LightContractor / Dotlux (Scandi distributors): Northern European LED lighting distributors focused on reseller and project channels. Listed as an adjacent Swedish-distribution peer; some sites serve Nordic rather than purely Swedish territory, distinguishing them from Maxel's domestic focus.

Others

• LIGMAN: Architectural outdoor lighting manufacturer currently distributed by Maxel in Sweden. Included because Maxel's commercial relationship is part of its competitive offering — they are simultaneously a partner and an adjacent outdoor-lighting peer in the Swedish specification market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Maxel