What SILL does

SILL designs and manufactures high-performance LED floodlights, spotlights, and area lighting fixtures for architectural and infrastructure applications. Founded in 1954 in Berlin by Franz Sill and Werner Fuchs, the company has specialized for seven decades in precision optics technology — including asymmetric light distribution, narrow 7° beam angles, IP65-rated durable construction, and active thermal management up to 55°C. Its product portfolio comprises multiple projector series (02, 14, 48, 49, 150/153/155, 151/154, 176, 177) plus LED upgrade kits (453/454), engineered for demanding environments including railway stations, bridges, ports, towers, churches, swimming pools, and exhibition halls.

SILL operates as a brand within MCSMBS Holding, with all products manufactured by Hoffmeister GmbH at its facility in Schalksmühle, Germany. The company generates revenue through direct B2B hardware sales, selling project-based lighting solutions to government infrastructure operators (Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, Société du Grand Paris, City of Rotterdam, City of Zurich), port authorities, telecommunications tower operators (Deutsche Telekom/DFMG), and enterprise clients (Messe Frankfurt, BP). Distribution occurs through direct enterprise sales, specification via architectural firms and lighting designers, and the corporate website. Product specifications integrate with smart-city ecosystems including Signify CityTouch, Zhaga, DALI, and DMX. Customer outcomes cited include 50-80% reductions in connected power load across retrofit projects, supporting the value proposition of energy efficiency, durability in harsh environments, and precise light distribution with minimal glare and light pollution.

Name

SILL

Legal name

Hoffmeister GmbH

Website

https://sill-lighting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SILL designs and manufactures high-performance LED floodlights and precision optics for architectural and infrastructure lighting. Serving government, transit, port, and enterprise clients across Europe with durable, energy-efficient projector systems engineered for harsh environments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural & Infrastructure Lighting

NAICS

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights) (IMAGAIAA)

Keywords

• Architectural floodlighting
• Infrastructure LED lighting
• Outdoor projector luminaires
• Urban lighting solutions
• Industrial area lighting

Headquarters

HQ city

Schalksmühle

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional lighting equipment sales: Sale of LED floodlights, spotlights and area lighting fixtures for infrastructure and architectural applications. Products are sold as complete units with pricing based on luminaire type, power rating and optical configuration. The company manufactures products through Hoffmeister GmbH and sells under the SILL brand.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SILL designs and manufactures high-performance LED floodlights, projectors and area luminaires for architectural and infrastructure illumination. Its product lines cover precision surface projectors (series 02, 14, 49), asymmetrical area projectors (series 48, 150/153/155, 151/154), an industrial indoor luminaire (176), the 177 Arealflooter for large outdoor areas, and LED upgrade kits (453/454) for retrofit projects. All products are manufactured in-house by Hoffmeister GmbH in Schalksmühle, Germany, and sold through direct B2B channels to infrastructure operators and via specification by architects and lighting designers on landmark European projects.

Product overview

SILL is a professional lighting manufacturer specializing in high-performance floodlights and projectors for infrastructure and architectural applications. The product portfolio consists of multiple projector series (02, 14, 49) for precision illumination of surfaces, buildings, and objects, combined with asymmetrical projector series (48, 150/153/155, 151/154) designed for area and large surface illumination. The industrial luminaire 176 serves indoor applications while the 177 Arealflooter handles large outdoor areas. LED conversion kits (453/454) enable modernization of existing installations. Products feature LED technology with various control options including DALI, DMX, and RGBW variants, and are built with IP65 ratings for outdoor durability. The company, founded in 1954 and now part of the SHS Group under Hoffmeister GmbH, focuses on architectural, infrastructure, and industrial lighting applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SILL 02 Projector Series Versatile projector series for illuminating surfaces, buildings and objects with precise LED optics, available in multiple variants (02M, 02S) for different mounting configurations including ground-recessed installation. The 02M variant includes an integrated LED driver and meets EN 60598-2-22 emergency lighting standard.
• SILL 14 Projector Series Projector series featuring narrow 7° beam angles for precision lighting, available in multiple variants (14S, 14L, 14M) for architectural illumination, tower lighting and large-area coverage, including RGBW variants for dynamic color illumination.
• SILL 48 Asymmetrical Projector Series Asymmetrical projector series designed for industrial environments, characterized by robustness, IP65 waterproof rating and ability to operate under extreme conditions up to 55°C with active thermal management.
• SILL 48 Xtrem Floodlight Extremely robust version of the SILL 48 series designed for the harshest conditions including extreme temperatures and corrosive environments, extending the asymmetrical projector family to the most demanding sites.
• SILL 49 Projector Series Projector series with special wallwasher optics for uniform light distribution on façades, designed to avoid shadow areas and glare points with a compact and sleek design, suitable for landmark buildings and sacred architecture.
• SILL 150 / 153 / 155 G-Series Projectors Asymmetrical projector series providing wide-angle asymmetric lighting technology with deep beam distribution, IP65 rating, temperature resistance up to 55°C and corrosion protection for area illumination including railway stations, cleaning facilities and urban installations.
• SILL 151 & 154 Pole-Mounted Projectors Asymmetrical projectors with pole-mounted configurations for street and area lighting applications, featuring high luminous output and precise light guidance, including integration with CityTouch for smart city deployments.
• SILL 176 Industrial Luminaire Industrial luminaire for indoor lighting applications including sports halls and industrial hall lighting, designed for high-bay mounting and demanding environments.
• SILL 177 Arealflooter Area Floodlight Area floodlight (Arealflooter) designed for illuminating large outdoor areas, particularly suitable for saline aggressive environments and extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 55°C, used in port and industrial sites.
• SILL 453 / 454 Upgrade Kit Standalone LED conversion kit for modernizing existing SILL 153 and 154 luminaires, allowing upgrade to contemporary LED technology while retaining existing housings for sustainability and reduced connected load.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% energy savings on bridge lighting projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SammodecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSammode is a closely related brand within the SHS Lighting Group, collaborating on lighting projects. SILL products are often featured alongside Sammode fixtures in project documentation, and both brands share manufacturing through Hoffmeister GmbH. The partnership involves joint product development and coordinated project execution, particularly in French market projects.
• ewz (Zurich energy provider)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerewz (Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich) partnered with SILL for intelligent city lighting in Zurich. This collaboration modernizes urban infrastructure with smart lighting solutions featuring motion sensors and wireless communication.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schréder: Belgian-headquartered specialist in outdoor and urban lighting (street, tunnel, architectural, floodlighting) with strong European municipal footprint — directly comparable to SILL on area, street, and architectural floodlighting for public infrastructure.
• iGuzzini Illuminazione: Italian architectural lighting specialist (now under Signify) producing high-end projectors, floodlights, and urban lighting systems specified by lighting designers on landmark and infrastructure projects across Europe.
• ERCO Lighting: German architectural lighting manufacturer specializing in high-performance LED projectors and floodlights for museums, façades, and urban infrastructure — directly comparable to SILL in optical precision and project-specification sales model.
• WE-EF Leuchten: German manufacturer of outdoor architectural and infrastructure luminaires including floodlights and projectors for urban, streetscape, and façade applications — competes head-to-head with SILL on specification-driven European projects.
• Hoffmeister GmbH: Hoffmeister GmbH is the legal entity that actually manufactures all SILL luminaires out of the same Schalksmühle facility; it operates parallel product lines in track and architectural lighting, making it the closest operational and physical-comparable to SILL within SHS Group.
• BEGA: German premium manufacturer of outdoor architectural luminaires and floodlights for streets, tunnels, plazas, and public buildings — overlaps closely with SILL on outdoor area, façade, and infrastructure applications across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting incumbent owning Philips, ColorKinetics, and CityTouch; provides the smart-city control platform already integrated with SILL fixtures and competes on large infrastructure tenders with full-stack hardware + software offerings.
• Zumtobel Group: Austrian-listed lighting group with Thorn and Zumtobel brands supplying architectural, outdoor, and infrastructure lighting across Europe; competes with SILL on many of the same specification projects but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Siteco (LG-owned): German outdoor and infrastructure lighting brand under LG, producing street, tunnel, and architectural luminaires — overlaps with SILL on European municipal tenders at broader product breadth.

Emerging players

• Sammode: French sister brand within SHS Lighting Group; shares Schalksmühle manufacturing and frequently co-features on SILL projects (e.g., Villejuif metro, Dreux railway), making it a tightly adjacent rather than purely independent comparator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SILL