MBS Equipment Company

What MBS Equipment Company does

MBS Equipment Company (MBSE) is a UK-based private company that rents lighting equipment and provides production support to the film and television industry. Its headquarters are in Colnbrook, Slough, Berkshire, and it maintains operational bases across five European countries — the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, and Austria. A related entity, MBS Equipment Co US, extends service coverage into North American and international markets under the MBS Group umbrella. The company positions itself as one of the industry's premier lighting rental resources and serves cinematographers, gaffers, and crews working on movies, television, broadcast, event, and media productions at studios and on location worldwide.

The core offering is rental of professional film and television lighting equipment, spanning both conventional and advanced lighting technology. The company maintains an "unrivalled collection of production solutions" and supplements its rental business with MBSi (MBS Innovation), a sub-brand that introduces new lighting products aimed at changing production workflows. Customer engagement is direct and field-led, targeting enterprise production companies and crew members rather than individual consumers.

The revenue model is project-based rental of lighting equipment and related services, with rates quoted per production. The company reaches customers primarily through direct sales and through memberships and sponsorships in major industry associations, including BSC, ASC, ASPEC, Illuminatrix DOPs, Albert, PLASA, Production Guild, WFTV, and Pinewood MBS. The firm employs between 251 and 500 people.

Name

MBS Equipment Company

Legal name

MBS Equipment Company

Website

https://mbseco.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MBS Equipment Company (MBSE) is a UK-headquartered private company that rents professional lighting equipment and provides production support to cinematographers, gaffers, and crews across film, television, broadcast, event, and media productions in Europe and, via a US affiliate, North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Colnbrook

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lighting Equipment Rental: Rental of film and television lighting equipment and support services to production companies, cinematographers, gaffers, and crews. Equipment is accessible via a growing network of European bases for productions at studios or on location.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

MBS Equipment Company (MBSE) provides professional lighting equipment rental, sales of its MBSi proprietary lighting products, and dedicated production support to the film, television, broadcast, event, and media industries. Operating from bases in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, and Austria, the company supplies cinematographers, gaffers, and crews with conventional and advanced lighting technology backed by 24/7 service and on-site technical crews.

Product overview

MBS Equipment Company (MBSE) operates as a premier lighting rental resource for the film, television, broadcast, event, and media production industries. The company's core offering is lighting equipment rental, providing cinematographers, gaffers, and crews access to both conventional and the latest advanced lighting technology. Their portfolio includes their primary lighting rental services supplemented by MBSi, an exciting new line of products that are changing industry workflows. These offerings are delivered through a growing network of European operational bases spanning the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, and Austria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MBSi: Exciting new products that are changing the way we work

Products and services

• Lighting Equipment Rental Rental of professional film, TV, broadcast, and event lighting equipment (conventional and advanced fixtures, including LEDs) supplied to cinematographers, gaffers, and production crews through bases in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, and Austria.
• MBSi Innovative Lighting Products Proprietary MBSi line of innovative lighting products developed by the company, offered alongside third-party brands to provide customers with purpose-built lighting solutions.
• Production Support and Crew Services Round-the-clock production engineering support and on-site crew services that accompany lighting rentals, including setup assistance and ongoing technical guidance during productions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BSC (British Society of Cinematographers)minorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. BSC represents cinematographers in the UK film and television industry.
• ASC (American Society of Cinematographers)minorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. ASC is a prestigious organization for cinematographers.
• ASPECminorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. ASPEC represents UK camera and lighting equipment professionals.
• Illuminatrix DOPsminorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. Illuminatrix is a community of directors of photography.
• AlbertminorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. Albert is the sustainable production organization for film and TV.
• PLASAminorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. PLASA is the professional lighting and audio association.
• Production GuildminorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. Production Guild represents production management professionals.
• WFTV (Women in Film and Television)minorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. WFTV supports women working in film, television, and digital media.
• Pinewood MBSminorOthersIndustry organization that MBSE proudly supports. Pinewood MBS is a facility at the famous Pinewood Studios.
• MBS Equipment Co USminorOthersRelated entity providing North American and international lighting equipment rental services. Linked entity under the MBS Group umbrella.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Pinewood MBS: On-site lighting and equipment facility at Pinewood Studios that MBS proudly supports; comparable as an ecosystem participant and channel partner within the same UK studio production environment.

Emerging players

• Creamsource: Specialist manufacturer of high-output LED lighting for film, TV, and broadcast; comparable as an innovation-led lighting technology player intersecting with MBS's MBSi sub-brand and fleet mix.
• LiteGear: Designer and manufacturer of LED lighting fixtures for film and television production; comparable as a next-generation lighting technology player relevant to MBS's advanced-lighting fleet.

Direct peers

• ARRI: German-based global manufacturer and rental provider of professional film and broadcast lighting and camera systems; directly overlaps with MBS's film/TV lighting rental and advanced lighting technology offering.
• Panavision: Premier global provider of camera, lens, and lighting rental services to film and television productions; competes with MBS for the same cinematographer and gaffer-specified lighting packages.
• Keslow Camera: US-based high-end camera and lighting rental house serving feature film, episodic, and commercial productions; comparable as a specialist production-equipment rental peer.
• Otto Nemenz International: Long-established Hollywood camera and lighting rental house serving feature films, TV, and commercials; directly comparable in product mix and cinematographer-led customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Vitec Group: Listed parent of multiple broadcast, film, and photography equipment brands (including lighting and supports); comparable as a broad incumbent in the production-equipment ecosystem in which MBS operates.

Regional players

• Cinequipt: US-based full-service camera, lighting, and grip rental house; comparable in service model and customer base though operating in a different geographic territory than MBS's direct European bases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mbseuk

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 MBS Equipment Company