What UV Systems does

UV Systems, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned manufacturer of high-technology ultraviolet lighting products founded in 1992 by Don Newsome in Renton, Washington. The company designs and builds handheld and display UV lights (SuperBright 4 series and TripleBright 4/Dual TripleBright 4 series) along with proprietary EverBright thin-film SW filters, replacement quartz lamps, programmable T-25 timers, and battery packs. Core technology rests on custom quartz lamps with ~91% SW transmission, two US patents (6,479,947 and 6,838,837) on cycling circuits that allow millions of on/off cycles without lamp damage, and the proprietary EverBright filter delivering 75% transmission at 254nm over a 20+ year design life.

The company sells exclusively direct-to-consumer via its Shopify storefront with no third-party resellers, supplemented by sales and demonstrations at trade shows such as the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society Show and Fluorescent Mineral Society (FMS) annual and chapter meetings. Pricing is one-time hardware purchase only, ranging from $9.95 (safety goggles) to $6,995 (premium Dual TripleBright configurations), with replacement lamps and EverBright conversion kits creating aftermarket attach revenue on the existing installed base.

The primary customer base is fluorescent mineral collectors, with secondary institutional penetration into museums, forensic science laboratories, biotechnology and TLC visualization, and UV disinfection applications. Marketing is community-led, anchored by the founder's role in founding the Fluorescent Mineral Society and continuous technical publication in its journal. Named anchor customers include Franklin Mineral Museum, the U.S. Department of Justice Forensic Document Laboratory, and the University of Richmond. The company has no external funding, no M&A activity, and no public listing; operations are concentrated in a small team led by Don Newsome (President), Melissa Russell (Vice President), and David Graves (Production Manager).

Name

UV Systems

Legal name

UV Systems, Inc.

Website

https://uvsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UV Systems, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned manufacturer based in Renton, Washington that designs and sells high-power ultraviolet lighting products — including handheld SuperBright lights, display TripleBright fixtures, and proprietary EverBright thin-film filters — primarily to fluorescent mineral collectors and museums via direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty UV Lighting Equipment

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

UV Germicidal Light (UV-C) & HVAC Disinfection Systems (HSAOAIAI)

Keywords

• UV lighting products
• Ultraviolet illumination
• Fluorescent mineral display
• Germicidal UV systems
• UV filter technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Renton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. UV Lighting Hardware Sales: Direct sales of UV lights (SuperBright, TripleBright, Dual TripleBright series), replacement lamps, UV filters, battery packs, timers, and accessories. One-time hardware purchases with optional accessories and consumables (lamps, filters) for repurchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UV Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells specialized ultraviolet (UV) lighting equipment and component parts — handheld and display UV lights, custom quartz replacement lamps, proprietary thin-film SW filters, programmable timers, and portable battery packs — for fluorescent mineral collectors, museums, forensic science laboratories, biotechnology users, and germicidal disinfection applications. The company also sells related accessories (UV filters, safety goggles) and educational reference books about fluorescent minerals.

Product overview

UV Systems offers a complete line of high-technology ultraviolet lighting products and component parts specifically designed for fluorescent mineral collectors, museums, and professionals. The core product families include the SuperBright 4 handheld UV lights (SW/MW/LW370 wavelengths) and TripleBright 4/Dual TripleBright 4 display lights for museum and exhibition use. These are complemented by EverBright thin-film SW filters (with conversion kits for existing units), T-25 Timer controllers for automated display sequences, and B3 Battery Pack for field use. The product ecosystem includes replacement lamps (quartz with ~91% SW transmission), UV filters, safety goggles, and educational reference books. All products share a design philosophy of superior UV output, durability, and user-serviceable components with interchangeable lamps and filters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SuperBright: Line of handheld UV lights including SuperBright 2000SW, SuperBright II, SuperBright 3, and SuperBright 4 models.
• TripleBright
• EverBright
• T-Series Timers

Products and services

• SuperBright 4 Handheld UV Light Handheld UV light available in SW (254nm, model 5254, $1,295), MW (312nm, model 5312, $1,395), and LW370 (368nm, model 5368, $1,285) wavelengths. Aluminum housing, 2.15 lbs, easy-open cover for lamp changes, designed for portable fluorescent mineral viewing by individual collectors and field professionals.
• TripleBright 4 Display UV Light High-powered display UV light for museums and serious collectors, featuring patented circuits (US Patents 6,479,947 and 6,838,837) allowing millions of on/off cycles without lamp damage. Fan-cooled for constant output with easy-access cover for filter replacement. Available in SW (FSLS, $2,595), MW (FSLM, $2,620), and LW370 (FL68, $1,998) configurations.
• Dual TripleBright 4 Display UV Light Dual-lamp display UV light assembly for maximum UV output in large museum display cases. Available in DFSLS68 (SW+LW, $3,395), DFSLSS (two SW, $3,495), DFL6868 (two LW, $2,775), and DFSLMM (two MW, $3,495) configurations.
• EverBright SW Filter and Conversion Kits Thin-film SW UV filter delivering 75% transmission at 254nm (vs 50–55% for typical Japanese glass filters), designed to last 174,000+ hours (20+ years) with virtually no solarization. Sold as standalone filters and as conversion kits for existing SuperBright ($995) and TripleBright ($4,595) units, plus preconfigured EverBright Dual TripleBright 4 ($5,999, reg. $6,995), EverBright TripleBright 4 ($5,475, reg. $6,595), and EverBright SuperBright 4 ($1,690, reg. $2,225).
• T-25 Programmable Timer Programmable electronic timer with four outputs controlling SW, MW, LW UV lights and incandescent lights. Custom-built for specific museum display sequences; heart of system is a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) with non-volatile memory; expandable to eight or more outputs for large exhibits.
• B3 Battery Pack Portable rechargeable battery pack for SuperBright series UV lights, rated 8 amp-hours for approximately 7 hours of operation. Includes heavy-duty coiled cord, padded nylon carrying case, and 115VAC charger. Complete unit priced at $395 (US shipping $34.25); B215 15-ft cord/jack accessory $95.
• Replacement Quartz UV Lamps Replacement quartz lamps for SuperBright and TripleBright lights in SW (LS series, e.g., LS-16XA $123, LS-60-254 $258), MW (LM series), and LW (LL series, e.g., LL-16-368A $209) wavelengths. Custom quartz tubing provides ~91% SW transmission versus ~79% for standard UV-C glass lamps.
• UV Filters (Hoya and EverBright) Hoya Optics U-325C SW filters and EverBright custom thin-film filters that block visible light while transmitting UV wavelengths. SW Filter 2" × 5.5" for SuperBright lights (FS-20) $175; SW Filters single for TripleBright (FS-60) $389; SW Filters pkg of 2 for TripleBright (FS-60) $778.
• UV Contrast Safety Goggles UV contrast safety goggles meeting ANSI Z87 2010 and OSHA industrial protection requirements. Block stray UV light while maintaining visible fluorescence visibility, available in configurations for use with or without regular eyeglasses. Priced at $9.95.
• Fluorescent Mineral Reference Books Educational reference books for collectors and enthusiasts: Collecting Fluorescent Minerals (2nd Edition) $89.95; Ultraviolet Light and Fluorescent Minerals $52.00; Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals $48.95.

Quantifiable outcome

• EverBright filter maintains 75% transmission after 1,100 hours of use vs Hoya U-325C showing significant solarization (328% greater transmission advantage)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fluorescent Mineral Society (FMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Don Newsome, President of UV Systems, who also founded the internationally recognized Fluorescent Mineral Society, Inc. UV Systems actively participates in FMS Annual Meetings and NW FMS chapter meetings with product displays. The partnership includes publication of technical articles in FMS Journal and collaborative solarization experiments.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Way Too Cool LLC: Small US manufacturer of handheld UV flashlights targeted at fluorescent mineral collectors and scorpion/petroleum detection. Sells direct-to-consumer at lower price points than UV Systems' SuperBright line, representing the most accessible alternative in the same hobbyist niche.
• Spectronics Corporation (Spectroline): Long-established US manufacturer of UV inspection lamps and handheld UV lights used in industrial, forensic, and laboratory applications. Directly comparable to UV Systems' SuperBright and TripleBright product lines in terms of customer overlap and use cases (forensic document examination, NDT, fluorescent inspection).
• UVP (Analytik Jena US): Manufacturer of UV lamps and transilluminators used in life-science laboratories and mineralogy. UV Systems' published competitive benchmarks are explicitly compared against UVP UVG-D68 and UVS-225D models, indicating direct head-to-head competition in UV light source performance.

Broad incumbents

• Halma plc: UK-listed safety and environmental technology group whose portfolio includes multiple UV-based subsidiaries (e.g., UV sterilization, water treatment, and analytical instrumentation companies). Relevant as a strategic acquirer type and as a benchmark for what a scaled, diversified UV technology portfolio looks like.
• Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation: Established US manufacturer of UV-C germicidal lamps and disinfection equipment for water, air, and surface applications. Overlaps with UV Systems' secondary disinfection segment and represents a much larger, broadly distributed competitor should UV Systems attempt to expand into germicidal markets.
• Steril-Aire: Manufacturer of UV-C germicidal lamps specifically designed for installation in HVAC systems. Overlaps with UV Systems' secondary disinfection/HVAC-related positioning and operates at significantly larger scale with established distribution into building-services channels.
• Trojan Technologies (Xylem): Division of Xylem Inc., one of the largest global suppliers of UV treatment systems for municipal and industrial water applications. Represents the scaled incumbent in the broader UV equipment market and the type of well-capitalized competitor UV Systems would face if expanding beyond its niche.

Emerging players

• Nightsea: Specialist in LED-based fluorescence viewing systems for forensics, gemology, and biology. Represents an emerging alternative light-source technology that competes with UV Systems' quartz-lamp-based products in forensic and mineral display use cases, with potential to disrupt over time.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 UV Systems