Urban Lighting Innovations

What Urban Lighting Innovations does

Urban Lighting Innovations ([ui!]) is a Berlin-based Smart City infrastructure company founded in 2017 that retrofits existing street lighting poles into multifunctional IoT nodes for municipal and utility customers. The company builds a proprietary hardware stack including the PowerPack battery module, PowerNode remote management unit, LoRaKit communications module, and TrafficKit sensor bundle, and operates software platforms UrbanPulse (data platform), DATALAB (visualization), and AGORA (third-party application marketplace). Technology integration is anchored by co-development of the DIN SPEC 91347 standard and a research partnership with TU Berlin, with Microsoft Azure as the named cloud backbone.

The company sells primarily to German municipalities and energy utilities, including named deployments in Bad Hersfeld, Bad Nauheim, Kelsterbach, Frankfurt, Heiningen, Baden-Baden, and Dietzenbach, and partnerships with Netze BW, Syna, and EnBW. Go-to-market mixes shorter-duration Smart City Packages (12-month bundles) with the UIaaS (Urban Intelligence-as-a-Service) model — 10-year service contracts underwritten by Deutsche Bank — and the company reports a documented catalogue of 100+ use cases running on its infrastructure.

The business has expanded internationally via subsidiaries in Australia, Hungary, and the United States, and has used inorganic moves (notably the 2022 acquisition of 47 SMIGHT traffic monitoring systems from EnBW/OEKW) to extend its traffic and environmental sensing footprint. Recognition includes the Smart 50 Award and finalist status for an Innovation Prize, reflecting commercial traction in the German municipal market, though the company remains a sub-50-employee private GmbH and has not disclosed revenue.

Name

Urban Lighting Innovations

Legal name

[ui!] Urban Lighting Innovations GmbH

Website

https://uli.city

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urban Lighting Innovations retrofits existing street lighting poles into multifunctional Smart City IoT nodes for German municipalities and energy utilities, selling proprietary hardware (PowerPack, PowerNode, TrafficKit), software platforms (UrbanPulse, AGORA), and 10-year UIaaS service contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart City Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lighting Controls & Smart Lighting Systems (BPABAGAC), Road Lighting & Visibility Safety Systems (Street Lighting, High-Mast, LED Upgrades, Solar Beacons) (TLAJAGAD), Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB)

Keywords

• Smart street lighting
• Municipal IoT infrastructure
• Urban data platform
• Smart City as-a-service
• Adaptive lighting control

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Urban Intelligence-as-a-Service (UIaaS): The flagship revenue model. UIaaS bundles planning, hardware delivery, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and financing into a single long-term service contract (typically 10 years). Municipalities pay annual service fees instead of upfront capital investment. This model eliminates procurement barriers and enables immediate infrastructure modernization. The service fee is partially offset by energy and maintenance savings achieved by the system.
2. Smart City Packages (12-month bundled service): Pre-configured Smart City solution packages (street lighting, traffic, noise, parking, environment, visitor flows, winter service, heat islands, IoT) sold to municipalities. All packages include hardware components, setup, commissioning, and 12 months of system operation. After the first year, municipalities can extend via service contracts. Provides predictable recurring revenue.
3. IoT Hardware (PowerPack, PowerNode, LoRa-KIT, TRAFFIC-KIT): Sale of proprietary hardware components for Smart City IoT infrastructure. Hardware ownership transfers to the customer upon full payment. For certain products (PowerNode, TempCast, GroundCast), ownership is retained by the company under a usage model, generating ongoing licensing/service revenue.
4. Professional Services (Planning, Implementation, Consulting): Fees for individual project planning, technical consulting, installation management, configuration, and commissioning services. Offered as part of the full-service packages or as standalone engagements for municipalities with existing infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urban Lighting Innovations converts existing public street lighting poles into multifunctional Smart City IoT nodes by integrating proprietary hardware (PowerPack battery, PowerNode remote management device) and sensor kits (TrafficKit, LoRa-KIT) invisibly inside the mast. The company delivers these as operational Smart City solutions through its Urban Intelligence-as-a-Service (UIaaS) managed-service model, which bundles planning, hardware, installation, operation, maintenance, and Deutsche Bank-backed financing into 10-year contracts for municipalities. Standardized Smart City Packages covering street lighting, traffic, noise, parking, environment, visitor flows, winter service, and heat islands are offered for faster deployment, with software platforms [ui!] UrbanPulse and [ui!] DATALAB providing data integration and visualization.

Product overview

Urban Lighting Innovations (ui!) provides a modular Smart City infrastructure platform built around the conversion of existing streetlight masts into multifunctional IoT nodes. The core portfolio consists of proprietary hardware modules ([ui!] PowerPack for continuous battery power, [ui!] PowerNode for remote power management and OTA resets) that integrate invisibly inside streetlight masts, combined with purpose-built sensor/service kits ([ui!] TrafficKit for real-time classified traffic data via Teledyne FLIR ThermiCam AI; [ui!] LoRaKit for rapid LoRa-based sensor network deployment). These devices feed data into the [ui!] UrbanPulse open urban data platform and [ui!] DATALAB visualization portal, both of which interconnect with external platforms cosma21 and DKSR. The company offers standardized Smart City Pakete (street lighting, traffic, noise, parking, environment, visitor flows, winter service, heat islands) for quick deployment, and a full-lifecycle URBAN INTELLIGENCE as a Service (UIaaS) model that covers design, implementation, operation, and financing of LED lighting modernization with AI-driven adaptive control, plus citizen-facing mobile app control. The [ui!] AGORA marketplace provides an additional self-service channel for municipalities to purchase pre-configured urban data products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• [ui!] TRAFFIC-KIT: A complete system for real-time classified traffic data collection, installed within existing street lighting poles, including ThermiCam AI sensor, PoE module, LTE router, [ui!] PowerNode, and [ui!] PowerPack.
• [ui!] LoRa-KIT
• [ui!] PowerPack
• [ui!] PowerNode
• Urban Intelligence-as-a-Service (UIaaS)
• [ui!] AGORA

Products and services

• [ui!] PowerPack A proprietary lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery engineered for integration inside streetlight masts. Charges overnight via the streetlight power network and supplies continuous 24/7 power to IoT devices, sensors, gateways, and camera systems. Maintains 85% residual capacity after 2,000 charge cycles and is used in over 1,000 Smart City installations across Germany including at Netze BW and Syna.
• [ui!] PowerNode A proprietary remote power management device enabling over-the-air (OTA) hard resets, real-time system status monitoring, configuration changes, firmware updates, and remote optimization of detection zones for IoT devices and sensors installed in streetlight masts. Eliminates the need for physical site visits when devices malfunction or require reconfiguration. Used as a component across all [ui!] service kits and operates as a usage/license model product.
• [ui!] TrafficKit A complete traffic data acquisition kit installed invisibly within existing streetlight masts, combining a ThermiCam AI (Teledyne FLIR) thermal traffic sensor, LTE router, [ui!] PowerNode, and [ui!] PowerPack. Provides real-time classified vehicle counting (LKW/buses, motorcycles, cars, bicycles) and speed measurement on up to 8 lanes with local edge processing, GDPR-compliant operation, and weather-independent performance. Data is presented in [ui!] DATALAB dashboards with CSV export.
• [ui!] LoRa-KIT A complete LoRa-based IoT connectivity kit designed for installation inside existing streetlight masts, including a LoRa antenna, Dragino DLOS8N LoRa gateway, [ui!] PowerNode, and [ui!] PowerPack. Enables rapid, cost-effective deployment of LoRaWAN sensor networks using existing lighting infrastructure without additional construction work, with all components invisible from outside.
• Smart City Packages (Smart City Pakete) Pre-configured 12-month Smart City service packages covering street lighting, traffic, noise, parking, environment/weather, visitor flows, winter service, heat islands, and IoT applications. Each package includes all required hardware, installation, commissioning, and 12 months of system operation. Optional service contract extensions are available from year two. Systems connect to [ui!] UrbanPulse, cosma21, and DKSR data platforms.
• Urban Intelligence-as-a-Service (UIaaS) A comprehensive X-as-a-Service managed-service model covering project design, implementation, operation, and financing of digital infrastructure modernization for municipalities. Includes guaranteed data sovereignty, LED lighting upgrades with AI-driven adaptive control, additional use-case modules, and citizen-facing mobile app control. Cities pay annual service fees over a 10-year term rather than making upfront capital investments. The flagship UIaaS pilot was launched in Bad Hersfeld with Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, and TU Berlin.
• [ui!] UrbanPulse An open urban real-time data platform that aggregates sensor data from multiple domains (lighting, traffic, weather, environment) and integrates with external platforms (cosma21, DKSR). Serves as the central hub linking sensors, lighting management systems, and third-party applications, enabling cross-domain data reuse and municipal data sovereignty.
• [ui!] DATALAB A data visualization and analytics dashboard that presents collected sensor data (traffic, environmental, etc.) in visual formats including maps, charts, and trend diagrams. Supports individual filtering by location, time interval, and direction, CSV export of raw data, and download of visualizations for presentations and reports.
• [ui!] AGORA Marketplace Germany's first open marketplace for Smart City and Smart Region solutions, analyses, products, and services from multiple providers. Allows municipalities to self-configure and purchase urban data products including traffic analyses, parking analytics, and environmental data using a data configurator tool, with results generated from multiple terabytes of datasets within short timeframes. Accessible at agora.umi.city.
• SMIGHT Traffic (acquired product line) Acquired and operated traffic monitoring product line (47 systems) taken over from EnBW/SMIGHT, providing continuous vehicle detection and classification services for existing municipal customers across Germany. The acquisition ensured service continuity and expanded UI!'s installed base of traffic monitoring infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of 71–86% achieved at individual Bad Hersfeld locations with LED replacement + dynamic AI-driven adaptive control, compared to original conventional non-LED lighting.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Netze BW GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2022Netze BW is the grid operator partner in the Heiningen adaptive lighting pilot project (L1217). Netze BW is also referenced as a trusted customer for the [ui!] PowerPack (deployed at utilities with high standards). Netze BW provides the street lighting infrastructure context and operational support for the Heiningen pilot.
• Studio DLminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Studio DL is a design partner in the Heiningen adaptive lighting research project, contributing to the visual and urban design aspects of the insect-friendly lighting installation.
• MicrosoftflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2021Microsoft provides the cloud infrastructure platform for the Bad Hersfeld UIaaS pilot project. The AI-based adaptive lighting control software runs on Microsoft's cloud, enabling the data integration and analytics that drive dynamic street lighting control. The partnership was announced in October 2021 alongside Deutsche Bank and the city of Bad Hersfeld.
• SchrédercoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2021Schréder is the luminaire manufacturer supplying the next-generation street lights for the Bad Hersfeld pilot. The Schréder luminaires feature adjustable color temperature (2,200–3,000 Kelvin), dynamic dimming, and programmable light distribution. They are the physical platform on which UI!'s adaptive lighting control and AI software runs. Schréder also provides the EXEDRA light management system integrated into the project.
• Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021TU Berlin provides scientific monitoring and evaluation of the Bad Hersfeld pilot project from a technical lighting perspective. The Faculty of Lighting Technology conducts before/after analysis of all lamp locations across the three project areas. TU Berlin also supports the Heiningen insect-friendly lighting project with research on biodiversity impacts of adaptive lighting.
• Smart City ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUI! co-developed the DIN SPEC 91347 standard with members of the Smart City Forum. This partnership positions UI! at the center of the German Smart City standardization ecosystem and influences procurement specifications in favor of open, interoperable street lighting solutions.
• Hochschule TU Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a research partner on the company website. TU Darmstadt is one of the leading institutions that has deployed the [ui!] PowerPack in Smart City installations, demonstrating technology validation at top German universities.
• Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a research partner on the company website alongside TU Darmstadt, contributing to the scientific validation and research behind UI!'s Smart City solutions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Itron: Itron provides smart city, smart lighting, and utility network solutions for municipalities and utilities worldwide. Its smart street lighting and urban sensing capabilities are comparable to UI!'s, though Itron's primary business is centered on utilities rather than city infrastructure.
• Signify (Philips Lighting): Signify is the global market leader in lighting with its Interact City platform for connected street lighting and Smart City applications. It offers overlapping capabilities at much greater scale than UI! but does not specialize in the pole-as-IoT-node niche UI! occupies.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Siemens offers comprehensive Smart City and urban infrastructure solutions including lighting control, traffic management, and building systems under its Smart Infrastructure division. Its portfolio overlaps UI!'s offerings but as part of a much broader industrial portfolio.
• Schréder: Schréder is a major European luminaire manufacturer and a UI! partner on the Bad Hersfeld project, with its own EXEDRA light management system and Smart City offerings. As a broader incumbent with an in-house CMS platform, it competes with parts of UI!'s portfolio while also collaborating.

Direct peers

• Worldsensing: Worldsensing provides wireless IoT monitoring solutions for smart cities, mining, and infrastructure, including traffic and environmental sensing. Its IoT-for-cities focus overlaps directly with UI!'s TrafficKit and LoRaKit offerings.
• Citelum (EDF Group): Citelum, owned by EDF, delivers urban lighting management and Smart City services including connected lighting, traffic, and environmental monitoring under long-term service contracts. Its UIaaS-style offering is closely comparable to UI!'s full-service municipal model.
• Telensa: Telensa provides smart street lighting and urban IoT solutions using wireless controls mounted on existing lighting infrastructure, serving municipalities globally. It directly competes with UI! in the smart street lighting pole-as-iot-node category.
• Paradox Engineering: Paradox Engineering offers smart city and IoT platform solutions including smart lighting, smart parking, and environmental sensing using a unified urban data network. It competes directly with UI!'s integrated pole-based IoT and UrbanPulse platform approach.

Emerging players

• TVILIGHT: TVILIGHT is a Dutch smart street lighting and city IoT company offering wireless lighting control, motion sensors, and open API platforms for municipalities. It is an emerging player competing in the same niche as UI! with comparable pole-based IoT functionality.
• Flashnet (Lucy Group): Flashnet, now part of Lucy Group, provides smart street lighting control and urban IoT solutions including the inteliLIGHT platform, with deployments across Europe and emerging markets. It is a focused emerging player with meaningful overlap to UI!'s smart lighting and IoT networking business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ULI_smartcity
• Facebookfacebook.com/urbansoftwareinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-lighting-innovations-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Urban Lighting Innovations