What Way Too Cool does

Way Too Cool LLC is a US-based manufacturer of custom, built-to-order ultraviolet (UV) lamp fixtures and UV LED flashlights, founded in 1998 by William G. Gardner III and headquartered in Glendale, Arizona. The company specializes in high-quality UV light sources spanning shortwave (UV-C 254nm), midwave (UV-B 310nm), and longwave (UV-A 365nm) wavelengths, with lamp fixtures ranging from 5W handheld units to 285W triple-wattage configurations for display cases and field use. Core technology centers on proprietary wavelength-transforming filters (Hoya U325C, Kokomo, ZWB2/ZWB3 glass), Nichia UV B phosphor embedded sleeves, over-driven ballasts for increased UV output, and active cooling systems — protected by at least five US patents including #7,485,883, #7,781,751, and #8,558,203B1. The company was the first to develop and sell filtered UV LED flashlights (starting 2006) and operates its own mineral mines (Purple Passion Mine, Hogan Claim) for fluorescent specimen sales.

The company's primary customer base is fluorescent rock and mineral collectors, with secondary markets in healthcare/sterilization (UV-C germicidal lamps), scientific research (bat White-Nose Syndrome detection, scorpion research), forensic/professional services, and museums/education. Products are made in the USA and distributed through direct sales (email/phone consultation, no online shopping cart), an authorized dealer network, and direct booth sales at major gem and mineral shows including Tucson and Hard Rock Summit Denver, with worldwide shipping via UPS/USPS.

Way Too Cool generates revenue through hardware sales of lamp fixtures, LED flashlights, replacement parts, accessories, fluorescent minerals, and UV-C sterilization lamps, supplemented by a patent licensing program with five or more licensee manufacturers. Pricing is quote-based for custom configurations and ranges from $20 entry-level flashlights to over $2,600 for high-power multi-wattage systems. The business is founder-owned with no external institutional capital, has 11-50 employees, and operates as a profitable niche manufacturer with active patent enforcement (including a 2022 settlement with Engenious Designs) and ongoing product line refreshes.

Name

Way Too Cool

Legal name

Way Too Cool LLC

Website

https://www.fluorescents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Way Too Cool LLC is a US manufacturer of custom-built UV lamp fixtures and LED flashlights (5W to 285W) serving fluorescent mineral collectors, healthcare sterilization, and scientific research markets through direct consultation sales, dealer networks, and trade show distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty UV Lighting Equipment

NAICS

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

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• UV lamp fixtures
• UV LED flashlights
• Fluorescent mineral lights
• Custom UV lighting
• UV sterilization lamps

Headquarters

HQ city

Glendale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. UV Lamp Fixtures Sales: Core revenue stream from selling custom, built-to-order ultraviolet lamp fixtures in various wattages (5W to 285W) and configurations (single, dual, triple wavelengths). Products are made in the USA and feature Hoya U325C filter glass.
2. UV LED Flashlight Sales: Sales of portable UV LED flashlights including Convoy S2+, Convoy C8+, Aurora, WTC Mini, Wild Pony, Wild Bronco, Twist, Foxtrot, and All-Wave models. Products feature various wavelengths and power outputs.
3. Replacement Parts: Sales of replacement UV bulbs, ballasts, and components for lamp fixtures. Products include Philips UV bulbs, custom ballasts, and repair parts.
4. Accessories: Sales of portable battery packs (2.5Ah and 5.0Ah), power splitters, extensions, extra batteries and chargers for UV lamps and flashlights.
5. Fluorescent Minerals: Direct sales of fluorescent minerals from their own Arizona mines (Purple Passion Mine, Hogan Mine) and other locations including Franklin/Sterling Hill, Spain, Canada, and Italy. Offers individual pieces, bulk, and wholesale quantities.
6. Patent Licensing: Bill Gardner licenses his patents to other manufacturers. The license agreement specifies royalties to compensate for R&D effort and expenses. Licensed companies can share in patent protection without spending thousands on their own patents.
7. UV-C Sterilization Lamps: Modified UV lamps with clear glass (no filter) for sterilization purposes. Products range from handheld 5W to 95W fixtures for disinfecting surfaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Way Too Cool LLC manufactures custom, built-to-order ultraviolet (UV) lamp fixtures and UV LED flashlights primarily for fluorescent mineral collectors, with secondary applications in healthcare, research, forensics, HVAC, pest control, dermatology, aquarium, and money verification. The company also offers UV-C sterilization lamps introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and a small selection of collectible fluorescent mineral specimens. Products are made in the USA using premium components including Philips UV bulbs and Hoya optical filters, supported by patented wavelength-transforming filter technology.

Product overview

Way Too Cool LLC is a manufacturer of custom, built-to-order ultraviolet (UV) lamp fixtures and LED flashlights. The product portfolio centers on UV lamps ranging from 5W to 285W (in various configurations: single, dual, triple, quad) and handheld LED flashlights spanning multiple wavelengths (UV-C 254nm, UV-B 310nm, UV-A 365nm). Key lamp products include the 9W, 18W, 35W, 36W, 60W, and 95W series with filter glass, plus specialized lines like Trim Line (display case mounts) and 3D Printed models (custom integration). Flashlight offerings include the Convoy S2+, Convoy C8+, Aurora, All-Wave (triple wavelength), WTC Mini, WTC Shortwave/Midwave, The Triple, Wild Pony, Wild Bronco, Twist, and Foxtrot models. The company also offers UV-C sterilization lamps with clear glass, replacement parts, accessories (battery packs, chargers), and fluorescent minerals from their Arizona mines. Products are made in the USA with Hoya and ZWB filter glass and patented wavelength-transforming technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom UV Lamp Fixtures (9W, 18W, 35W, 36W, 60W, 95W) Custom, built-to-order UV lamp fixtures offered in 9W, 18W, 35W, 36W, 60W, and 95W configurations for fluorescent mineral collectors and professional applications in research, healthcare, forensics, HVAC, and pest control. Made in the USA with Philips UV bulbs and Hoya optical filters.
• Trim Line UV Lamp Slim-profile UV lamp fixture variant in the Way Too Cool custom lamp line, designed for fluorescent mineral collectors seeking a lower-profile form factor.
• 3D Printed UV Lamp UV lamp fixture manufactured with 3D-printed housing and structural components, combining custom UV optics with additive-manufactured enclosures for collectors and specialty users.
• 36 LED UV Lamp High-output LED-array UV lamp fixture with 36 LEDs, offering an LED-based alternative to the company's traditional fluorescent-bulb UV lamp fixtures for mineral collectors and professionals.
• Convoy S2+ UV 365nm LED Flashlight Compact Convoy-brand 365nm UV LED flashlight offered for fluorescent mineral collectors seeking a portable 365nm longwave UV source.
• Convoy C8+ 365nm UV LED Flashlight Larger Convoy C8+ host 365nm UV LED flashlight offered for collectors requiring a higher-output portable 365nm longwave UV source.
• Aurora 365nm UV LED Flashlight Aurora-brand 365nm UV LED flashlight sold through Way Too Cool for portable longwave UV illumination of fluorescent minerals.
• WTC Mini 365nm UV Flashlight Compact Way Too Cool-branded 365nm UV LED flashlight designed as a portable longwave UV source for mineral collectors and field use.
• WTC Shortwave UV LED Flashlight Way Too Cool-branded shortwave (UV-C / UV-B) UV LED flashlight providing filtered shortwave UV illumination for mineral collectors.
• WTC Midwave UV LED Flashlight Way Too Cool-branded midwave UV LED flashlight providing portable midwave UV illumination for mineral collectors.
• The Triple Handheld UV Light Multi-wavelength handheld UV light combining three UV wavelengths in a single portable unit for collectors needing flexible UV coverage in the field.
• Wild Pony UV LED Flashlight

Quantifiable outcome

• Patent #7781751 protects filtered UV LED flashlight technology
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fluorescent Mineral SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2022As part of the settlement with Engenious Designs, 6% of revenues from sales of infringing portable UV LED fixtures and flashlights will be paid to the Fluorescent Mineral Society for promotion of the fluorescent mineral hobby, innovation, advancement, and development of new designs.
• Convoy (manufacturer)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerConvoy manufacturer has agreed that William Gardner is the exclusive distributor in the USA of Convoy's filtered UV LED products. Custom UV flashlights are manufactured by Convoy exclusively for Way Too Cool and WTC dealers. Convoy C8+ is made based on Bill Gardner's patent.
• The Unique DisplaysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDisplay case builder recommended by Way Too Cool for customers who want custom display cases but don't want to build their own. Website: theuniquedisplays.com

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Spectronics Corporation: Spectronics is one of the longest-established US manufacturers of UV lamps and flashlights for NDT, leak detection, forensics, and UV curing. Comparable to Way Too Cool because it sells overlapping UV lamp fixtures and LED flashlights across professional inspection use cases, though with a broader product portfolio and a focus on industrial inspection rather than mineral collecting.
• UVP / Analytik Jena US: UVP (now part of Analytik Jena) manufactures UV transilluminators, UV lamps, and UV LED products for laboratory, life-science, and inspection applications. Comparable to Way Too Cool because it covers multiple UV wavelengths in lamp and flashlight form factors, but serves primarily laboratory and research buyers with broader catalog and enterprise distribution.
• American Ultraviolet Company: American Ultraviolet manufactures UV germicidal and sterilization lamp fixtures for healthcare and commercial applications. Comparable to Way Too Cool because it sells UV-C lamp fixtures (including portable and handheld sterilization units) overlapping with Way Too Cool's UV-C sterilization line, though focused on industrial/commercial disinfection at larger scale.
• Hönle UV America: Hönle is a German UV technology manufacturer offering UV lamp systems and UV LED solutions for curing, sterilization, and surface disinfection. Comparable to Way Too Cool's UV-C sterilization and lamp-fixture offerings but with a global industrial focus and significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Engenious Designs: Engenious Designs is a direct competitor in the filtered UV LED flashlight market and was the defendant in Way Too Cool's patent infringement lawsuit. It is the most directly comparable peer because it sells the same class of product (filtered portable UV LED flashlights) to overlapping fluorescent-mineral and inspection customers.

Regional players

• UV Light Technology Limited: UV Light Technology is a UK-based manufacturer of UV lamps, UV LED torches, and UV-C disinfection equipment for inspection, leak detection, and sterilization. Comparable to Way Too Cool in product range (lamp fixtures plus portable UV torches across UV-A/B/C) but competes primarily in European and UK markets rather than in Way Too Cool's US base.

Emerging players

• NightSearcher: NightSearcher is a UK specialist in professional LED flashlights and torches, including UV inspection flashlights. Comparable because it sells portable UV LED flashlights for professional and forensic inspection, overlapping with Way Too Cool's flashlight line, though broader into general professional lighting and primarily serving European customers.
• Luzchem Research: Luzchem Research manufactures UV-visible light sources and photoreactor/illumination equipment for laboratory research, including UV lamps. Comparable to Way Too Cool because it supplies multi-wavelength UV lamp fixtures to research customers (overlapping with Way Too Cool's Research & Science segment), but smaller and more specialized in photochemistry applications.
• Stone River Gear (PetraMax): PetraMax is a newer entrant in filtered UV LED flashlights specifically tuned for fluorescent mineral (Yooperlite) hunting, a hobbyist use case directly served by Way Too Cool's Convoy S2+/C8+ products. Comparable as an emerging low-cost competitor targeting the same fluorescent-mineral collector segment, illustrating the price-pressure risk from new hobbyist-focused entrants.

Others

• Convoy: Convoy is the OEM flashlight manufacturer that builds Way Too Cool's flagship Convoy S2+ and Convoy C8+ filtered UV LED flashlights under exclusive US distribution. Comparable as an adjacent peer/OEM rather than a competitor, because Convoy supplies the manufacturing backbone for several of Way Too Cool's core products but also sells its own flashlights globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Way Too Cool