mwConnect
mwConnect designs and manufactures Bluetooth mesh networked lighting controls — sensors, fixture controllers, LED drivers, and wireless switches — sold via OEM channels, ESCOs, and direct field sales to commercial, industrial, and outdoor lighting customers across North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersSacramento, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What mwConnect does
mwConnect (formerly McWong International, Inc.) is a Sacramento, California-based designer and manufacturer of Bluetooth mesh networked lighting controls and OEM lighting components, founded by Margaret Wong in 1984 and rebranded as mwConnect in March 2024 to reflect its evolution into an IoT solutions provider. The company offers four product platforms — TruBlu™ Mesh (a SIG-qualified Bluetooth mesh platform whose web portal and smartphone app are powered by Silvair's software stack), Casambi Mesh, PacWave BLE, and the legacy wired PacWave Classic — and a portfolio of sensors (PIR, ultrasonic, microwave, dual-tech), fixture controllers (including Bluetooth-DALI, Z10, and outdoor long-range variants), LED drivers, occupancy and high-bay sensors, wireless wall switches, self-powered switches, emergency LED drivers, surge protectors, stepdown transformers, power packs, and HVAC control devices (the TruBlu Bluetooth NLC Smart Thermostat Series). Technology interoperability spans Bluetooth 5 / Bluetooth NLC, DALI, Zhaga Book 18/20, D4i, and OpenADR 3.0, with the multi-platform mwLink cloud application providing facility managers operational data and energy reporting.
The company operates two wholly-owned Chinese manufacturing facilities — a 50,000-sq ft plant in Shanghai (opened 2003, ~100 employees) producing LED drivers, emergency drivers, sensors, surge protectors, ballasts, and customized components, and a 20-acre, 50,000 ft² ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Zhanjiang (founded 2008, 100+ employees) producing HID and specialty ballasts, LED stepdown, landscape, and industrial transformers. The US team is small (26 employees) at Sacramento headquarters, with a European sales representative (Paul Blanc) covering western Europe from southern Germany. Total global headcount is approximately 226.
Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) hardware product sales of sensors, controllers, drivers, and components to OEMs for embedding into fixtures and to contractors/ESCOs for installation (the longest-standing, 40-year business); (2) wireless mesh platform revenue tied to the TruBlu SIG-qualified and DLC-qualified Bluetooth mesh control stack, with utility rebate eligibility as a differentiator; and (3) subscription/recurring revenue from the mwLink multi-platform cloud application. Commercial go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales (ESCOs, building professionals, lighting designers, installers), OEM/embedded component supply, and channel partnerships with Casambi, Silvair, ATG LED Lighting, Halco Lighting Technologies, Network Thermostat, Autani, and MESHLE. Customer outcomes disclosed in case studies include a Yamaha Motors 175,000 ft² distribution center with 320 nodes and 40 zones saving an estimated 250,000 kWh/year, a DS Services 24/7 water bottling facility (150,000 ft², 550 fixtures, ~$110K annual savings), a 17-story Minnesota Class A office tower (3,685 fixtures, 708 zones, 75% energy performance beyond lighting upgrade alone), and a Historic Trinity Lutheran church in Detroit (109 fixtures, $100K+ first-cost savings over theatrical dimming replacement). Pricing is quote-based B2B with no publicly disclosed tiers.
mwConnect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- mwConnect
- Legal name
- McWong International, Inc.
- Website
- https://mwconnect.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- mwConnect designs and manufactures Bluetooth mesh networked lighting controls — sensors, fixture controllers, LED drivers, and wireless switches — sold via OEM channels, ESCOs, and direct field sales to commercial, industrial, and outdoor lighting customers across North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
mwConnect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Networked Lighting Controls
- NAICS
- Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting) (IMAGAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- LED Drivers, Ballasts & Power Modules for Lighting (Constant-current/voltage drivers, ballasts, control gear) (IMAGAIAJ), Building Thermal Controls & Building Management Systems (HVAC BMS) (IMAHAKAK), Lighting Controls & Smart Lighting Systems (BPABAGAC)
Keywords
Where mwConnect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sacramento
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
mwConnect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: Sale of physical lighting control products including occupancy/motion sensors, fixture controllers, LED drivers, power packs, surge protectors, stepdown transformers, emergency devices, wall controls/switches, and HVAC control devices. Products sold directly to OEMs for embedding in fixtures and to contractors/ESCOs for installation.
- Wireless Mesh Platform Licensing: Revenue from TruBlu SIG-qualified Bluetooth mesh control platform, including web portal and smartphone app commissioning tools powered by Silvair. Also supports Casambi mesh platform. Platform generates utility rebate eligibility through DLC qualification.
- OEM Component Supply: Long-standing business providing essential lighting component product portfolio to OEM partners — LED drivers, ballasts, transformers, and control components for fixture manufacturers.
- Cloud Application (mwLink): Multi-platform cloud application providing facility managers and network administrators with operational data and control from networked lighting installations. Achieved OpenADR 3.0 certification.
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
mwConnect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
mwConnect designs and manufactures Bluetooth mesh wireless lighting control solutions and OEM lighting components, including LED drivers, sensors, controllers, emergency devices, and cloud-managed smart lighting platforms (TruBlu Mesh, Casambi Mesh, PacWave BLE, PacWave Classic). The company sells primarily to lighting OEMs, ESCOs, electrical contractors, and building professionals for commercial lighting and building automation applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TruBlu™ Mesh: Award-winning Bluetooth mesh control platform with SIG qualification and DLC certification
- Casambi Mesh
- PacWave BLE
- PacWave Classic
- mwLink™
Products and services
- TruBlu Mesh
- Casambi Mesh
- PacWave BLE
- PacWave Classic
- LED Drivers
- Lighting Sensors
- Lighting Controllers
- Wall Controls & Switches
- Emergency Lighting Devices
- Power Packs
- Surge Protectors
- Stepdown Transformers
- HVAC Controls
- Apps & Interfaces (Cloud)
Quantifiable outcome
- 250,000 kWh/year energy savings at Yamaha Motors 175,000 ft2 distribution center, approximately $32,415 annually with 25% attributable to mesh controls
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use mwConnect
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
mwConnect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature8 records
mwConnect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tony Garcia (new hire)coreIndustry veteran Tony Garcia joined as Director of IoT Integration, bringing 20+ years of IoT product development and integration expertise to lead IoT engineering strategy.
- SilvaircoreLong-standing technology partnership powering TruBlu web portal and smartphone app with Silvair's SIG-qualified Bluetooth mesh software stack. Also collaborated on TruBlu NLC Thermostat Series and multiple case studies including Minnesota Class A office tower and Spring House Innovation Park.
- Network ThermostatcorePartnership with HVAC technology pioneer Network Thermostat for development of TruBlu Bluetooth NLC Thermostat Series, enabling simplified lighting-HVAC integration for commercial buildings.
- Halco Lighting TechnologiescoreStrategic partnership to bring TruBlu controls platform to Halco's customers, strengthening Halco's ability to deliver scalable, intelligent lighting control solutions for commercial, industrial, and multi-site environments.
- Network Thermostat (NetX)coreStrategic partnership between mwConnect and Network Thermostat to advance integration between HVAC system control and networked lighting control platforms, streamlining building automation.
- Silvair (mwLink Cloud)coremwLink multi-platform cloud application for networked lighting controls, providing facility managers and network administrators with operational data. Achieved OpenADR 3.0 certification.
- IntelliSafe IAQminorCollaboration with IntelliSafe IAQ and Casambi to deliver UV-C germicidal lighting solutions paired with wireless controls for Kinnelon High School, recognized by DOE's Integrated Lighting Campaign.
- MRA GroupminorProject partner for Spring House Innovation Park flexible outdoor lighting control project. MRA Group provided real estate investment expertise. Project won LightSPEC Design Excellence Award and DOE Integrated Lighting Campaign recognition.
- Luminosity Lighting Associates (L2A)minorProject partner for Spring House Innovation Park lighting design. Project won LightSPEC Design Excellence Award and DOE Integrated Lighting Campaign recognition.
- DALI AlliancecoreJoined DALI Alliance (Digital Illumination Interface Alliance) as member. Executive Vice President Stephen Zhou elected to DALI Alliance Board of Directors in February 2025. DALI Alliance is the global industry organization for DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface).
- Energy Management Collaborative (EMC)coreLong-standing project partnership with EMC for design and deployment of LLLC solutions including the Minnesota Class A office tower (largest Bluetooth mesh network to date). Jointly won inaugural Sapphire Award for Design Excellence in Networked Lighting Controls.
- ATG LED LightingcorePartnership with ATG LED Lighting to introduce a new wireless control platform based on TruBlu DLC-certified, SIG-qualified Bluetooth mesh solution. Suitable for indoor and outdoor lighting applications including schools, hospitals, industrial, warehouses.
- LEDRAbrandsminorProject collaboration for LEDRAbrands' new corporate headquarters in Irvine, California — 753+ fixtures with Bluetooth mesh control. Joint white paper published on project. Also collaborated on Bluetooth mesh demonstration at mwConnect headquarters.
- DS ServicesminorCustomer and project partner for 150,000 ft2 water bottling facility lighting and controls upgrade. Project achieved ~$110,000 annual energy savings.
- High Lighting Service CompanyminorProject partner for Historic Trinity Lutheran church lighting retrofit in Detroit, Michigan. Provided lighting installation and commissioning expertise.
- Contemporary Energy SolutionsminorProject partner for Yamaha Motors distribution center (320-node TruBlu network) and DS Services facility (550 fixtures, $110K annual savings). Provided installation and commissioning expertise.
- PentaluxminorProject partner for Yamaha Motors distribution center and DS Services facility, providing controls design expertise and fixture integration.
- Nexstar Lighting LimitedminorProject partner for Wellington Motors lighting and controls upgrade in Guelph, Ontario. Designed lighting and control solution.
- Casambi TechnologiescorePartnership with Casambi Technologies to infuse PacWave Smart Sensor Control Platform with robust wireless connectivity via Bluetooth mesh. McWong devices are certified compatible with Casambi platform. Includes joint demonstration projects, case studies, and ongoing co-marketing at trade shows.
- SilvaircorePartnership with Silvair to infuse PacWave Smart Sensor Control Platform with Bluetooth mesh networking. Silvair provides the SIG-qualified software stack powering the TruBlu web portal and app.
- Lighting Controls Association (LCA)minorJoined the Lighting Controls Association, administered by NEMA, dedicated to educating professional building design, construction and management communities about lighting controls benefits.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
mwConnect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Avi-on Labs: U.S. Bluetooth mesh lighting controls platform partner. Has historically collaborated with mwConnect (and competes in the same Bluetooth mesh category), focused on commercial and OEM channels.
Broad incumbents
- Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting leader (parent of Philips Lighting, Color Kinetics, and connected lighting platforms). Competes with mwConnect across commercial and outdoor connected lighting and has substantially larger R&D and channel resources.
- Leviton Manufacturing: U.S. wiring device and lighting controls manufacturer with commercial-grade occupancy sensors, dimmers, and networked controls. Overlaps with mwConnect on sensors, wall controls, and OEM component supply.
- Crestron Electronics: Building automation and AV controls incumbent with a comprehensive lighting control portfolio. Comparable in serving enterprise building professionals but with a much broader systems integration footprint.
- Lutron Electronics: Established U.S. lighting controls manufacturer with broad commercial and residential portfolios. Competes with mwConnect in commercial wireless lighting control but operates at substantially larger scale with a proprietary ecosystem.
- Hubbell Lighting: Broad-line lighting manufacturer with controls and connected lighting products serving commercial, industrial, and outdoor applications. Comparable in OEM and contractor channels but with a much wider product portfolio.
- Acuity Brands: Large North American lighting and controls conglomerate with nLight and DTL brand portfolios. Competes with mwConnect in networked lighting controls across commercial and industrial segments at significantly larger scale.
- Legrand (Wattstopper): Global electrical and digital building infrastructure company whose Wattstopper division competes directly in commercial lighting controls. Broad incumbent with overlapping sensors, dimming, and networked control offerings.
Direct peers
- Casambi Technologies: Finland-based Bluetooth mesh lighting controls platform provider. Directly comparable to mwConnect as both a technology partner and competitor in Bluetooth mesh NLC; Casambi's ecosystem overlaps with mwConnect's hardware-and-software approach to wireless lighting control.
- Silvair: SIG-qualified Bluetooth mesh software stack provider that powers mwConnect's TruBlu platform. Comparably focused on Bluetooth NLC interoperability; a peer and also a strategic dependency given the deep technology partnership.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
mwConnect social profiles
Digital presencemwConnect compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
mwConnect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
mwConnect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
mwConnect subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
mwConnect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
mwConnect M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about mwConnect
What does mwConnect do?
mwConnect designs and manufactures Bluetooth mesh wireless lighting control solutions and OEM lighting components, including LED drivers, sensors, controllers, emergency devices, and cloud-managed smart lighting platforms (TruBlu Mesh, Casambi Mesh, PacWave BLE, PacWave Classic). The company sells primarily to lighting OEMs, ESCOs, electrical contractors, and building professionals for commercial lighting and building automation applications.
Is mwConnect a public or private company?
mwConnect is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was mwConnect founded?
mwConnect was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is mwConnect based?
mwConnect is headquartered in Sacramento, United States, in the North America region.
How does mwConnect make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are wireless Mesh Platform Licensing, OEM Component Supply and cloud Application (mwLink).
Who are mwConnect's main competitors?
Avi-on Labs is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Signify (Philips Lighting), Leviton Manufacturing, Crestron Electronics, Lutron Electronics, Hubbell Lighting, Acuity Brands and Legrand (Wattstopper). Direct peers are Casambi Technologies and Silvair.
Does mwConnect have an API?
No public API is recorded for mwConnect.
What industry is mwConnect in?
mwConnect's product category is Networked Lighting Controls. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAIAI, Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting), with a secondary code of IMAGAIAJ, LED Drivers, Ballasts & Power Modules for Lighting (Constant-current/voltage drivers, ballasts, control gear). Its NAICS code is 33513 and its SIC code is 3640.