What Lumiq does

LightMaps (legally LUMIQ Inc.) is a Charleston, South Carolina-based direct-to-consumer hardware company that designs, prints, and assembles illuminated display products in-house from a digital core developed under two patent-pending processes: a Direct-to-Acrylic UV Printing method and a rear-projected LED illumination system that yields displays only 1/4 inch thick. The product portfolio targets four end markets — aviation enthusiasts (FAA VFR sectional maps with live METAR flight categories), maritime users (NOAA nautical charts with wind, tide, and wave data), weather hobbyists (paired with WeatherFlow Tempest or Ambient Weather personal weather stations), and urban/home decor consumers (city traffic displays). The flagship LightMap AIR, SEA, USA, HOME City, and Gallery lines retail from $379 to $1,259, while a parallel "Station" line introduced in 2024 and the 2025 WEATHER Station address the $119 compact desk-stand segment. The business sells exclusively through its own e-commerce site (lightmaps.io) with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, 12-month warranty, and a new $12/year premium hyperlocal weather subscription powered by Open-Meteo layered atop the one-time hardware sale. Founded in 2021 (originally as Canopy Design Lab) by "Mike" and a small team of engineers and designers, the company is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, operates without a mobile app, and monetizes primarily through hardware unit sales plus a nascent recurring data subscription stream.

Name

Lumiq

Legal name

LUMIQ Inc.

Website

https://lightmaps.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LightMaps (LUMIQ Inc.) designs and assembles illuminated, rear-projected LED map displays in Charleston, SC, selling direct-to-consumer products that visualize real-time aviation, maritime, weather, and traffic data for hobbyists and home decor buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Illuminated Display Hardware

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Residential Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335131)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Lighting & Controls Retail (Smart Switches, Dimmers, Hubs) (CRAIAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lamps Retail (Table, Floor, Desk) (CRAIAHAE)

Keywords

• LED map displays
• Illuminated wall art
• Smart weather stations
• Maritime chart decor
• Aviation map displays

Headquarters

HQ city

North Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: One-time purchase of physical LightMap display products including maps, stations, frames, and accessories. Products range from $5.99 (accessories) to $1,259 (gallery displays).
2. Premium Data Subscription: Optional $12/year subscription for premium hyperlocal weather data with detailed forecasts, precipitation accumulation, air quality, and 5-10 minute update frequency (vs. free airport data option).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lumiq designs, manufactures, and sells illuminated display products that combine LED rear-projection illumination with direct-to-acrylic UV printing. Its product line includes aviation, maritime, country and city map displays (LightMap AIR, SEA, USA, HOME City), weather and METAR station displays, and a $12/year premium data subscription that powers live updates on compatible models. Units are sold direct-to-consumer via the lightmaps.io e-commerce site, with prices ranging from $379 to $1,259 per display.

Product overview

Lumiq (operating as LightMaps) offers a portfolio of illuminated digital display products that project real-time weather, traffic, and maritime information onto printed map artwork. The product line includes: LightMap AIR™ (FAA sectional maps with METAR weather for aviation), LightMap SEA™ (NOAA nautical charts with maritime conditions for boating), LightMap HOME City™ (city maps with real-time traffic), and LightMap WEATHER Station (general weather conditions). Compact 'Station' versions provide single-location data for airports, maritime areas, and general weather. Products use direct-to-acrylic UV printing with rear-projected LED illumination, gesture sensors for forecast toggling, ambient light sensors for automatic brightness adjustment, and WiFi connectivity. Available accessories include frames, desk stands, and replacement power adapters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LightMap AIR An illuminated LED rear-projection display showing an aviation map, targeted at pilots, aviation hobbyists, and flight-simulation enthusiasts who want a functional, premium wall piece related to their hobby.
• LightMap SEA An illuminated LED rear-projection display featuring a nautical chart, marketed to boaters, sailors, and maritime enthusiasts who want a decorative and on-theme wall display.
• LightMap USA An illuminated LED rear-projection display of the United States map, intended as general patriotic or geographic décor for consumers.
• HOME City A customized illuminated LED rear-projection display showing a buyer's home city map, marketed to homeowners, relocation customers, and gift purchasers as a personalized décor item.
• Stations An illuminated LED display designed to surface METAR and station weather data for pilots and weather hobbyists, integrating live aviation/weather feeds into the Lumiq hardware platform.
• Weather An illuminated LED rear-projection display that visualizes weather information, targeted at weather hobbyists and homeowners who want a high-end alternative to a conventional consumer weather station.
• Premium Data Subscription An annual $12/year subscription that unlocks live data updates (e.g., weather, METAR) for compatible LightMap hardware, sold by Lumiq to owners of its display units.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.6/5 average customer rating based on 385+ verified reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• WeatherFlow TempestcoreTechnology or IntegrationProduct partnership where LightMaps creates the Tempest Weather Display, a companion product that pairs with WeatherFlow Tempest personal weather stations. Tempest stations (sold separately) are wireless, solar-powered weather systems with comprehensive sensors. The LightMap display shows owner's personal weather data in real-time without requiring app usage.
• Ambient WeathersecondaryTechnology or IntegrationAPI integration allowing LightMap WEATHER Station to display data from Ambient Weather personal weather stations. The company states other weather station integrations are being added regularly and welcomes requests.
• Open-MeteosecondaryTechnology or IntegrationWeather data provider for premium hyperlocal forecasting. LightMap WEATHER Station uses Open-Meteo hyperlocal models for paid subscription data tier, providing precipitation accumulation, air quality, and detailed forecasts.
• FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)coreOthersUses FAA VFR sectional charts for LightMap AIR displays. Data integration with FAA METAR weather reporting system for real-time flight condition visualization.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)coreOthersUses NOAA nautical charts for LightMap SEA displays. Integrates NOAA tide station data and grid weather models for maritime conditions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Davis Instruments: Established manufacturer of professional-grade weather stations serving serious weather enthusiasts and pilots. Davis provides raw sensor data via consoles/displays; LightMaps provides illuminated ambient visualizations of similar meteorological data for the same enthusiast buyer persona.
• Netatmo: Smart weather station maker (owned by Legrand) producing indoor/outdoor sensors with companion app dashboards. Targets similar consumer weather enthusiasts as LightMaps WEATHER Station, with overlapping value proposition of ambient environmental data in the home.
• Ambient Weather: Consumer and prosumer weather station manufacturer that is also a LightMaps integration partner. Both companies serve weather enthusiasts who want real-time environmental data displayed in their homes, though Ambient Weather focuses on the sensing hardware while LightMaps focuses on the visual display.
• WeatherFlow Tempest: Manufacturer of wireless, solar-powered personal weather stations and LightMaps' primary companion display partner. Tempest owns the sensing hardware while LightMaps displays its data; both serve the same hobbyist weather customer with overlapping go-to-market in enthusiast communities.
• AcuRite (Chaney Instrument): Mass-market consumer weather station brand offering home weather displays. Targets the same home weather enthusiast segment as LightMaps' WEATHER Station and Tempest Display products, though with traditional digital screens rather than illuminated artwork.
• La Crosse Technology: Long-established consumer weather station and atomic clock brand. Like LightMaps, they provide ambient home displays of weather data for hobbyists, though their products are digital-screen-based rather than illuminated printed artwork.

Broad incumbents

• Philips Hue (Signify): Global leader in smart ambient lighting with app-controlled LED systems. Hue's smart lighting enables ambient mood lighting in homes similar to LightMaps' illuminated displays, though Hue offers general illumination rather than data-driven visualizations.
• Garmin: Dominant incumbent in aviation and marine electronics, including GPS, ADS-B receivers, chart plotters, and METAR displays. Garmin serves the same pilot and boater customer base as LightMaps AIR/SEA but as a comprehensive equipment ecosystem rather than a single ambient display.

Emerging players

• Brilliant Smart Home: Smart home control panel maker producing in-wall touchscreens for lighting, climate, and music control. Both LightMaps and Brilliant sell wall-mounted smart displays that blend into home decor while providing live information, though Brilliant focuses on home control rather than data visualization.
• ForeFlight (Boeing): Leading aviation app for pilots providing METAR, sectional charts, flight planning, and weather on mobile devices. Serves the same private pilot customer as LightMap AIR but via iPad/phone rather than ambient wall display—representing both a competitor for pilot attention and a potential channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lightmaps.io

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Lumiq