The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd

What The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd does

The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd is a UK-based B2B equipment hire and professional services firm specialising in underwater lighting for the film, television, and commercial production industries. Founded in 2021 and headquartered at Unit 3a Bostwick Farm in Ringwood, Hampshire, the company rents specialised underwater lighting fixtures and supplies qualified underwater gaffer services to productions filming in pools, tanks, and open water environments across Europe.

Its product portfolio spans three equipment categories: OMD HMI lights (1200W, 2500W, 4000W, and 8000W) for daylight-balanced 5600K illumination; OMD tungsten lights (2000W, 5000W, and 10,000W) including Deepwater 650W/1k variants rated for depths exceeding 100 metres (330ft) with shatter-proof glass and titanium/anodised aluminium construction; and LED systems including Astera Titan and Helios tubes, Aputure AL-MW, and Stella Pro 5000. The firm has engineered custom underwater housings for Astera Helios and Titan tubes that maintain full DMX control and charging capability through 100ft (33m) underwater cables. It claims to hold Europe's largest stock of underwater Astera Titans, Helios, HMIs, and tungsten PARs.

The business monetises through three revenue streams: usage-based equipment hire with pickup or delivery options and bundled cables, flight cases, and accessories; professional services delivered by HSE Class 4 Commercial Diving-qualified and City & Guilds-certified underwater gaffers and electrical technicians; and equipment training for customers hiring the gear. Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed rates, and sales are driven through industry reputation, studio relationships, and direct outreach rather than paid marketing. Named enterprise customers include Warner Bros, Netflix, Universal Pictures, Apple TV, and Lucasfilm, alongside equipment partners MBS Equipment, Panalux, and Diving Services UK.

Name

The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd

Legal name

The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd

Website

https://theunderwaterlightingcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UK-based B2B provider of specialised underwater lighting equipment hire and qualified underwater gaffer services for film, television, and commercial productions, holding Europe's largest stock of underwater HMI, tungsten, and LED fixtures including custom Astera housings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Equipment Rental

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)

akta.pro primary industry

Underwater & Protective Gear (Housings, Cases, Cages, Rain Covers) (CRACAPAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Underwater lighting hire
• Film production equipment
• Underwater gaffer services
• HMI underwater lights
• Commercial diving lighting

Headquarters

HQ city

Ringwood

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Rental of underwater lighting and grip equipment including HMI lights, tungsten lights, LED lights, and associated accessories. Equipment can be hired with pickup or delivery options.
2. Gaffering Services: Provision of qualified underwater gaffers and lighting technicians with HSE Class 4 Commercial Diving qualifications and City & Guilds electrical certification.
3. Training Services: Equipment training services offered to customers who hire equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd hires specialised underwater lighting equipment (HMI, LED including Astera Titan and Helios, and tungsten fixtures) and supplies qualified underwater gaffer and technician services for film, TV, streaming and commercial productions shooting in pools, tanks or open water. Packages include cables, flight cases and accessories, with custom underwater housings and bespoke solutions available to address specific production requirements.

Product overview

The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd operates as an equipment hire and professional services company offering specialised underwater lighting solutions for the Film, TV, and Commercial industry. The product portfolio comprises three main equipment categories: OMD HMI Lights (1200W–8000W) providing daylight-balanced illumination, Underwater LED Lights including Astera Titan and Helios tube systems with custom underwater housings, and OMD Tungsten Lights (2000W–10,000W) including deepwater-rated variants for depths exceeding 100 metres. The company holds Europe's largest stock of underwater Astera Titans, Helios, underwater HMIs, and underwater tungsten PARs. Services include equipment hire with cables and flight cases, underwater gaffering staffed by HSE-qualified commercial divers with City & Guilds electrical certification, and consultation on health and safety protocols for pool, tank, and open water filming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OMD HMI Lights

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 films completed including major blockbusters
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Warner BroscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWarner Bros is a major film studio that has worked with The Underwater Lighting Company on multiple productions. The company provides underwater lighting equipment and gaffer services for Warner Bros film projects, with a testimonial from WB Set Lighting praising the bespoke and efficient service.
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetflix uses The Underwater Lighting Company's services for underwater lighting on streaming productions, representing the growing streaming content market segment.
• Universal PicturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversal Pictures has engaged The Underwater Lighting Company for underwater lighting solutions on feature film productions.
• Apple TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApple TV+ utilises The Underwater Lighting Company's underwater lighting services for original content productions.
• LucasfilmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLucasfilm has partnered with The Underwater Lighting Company for underwater lighting on productions including Star Wars franchise films.
• MBS EquipmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquipment partner company that collaborates with The Underwater Lighting Company on film production support.
• PanaluxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLighting equipment company partnered with The Underwater Lighting Company for comprehensive lighting solutions in film production.
• Diving Services UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based diving services company that works alongside The Underwater Lighting Company for underwater filming projects requiring combined diving and lighting expertise.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ARRI: Global manufacturer and renter of professional film lighting, cameras, and accessories including HMI and LED fixtures used in underwater and topside production. Broad incumbent with portfolio that overlaps the company's specialty fixtures.
• Panalux: One of Europe's largest film and television lighting rental houses; serves the same production customers and is also a partner of The Underwater Lighting Company, making it both a peer and a channel.
• Astera: Manufacturer of Astera Titan and Helios LED tubes used widely in film and broadcast; The Underwater Lighting Company is both a customer (wrapping their products in custom underwater housings) and operates within the same end market.
• MBS Equipment: UK-based film and broadcast equipment rental house serving the same British productions as The Underwater Lighting Company; also an explicit equipment partner.

Others

• Matthews Studio Equipment: Long-established supplier of grip and lighting support equipment to film and television productions globally; adjacent rather than direct competitor, but often co-rented on the same productions.

Emerging players

• LiteGear: Designs and manufactures professional LED lighting fixtures for film and broadcast; partial overlap with The Underwater Lighting Company's LED hire offering as a specialist alternative supplier to film productions.

Regional players

• Cinelease: US-based lighting and grip rental company serving film, television, and streaming; comparable offering and business model but primarily serves North American productions rather than European shoots.

Direct peers

• Gates Underwater Products: Specializes in underwater camera housings and lighting systems for film, broadcast, and military use. Closely comparable niche serving underwater cinematography with proprietary engineered solutions.
• HydroFlex: Supplies underwater lighting, camera housings, and HMI lighting systems specifically for motion picture and television production. Directly comparable product/market overlap in underwater cinematography lighting.
• Light & Motion: Designs and manufactures underwater LED lighting systems for cinematography, broadcasting, and photography. Directly comparable product category (underwater film lights), although they are primarily a manufacturer while The Underwater Lighting Company is primarily a hire/services business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-underwater-lighting-company

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 The Underwater Lighting Company Ltd