Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung Gmbh

What Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung Gmbh does

Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung GmbH is a privately held German specialist lighting design consultancy founded in 1998 and headquartered in Berlin, with additional offices in Innsbruck (Austria) and Zurich (Switzerland). The firm delivers professional lighting design services spanning concept development, simulation, custom luminaire engineering, and on-site implementation supervision for cultural institutions, urban public spaces, commercial workplaces, hospitality, aviation, and infrastructure projects. Notable commissions include the Brandenburg Gate illumination, the Neues Museum in Berlin (UNESCO World Heritage), the Humboldtforum, the Swedish National Museum, the Lufthansa Airbus A350 cabin lighting, the UAE Pavilion at EXPO 2020, and the Al Maktoum International Airport.

The company builds on a craft-based delivery model that caps project teams at six persons to preserve direct collaboration, supported by BIM, Virtual Reality visualization, 3D printing for prototyping, drone photogrammetry, and daylight simulation. Proprietary luminaire developments include the ModulLum serial product for facades and urban spaces, the custom LIF Light Column for Humboldtforum, and the patented Wall Litfass Pillar system. Services also encompass natural light consulting, heliostat-based daylight redirection, and sustainability certification support (LEED, DGNB, WELL).

Commercially, Kardorff operates a project-based professional services model with non-public, engagement-specific pricing and no retail or SaaS distribution. Customer acquisition runs through enterprise field sales into architects, developers, property owners, and government clients, supplemented by a content-driven website and Instagram/LinkedIn presence. The firm is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, external investors, or M&A activity, and has won the German Prize for Lighting Design (2015) and the Ingenieurpreis des Deutschen Stahlbaues (2013).

Name

Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung Gmbh

Legal name

Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung GmbH

Website

https://kardorff.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung GmbH is a Berlin-based specialist lighting design consultancy serving museums, urban public spaces, corporate workplaces, hospitality, and infrastructure clients across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with offices in Berlin, Innsbruck, and Zurich.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Lighting Design & Layout (HSAIAHAA)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting design
• Museum lighting design
• Urban lighting design
• Custom luminaire design
• Daylight consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lighting Design Consulting Services: Professional lighting design services for architecture and urban planning projects. Project-based engagements typically spanning from concept development through construction supervision and final implementation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung GmbH is a professional lighting design consultancy that provides end-to-end architectural and urban lighting design services, from concept development through construction supervision. The firm serves museums, urban public spaces, commercial offices, hospitality venues, and cultural institutions, and develops custom luminaires and serial lighting products such as the ModulLum system and the patented Wall Litfass Pillar.

Product overview

Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung GmbH is a lighting design consultancy offering comprehensive lighting design services rather than a software product company. Their core offering encompasses architectural lighting design for museums, urban spaces, workplaces, hotels, and public infrastructure. The company develops custom luminaires for specific projects, including the LIF light column for Humboldtforum, ModulLum for urban applications, and specialized museum lighting fixtures. Their services integrate natural light consulting with artificial lighting solutions and support sustainability certifications including LEED, DGNB, and WELL. They operate across three offices in Berlin, Innsbruck, and Zurich with projects spanning Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Lighting Design Consulting
• Museum and Cultural Institution Lighting Design
• Urban and Public Space Lighting Design
• Office and Workplace Lighting Design
• Hospitality Lighting Design
• Natural Light and Sustainability Consulting
• ModulLum Luminaires
• Wall Litfass Pillar Lighting System
• Atmosphere and Wellbeing Lighting Design
• Custom Luminaire Development

Quantifiable outcome

• 152,000 luminaires planned in BIM for single project (Al Maktoum International Airport)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lichtvision GmbH & Co. KGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Collaborated with Lichtvision on Humboldtforum project. Lichtvision developed the facade illumination concept while Kardorff implemented the specifications through custom LIF light columns integrating plaza and facade lighting.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Zumtobel Group: Austrian lighting manufacturer and solution provider whose in-house lighting design services overlap with specialist consultancies on commercial and architectural projects. Adjacent rather than directly competitive but increasingly offers bundled design-plus-product services.
• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting manufacturer and systems provider with professional services and connected-lighting offerings. Adjacent ecosystem participant that increasingly competes at the intersection of lighting design and smart-city/IoT deployments where Kardorff is also active.

Broad incumbents

• Arup (Lighting Design practice): Global engineering and design firm with a substantial specialist lighting practice. Provides broader multidisciplinary delivery (engineering + lighting) that can substitute for boutique firms on larger projects, but lacks Kardorff's standalone specialist positioning.
• Sweco (Lighting Design): European engineering consultancy with lighting design capability embedded in urban and infrastructure projects. Competes for the same urban-scale and public-realm commissions but as part of a wider portfolio rather than a specialist.

Direct peers

• a·g Licht: German lighting design consultancy focused on architectural, urban and exhibition lighting. Comparable boutique scale, similar customer base (museums, public spaces, commercial developers) and direct competition for DACH-based commissions.
• Lichtvision GmbH & Co. KG: Berlin-based lighting design consultancy that collaborated with Kardorff on the Humboldtforum facade illumination. Operates in the same DACH lighting-design niche with overlapping service offerings for architecture, museums and urban spaces.
• Speirs Major: UK-based lighting design practice with an international project portfolio spanning museums, public realm, hospitality and infrastructure. Direct competitor for global landmark commissions and operates at similar boutique scale with comparable creative-led positioning.
• dpa lighting consultants: UK lighting design consultancy with offices in London and overseas. Comparable service offering across architectural, interior and urban lighting and a similar target client profile of architects, developers and cultural institutions.
• Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design: US-headquartered lighting design firm with international offices. Competes with Kardorff for global landmark museum, civic and corporate commissions and shares a focus on daylight integration and award-driven positioning.
• Bartenbach GmbH: Austrian lighting design and research firm based in Aldrans near Innsbruck. Specializes in daylight engineering, museum and architectural lighting — a near-perfect functional peer to Kardorff, including shared cultural-heritage and innovation positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kardorff-ingenieure-lichtplanung-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/kardorff_lichtplanung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung Gmbh