Ip44.de
IP44.DE is a German family-owned manufacturer of premium outdoor LED luminaires (wall, ceiling, ground, portable, solar) serving architects, planners, and residential customers across 18+ countries via authorized dealers and distributors since 1993.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersRheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ip44.de does
IP44.DE (legal entity IP44 Schmalhorst GmbH & Co. KG) is a German family-owned designer and manufacturer of premium outdoor luminaires, headquartered at Mühlenstraße 20, Rheda-Wiedenbrück, with company origins tracing to a three-generation family lighting business and formally operating under the IP44.DE brand since 1993. The company designs and produces weather-resistant LED luminaires across wall, ceiling, portable, movable, ground/bollard, and solar product categories, with a portfolio of 100+ SKUs. Core technical differentiators include direct 230V LED operation that eliminates converter components (rated L70/50,000 hours), the proprietary IP44.DE connect modular system with Y/H distributor boxes and IP68-rated connections, a Solar Join System with lithium-ion battery storage and modular photovoltaic ports, a coastal grade corrosion-resistant finish validated by 2,000-hour salt spray testing per DIN EN ISO 9227, and Bluetooth Low Energy mesh smart control via a Casambi partnership. The brand has accumulated multiple international design awards including iF (2010), Red Dot (2009), and Designpreis Deutschland (2011).
The company sells exclusively through authorized dealers and a network of international distributors covering 18+ countries, supported by regional sales representatives in Germany (North-West, East, South). Pricing is dealer-managed with no public list pricing; sale of discontinued models shows individual unit prices ranging from EUR 79 to EUR 199 (discounted from EUR 188 to EUR 309). Customer segments are architects and planners specifying premium outdoor lighting for residential, commercial, and public projects, plus private homeowners and developers seeking durable aesthetically sophisticated fixtures. Marketing relies on multi-channel digital presence (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn), online and physical catalogues, an editorial magazine, a storefinder tool, and a renovated 2017 headquarters showroom. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and managed by founder Bernd Schmalhorst, with no external investors, no public listing, and 11-50 employees.
Ip44.de firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ip44.de
- Legal name
- IP44 Schmalhorst GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://ip44.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- IP44.DE is a German family-owned manufacturer of premium outdoor LED luminaires (wall, ceiling, ground, portable, solar) serving architects, planners, and residential customers across 18+ countries via authorized dealers and distributors since 1993.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ip44.de industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Lighting
- NAICS
- Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights) (IMAGAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting) (IMAGAIAI), Lighting & Electrical Supplies for Home Distribution (CRAOAFAG)
Keywords
Where Ip44.de is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rheda-Wiedenbrück
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ip44.de business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Outdoor Luminaire Sales: Direct sales of proprietary outdoor luminaires including wall, ceiling, portable, movable, ground/bollard, solar, and connect-series products. Products sold through authorized dealer network and international distributors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Sale/Discontinued Models |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ip44.de product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IP44.DE designs, manufactures, and sells premium outdoor luminaires including wall, ceiling, ground/bollard, portable, movable, and solar-powered fixtures. The product range features proprietary modular systems (IP44.DE connect, Solar Join) with 230V direct mains LED operation and Casambi Bluetooth smart control. Products are sold through an authorized dealer network and international distributors in 18+ countries.
Product overview
IP44.DE is a German outdoor lighting manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of aesthetically designed exterior luminaires. The product range includes wall, ceiling, portable, movable, ground/bollard, and solar-powered luminaires. Key product lines feature the IP44.DE connect modular system with plug-and-play connectors and Casambi smart control, the piek spot series with precision 12° beam angles in various heights, and piek mini solar variants with integrated photovoltaic modules. The portfolio includes over 100 individual luminaire models across multiple series (aam, bal, bik, dia, eye, fil, gap, gic, glim, intro, iem, kal, las, li, lin, lisc, lix, luci, mir, pad, piek, pip, pro, qu, qua, reed, scap, shot, slat, stic, suq, up, aqu, como, cut, cherry bubbls). Special finishes include coastal grade for salt-resistant coastal installations and architectural colors. Products are designed for weather resistance (IP65/IP68 rated), feature LED technology with long lifespan (L70/50,000 hours), and support smart control via the connect ecosystem with Casambi BLE mesh networking.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IP44.DE connect Modular System Modular outdoor lighting system with plug-and-play connectors, Y/H distributor boxes, and Casambi-enabled smart control via smartphone/tablet. Designed for flexible installation and networked outdoor lighting configurations.
- piek spot Series Adjustable spot luminaire with 12° beam angle for focused accent lighting of plants, sculptures, or building features. Available in 25, 50, or 100cm heights. Includes connect-enabled smart versions.
- piek mini solar Portable solar-powered spot luminaire with integrated solar panel and lithium-ion battery. Island solution requiring no power connection, with approximately 15 hours runtime per charge and 800-1000 cycle battery life.
- piek mini solar join System Expandable solar lighting system supporting multiple linked luminaires from single solar panel with adjustable switch-on twilight level and runtime settings (1-5 hours). Includes modular port connectors (port 2, port 3, port 4, T port).
- cherry bubbls Series Portable outdoor luminaires with distinctive bubble-like design. Available as canes, plug-in, powerbank, and solar variants for flexible outdoor and indoor positioning.
- Solarleuchten (Solar Luminaires) Complete range of solar-powered outdoor luminaires including portable, spike, and ground-mounted variants with integrated solar panels and rechargeable batteries for off-grid outdoor lighting.
- Wandleuchten (Wall Luminaires) Wall-mounted outdoor lighting fixtures for facade and wall illumination, manufactured in aluminum die-casting, stainless steel, and glass.
- Deckenleuchten (Ceiling Luminaires) Ceiling-mounted outdoor luminaires for overhead illumination of covered outdoor areas such as patios, porches, and canopies.
- Portable Leuchten (Portable Luminaires) Freely positionable outdoor luminaires that can be relocated without permanent installation, typically powered by battery or solar for maximum placement flexibility.
- Poller & Bodenleuchten (Bollard & Ground Luminaires) Ground-mounted bollards and spotlights designed for path, garden, and landscape illumination across residential and commercial outdoor environments.
- Sale/Discontinued Models Discounted luminaires from photo campaigns, trade fair merchandise, second-choice items, and discontinued models offered at reduced prices (e.g., fil S basic from €299 to €199, lix sun from €188 to €99, como cool brown from €244 to €109).
- multi charging base Charging base accessory supporting the company's portable and movable luminaire ecosystem, featured as new product for 2026.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5-year warranty on LED elements (from March 2024) and 5-year warranty on coastal grade finish against corrosion (from April 2026)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ip44.de
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Ip44.de technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
Ip44.de partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered regional and core.
- Special Lights (Australia)regionalAuthorized distributor for Australia, located at 409b George St, Waterloo NSW 2017. Contact: [email protected]
- Die Lichtagentur - Franke & Rada (Austria)regionalAuthorized distributor for Austria, located at Zauberweg 1, 2203 Putzing am See. Contact: [email protected]
- Autre Histoire SAS (France)regionalAuthorized distributor for France, represented by David Préhu. Contact: [email protected], located in 66390 Baixas.
- LUMIPLAN (Cyprus)regionalAuthorized distributor for Cyprus, located at Lazaradon 27, 113 63 Athens. Contact: [email protected]
- in-one (Portugal)regionalAuthorized distributor for Portugal, represented by Manuela Peres. Contact: [email protected], based in Porto.
- Flair Illume Pte Ltd (Southeast Asia)regionalAuthorized distributor for Southeast Asia, located at 81 Tagore Lane, #04-04 Tag A, Singapore 787502. Contact: [email protected]
- Maxel Belysning AB (Sweden)regionalAuthorized distributor for Sweden, located at Avestgatan 35, 163 08 Spagna. Contact: [email protected]
- arte diffusione gmbh (Switzerland)regionalAuthorized distributor for Switzerland, located at Sternenstraße 22, 9230 Flawil. Contact: [email protected]
- Inter-lux-Decorative (USA)regionalAuthorized distributor for USA, located at 3741 Commerce Drive, Suite 308, Baltimore, MD 21227. Contact: [email protected]
- CasambicoreTechnology partnership for Bluetooth Low Energy smart lighting control. IP44.DE Controller is compatible with Casambi platform, enabling mesh networking of luminaires and control via smartphone/tablet through Casambi app.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ip44.de competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Flos: Italian premium design lighting group with both indoor and outdoor collections (e.g., architectural outdoor lines). Comparable on premium design positioning and designer collaborations, but operates in a much wider product portfolio.
- Louis Poulsen: Danish premium architectural lighting company with a portfolio spanning indoor and outdoor luminaires. Comparable design-led premium positioning and global specification presence, though broader than IP44.DE.
Direct peers
- Targetti: Italian architectural outdoor and indoor lighting manufacturer serving specifier and dealer channels across Europe. Direct overlap with IP44.DE in façade and landscape luminaires.
- Nordlux: Danish outdoor and indoor lighting vendor with strong Northern European dealer network and comparable wall/bollard/garden ranges. Competes in the same premium-but-accessible outdoor segment.
- SLV (SLV GmbH): German lighting vendor with broad outdoor and indoor luminaire ranges distributed internationally. Overlaps with IP44.DE on outdoor wall/ground/bollard categories but spans a wider price tier and bigger volume.
- ERCO: German architectural lighting specialist offering extensive outdoor and façade luminaire portfolios. Comparable as a German premium specification brand with strong designer and architect relationships.
- Bega: German premium manufacturer of architectural outdoor luminaires for façades, paths, and public spaces. Closest comparable to IP44.DE in product category, premium positioning, and specification-grade dealer model.
- Hess (Nordeon Group): German manufacturer of outdoor and urban lighting (bollards, pole-top, in-ground). Directly competes in the architectural outdoor luminaire segment with a strong project/specification dealer channel.
- Steinel: German specialist in sensor-controlled outdoor lighting with strong presence in PIR/motion-activated façade and path luminaires. Comparable as a German-engineered smart outdoor brand with an established European dealer network.
Regional players
- Lucide: Belgian lighting brand with broad outdoor and indoor collections distributed across Benelux and broader Europe. Comparable outdoor wall/bollard/ground portfolio but primarily regional and value-tier versus IP44.DE's premium positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ip44.de social profiles
Digital presenceIp44.de compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Ip44.de financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ip44.de leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ip44.de funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ip44.de 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 Ip44.de
What does Ip44.de do?
IP44.DE designs, manufactures, and sells premium outdoor luminaires including wall, ceiling, ground/bollard, portable, movable, and solar-powered fixtures. The product range features proprietary modular systems (IP44.DE connect, Solar Join) with 230V direct mains LED operation and Casambi Bluetooth smart control. Products are sold through an authorized dealer network and international distributors in 18+ countries.
Is Ip44.de a public or private company?
Ip44.de is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Ip44.de founded?
Ip44.de was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ip44.de based?
Ip44.de is headquartered in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Ip44.de make money?
One revenue line is on record: outdoor Luminaire Sales.
Who are Ip44.de's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Flos and Louis Poulsen. Direct peers are Targetti, Nordlux, SLV (SLV GmbH), ERCO, Bega, Hess (Nordeon Group) and Steinel. Lucide is listed as a regional player.
Does Ip44.de have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ip44.de.
What industry is Ip44.de in?
Ip44.de's product category is Outdoor Lighting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAIAA, Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights), with a secondary code of IMAGAIAI, Lighting Controls & Building Integration (Drivers, sensors, dimming, lighting control panels, networked lighting). Its NAICS code is 3351 and its SIC code is 3640.