Type Privately held Founded 2012 | Industry Consumer electronics | |
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Founder Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger, Christian Yan Headquarters Toronto, Canada, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen, China Products Nanoleaf One, Nanoleaf Bloom, Nanoleaf Gem, Nanoleaf PAR38, Nanoleaf Amber, Nanoleaf One Mini, Nanoleaf Pendant, Nanoleaf Lamp, Nanoleaf Smart Ivy, Nanoleaf Aurora - Modular Smart Lighting Panels Services Smart LED lighting, green technology, energy efficient lighting, IoT | ||
Nanoleaf aurora unboxing impressions modular smart led lighting assembly review
Nanoleaf is a green technology company that is currently specializing in LED lighting. Founded in 2012 by three engineers, the company launched its first two products with crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter. The company develops sustainable, design focused lighting solutions in both non-connected and the connected space.
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History
Nanoleaf was founded in 2012 by three friends and engineering graduates Gimmy Chu, Christian Yan and Tom Rodinger. They were each working in different industries while creating Nanoleaf on the side, but decided to quit their jobs to develop the company full-time. In January 2013, the three launched their first product on Kickstarter. The crowdfunding campaign for NanoLight (later renamed Nanoleaf One) received $250,000 from the crowdfunding site, with an initial goal of $20,000. Following the success of this campaign, Nanoleaf received funding from Horizons Ventures, an investment company owned by Li Ka Shing and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. The company also opened their offices in Shenzhen, China and Hong Kong.
Their second Kickstarter campaign for the Nanoleaf Bloom in July 2014 was similarly well received. The campaign generated $192,973 in funding with a goal of $20,000.
Nanoleaf opened an office in Toronto, Canada in January 2015.
Technology
Nanoleaf utilizes patented technology that aims for energy efficiency and a sustainable manufacturing process. The company's bulbs are made up of small LEDs on a folded circuit board and feature an origami-like design. The technology eliminates the need of a heat sink, keeping the bulb cool to the touch while reducing the amount of energy used during manufacturing. Nanoleaf bulbs also have overheat protection which allows the bulb to dim itself if it gets too hot, reducing the possibility of damage and increasing its potential life span. The bulbs are also shatter-resistant.
The Nanoleaf Aurora uses slightly different technology from the company's light bulbs. The Aurora is also made with LED chips on a printed circuit board, but features a diffuser on a flat triangular surface. It consists of triangular light panels you can control on your Android or iOS device, or by using spoken commands.You can connect any panel to any other panel using an SD card-like connector chip to join their sides. Power flows through all of them from the base attachment, which can handle up to 30 panels. If you want more than the starter kit's nine panels, extras are available in three-packs for $60 each (about £50/AU$80). The Nanoleaf Aurora, a modular flat panel wall fixture LED lighting system, was introduced at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show.
Nanoleaf One
The Nanoleaf One was the company's first product, released on Kickstarter in 2013 (formerly named the NanoLight). The product claims to be the world's most energy efficient light bulb and uses patented technology with custom packaged LED chips.
Nanoleaf Bloom
The company's second product, the Nanoleaf Bloom, was introduced in 2014 to make dimmable lighting more accessible. The Nanoleaf Bloom eliminates the need for a dimmer switch with the bulb's built-in dimming technology. Originally offered in Black, White and Arctic Leaf colors, the Bloom was later released with different designs including patterns with the Moomin character, hearts and maple leafs.
Nanoleaf Gem
Marketed as an LED bulb for designers, the Nanoleaf Gem was released on Earth Day in 2015. The Gem was the company's first dimmable glass bulb and remains their best selling light bulb to date.
Nanoleaf Ivy Smarter Kit
Launched at the end of 2015, the Nanoleaf Ivy Smarter Kit is a voice-controlled lighting system. It is the company's first product with smart home automation and works with Siri voice control. The company lists it as the world's most energy efficient smart bulb.
Nanoleaf Aurora
The Nanoleaf Aurora is a modular smart light with color changing and voice control abilities. The Aurora is the company's first color changing product and has drawn attention from the design & lifestyle community, making its television debut on The Ellen Degeneres Show and on CTV National in Canada The Aurora was initially sold in the MoMA Design Store in NYC during October 2016. It was then sold nationwide in Best Buy stores across US and Canada starting November 2016.