LUME

Product: LUME illuminating fabric ushers in a revolutionary transition from fixed point sources of light to flexible and mutable planes of light; from sources that require depth (intrusion or protrusion) to skin-like sources that can be applied to surfaces; from solid (yet fragile) lighting solutions to soft (yet almost indestructible) lighting solutions that can be folded, stretched, drawn, crumpled, rolled, molded, twisted, tied, and tailored. The way we design, integrate, package, transport, distribute, and ultimately use lighting could be changed forever.

LUME reaches beyond the amazing cost-benefits, power-efficiency, 20-year lifespan, and eco-friendliness of traditional high-powered LED solutions. It exploits the unique form-factor of the LED—ultra-tiny, ultra-thin, and solid-state—to create a new paradigm for lighting that was previously unimaginable.

Imagine now: Bolts of LUME’s illuminating fabric—in a variety of textures, with intensities and functionalities that can be cut-to-measure like fabric—attached to simple “plug-and-play” powering solutions. Anyone could make any (fabric-lighting-based) thing he wanted, anytime, anywhere. Whether it be a designer with a new vision; a mechanic who needs a better solution for seeing the underside of her car; a cinematographer who needs to light a tight space; or a nomadic community that needs to light an entire village, inside and out, off a single generator and then pack it all up to go. This vision of multi-purpose, “user-tailored” lighting is our ultimate goal. Along the way, we hope to offer the innovative products and solutions to a variety of markets.

Business Plan: The development of an R+D infrastructure that will allow for deep exploration and research into LUME as a product. Central to our objective is the dialogue between innovative research into technology (electroluminescent dyes, application methods, electrothermal cooling, et al.) and the ongoing development of application-specific solutions.

Our plan is to:

1. Seed the R+D of LUME technology by focusing on a simple first-to-market, multipurpose, mass-marketable, stand-alone product—the Light Patch.

   This product will: generate the recurring revenue to finance the full-time R+D and design departments; spark the imagination of designers, architects, and industry regarding LUME’s Lighting Fabric solutions; and serve as a “module” for accelerated prototyping of larger-scale fabrics.

2. Develop a catalogue of custom and standard solutions, with variations of the LightPatch used as “samples.”
3. Leverage our technology/business partner’s network of sales reps and distribution channels to circulate our catalog to potential customers in all key markets.

In response to customer demand, we will:

1. Develop the R+D and production framework to offer custom solutions based on the infinite possibilities of LUME fabrics; deliver additional standard solutions; and service partnerships with other manufacturers integrating LUME’s technology.
2. Achieve the “ultimate goal” of bringing to market a sustainable, inexpensive, and fully user-tailored lighting solution.

Submitted By: Talia Dorsey, Joshua Dorsey, Mathew Laibowitz, Eran Plonkski
From: Boston
Contact: [email protected]