{{Short description|Dutch lighting company}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:Lumileds}} {{Infobox company | name = Lumileds Holding B.V. | logo = Lumileds logo.png | type = Private | foundation = 1999 | location = Schiphol, Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands | key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Steve Barlow (CEO)<ref name="LumiledsLeadership">{{cite web |title=Leadership Team |url=https://lumileds.com/company/leadership-team/ |website=Lumileds |access-date=April 20, 2026 |language=en}}</ref>|Oleg Shchekin (CTO)<ref name="LumiledsLeadership" />|Tom Constantino (CFO)<ref name="LumiledsLeadership" />}} | products = LEDs, Lighting, Automotive Lighting | industry = Semiconductor | num_employees = ~3500 (2026) | homepage = {{url|http://www.lumileds.com/}} }}
thumb|upright|A white ''Luxeon Portable'' LED from Lumileds [[File:2007-07-24 High-power light emitting diodes (Luxeon, Lumiled).jpg|thumb|''Luxeon'' white LEDs on a IMS PCB ]] '''Lumileds''' is a private lighting company that develops, manufactures, and distributes LEDs and related products for automotive lighting, general lighting, and specialty lighting. As of 2025, Lumileds is the 7th largest global LED package manufacturer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=[Insight] San’an Optoelectronics to Acquire Lumileds; Reshaping Global LED Market Dynamics, Says TrendForce |url=https://www.ledinside.com/intelligence/2025/8/2025_08_04_09 |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=www.ledinside.com |language=english}}</ref>
==History== Lumileds was formed as a publicly traded company in November 1999 as a joint venture between Philips Lighting and Agilent Technologies. Upon Philips' acquisition in 2005, Lumileds became a business unit within Philips Lighting known as Philips Lumileds Lighting Company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Philips takes control of LED maker Lumileds|url=http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2005/08/philips-takes-control-of-led-maker-lumileds.html|accessdate=21 November 2016|work=LEDs Magazine|date=15 August 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121233653/http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2005/08/philips-takes-control-of-led-maker-lumileds.html|archive-date=21 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
In March 2015, Lumileds parent company Philips agreed to sell an 80.1 percent stake in the business to the investment fund, Go Scale.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philips-goscale-lighting-idUSKBN0OC0XZ20150527 Go Scale to fund Philips lighting components buy with $1.93 billion in debt, Reuters, 27 May 2015]</ref> In October 2015, ''Financial Times'' reported that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) regulatory body may block the $2.9B deal owing to fears of Chinese subversion of the US high-tech sector.<ref>Duncan Robinson, "US may block Philips’ $3bn Lumileds sale", FT.com, October 26, 2015</ref> The deal was cancelled in January, 2016, due to the CFIUS concerns.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/23/business/dealbook/philips-lumileds-go-lighting.html, Philips Calls Off Sale of Controlling Stake in LED Business, New York Times, 22 January 2016]</ref> CFIUS concerns were based on transfer of gallium nitride semiconductor technology, which is used in LEDs as well as defense applications.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Paul Mozur|last2=Jane Perlez|author2-link=Jane Perlez|title=Concern Grows in U.S. Over China's Drive to Make Chips|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/05/technology/concern-grows-in-us-over-chinas-drive-to-make-chips.html|accessdate=27 February 2017|work=The New York Times|date=5 February 2016|page=B1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227090607/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/05/technology/concern-grows-in-us-over-chinas-drive-to-make-chips.html|archive-date=27 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
In December 2016, to take the company private, Philips announced that it signed an agreement to sell an 80.1% interest in Lumileds to certain funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management with Philips retaining the remaining 19.9% interest in Lumileds. The transaction completed in July 2017, under customary closing conditions, including the relevant regulatory approvals.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lumileds Officially an Independent Company as Funds Affiliated with Apollo Global Management and Philips Complete Transaction|url=http://www.lumileds.com/news/284/50/Lumileds-Officially-an-Independent-Company-as-Funds-Affiliated-with-Apollo-Global-Management-and-Philips-Complete-Transaction|work=Lumileds Press Release|date=5 July 2017|access-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109063804/https://www.lumileds.com/news/284/50/Lumileds-Officially-an-Independent-Company-as-Funds-Affiliated-with-Apollo-Global-Management-and-Philips-Complete-Transaction|archive-date=9 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> IP strategists were used to separate the intellectual property portfolio from the physical assets after the spin off from full Philips ownership.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sornson|first=Pamela|date=2017-12-15|title=Lumileds Is Lighting the Path to the Future with Intellectual Property Law|url=https://profilemagazine.com/2017/lumileds/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611142505/https://profilemagazine.com/2017/lumileds/|archive-date=2020-06-11|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Profile|language=en}}</ref>
On August 29, 2022, Lumileds filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company reached an agreement to enter restructuring in a bid to deleverage and strengthen its balance sheet in effort to emerge from bankruptcy within less than 60 days. Lumileds' other international subsidiaries were not part of the bankruptcy reorganization.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.financierworldwide.com/lighting-leader-lumileds-files-for-chapter-11|title=Lightning leader Lumileds files for Chapter 11|date=August 29, 2022|access-date=October 25, 2023|website=Financier Worldwide|language=en}}</ref> 63 days after the company filed for bankruptcy, Lumileds completed its bankruptcy restructuring and exited bankruptcy on November 1, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inside.lighting/news/22-11/63-days-lumileds-speeds-through-chapter-11|title=63 days, Lumileds speeds through Chapter 11|date=November 1, 2022|access-date=October 25, 2023|website=Inside Lightning|language=en}}</ref>
In May 2024, First Brands announced the acquisition of the Automotive Lamps business from Lumileds for $238 million.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lumileds Sells Automotive Lamps Business for $238 Million |url=https://inside.lighting/news/24-05/lumileds-sells-automotive-lamps-business-238-million |website=Inside Lighting |access-date=17 October 2025}}</ref>
==Attempted Chinese Acquisition== In August 2025, Chinese company San’an Optoelectronics offered $239 million for 100% ownership of Lumileds Holding B.V., with eventual ownership expected to be split between San’an and other foreign investors (74.5%), Philips (19.9%), and Apollo Global Management affiliates.<ref>{{Cite web |title=[Insight] San’an Optoelectronics to Acquire Lumileds; Reshaping Global LED Market Dynamics, Says TrendForce |url=https://www.ledinside.com/intelligence/2025/8/2025_08_04_09 |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=www.ledinside.com |language=english}}</ref> However, in April 2026, the deal collapsed following opposition from United States regulators. The termination was attributed to national security concerns and tightened U.S. oversight of overseas acquisitions by Chinese technology firms.<ref name="SCMP_2026">{{cite news |date=April 17, 2026 |title=Chinese LED chipmaker’s purchase of Dutch firm collapses after US opposition |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition |work=South China Morning Post |access-date=April 19, 2026}}</ref>
==Products and notable applications== The company sells products for automotive, illumination and specialty applications,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lumileds LED Lighting {{!}} LUXEON LEDs {{!}} LED Lighting Solutions|url=https://newsite.lumileds.com/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Lumileds|language=en-US}}</ref> with automotive lighting comprising 60% of its sales in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chu |first1=Roger |last2=Lin |first2=Judy |title=Lumileds Experiences Significant Growth in Automotive Lighting Sector |url=https://www.ledinside.com/news/2015/6/lumileds_experiences_significant_growth_in_automotive_lighting_sector |website=LEDinside |accessdate=13 June 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612183855/https://www.ledinside.com/news/2015/6/lumileds_experiences_significant_growth_in_automotive_lighting_sector |archivedate=12 June 2020 |date=18 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
In architectural lighting they released the Luxeon C in 2015, a family of high-power LED light sources capable of delivering multiple colors from a single focal length.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Busta|first=Hallie|date=|title=Lumileds' Luxeon C Color LED Light Sources Streamline Color Mixing|url=https://www.archlighting.com/products/leds-and-drivers/lumileds-luxeon-c-color-led-light-sources-streamline-color-mixing_o|access-date=2020-06-11|website=www.archlighting.com}}</ref>
Lumileds LEDs are used in the Bridge of Peace, an illuminated pedestrian bridge in Tbilisi, and in the Times Square Ball made by Waterford Crystal.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-10-11|title=Times Square New Year's Eve - Official Site - About The Ball|url=http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye_ball.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011053316/http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye_ball.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-10-11|access-date=2020-06-11}}</ref>
==Patent dispute with Epistar== Lumileds had a history of patent disputes with competitor Epistar over the use of AlInGaP LED technology. However, in September, 2009, Philips Lumileds signed an agreement to license AlInGaP technology to Epistar.<ref>{{cite news |title=Epistar settles LED patent lawsuit with Philips |url=http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090925PM200.html |newspaper=DigiTimes |date=25 September 2009 |accessdate=28 September 2009}}</ref>
==See also== * Epistar * Cree Inc. * Nichia * Osram * Seoul Semiconductor
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.lumileds.com/}} {{Apple Inc. suppliers}} Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1999 Category:Light-emitting diode manufacturers Category:Manufacturing companies based in Amsterdam Category:Dutch brands Category:1999 establishments in the Netherlands Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022