For the 14th of July, Espaciel wishes to highlight the French startups of natural lighting. This field knows a real entrepreneurial abundance in our country. A phenomenon that deserves to be highlighted on the occasion of the French national holiday.
The 14th of July is best known for its military parade that allows everyone to review the French forces. It is a completely different parade that I propose in this article.
France is lining up a squad of startups that are at the forefront of the daylighting revival. Following the example of Espaciel, several innovative companies have recently been created in France on the front of natural lighting of buildings to defend the well-being of the inhabitants. When we talk about innovation in daylighting, it is often the Nordic countries that come to mind. Velux, the well-known Danish company, is perhaps the explanation. Here is a selection of French companies that will illuminate our interiors in the years to come.
Cumulux
Specializing in backlit faux windows, Cumulux offers a solution for spaces without openings. The innovation of Cumulux lies in the combination of 3 key elements:
- a wall or ceiling window,
- an ultra-realistic natural decor,
- high quality artificial lighting reproducing daylight.
Cumulux’s innovative solutions are already the leader in France for professionals (administrations, companies and hospitals). The young company is now developing its offer for private customers. https://cumulux.fr
Espaciel
A pioneer in daylighting reflectors for dark buildings, Espaciel improves natural light and enhances sunlight. Espaciel offers a unique range of products on the market. Its reflectors capture the sky’s luminosity and the sun’s rays to enhance well-being in the workplace or in the home.
Espaciel’s customers are mainly private individuals who place their orders online at https://www.espaciel.com.
More and more professionals are also using Espaciel solutions to enhance natural lighting for their construction, renovation or development projects.
Immoblade
Here is the last one of the company. But small will become big! Immoblade invents a new concept of glazing that filters the sun. It adapts lighting and heat gain according to the season. Immoblade glass keeps the view to the outside while attenuating the effects of direct sunlight in summer. In winter, the screening embedded in the heart of the glass lets in a maximum of light.
This innovative sun filtering concept replaces conventional shading. Several demonstrators are underway with construction partners. To develop its technologies, the company is supported by Airbus and the European Space Agency. https://www.immoblade.com
Lumicene
As one of France’s leading daylighting startups, Lumicene is already well underway. Its circular sliding window system redefines the limits between the interior and the exterior. Totally modular, it can be used for any purpose: balcony, loggia or extended living room. In partnership with Saint-Gobain, Lumicene has created a rounded glass dedicated to its circular sliding loggia modules.
Following its success in new construction, Lumicene is already expanding into other sectors such as events and tourism with the Lumipod. A high-end housing module for tourist accommodation. http://www.lumicene.com
Solen
White knight of the digital revolution in the field of natural lighting, Solen brings its expertise to all partners in the real estate industry. Solen is the expert in natural light diagnostics for buildings. With its application and its research department, Solen can intervene at any stage of a real estate project:
- during the design phase to optimize daylighting after digital modeling,
- during marketing with its daylighting diagnostics and customer communication tools.
Discover the IT version of the daylighting revival here: https://www.solen.co.
Post-mortem
Natural light also has its unknown soldiers. The development of a startup is not a long, quiet river. The small world of daylighting is no exception to this rule. The startup Echy disappeared in 2019. Its concept of natural lighting by fiber optics inspired by the Danish Parans did not find its market in France. Echy had benefited from extensive media coverage and the support of many companies for pilot projects. The same year, Fred & Fred stopped its activity. The inventor of an optical glass brick for interior design and lighting had completed several reference projects. Fred & Fred’s demise has more to do with its internal operations than its commercial potential.
These experiences show that developing greentech solutions for daylighting remains an uphill battle. But not impossible, as French daylighting startups are proving.
Not in this article?
You are a French daylighting startup creator and you are not mentioned in this blog post? Write to me at contact@espaciel.com. I will make sure to update the article 🙂
