On Sep. 10, MLS announced that the company will spend RMB$ 180 million (US$ 278.2 million) to purchase stock in Kaistar Lighting with private fund, acquiring 10.91% of Kaistar’s shares.
Kaistar Lighting is a joint venture established by Shenzhen Kaifa Technology (44% shares), Epistar Corporation (40% shares), Evertop (9% shares) and Country Lighting (7% shares) in April 2011. Each of these enterprises is a world-leading LED corporation. CEC Group is the largest state-owned IT Corporation in China. TPV Technology Group, one of top 50 enterprises in Asia ranks third in top 500 global Chinese hi-tech enterprises. Epistar, the biggest LED chip manufacturer in Taiwan, is the largest LED chip manufacturer in the world.
Positioning as the overall LED solution provider, Kaistar business provides LED wafer, LED chip, LED packaging and LED lighting application solutions. The company received 12 LED related patents, while presenting automated cloud systems for MOVCD. The company’s 2014 fiscal year sales revenue rose to RMB 526 million with RMB 19 million net profit. On July 20, 2015, Kaistar fully acquired the U.S.-based Bridgelux via its investment company. Bridgelux owns over 750 patents in LED chips and LED package technologies. The company’s leading high power LED packageer is competitive to that of Cree, Philips and Citizen.
After Kaifa’s investment in Bridgelux, the company’s supply chain expansion strategy is completed, it will benefit the company’s future development. Meanwhile, patent and market cooperation between Kaistar and U.S.-based Bridgelux has made it easier for these manufacturers to breach international patent barriers, and pave its path to globalization.
