ONCE, a supplier of research-based agricultural lighting systems, announced June 18 that it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire Germany-based iLOX, GmbH (iLOX) and its Polish subsidiary iLOX Sp.z.o.o., an innovative lighting developer for agricultural livestock facilities. This strategic alliance integrates two industry leaders into the world’s largest animal-centric lighting company.
"We are extremely excited to welcome iLOX to the ONCE family. With our dedication to the development of scientifically backed, animal-centric lighting technologies and iLOX's superior electronic design ability and vast market knowledge, we can accelerate our commitments to lead and shape the fast-growing agricultural lighting market with disruptive innovation in respect to animal welfare,” commented Zdenko Grajcar, CEO and Founder of ONCE.
“Since the inception, our team has focused into the untapped potential of animal-centric lighting and how it can transform the world of animal agriculture. Never could I have imagined the impact our work would make in eight years. ONCE has effectively demonstrated that spectrum and modulation of light can significantly affect animal performance, dramatically reduce stress levels, impact animal behaviors and influence expression of genes in an organism. We have not only changed how the agriculture industry perceives and uses light but we have also become a global authority in animal photobiology and optogenetics. Today, we take it step further by joining forces with the iLOX team in hope to accelerate product development and intensify market adoption while improving our ability to support European based customers and expanding our sales territories into the Middle East and North Africa,” concludes Grajcar. "Combining ONCE and iLOX aligns well with the future goals we have previously established,” adds Stefan Warnking, CEO and founder of iLOX.
"We share very similar philosophies and business strategies in focusing on innovative lighting solutions for farmers. The synergy of ONCE’s broad IP portfolio of technologies, combined with the electronic design capabilities of iLOX will enable us to create new product offerings and offer science-based lighting solutions to farmers across Europe and the rest of the EMEA region. I am very proud of my team’s achievements and look forward to combining forces with ONCE team.”
