普瑞光电股份有限公司

公司收入：4，000万美元

公司总部：加州利弗莫尔

所属行业：LED灯具

成立时间：2002年

员工人数：250人

    从亚洲到美洲，从新德里到丹佛，全世界每年所有电器的用电开支高达2，340亿美元，包括台灯和交通信号灯。LED（发光二机管）技术有望将这一数字减半。生产LED灯具的普瑞光电股份有限公司的CEO比尔•沃特金斯表示，2010年，LED灯具行业的收入达到8.8亿美元，并有望在今年达到30亿美元。他说：“这是一项革命性的技术，其全球产值将达到1，000亿美元。”LED灯具的工作原理是，当电流经过微芯片上的材料时，LED灯管将发出光亮（右）。而该公司面临的问题：LED灯具的售价高于其他灯具。相对于白炽灯25美分或30美分的低廉价格，一个60瓦的LED灯售价高达20美元。目前，普瑞光电股份有限公司尚未盈利，今年收入预计将增长一倍，达到8，000万美元。同时，它还面临着来自美国通用电气公司（GE）和飞利浦公司（Philips）等行业巨头的竞争。这家初创公司目前得到优点资本（Vantagepoint）及其他风投公司的支持，公司称，LED灯具的价格在迅速下降。同时，借助新技术发出的灯光与传统白炽灯一样柔和。通过调光，还可以创造不同的氛围——这对零售商店来说，无疑是一个福音。沃特金斯认为，即使一只LED灯泡售价高达20美元，它的成本也能在两到三年内收回。

    ——布莱恩•杜梅因

Bridgelux

Revenue: $40 million

Headquarters: Livermore, Calif.

Industry: LED lighting

Founded: 2002

Employees: 250

    From Delhi to Denver, we spend about $234 billion a year for electricity to power everything from our table lamps to street signals. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a high-efficiency lighting technology, promises to cut those costs by half. Bill Watkins, the CEO of Bridgelux, which makes LED lights, says his industry, which posted $880 million in revenue in 2010, is on track to hit $3 billion this year. Says he: "This is a disruptive technology that will turn into a $100 billion global market." LEDs emit light when electrons excite material layered onto a microchip (right). The challenge: The lights are expensive. A 60-watt LED costs $20 and up, compared with 25¢ or 30¢ for an incandescent. And Bridgelux, which is not yet profitable but expects its sales to double this year to $80 million, has to go up against big rivals like GE and Philips. The startup, backed by Vantagepoint and other VC firms, says prices are dropping fast, however, and its technology can produce light that's as warm as an incandescent's, is dimmable, and can be adjusted to create different moods -- a boon for retail stores. Watkins argues that even at $20 a bulb, LEDs can pay for themselves in two to three years.

    --Brian Dumaine