I recently did a web search for GroAdvisors, one of the subsidiaries of Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSGC), and found their website was replaced with a 404 error message. I remember the big news in December 2021 when Healthe filed for bankruptcy, but those news stories never mentioned LSGC, nor any of its subsidiaries. I did my very best sleuthing, and the more I dug, the more unsatisfying the facts became. Below is a list of the facts that I could find in a roughly chronological timeline:

• According to Crunchbase:
  • LSGC was founded in 2004, and Fred Maxik was its founder.
  • It lists LSGC’s operating status as “Closed.”
  • LSGC’s total funding amount was $320 Million.
  • LSGC closed its last funding round on Aug 2, 2016 from a Post-IPO Equity
  • LSGC was a portfolio company of Pegasus Capital Advisors (private equity firm).
• 3/21/17, LSGC creates Global Value Lighting as a joint venture with Chinese manufacturer, MLS, to produce retail private label LED products. Source
• 2/7/19, LSGC publicly announced the spin-off of Healthe Inc., to “utilizing its core technology and intellectual property to create circadian solutions that support the health, well-being and performance of people through their built environments.”
• 4/30/19, LSGC filed a proceeding before the U.S. International Trade Commission and in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia asserting that Nichia products infringe three patents owned by LSGC.
• 7/19/19, Nichia Corporation (“Nichia”) filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida against Lighting Science Group Corp. (“LSGC”). Nichia also filed patent infringement lawsuits in the same court against two of LSGC’s affiliates, Healthe, Inc. and VividGro, Inc (horticultural lighting, later reorganized as GroAdvisor).
• 10/14/20, Nichia, Osram, and Lumileds reported victory in their patent disputes against LSGC. On April 7, 2020, and October 1, 2020, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) issued the final determination that the patents claimed by LSGC were invalid and neither Nichia, Osram, nor Lumileds infringed the patents. Source
• 7/4/21, LSGC’s stock value goes to zero and never goes back up. Source
• 12/10/21, Healthe filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and closed its doors/liquidation. Source
• Today, the URLs for LSGC and GroAdvisors both return 404 Error messages, while Healthe Inc.’s domain is available for purchase. None of these websites exist. The Global Value Lighting website still exists, but contact information points to the former LSGC headquarters in Rhode Island.
• Pegasus Capital Advisors’ website still lists LSGC as one of its investments.

Several questions remain, however. Nothing I can find online shows how LSGC closed its doors? There are no articles about bankruptcy nor any other form of closure? Nothing online dates exactly when LSGC closed its doors? And nothing in the Healthe bankruptcy articles mentions LSGC nor its subsidiaries closing. There is plenty of evidence that LSGC and GroAdvisor are out of business, however. All of these questions seem surprising since LSGC was a publicly-traded company.

Do you know more details about the closure of LSGC? Consider sharing in the comment section below.

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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