普瑞光電股份有限公司

公司收入：4，000萬美元

公司總部：加州利弗莫爾

所屬行業：LED燈具

成立時間：2002年

員工人數：250人

????從亞洲到美洲，從新德里到丹佛，全世界每年所有電器的用電開支高達2，340億美元，包括臺燈和交通信號燈。LED（發光二機管）技術有望將這一數字減半。生產LED燈具的普瑞光電股份有限公司的CEO比爾?沃特金斯表示，2010年，LED燈具行業的收入達到8.8億美元，并有望在今年達到30億美元。他說：“這是一項革命性的技術，其全球產值將達到1，000億美元。”LED燈具的工作原理是，當電流經過微芯片上的材料時，LED燈管將發出光亮（右）。而該公司面臨的問題：LED燈具的售價高于其他燈具。相對于白熾燈25美分或30美分的低廉價格，一個60瓦的LED燈售價高達20美元。目前，普瑞光電股份有限公司尚未盈利，今年收入預計將增長一倍，達到8，000萬美元。同時，它還面臨著來自美國通用電氣公司（GE）和飛利浦公司（Philips）等行業巨頭的競爭。這家初創公司目前得到優點資本（Vantagepoint）及其他風投公司的支持，公司稱，LED燈具的價格在迅速下降。同時，借助新技術發出的燈光與傳統白熾燈一樣柔和。通過調光，還可以創造不同的氛圍——這對零售商店來說，無疑是一個福音。沃特金斯認為，即使一只LED燈泡售價高達20美元，它的成本也能在兩到三年內收回。

????——布萊恩?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