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From lightsabers to living-room light
Since 2016, Dr. Frederic Folz has developed hardware and software for lightsabers in Saarland, Germany. This expertise was the starting point for FlowGlow, an effect lamp developed in Überherrn for living spaces.
Across its 360° illuminated surface, fire flickers, auroras flow, and water waves drift by. FlowGlow offers 42 light effects in total. Unlike a conventional smart bulb, it does more than change color or brightness—it sets the light itself in motion.
Story at a glance
- From lightsabers to living rooms Owners of lightsabers built with the founder’s electronics wanted to experience those light effects at home.
- Developed in-house Since 2022, the complete lamp has been built in-house: hardware, optics, software, app, and 3D configurator.
- Bootstrapped from a garage workshop Funded entirely by the ongoing lightsaber-electronics business—without external investors.
Status: After four years of development, FlowGlow is preparing for its planned market launch in late 2026.
Download the press kit · Explore FlowGlow in 3D · Request an interview, demo, or media assets
How lightsaber effects inspired FlowGlow
Since 2016, founder and physicist Dr. Frederic Folz has developed hardware and software for real lightsabers through his company SaberTec—the kind fans, collectors, and cosplayers use worldwide. Owners of lightsabers fitted with his electronics regularly contacted him to share their fascination with the smooth, flowing light effects. The flame effect was a particular favorite. Again and again, people asked how they could bring that atmosphere into their living rooms without putting a lightsaber there.
That observation inspired FlowGlow. Development began within SaberTec in 2022, translating the team’s experience with fluid light movement, dynamic color transitions, and effects that respond to sound into a lamp for living spaces. FlowGlow Lighting GmbH was founded in 2026, with market launch planned for late 2026.
“Owners of lightsabers fitted with our electronics kept telling me how fascinated they were by the smooth, flowing light effects, especially the flame effect. Many asked how they could bring that atmosphere into their living rooms without putting a lightsaber there. FlowGlow grew from that question.”
Dr. Frederic Folz, Founder & CEO, FlowGlow Lighting GmbH
Developed in-house and built from a garage workshop
FlowGlow was developed as a complete system: from the electronics, housing, and E27 base to the optical diffuser, whose purpose-designed structures distribute the light precisely. This also includes the firmware inside the lamp, effect generation, the FlowGlow Studio app, optional cloud features, and the 3D configurator.
A central challenge was bringing electronics, optics, and software together in an E27 format just 20 centimeters tall. The effects had to remain visible from every direction and appear smooth even with slow movements and at low brightness. A motion sensor detects the installation orientation and automatically aligns the effects. As a result, a flame still rises upward even when FlowGlow is mounted upside down.
The same effect technology generates the motion on the lamp and renders it in the app and browser. This makes an effect look consistent in the 3D configurator, in the app, and on the actual lamp.
Every effect is generated in real time.
FlowGlow does not play prerecorded animations. Inside the lamp, a dual-core processor—a small computer—continuously calculates all 42 effects while also handling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. For many effects, it solves the differential equations of physical models in real time. The fire effect, for example, is based on the model of a real flame: the spreading of a hot plasma. That is why the effects inspired by natural phenomena look so realistic.
Early development of FlowGlow took place in a garage workshop and was financed entirely with revenue from the lightsaber-electronics business—without external investor capital. Germany’s research allowance was granted for two SaberTec R&D projects: lightsaber electronics from 2020 to 2024 and FlowGlow from 2024 to 2026. The project grew from years of experience, real operating revenue, and in-house research.
What sets FlowGlow apart
Moving light visible from every side.
Fire, waves, auroras, and abstract patterns move around the lamp’s 360° illuminated surface. The effects remain visible from every side, making the lamp a decorative light accent without a fixed viewing direction. A motion sensor detects the mounting orientation and aligns the effects accordingly—the flame, for example, always points upward, even when the lamp is installed upside down.
Personal lighting moods beyond a fixed catalog.
A Flow combines one of the 42 effects with colors or a palette, speed, and an optional response to music. People can save their own Flows and share them with the FlowGlow community. They can also discover Flows made by others in the public Flow Library. Touching the lamp can also send a light greeting to friends’ lamps—detected by the same motion sensor.
Soft movement and fine transitions.
FlowGlow updates every effect 125 times per second. Its 16-bit color depth creates finely graded transitions, including during slow effects and at low brightness.
Local control without an account.
The included remote and local Bluetooth app control work without an internet connection or account. Wi-Fi is only needed for optional features such as Alexa, Google Home, and remote access. Sound is processed directly on the lamp and is not recorded, stored, or streamed.
See FlowGlow in motion
All 42 effects are available to explore directly in your browser—no download or account required.
Boilerplate
FlowGlow is an E27-base LED effect lamp that displays moving light around its 360° illuminated surface, making the effects visible from every side. Its 42 effects include fire, auroras, and ocean waves and can be combined with personal colors, speed, and an optional response to music to create Flows. The remote and local Bluetooth control work without an account or internet connection. Development began within SaberTec in 2022; Germany’s research allowance was granted for SaberTec’s FlowGlow R&D project (2024–2026). Founded in 2026, FlowGlow Lighting GmbH is based in Überherrn, Saarland, Germany, with market launch planned for late 2026.
This description may be used, shortened, or adapted for editorial coverage.
Founder and company
Dr. Frederic Folz is the founder and CEO of FlowGlow Lighting GmbH and holds a doctorate in physics. He also founded SaberTec, where he has developed hardware and software for lightsabers since 2016. SaberTec’s lightsaber-electronics business and its development work remain active.
He also remains active in research as a theoretical physicist, devoting himself to an extraordinary phenomenon: “intelligent slime.” At its center are slime molds—fascinating organisms that consist of a single cell, can grow larger than a hand, and, despite having no brain or nervous system, display astonishingly complex abilities. For example, they build robust, efficient transport networks between their food sources—in a well-known experiment, their networks outperformed Tokyo’s rail network. Their behavior can be translated into physical models and algorithms for developing networks. Knowledge from this research also went into FlowGlow’s development, particularly the lamp’s algorithms.
| Company | FlowGlow Lighting GmbH |
| Headquarters | Überherrn, Saarland, Germany |
| Company founded | 2026 |
| FlowGlow development | since 2022 within SaberTec |
| Technological foundation | ongoing hardware and software development for lightsabers at SaberTec since 2016 |
| SaberTec business | lightsaber-electronics business and development remain active |
| Financing | entirely from revenue of SaberTec’s lightsaber-electronics business; no external investor capital |
| Lightsaber-electronics R&D project | SaberTec research-allowance support, 2020–2024 |
| FlowGlow R&D project | SaberTec research-allowance support, 2024–2026 |
| Commercial register | Amtsgericht Saarbrücken, HRB 112311 |
| Industry | Consumer electronics and lighting |
| Website | getflowglow.com |
| Social media | @flowglowlight – Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest |
Press kit
The FlowGlow press kit includes nine full-resolution press photos, logo files in several formats, an image overview, and suggested captions.
Download the FlowGlow press kit (ZIP)
Need another format, an interview, or additional material? Contact press@getflowglow.com.
Press contact
Dr. Frederic Folz, Founder & CEO
FlowGlow Lighting GmbH
Brentanoweg 3
66802 Überherrn
Germany
Explore the product in 3D: explore.getflowglow.com
Website: getflowglow.com
