Lighting the Way: Bill Wiedemann’s Journey with Lumara Systems
By Kent Burns
Bill Wiedemann didn’t set out to reinvent beauty devices—but when two estheticians challenged him to create an LED product that worked, he saw an opportunity. By July 1, 2016, Lumara Systems was born, blending his engineering expertise with a vision for effective red light therapy.
“What makes me upset is that most of the red light products people purchase do absolutely nothing!” he says. “When I discovered that one of the major companies was delivering products that were less than effective, I set out to make a red light solution that was actually effective.”
Building from the Ground Up
From a small garage in Los Gatos to a rapidly growing company, Lumara expanded as demand skyrocketed. “We had to move to a building, and then we doubled our space in three months, and then doubled it again six months later,” Wiedemann remembers.
The company name, Lumara—“light that I love”—captures this dedication to meaningful innovation.
The Power of Engineering
Lumara’s products stood apart because they delivered measurable results. Wiedemann’s first prototype showed 10x the power of competitors, with even energy coverage. “Uniform LED energy makes the end result visibly better and cuts the recovery time in half,” he notes.
Enter VISO: The Consumer Breakthrough
When professionals asked for a retail-friendly product, Wiedemann developed VISO, a $600 red light mask designed with uniform 660nm LEDs. After extensive testing and manufacturing challenges, the result was a mask capable of visible improvements in just days.
His personal five-day test proved its effectiveness: pressing the LEDs closer to the skin produced dramatic results, shaping VISO’s protocol.
Real People, Real Results
Customers and professionals alike validate Lumara’s effectiveness. “This is the best product I’ve ever used. I used it for three days. I’m going to use it for the rest of my life,” one customer declared.
An esthetician echoed the sentiment: “I purchased $250,000 worth of beauty products for my esthetics practice, and I can’t bear to get rid of them—they’re all in the garage in boxes. Yours is the only one I use every day.”
Even Lumara’s factory partners admitted, “We’ve tried every single mask we’ve made, and yours is the only one that works.”
Recognition and Vision
Today, Lumara is recognized as one of the top three red light therapy brands by the Associated Skin Care Professionals. Wiedemann envisions expanding into new devices while making products increasingly affordable.
“We are hyper focused on bringing results to every one of our customers,” Wiedemann emphasizes. “We have such a great product that it would be sad and embarrassing to not have great success with these products.”
