With the LED lighting era on its way, Epistar has seized LED lighting market shares through virtual vertical integration with downstream manufacturers, according to Economic Daily News. The company has currently invested over 9 percent in Edison shares totaling NT $300 million (US $9.9 million), and is considering increasing shares in the future.

Since Epistar’s business strategy omits packaging, the company is able to develop with downstream clients through virtual vertical integration, said Rider Chang, Epistar Vice President. LED lighting and backlighting are different. LED lighting clients are more dispersed and the certification period is longer. Therefore, Epistar provides chips and with the addition of packaging from downstream clients, can increase the company’s competitiveness. Everlight and LiteOn for example do not have any investments in stocks and had good results.

Epistar has currently invested in the following downstream manufacturers related to LED Lighting: Edison Opto, Lustrous, ProLight Opto, and Nan Ya Photonics. Epistar originally had less than 1 percent of shares in Edison Otpo, but increased stock purchases on the market to around 9 percent. With the relationship between the two companies becoming closer by the day, Epistar could possibly purchase more shares in the future. Chang declined to comment.