100% Australian Design
Many companies claim they “develop their products in Australia”. Few of them actually do.
We believe that if a product is said to have been “designed in Australia”, it should mean the whole process, from initial concepts and sketches all the way through to full CAD design, prototyping, tooling and pre-production samples.
Through our partnership with CapGemini Engineering (formerly Design + Industry), one of Australia’s most recognisable names in industrial design, we’ve done exactly that. And because we’ve done the work, we can guarantee that every component in our lights is fit-for-purpose, the product is designed to handle Australian conditions, and that no corners are cut in the manufacturing process.
If you want to know more about our journey from idea to product, here’s a complete timeline of our journey.
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Aug – Oct 2024
Where it all began
Business planning, building the Dawnchaser brand from the ground up, and sketching out our first product ideas.
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Nov 2024
Bringing in the experts
We engaged Capgemini Engineering (formerly Design + Industry) — one of Australia's most experienced product design firms — to design our camp light with us.
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Nov – Dec 2024
Concepts take shape
Concept workshops, initial design sketches and the first physical mock-ups — plenty of ideas on the table, and plenty left on the cutting-room floor.
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Jan – Feb 2025
From sketch to CAD
The first detailed CAD models of the product were created, including the complete electrical architecture underneath.
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Jan – Apr 2025
Designing the app
The user interface for the Dawnchaser app was designed, debated and refined — because a smart light is only as good as the app that drives it.
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Feb – Jul 2025
Building the app
Six months of coding, testing and polishing to turn those app designs into working software.
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Mar 2025
First working prototypes
The moment our idea became real: we got the first working light we could hold in our hand.
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Apr – May 2025
Into the field
First round of real-world testing of the light and app at actual campsites. We trialled several different amber LED chips to compare how well each one kept insects away from camp.
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May – Jul 2025
Choosing our manufacturing partner
Our director Sam personally toured every shortlisted factory overseas, inspecting their manufacturing capability and commitment to quality before we signed with anyone.
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May – Sep 2025
Tougher and more waterproof
Field testing showed us where to push harder. This round of design refinements focused on durability and ingress protection, so the light can handle the conditions Aussie campers actually use it in.
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Oct – Dec 2025
Preparing for production
Months of groundwork to hand the finished design over to our manufacturer the right way — no shortcuts.
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Jan 2026
Design handover
Final design files are transferred to our manufacturing partner.
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Feb – Apr 2026
Designing the production line
The manufacturing line, tooling and dies were engineered, with further small design refinements to make sure every mass-produced light matches the quality of our prototypes.
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Mar – Jun 2026
Materials locked in
Final selection of every material that goes into the light — plastic resins, LED chips, aluminium finishes, anodisation and more.
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Apr 2026
Tooling begins
Manufacturing of the machine tools and dies commenced — the "point of no return".
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Jul 2026
First off-tool prototypes
The first lights produced on the actual production tooling — the real thing, made the real way.
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Jul – Aug 2026
Final testing
Technical review and another round of real-world field testing — this time on the off-tool prototypes, exactly as they'll come off the production line.
Two years in the making. First lights arriving late 2026!
