Barcelona-based Protopixel has a simple but ambitious mission: to help people experience light in entirely new ways. Their tools are used by designers and integrators around the world to shape light like a creative material – dynamic, expressive, and alive. We sat down with Sebastián Mealla, Protopixel’s CEO and founder, to talk about their collaboration with Casambi and their latest creation, the Casambi Gate – a small device with a big job.
From Music to Light (and Everything in Between)
“Protopixel is a creative tech company built to experience light,” says Mealla. “Our purpose is to enable anyone to build and make feel anything with light.”
If that sounds poetic, it’s intentional. Protopixel’s roots are in music technology, an industry where artistry and software engineering constantly meet. “All our founders came from that world,” he explains. “We’ve always believed that well-crafted tools in the hands of creative minds can build extraordinary things. The link between sound and light is natural, both can set a mood, change an atmosphere, and make people feel something meaningful.”
So, the move from sound to light wasn’t really a leap… more like changing instruments.
A Gate That Opens New Possibilities
The Casambi Gate is ProtoPixel’s latest innovation: a plug-and-play bridge between Casambi’s wireless system and Protopixel’s creative platform.
“We wanted to help our users enjoy Casambi’s great technology, but give it superpowers,” Mealla says with a smile. “So we built a tool, based on the Lithernet hardware, that lets you integrate Casambi elements into Protopixel software in just a few clicks.”
In practice, that means Casambi devices can now live happily alongside DMX, SPI, or DALI2 fixtures, all in one seamless, visual workspace.
Designers can plan and operate projects visually, without switching tools. Integrators can configure and commission systems faster. And because communication between Casambi and Protopixel is bi-directional, any change made in one is instantly mirrored in the other.
It’s as if both systems suddenly started finishing each other’s sentences.
Making Complex Simple
The Casambi Gate is surprisingly down to earth: it makes big, complex lighting projects manageable.
“For designers, it’s about freedom. They can think visually, scale up, and stay focused on building the project they want,” Mealla explains. “For integrators, it’s about speed and clarity. No endless switching between software, no confusion about which system controls what. Everything happens in one place.”
Once the project is done, the maintenance and operation are equally straightforward. “We like to say: complexity stays behind the scenes, simplicity stays in front.”
When Light Moves
Protopixel has long been known for its work in dynamic lighting – the kind that moves, breathes, and reacts. Through the Casambi Gate, these capabilities now extend to Casambi users as well.
“Light is dynamic by nature,” Mealla notes. “Keeping it static is actually what’s strange. We’re seeing more interest in subtle, human-centred dynamics, gentle transitions, gradients, colour movement. The Gate lets Casambi users explore that world with DMX and SPI luminaires, all from the same tool.”
In other words, it helps light show a little personality.
Building Bridges Beyond Lighting
The Gate also extends Protopixel’s approach beyond lighting alone. Through a local RESTful API, users can connect lighting projects to building management systems, digital twins, or even custom dashboards.
“It’s a way of making lighting part of a larger digital ecosystem,” Mealla explains. “And it’s a step toward future-proofing installations.”
Shared DNA
The collaboration between Casambi and Protopixel was a natural one. Both companies value simplicity, flexibility, and design-led technology.
“We both believe that users shouldn’t need to think about protocols or compatibility, they should just be able to create,” says Mealla. “Once your elements are in Protopixel, you control them all the same way, no matter how they connect.”
That clarity benefits everyone involved: designers, integrators, and end users alike.
What’s Next
The Casambi Gate is just the beginning. “Many exciting upgrades are already in development,” Mealla hints. “Our goal is to keep helping people build anything with light.”
And what keeps his team motivated? “For us, light is the ultimate creative medium,” he says. “Our team is made up of technologists and designers who love to push boundaries and make ideas visible. At Protopixel, we are what we build.”
If you had to sum up the Casambi Gate in one sentence, Mealla’s answer comes without hesitation:
“A plug-and-play tool that gives Casambi superpowers to tackle more ambitious and diverse projects.”
And really, who wouldn’t want a little bit of that?
See the Casambi Gate in action on 19–20 November at LIGHT25, on Protopixel’s stand T9. Casambi will be close by at T10 — proving that even smart lighting can enjoy good neighbors!
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