UL Solutions Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, ‘UL Solutions’) is a global safety science company that provides Testing, Inspection, and Certification (‘TIC’) services, as well as related software and advisory offerings to customers worldwide.
The company provides a comprehensive set of product safety, security, and sustainability solutions to more than 80,000 customers across countries in 2024. The company's distinguished heritage and long history of operating at the forefront...
UL Solutions Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, ‘UL Solutions’) is a global safety science company that provides Testing, Inspection, and Certification (‘TIC’) services, as well as related software and advisory offerings to customers worldwide.
The company provides a comprehensive set of product safety, security, and sustainability solutions to more than 80,000 customers across countries in 2024. The company's distinguished heritage and long history of operating at the forefront of safety science enable it to achieve and maintain technical accreditations and commercial software solutions, and to remain active in standards panels and technical committees globally, which underpins the expertise it offers to its customers. Furthermore, the company offers various independent third-party conformity assessment services around the world and is capable of testing and certifying against several global standards, which affords it vast insight into the safety of products across a wide range of end markets and geographies. The company is the owner of the iconic UL Mark that appears on billions of products around the world.
The outsourced product TIC market, where the company currently focuses, is served by its Industrial and Consumer segments, which provide comprehensive testing, inspection, and certification services to customers across a broad array of end markets. The Software and Advisory (‘S&A’) segment is a global provider of software, data, and advisory solutions, enabling its customers to manage complex regulatory requirements, deliver supply chain transparency, and operationalize sustainability. The company generates revenue in these segments and the following service categories: Certification Testing; Ongoing Certification Services; Non-certification Testing and Other Services; and Software.
Segments
Industrial
The company's Industrial segment provides TIC services to help ensure that its customers’ industrial products meet or exceed international standards for product safety, performance, cybersecurity, and sustainability. Its services address needs across a number of end markets, including energy, industrial automation, engineered materials (plastics and wire and cable), and the built environment, and across a variety of stakeholders, including manufacturers, building and asset owners, end users, and regulators.
Consumer
The company's Consumer segment provides a variety of global product market acceptance and risk mitigation services for customers in the consumer products end market, including consumer electronics, medical devices, information technologies, appliances, HVAC, lighting, and retail (softlines and hardlines), as well as emerging consumer applications, including new mobility, smart products, and 5G. The primary services offered by this segment include safety certification testing, ongoing certification, global market access, testing for connectivity, performance, and quality, and critical systems advisory and training.
Software and Advisory (S&A)
The company's S&A segment provides complementary software and advisory solutions that extend the value proposition of TIC services it offers. The software and technical advisory offerings enable its customers to manage complex regulatory requirements, deliver supply chain transparency, and operationalize sustainability.
Strategy for Growth
The company’s growth strategy is focused on growing and expanding its core, deploying capital for acquisition-related growth, and employing operational strategies to expand margins. Furthermore, the company’s growing and expanding its core strategy includes increasing its share of wallet with current and new customers; expanding presence in new industry verticals; expanding TIC service offerings; and expanding S&A offerings.
Service Offerings
The company generates its revenue through four major service categories (percent of revenue for 2024):
Certification Testing (approximately 27% of revenue): The company evaluates products, components, and systems according to global or regional regulatory requirements and other design and performance specifications. Select certification testing services include testing to global or regional standards, engineering evaluation, and project review, as well as functional safety testing of embedded software. Certification testing services generally align with the new product development cycle and help customers mitigate risk, demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements, and deliver confidence to businesses and consumers, resulting in demand for ongoing certification services. Certification testing services often lead to ongoing certification services to support the continued safety, compliance, and performance objectives of the customer.
Ongoing Certification Services (approximately 33% of revenue): To maintain the right to use its certification marks, including the UL Mark, and meet certain regulatory requirements, the company’s customers must meet certain certification program requirements, including mandatory inspection and monitoring by it. These requirements, addressed through standard certification and inspection services, are designed to validate the continued compliance of its customers’ previously certified products, components, and systems. Services are delivered through periodic inspections, initial and follow-up audits, sample testing, and UL Solutions label usage. The company’s ongoing certification services are designed and executed to help its customers confirm ongoing compliance and to help protect the integrity of the UL Mark. Select services include factory inspection and testing to confirm products that are being produced match the configuration of products that were tested and certified.
Non-certification Testing and Other Services (approximately 30% of revenue): The company offers testing services to address performance and other requirements but are still desired by its customers to help ensure the safety, performance, and reliability of their products. Select services include on-site and remote inspections, audits, and field engineering specialty services, testing for energy efficiency, wireless and electromagnetic compatibility, quality, chemical, and reliability for customers in medical devices, information technologies, appliances, HVAC, and lighting. For retail and consumer customers, the company offers testing, such as color-matching, sensory, emissions, and flame resistance. Lastly, the company offers advisory and technical services to support its customers in managing their safety, compliance, regulatory risk, and sustainability programs.
Software (approximately 10% of revenue): The company provides SaaS and license-based software solutions, including implementation and training services related to software, to enable its customers to manage complex regulatory requirements, deliver supply chain transparency, and operationalize sustainability. The company’s SaaS and licensed software solutions provide data-driven product stewardship, chemicals management, supply chain insights, environmental, social, and governance (‘ESG’) data and reporting, environmental, health, and safety (‘EHS’) training, management, and compliance, and additional regulatory-driven software solutions.
Information Technology
The company's unified, consistent processes provide a fully connected customer experience across its businesses, improving customer satisfaction and ultimately improving its performance. These customer-facing digital solutions complement its TIC business by providing its customers with digital tools to help augment and manage testing, certification, inspection, in-market data, and compliance, while supporting customers in improving productivity, quality, and sustainability. Examples of current initiatives include:
The company is digitizing information gathering and analysis to provide the most cohesive and effective TIC software solutions to help customers achieve efficiencies throughout their product lifecycle.
The ‘myUL’ one-stop self-service portal is used by customers to securely access their UL Solutions project files, key product information, and inspection reports in real-time, which allows them to make better-informed and timely decisions.
The UL Product iQ portal is used to access detailed certification information of UL Solutions-certified products.
Competition
The company is subject to competition from large and global public firms, such as Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas, and Eurofins. It also competes with large private players, including Element, TÜV Rheinland, TÜV SÜD, DEKRA, and DNV.
Government Regulation and Compliance
Some of the company’s credentials are granted by government agencies in North America, Asia (including mainland China), and Europe. For example, it has credentials issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (‘OSHA’) and the China National Certification and Accreditation Administration (‘CNCA’), which are among some of the key credentials for its operations.
Intellectual Property
As of December 31, 2024, the company’s trademark portfolio included approximately 116 registered U.S. trademarks and approximately 14 pending U.S. trademark applications, and approximately 2,000 registered trademarks and 150 pending trademark applications in other countries.
As of December 31, 2024, the company had approximately 21 issued U.S. patents and approximately 23 U.S. patent applications pending, all in various stages of examination.
Seasonality
The company’s total revenue is typically lowest in the first quarter (year ended December 31, 2024) and highest in the fourth quarter, primarily due to the timing of Non-certification Testing and Other Services revenue within its Industrial and Consumer segments. In addition, its cash flow from operations is typically lowest in the first quarter due to the payment of the prior year’s annual performance-based variable incentive compensation.
UL-CCIC Agreement
The company, via its wholly owned subsidiary UL LLC, owns 70% of the issued and outstanding equity interests of UL-CCIC Company Limited (‘UL-CCIC’), an entity formed under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (‘P.R.C’). The remaining 30% equity interest is owned by China Certification & Inspection (Group) Co., Ltd. (‘CCIC’), a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
History
The company was founded in 1894. The company was incorporated in 1901. The company was formerly known as UL Inc. and changed its name to UL Solutions Inc. in June 2022.