【CCTV China Brand Enterprise Interview】TOPLITE's 22-Year Survival Insights: "Anti-Involution" Growth Path of A Small and Micro Enterprise

Introduction: Being a "Slow" Enterprise in a "Fast" Era

While most enterprises chase scale expansion and short-term dividends, this tech-driven small and micro enterprise (SME) rooted in the optical field for 22 years has forged a differentiated growth path with its survival philosophy of "resisting temptation and staying true to its core." From obscurity to mastering multiple industry core patents, TOPLITE's story may offer new perspectives for SMEs to overcome "growth anxiety."

Ⅰ. Survival First: The Sober Philosophy of Rejecting "Big Pie" Temptations

Founded in 2003, TOPLITE has always taken "staying alive" as its core strategy. "Many seemingly attractive projects may be traps for SMEs," admits Yin Yongjian, Founder and Chief Optical Designer. The company follows three iron rules for project screening: absolute technical confidence, zero contract risks, and clear/timely payment cycles. Behind this "conservative" strategy lies a profound understanding of SMEs' resource limitations—focusing on technically feasible services rather than chasing trends has kept the company's cash flow healthy through 22 years of industry fluctuations.

Ⅱ. From "Daring Not to Apply for Patents" to "Breaking Through with Major Inventions": The Awakening Path of Intellectual Property

There was a time when "applying for a patent = disclosing technology = being plagiarized" was a collective dilemma for SMEs. TOPLITE's intellectual property (IP) strategy has shifted from "wait-and-see" to "active offense":

• Early Pains: Restricted by difficult evidence collection and high litigation costs, the company long held a highly cautious attitude toward patent applications.

• Strategic Turn: Relying on national IP protection policies in recent decade, the company launched its "patent moat" construction, applying for numerous patents/trademarks and laying out overseas patents. Its four major invention patents in lighting optics enjoy high industry recognition, while two foundational patents in near-eye display have become technical benchmarks in niche markets.

Ⅲ. Asymmetric Warfare Against Plagiarism: Building Barriers with Extreme Product Excellence

"IP protection is a long-term war for SMEs," says the company. Facing plagiarism, TOPLITE chooses a dual defense of "original technology + high quality":

• R&D Tenacity: Each product undergoes an average 5-8-year R&D cycle, with dozens of tests from patent layout to sample iteration, building technical barriers through time.

• Quality Domination: Investing heavily in material selection and process control to ensure "originality equals excellence." A client once commented after comparison: "Copycats may mimic the appearance, but their optical performance is generations behind."

• Flexible Defense: Less reliant on judicial litigation, instead continuously iterating its technologies and maintaining R&D pipeline of "one generation in development, one in reserve, one in pre-research" to make it difficult for plagiarizers to keep up.

Ⅳ. The Code for Customer Stickiness: Winning Long-Term Trust with "Half a Step Ahead"

In a business environment where credit sales have become the norm, TOPLITE's "payment-first" model seems "against the trend," yet it builds customer loyalty with two core capabilities:

• Technological Foresight: Participating in major global industry tech exhibitions annually to establish a frontier technology radar system and capture cutting-edge trends. For example, while the industry was still discussing VR application scenarios, the company had completed optical scheme design, verification, and patent application (2021)—one year ahead of Meta's (formerly Facebook) metaverse layout (2022 when Zuckerberg rebranded the company to Meta), helping clients lock in technical tracks 1-2 years in advance.

• Value Anchoring: Demonstrating value through technical strength. Forward-looking patent layouts give clients confidence in involving TOPLITE in new product R&D, helping them gain first-mover advantage via patent positioning. While acknowledging higher prices than imitations, its superior technology and quality are testified by clients: "Cooperating with TOPLITE is like starting early in the technical race—the premium is well worth it."

Epilogue: The "Survival Aesthetics" of SMEs

TOPLITE's story reveals a simple truth: In a business world dominated by capital and traffic, the survival path for SMEs never lies in imitating giants' "expansion logic," but in finding their own "ecological niche"—whether through continuous deepening in technical frontiers, extreme adherence to quality beliefs, or sober cognition of business essentials. When "speed" becomes the norm, "slowness and stability" instead become scarce competitiveness.

In the ancient yet ever-new field of optics, while large capital is busy drawing industrial blueprints and national systems focus on "stuck-neck" breakthroughs, this SME proves that with precise technical positioning, small investments can leverage large markets, and survival can be achieved—even thriving—by planting one's own "technical forest" in the "optical gaps" where giants have not yet arrived.