DesignBusiness C (21st Century)

Aaron Hickmann's Vailo South Australia lights firm, Adelaide 500 race sponsor, dimmed by receivership in 2025

Aaron Hickmann's Vailo South Australia lights firm, Adelaide 500 race sponsor, dimmed by receivership in 2025
Named South Australia’s top young entrepreneur in 2021, Aaron Hickmann is pictured with his Vailo Zenith Gen-V national award-winning sports field LED lighting, designed and made by his Adelaide company.
Images courtesy Vailo

Aaron Hickmann’s South Australian lighting company Vailo, the naming rights sponsor Adelaide 500 V8 supercar race from 2022 until 2024, was placed in receivership in 2025.

ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) documents revealed that Vailo was in receivership for an apparent default on repayments to a major bank. Korda Mentha was appointed receiver to secure and take control of the company’s assets to have the debt repaid.

Under investigation for alleged tax fraud, Hickmann lost control of large Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale vineyards through separate companies in 2024 over debt disputes. Vailo also was being sued for more than $23 million by a Chinese-backed property investment firm over claims another Hickmann subsidiary company had defaulted on lease payments.

Vailo low-energy lighting company and its founder Hickmann were shining bright in the fast lane to fame in South Australia in 2022. Hickmann was named South Australia’s top young entrepreneur in the annual 40 Under 40 awards run by InDaily in 2021 and won the William Buck entrepreneurial award as an outstanding lateral business thinker and risk taker. Vailo won the naming rights for the 2022 Adelaide 500 V8 supercar race and won the prestigious Australian Good Design Award in product design and innovation for its Vailo Zenith Gen-V prestigious sports field lighting.

In 2022, Vailo applied its award-winning lighting to Adelaide's Norwood Oval, cutting its energy use by 80% and replacing advertising panels with LED (low-emitting diode) one, powered by solar panels and batteries. Also that year, Hickmann was in the United States of America, hunting new markets, accompanying the Adelaide 36ers (with “Vailo” on their jersey) when they stunned the basketball world by beating National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns. Vailo also partnered with Adelaide United Football Club and Illuminate Adelaide and had a contract to supply LED lighting for a new drag strip at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend.

A serial entrepreneur, Hickmann started his first business as a 15-year-old at Glenunga International High School selling PlayStation memory cards, while he also worked part time at McDonalds. After school, he floated about; ran an eBay store, worked at Blockbuster video and Glenelg’s Beachouse amusement arcade.  Within a year, he applied unsuccessfully for more than 100 full-time jobs before considering – but not pursuing – a bachelor of science at Flinders University, leading to a master of optometry. 

Instead, Hickmann's first full-time job, at Beacon Lighting, delivered a big moment when he quit over the manager rejecting his idea to sell LED products. Another big moment was when he took his cousins to see the Adelaide 36ers play the Cairns Taipans at Findon stadium. That inspired the contract that saw him transfer the stadium to LED lighting.

Vailo's lighting clients from then included the Canberra Centre and Colonnades Shopping Centre. Partners included Hawthorn Football Club (lighting and LED signage), Adelaide Crows and Adelaide Giants. Vailo became official LED lighting partner to Sport SA, Vicsport, Sports NSW, Football SA and Baseball Australia. Hickmann said he had links with “best of breed” lighting entrepreneurs and innovators from Silicon Valley to Germany and Japan.

He started Vailo at inner-city Kent Town in 2012 and began transitioning from importer to manufacturer and planned to export Australian-designed and -made LED lighting product with its flagship stadium light: the Zenith Gen-V. Hickman was also looking to the United States where the market for stadia and sports grounds lighting was 50 times greater than Australia's.  

Hickman’s next venture was to be moving to a new base on inner-city Greenhill Road, Wayville, to be six times larger than the Kent Town plant where Vailo’s lights were made. The move had not been made by 2025.

Other related ADELAIDE AZ articles

Richard Turner left Zen Energy in 2019 to become entrepreneur in residence for the University of South Australia (2019-2021) mentoring hundreds of early-stage and scaling businesses.
Business C (21st Century) >
Richard Turner creates a revolution in South Australian home solar energy supply through his Zen firm from 2004
READ MORE+
Adam Hannon and Zoë King took leading roles in multi-award-winning Cox Architecture projects such as the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and the Adelaide Botanic High School. Image courtesy Cox Architecture
Architecture >
Adam Hannon, Zoë King key players in Cox Architecture projects putting strong stamp on look of Adelaide city
READ MORE+
Industrial combustion company FCT Flames at Thebarton took on making Olympic torches and cauldrons in 2000.
Technology >
Adelaide industrial firm FCT the designer and builder of torches and cauldrons for Olympics Games from 2000
READ MORE+
Detmold Group chief executive Alf Ianniello with the Woolworths paper bags to be made by the Detpak division. At right: The RecycleMe plastic-free paper coffee cup produced by Detpak.
Business C (21st Century) >
Detmold's Detpak, the Adelaide packaging specialist, boosts recycling with plastic-free cups, paper bags
READ MORE+
Hills hoists lined up for a promotion at Elder Park and its 1880s rotunda beside the River Torrens.
Icons >
Hills Hoist a South Australian design upgrade on Gilbert Toyne's idea that is made a backyard icon
READ MORE+
Part of the Metters top-fire fuel stove range, the No.2 Improved, and the Metters Limited office and showroom (top right) in Rundle Street, Adelaide, in 1923 and the company's HQ and showroom on North Terrace, Adelaide, from 1927. 
Business B (20th Century) >
Fred Metters' stove idea fires up company's strong appliance-making presence in Adelaide from 1890s
READ MORE+

 

 
©2025 Adelaide AZ | Privacy | Terms & Disclaimer | PWA 1.1.58