About Orion Telescope
Orion Telescope is a Retail company based in Watsonville (United States) founded in 1975 by Tim Gieseler, and was acquired by Imaginova in January 2005. Telescopes and binoculars are sold online by Orion Telescope. Orion Telescope has raised $15 million across 1 funding round from investors including Imaginova, Steelpoint Capital and Red Shift Ventures. The company has 26 employees. Orion Telescope has completed 1 acquisition, including Meade Instruments Corp. Its focus areas include Consumer Electronics E-Commerce, Imaging Devices and Accessories, Telescopes and Retailer. Its legal entity is TELESCOPE, INC.
Company details
Orion Telescope was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Watsonville, United States. Operations are conducted as an online retailer specializing in telescopes and binoculars, with direct sales to customers. Products from the Orion brand are offered alongside those from Alpen, Barska, Bushnell, Leica, Meade, Nikon, and Pentax. Various binoculars are provided for astronomical viewing, compact use, waterproof applications, birding, and sports or hunting purposes.
- Headquarters Watsonville, United States
- Employees 26
- Founders Tim Gieseler
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsRetail
- Website telescope.com
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Imaginova (Jan 2005)
- Legal Name Telescope, Inc.
Funding Insights of Orion Telescope
Orion Telescope has successfully raised a total of $15M through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Private Equity Round of $15 million completed in August 2006. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $15M
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Private Equity Round — $15M
- First Round $15M
(Aug 2006)
- Investors Count 2
All 1 funding rounds of Orion Telescope with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2006 | $15M | Private Equity Round | – | – |
3 investors in total: 3 institutional.
Investors in Orion Telescope
Orion Telescope has secured backing from 3 investors, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Imaginova, Steelpoint Capital and Red Shift Ventures.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Private equity is focused on healthcare and fitness sectors. | steelpointcp.com | Solana Beach, United States | ||
| redshiftventures.com | ||||
Numerology interpretations and guidance for angel numbers are provided. | 1999 | imaginova.com | New York, United States |
Investor details for Orion Telescope
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People of Orion Telescope
1 people are tracked at Orion Telescope (1 in leadership); the tracked headcount is 26.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Tim Gieseler | Founder | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Orion Telescope
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Investments & Acquisitions by Orion Telescope
Orion Telescope has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 1 company. Notable acquisitions include Meade Instruments Corp.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Designs and manufactures telescopes and binoculars | meade.com | Irvine, United States | 2009 | Jun 2021 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for Orion Telescope
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Timeline of Orion Telescope
4 dated milestones of Orion Telescope across 46 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Orion Telescope is founded.
- Exit Acquired by Imaginova.
- Funding First funding round of $15.0M.
- Acquisition Acquires Meade Instruments Corp.
Web traffic of Orion Telescope
The website of Orion Telescope (telescope.com) receives about 7.4K visits a month.
- Monthly visits7.4K
▼ 20.4% vs previous month
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Orion Telescope. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
optcorp.com | optcorp.com | 100% | #438,883 | – | |
| celestron.com | 81% | 349.3K | #110,850 | View details | |
| meade.com | 81% | 4.4K | View details | ||
astronomics.com | astronomics.com | 80% | #440,925 | – | |
astromart.com | astromart.com | 70% | #682,805 | – | |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 22 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Orion Telescope
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- 22 similar websites
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Top companies in Consumer Electronics E-Commerce
2 companies that operate in the same segment as Orion Telescope (Consumer Electronics E-Commerce) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VR-based head-mounted displays for gaming are provided by Oculus. | 2012 | Menlo Park, California, United States | USD 107.05 M | |||
Smartwatches and fitness trackers are provided for activity monitoring. | 2007 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 65.05 M | USD 3.88 |
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Related news about Orion Telescope
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Frequently Asked Questions about Orion Telescope
Orion Telescope was founded in 1975 and raised its 1st funding round 31 years after it was founded.
Orion Telescope is headquartered in Watsonville, United States. It is registered at Watsonville, California, United States.
Orion Telescope is a funded company, having raised a total of $15M across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Private Equity Round of $15M, raised on Aug 2006.
Orion Telescope has 26 employees.
Orion Telescope was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Watsonville, United States. Operations are conducted as an online retailer specializing in telescopes and binoculars, with direct sales to customers. Products from the Orion brand are offered alongside those from Alpen, Barska, Bushnell, Leica, Meade, Nikon, and Pentax. Various binoculars are provided for astronomical viewing, compact use, waterproof applications, birding, and sports or hunting purposes.
Orion Telescope has made 1 acquisition, including Meade Instruments Corp.
Orion Telescope has 3 investors. Key investors include Imaginova, Steelpoint Capital, and Red Shift Ventures.
Orion Telescope operates through Telescope, Inc..
Yes. Orion Telescope was acquired by Imaginova in January 2005.