Turbulent
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAntwerpen, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Turbulent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Turbulent
- Legal name
- Turbulent NV
- Website
- https://turbulent.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Turbulent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Micro-Hydropower Turbines
- NAICS
- Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing (333611), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111)
- SIC
- Engines & Turbines (3510), Motors & Generators (3621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hydropower Turbines, Generators & Balance-of-Plant Equipment Manufacturing (EUAMAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Turbines, Generators & Hydromechanical Equipment Manufacturing (OEMs) (EUACAEAH), Run-of-River Hydroelectric Generation (EUACAEAA), Hydrology, Environmental & Fish Passage Solutions (Flow Modeling, Mitigation, Fish Ladders) (EUAMADAK), Hydropower Operations, Maintenance & Asset Management (O&M, Spares, Performance) (EUAMADAE), Hydropower Plant Controls, SCADA & Digital Optimization (Automation, Monitoring, Analytics) (EUAMADAG)
Keywords
Where Turbulent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Antwerpen
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Turbulent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Turbine Hardware Sales: Sale of vortex turbine core units including propeller, generator, power conversion, cabling, turbine core unit and control software. Civil works are built by local partners.
- Project Development Services: Initial project evaluation with €750 fee covering high-level quote, turbine sizing, energy production estimation, satellite inspection, and 30-minute engineering consultation. Engineering feasibility study follows as separate phase.
- Energy Feed-in Tariffs: Excess power can be sold to national grids via Feed-In Tariffs or Power Purchase Agreements, enabling faster investment payback.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Initial Project Evaluation |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Complete Micro Hydropower Project |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Large-Scale Cluster Projects |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | 200 kW Continuous Power System |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Annual Energy Revenue Calculation |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Turbulent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Turbulent designs, manufactures, and sells vortex hydropower turbines that generate 15–90 kW of continuous electricity from rivers and canals with as little as 1.5 m of head and 1.5 m³/s of flow. The damless, fish-friendly turbines are sold with project development services (site evaluation, turbine sizing, engineering consultancy) and ongoing maintenance, delivered through a global franchise network of local partners.
Product overview
Turbulent offers a unified micro-hydropower system centered on its Vortex Turbine, a damless, eco-friendly water turbine designed for low-head sites in rivers or canals. The core product portfolio includes the Vortex Turbine (15-90 kW per unit, scalable to 200 kW), the Core Unit (containing generator, gearbox, sluice gate, trash rack, and safety mesh), and a Remote Monitoring System for 24/7 performance tracking. Turbulent's turbines require only a 1.5m height difference and can be installed in 3-6 months. The company provides complete project development services including site evaluation, turbine sizing, and engineering consultancy, as well as ongoing maintenance services through a global network of local partners. Single turbines can power 33-440 on-grid households (or 185-2000 off-grid households), while clusters can reach multiple megawatts for regional electrification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Living Rivers™: Sustainability initiative focused on shifting energy production towards cleaner sources respectful of environment, communities, and water life, with goal to improve river quality and benefit regions
Products and services
- Vortex Turbine Eco-friendly vortex water turbine designed for low-head micro-hydropower in rivers or canals with a minimum 1.5 m height difference and 1.5 m³/s flow. Generates 15–90 kW of continuous 24/7 energy per unit, with fixed-pitch propeller, debris tolerance, and fish-friendly slow-turning operation. Scalable as standalone units or in clusters for regional megawatt-scale deployment.
- Project Development Services End-to-end project development service including a €750 initial evaluation (high-level quote, turbine sizing, energy production estimation, satellite site inspection, and 30-minute engineering consultancy), followed by engineering feasibility study. Uses a GIS system to identify viable sites globally.
- Maintenance Services Low-maintenance turbine servicing performed by Turbulent or local partners according to customer-chosen maintenance plans, including trash rack maintenance, component inspection, and planned repairs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% plant factor enables continuous power generation, significantly outperforming solar's 18% average
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Turbulent
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Turbulent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Turbulent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- EngiecoreMajor energy company that provided impetus for Turbulent's international expansion. Also partnered on TSMC projects. Key strategic supporter in early growth phase.
- KU LeuvenmajorLeading Belgian university and research institution. Supported Turbulent's development and technology research. Listed as key partner and supporter.
- Flanders Investment & TrademajorBelgian government agency supporting international business development. Facilitated Turbulent's expansion to Chile and other markets.
- Start it KBCmajorMajor Belgian startup accelerator. Turbulent won DemoDay competition and received incubation support for early growth.
- Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE)minorGlobal association promoting rural electrification through renewable energy solutions. Listed as partner and supporter.
- LRMminorRegional development agency for Limburg, Belgium. Listed as partner and supporter of Turbulent's operations.
- Cleantech FlandersminorFlemish cleantech ecosystem organization supporting sustainable technology companies. Awarded Cleantech Challenge Belgium.
- HydrotroncorePartner developing renewable energy projects for TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer. Collaborating on new micro-hydro projects.
- Hydrobox KenyacoreLocal Kenyan partner for 110 kW project in Murang'a County. Installed 3x37 kW turbines along Mathioya river for rural electrification.
- ByNubianminorPartner in Kenya G-STIC project contributing to rural electrification initiative with micro-hydro installations.
- Earth FirstcoreNew Zealand local partner working since early 2025 to explore micro-hydro potential across New Zealand regions. Contact: [email protected] with Otavio Marshall.
- G-STICmajorGlobal Science Technology Innovation Corridor project supporting Turbulent's Kenya installations. Provided funding and support for 110 kW project.
- Vlaamse Overheid - Departement OmgevingminorFlemish Government Department of Environment supporting G-STIC project in Kenya through funding and institutional backing.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Turbulent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Emrgy: US company deploying modular, low-head hydro turbines in irrigation canals and existing water infrastructure. Competes with Turbulent on the same distributed, low-impact hydropower niche, selling to agricultural operations and water utilities seeking baseload renewable generation.
- Natel Energy: California-based developer of low-head, fish-safe hydro recovery turbines for rivers and irrigation canals. Directly comparable to Turbulent on technology category (low-head micro hydro), target customers (utilities, irrigation districts, off-takers), and environmental design philosophy.
- Mavel: Czech manufacturer of small hydro turbines (up to ~30 MW) including Kaplan, Pelton and custom solutions for low-head sites. Comparable as a small-hydro turbine OEM competing for similar run-of-river and micro-hydro projects globally.
- Hydrovolts: Developer of small, in-stream hydrokinetic turbines for low-head sites such as canals, weirs and wastewater channels. Directly comparable technology category and customer profile to Turbulent's vortex turbine deployments in irrigation canals and small rivers.
Broad incumbents
- Voith Hydro: Global incumbent manufacturer of large hydro turbines, generators and hydropower plant automation. Serves the same broad hydropower category as Turbulent but at utility scale, and represents a potential acquirer or competitive threat in the small-hydro segment.
- GE Renewable Energy (Hydro): Hydro division of GE Renewable Energy supplying large turbines, generators and digital plant solutions to global hydropower operators. Operates in the same power-generation equipment category as Turbulent but at significantly larger scale and project size.
- ANDRITZ Hydro: One of the world's largest hydro turbine OEMs serving utility-scale pumped storage and conventional hydropower. Overlaps with Turbulent in the hydropower equipment category but addresses the high-head and large-MW end of the market rather than Turbulent's low-head micro-hydro niche.
- Hydro Québec (Small Hydro): Canadian utility that owns and operates a large portfolio of small and large hydroelectric plants and develops related hydro technologies. Provides an incumbent utility-scale benchmark for hydropower project economics and a possible strategic partner for Turbulent in North American markets.
Emerging players
- Rentricity: US-based company developing small hydropower systems that recover energy from water pipelines and pressurized flows. Comparable in scale and stage to Turbulent, focused on distributed renewable generation in water infrastructure rather than open-channel rivers.
- Lucid Energy: US company installing in-pipe hydro turbines in municipal water distribution pipes to generate baseload renewable power for water utilities. Adjacent to Turbulent's value proposition (decentralized, low-head, baseload hydro) but uses existing pipe infrastructure rather than open rivers/canals.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Turbulent social profiles
Digital presenceTurbulent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Turbulent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Turbulent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Turbulent M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Turbulent
What does Turbulent do?
Turbulent designs, manufactures, and sells vortex hydropower turbines that generate 15–90 kW of continuous electricity from rivers and canals with as little as 1.5 m of head and 1.5 m³/s of flow. The damless, fish-friendly turbines are sold with project development services (site evaluation, turbine sizing, engineering consultancy) and ongoing maintenance, delivered through a global franchise network of local partners.
Is Turbulent a public or private company?
Turbulent is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Turbulent founded?
Turbulent was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Turbulent based?
Turbulent is headquartered in Antwerpen, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Turbulent make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Turbine Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are project Development Services and energy Feed-in Tariffs.
Who are Turbulent's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Emrgy, Natel Energy, Mavel and Hydrovolts. Broad incumbents are Voith Hydro, GE Renewable Energy (Hydro), ANDRITZ Hydro and Hydro Québec (Small Hydro). Emerging players are Rentricity and Lucid Energy.
Does Turbulent have an API?
No public API is recorded for Turbulent.
What industry is Turbulent in?
Turbulent's product category is Micro-Hydropower Turbines. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAHAF, Hydropower Turbines, Generators & Balance-of-Plant Equipment Manufacturing, with a secondary code of EUACAEAH, Turbines, Generators & Hydromechanical Equipment Manufacturing (OEMs). Its NAICS code is 333611 and its SIC code is 3510.