H+E Group

Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineeringhe-water.group

H+E Group is a Stuttgart-based industrial water and wastewater treatment engineering firm, now integrated into Gradiant, serving semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, mining, food & beverage, and other process industries with custom ultrapure water, wastewater recycling, and resource-recovery systems.

Company typePrivate
Founded1932
HeadquartersStuttgart, Germany
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What H+E Group does

H+E Group is a German industrial water and wastewater treatment company founded in 1932 and headquartered in Stuttgart, employing an estimated 101–250 people. It designs, engineers, and installs custom water and wastewater treatment systems for essential process industries — semiconductors and microelectronics (its primary vertical), pharmaceuticals, mining, food & beverage, refining & chemicals, renewables & energy, and textiles. Core technical scope spans ultrapure water systems, industrial wastewater recycling, minimum and zero liquid discharge (MLD/ZLD), PFAS treatment, and resource recovery including lithium extraction.

In 2025 H+E fully joined and integrated with Gradiant, a U.S.-domiciled global water treatment company, and has been rebranded under the Gradiant identity (formerly H+E, now "H+E – Gradiant"). The integration gives H+E access to Gradiant's proprietary technology portfolio — RO Infinity (reverse osmosis), Bio Infinity (biological treatment), SmartOps AI (operations optimization), Selective Contaminant Extraction, Carrier Gas Extraction, Free Radical Oxidation, ForeverGone PFAS, alkaLi (EC2 lithium extraction), and ProtiumSource (green hydrogen water treatment) — plus the CURE Chemicals product line of corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, biocides, antiscalants, coagulants, and flocculants. The combined entity has already delivered semiconductor water treatment projects in Dresden.

The business model is a B2B enterprise field-sales motion combining three revenue streams: project-based contracts for custom system design, engineering, and installation; recurring service, maintenance, and operational support delivered by local teams backed by Gradiant's global resources; and sales of CURE specialty chemicals. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted on a contact basis, customized to specific industrial site requirements. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales serving EMEA (Germany) with global reach through the Gradiant network.

H+E Group firmographics

Firmographics

Name: H+E Group
Legal name: Gradiant
Website: https://he-water.group
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1932
Operating status: Acquired
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: H+E Group is a Stuttgart-based industrial water and wastewater treatment engineering firm, now integrated into Gradiant, serving semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, mining, food & beverage, and other process industries with custom ultrapure water, wastewater recycling, and resource-recovery systems.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

H+E Group industry classification

Industry

Product category: Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYEUANAFAK
Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization
Energy, Utilities & Environment/Water & Wastewater Utilities/Desalination (Seawater/Brackish)

Keywords

Industrial water treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Ultrapure water systems
Water recycling systems
Specialty water chemicals

Where H+E Group is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Stuttgart
HQ country: Germany
HQ region: Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

H+E Group business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Water Treatment Systems and Solutions: Design, engineering, and installation of custom water and wastewater treatment systems for industrial clients. Revenue generated through project-based contracts for system implementation.
Service and Support: Ongoing technical support, maintenance, and operational services for installed water treatment systems. Local service teams backed by global Gradiant resources.
CURE Chemicals: Specialty chemical products including corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, process chemicals, biocides, antiscalants, cleaners, coagulants and flocculants for water treatment applications

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

H+E Group product offering

Product offering

Core offering

H+E Group designs, engineers, and installs custom industrial water and wastewater treatment plants for sectors such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, mining, food & beverage, refining & chemicals, renewables & energy, and textiles. The company delivers full project execution — system design, equipment, installation — plus ongoing technical service and maintenance, supported by a CURE specialty chemicals portfolio. Since 2025, H+E has been fully integrated with Gradiant, combining plant engineering expertise with Gradiant's proprietary technology stack.

Product overview

H+E (now part of Gradiant) is a water treatment company offering end-to-end sustainable water solutions for essential industries. The portfolio includes core technologies such as RO Infinity (reverse osmosis), Bio Infinity (biological treatment), SmartOps AI (operations optimization), alkaLi (lithium extraction), ProtiumSource (green hydrogen), and ForeverGone PFAS (contaminant removal). These are complemented by CURE Chemicals product line (corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, process chemicals, biocides, antiscalants, coagulants/flocculants) and service categories covering ultrapure water, industrial wastewater recycling, minimum/zero liquid discharge, and resource recovery. H+E joined Gradiant in 2025 to combine technical expertise with a broader technology portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

alkaLi: Lithium extraction technology
ForeverGone PFAS
ProtiumSource
RO Infinity (ROI)
Bio Infinity (Bio-I)
SmartOps AI
CURE Chemicals

Products and services

alkaLi (Lithium Extraction) Electrodialysis-based lithium extraction technology for recovering lithium from brine and geothermal sources; for mining and resource recovery operators.
ProtiumSource Water treatment solution designed for green hydrogen production processes; for renewable energy and hydrogen developers.
ForeverGone PFAS PFAS destruction technology for treating water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; for industrial and municipal clients facing PFAS compliance.
RO Infinity (ROI) Proprietary reverse osmosis membrane technology for water purification and desalination; deployed within custom industrial water treatment systems.
Bio Infinity (Bio-I) Proprietary biological wastewater treatment technology using specialized microbial processes; deployed within custom industrial wastewater systems.
SmartOps AI AI-powered operations optimization platform for monitoring and process control of industrial water and wastewater treatment systems.
Selective Contaminant Extraction (SCE) Specialized extraction technology for removing targeted contaminants from industrial water streams; deployed within custom treatment systems.
Free Radical Oxidation (FRO) Advanced oxidation process using free radicals to break down persistent organic contaminants in industrial water streams.
CURE Chemicals Specialty chemical product line for water treatment — corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, process chemicals, biocides, antiscalants, cleaners, coagulants, and flocculants — sold as consumables for installed systems.
Ultrapure Water Solutions Custom-engineered ultrapure water treatment systems for semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing, including design, installation, and ongoing service.
Industrial Wastewater & Recycling Custom-engineered wastewater treatment and recycling solutions for industrial facilities, including design, installation, and ongoing service.
Minimum & Zero Liquid Discharge (MLD and ZLD) Minimum and zero liquid discharge (MLD/ZLD) systems for minimizing or eliminating liquid waste discharge from industrial operations.
Resource Recovery & Lithium Resource recovery solutions including lithium extraction from brine and geothermal sources, integrated with industrial water treatment systems.
HyperSolved for Data Centers Water treatment solutions specifically engineered for data center cooling and process water requirements.

Companies that use H+E Group

Customer profile

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

H+E Group technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

H+E Group partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

GradiantcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025H+E has fully joined and integrated with Gradiant, a global leader in advanced water and wastewater treatment. The integration combines H+E's expertise in industrial water treatment with Gradiant's advanced technology portfolio including RO Infinity, Bio Infinity, SmartOps AI, and specialized contaminant removal technologies. The integration has already yielded major project successes, including semiconductor water treatment projects in Dresden. Together they serve essential industries worldwide with unmatched technical expertise and sustainable end-to-end water solutions.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

H+E Group competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Xylem: Major water technology company providing pumps, treatment systems, and smart water solutions for industrial, municipal, and commercial customers. Comparable to H+E in industrial water treatment, though Xylem's portfolio is broader and more focused on equipment and instrumentation.
Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies with a significant industrial water treatment business including specialty chemicals, process water, and asset management. Comparable to H+E in chemical-intensive water solutions and industrial customer base.
Veolia Water Technologies: Global water treatment incumbent offering industrial process water, wastewater recycling, and ultrapure water for semiconductors and pharma. Directly comparable to H+E/Gradiant in technology scope and end-market coverage, but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
Suez Water Technologies & Solutions: Industrial water and process water treatment provider serving pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, food & beverage, and chemicals. Direct overlap with H+E's vertical and technology footprint, with comparable ultrapure water, recycling, and chemical offerings.
Pentair: Water treatment and flow control company with industrial and commercial offerings including filtration, treatment, and process water systems. Comparable to H+E in industrial water treatment and chemical-adjacent solutions, though with a more productized business model.

Direct peers

H2O Innovation: Specialty water treatment company providing membrane systems, ultrafiltration, and industrial process water solutions to mining, oil & gas, food & beverage, and other industrial customers. Comparable to H+E in project-based industrial water delivery.
Aquatech: Specialty water and process technology company serving industrial and energy customers with desalination, reuse, and zero liquid discharge solutions. Direct competitor in industrial water EPC and recycling, with overlapping process water and resource recovery offerings.
Kurita Water Industries: Japan-based specialty water treatment company offering ultrapure water, wastewater recycling, and chemicals for semiconductors, electronics, and industrial customers. Closely matches H+E's specialty industrial focus and high-purity water positioning.
Samco Technologies: Custom water and wastewater treatment systems provider serving semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and food & beverage. Direct overlap with H+E's vertical segmentation and high-purity water capabilities.

Emerging players

De Nora: Electrode and water treatment technology company with growing presence in industrial water and disinfection. Compares to H+E in specialty water chemistry and electrochemical process expertise, though with a smaller project footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

H+E Group financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

H+E Group leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

H+E Group funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

H+E Group M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about H+E Group

What does H+E Group do?

Is H+E Group a public or private company?

H+E Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.

When was H+E Group founded?

H+E Group was founded in 1932. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is H+E Group based?

H+E Group is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Europe region.

How does H+E Group make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Water Treatment Systems and Solutions are the primary driver. The others are service and Support and CURE Chemicals.

Who are H+E Group's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Xylem, Ecolab, Veolia Water Technologies, Suez Water Technologies & Solutions and Pentair. Direct peers are H2O Innovation, Aquatech, Kurita Water Industries and Samco Technologies. De Nora is listed as an emerging player.

Does H+E Group have an API?

No public API is recorded for H+E Group.

What industry is H+E Group in?

H+E Group's product category is Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANAFAK, Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization.