What Acutherm does

Acutherm manufactures Variable Air Volume (VAV) diffuser systems for commercial HVAC applications, headquartered in Dublin, California. Founded in 1978 and acquired by Price Industries in 2017, the company produces three product series differentiated by control mechanism: the Therma-Fuser Series uses mechanically powered wax actuators requiring no electrical wiring (ST, STR, TF, TK, TL models); the Advantage Series integrates built-in AC/DC motors with native BACnet interoperability (ADV, ADVB, ADVL, ADVR, ADVS); and the Interoperable Series adds full DDC controllers with temperature and flow sensors (EF, EL). Supporting accessories include wall adjusters, pressure relief devices, duct heaters (AZON), and measurement stations. Each diffuser functions as an independent zone of control with claimed temperature precision within 1.5°F/0.9°C and 10%-47% energy savings versus conventional HVAC systems.

The company sells through a global manufacturer representative network augmented by Price Industries' regional offices and Holyoake's exclusive Australia/NZ distribution. Target customers include commercial office buildings, healthcare facilities (Stanford Medicine, John Muir Health, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Severance Hospital), educational institutions (Cornell, Plymouth State), industrial R&D centers (Dow Chemical, Doosan Infracore), and technology campuses (Cisco, SK Telecom). Project wins include 555 California Street (1.8M sf), Cisco B16 (2.1M sf with 1,500+ units), and Sydney International Airport. Pricing is quote-based via regional manufacturer representatives, with no public pricing.

Go-to-market emphasizes specification influence through MEP engineers, architects, and contractors, supported by monthly training webinars, Revit files, LEED documentation, and an extensive project portfolio. The company's value proposition centers on individual zone comfort control, room-side accessible maintenance, modular adaptability to office layout changes, and contribution to up to 21 LEED credits for sustainable building certifications.

Name

Acutherm

Legal name

Acutherm

Website

https://acutherm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Acutherm manufactures Variable Air Volume (VAV) ceiling diffuser systems with mechanical thermal and digital electric actuation for individual zone temperature control, serving commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, universities, and industrial sites globally as a subsidiary of Price Industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial HVAC Equipment — Variable Air Volume (VAV) Diffusers

NAICS

Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Dampers, Louvers & Ventilation Controls (IMADANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components (IMADANAF)

Keywords

• Variable air volume diffusers
• HVAC air distribution
• VAV zone control
• Building automation controls
• Commercial HVAC equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. VAV Diffuser Equipment Sales: Sale of VAV diffuser products including mechanical thermal (Therma-Fuser Series) and digital electric (Advantage Series, Interoperable Series) models. Products include diffusers, controls, accessories, and supplementary heating equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Acutherm designs and manufactures Variable Air Volume (VAV) ceiling diffusers and supporting controls for commercial HVAC systems. Each diffuser acts as an individual zone of control with a built-in thermostat and modulating damper, available in mechanical thermal (wax-actuator, no wiring required) and digital electric (motorized, BACnet-enabled) versions. The product line includes the Therma-Fuser Series, Advantage Series, and Interoperable Series diffusers, plus wall adjusters, pressure relief accessories, duct heaters, and power modules.

Product overview

Acutherm offers Variable Air Volume (VAV) diffuser systems for HVAC applications in commercial buildings. The product portfolio comprises three distinct VAV diffuser series differentiated by control mechanism: (1) Therma-Fuser Series (mechanical thermal actuation) featuring ST, STR, TF, TK, and TL models that use thermally powered wax actuators requiring no electrical wiring; (2) Advantage Series (digital electric actuation) including ADV, ADVB, ADVL, ADVR, and ADVS models with built-in AC/DC motors and native BACnet connectivity; and (3) Interoperable Series (digital electric with BACnet) featuring EF and EL models with built-in DDC controllers, temperature/flow sensors, and native BACnet support. Supporting the diffusers are control accessories including the Advantage Thermostat Collection, DISIO Display Adjuster, Digital Wall Adjuster, Wireless Wall Adjuster, and BACnet Wall Adjuster. Additional accessories include ARC/ARR pressure relief devices, APM power modules, AZON-E/W duct heaters, DMSA measuring station, and PIM pressure independence modules. The company also provides supporting options such as baffles, custom color finishes, ceiling frames, insulation, and security hangers. All products are backed by technical documentation including Revit files, performance data, installation manuals, and submittal sheets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Therma-Fuser Series: Mechanical thermal VAV diffusers with built-in temperature controls
• Advantage Series
• Interoperable Series

Products and services

• ST: 24 in. / 600 mm Square Plaque Disc Damper (Therma-Fuser Series) Mechanical thermal VAV diffuser with round disc damper metering airflow in response to room temperature, featuring a thermally powered wax actuator, built-in thermostat, adjustable minimum flow dial, and individual cooling/heating set points. For commercial buildings specifying low-wiring VAV zone control.
• STR: 24 in. / 600 mm Round Plaque Disc Damper (Therma-Fuser Series) Therma-Fuser round VAV diffuser with architecturally pleasing round shape. Disc damper moves up to close and down to open, mechanically positioned by thermostat/actuator for accurate room temperature sensing. For architectural ceiling applications.
• TF: 24 in. / 600 mm Square Plaque Blade Damper (Therma-Fuser Series) Therma-Fuser square VAV diffuser with thermally powered wax actuator eliminating the need for electrical or controls wiring. Provides superior air distribution with longer throws, no dumping, and even temperature distribution, at the lowest cost per zone of control.
• TK: 12 5/8 in. / 320 mm Square Plaque Blade Damper (Therma-Fuser Series) Compact Therma-Fuser square VAV diffuser with four blade-style dampers, built-in concealed tamper-resistant thermostats, and highest ADPI of any task conditioning system. Compact size favored by architects.
• TL: Linear Slot Blade Damper (Therma-Fuser Series) Linear ceiling Therma-Fuser diffuser with elegant profile, available for ceiling and side wall mount. Damper blades open and close in response to room temperature and can create long continuous runs for architectural aesthetics.
• ADV: 24 in. / 600 mm Square Plaque Disc Damper (Advantage Series) Advantage Series square VAV diffuser with built-in electric motor and controller providing VAV cooling and heating, native BACnet interoperability, quiet motorized control, and tight damper shut-off. 2-year warranty.
• ADVB: 24 in. / 600 mm Square Plaque Blade Damper (Advantage Series) Advantage Series square VAV diffuser with blade dampers driven by a robust DC motor via linkage mechanism. Bladed damper design provides high discharge air velocity over the full operating range. 2-year warranty.
• ADVL: Linear Slot Blade Damper (Advantage Series) Advantage Series linear VAV diffuser with trim architectural design. Built-in electric motor modulates the damper to meter airflow in response to room temperature. For aesthetic-sensitive spaces.
• ADVR: 24 in. / 600 mm Round Plaque Disc Damper (Advantage Series) Advantage Series round VAV diffuser for exposed duct ceilings and architectural looks in grid ceilings. Built-in AC motor directly drives a threaded shaft connected to the damper for reliable operation.
• ADVS: 24 in. / 600 mm Square Swirl Face Disc Damper (Advantage Series) Advantage Series swirl face VAV diffuser with added swirl induction for enhanced air mixing. Built-in electric motor modulates the damper for VAV cooling and heating control.
• EF: 24 in. / 600 mm Square Plaque Blade Damper (Interoperable Series) Interoperable Series square VAV diffuser with built-in DDC controller, temperature sensors, and flow sensors. Four blade dampers modulated by brushless DC stepper motor with native BACnet support. Superior air distribution and quieter operation.
• EL: Linear Slot Blade Damper (Interoperable Series) Interoperable Series linear slot diffuser with built-in DDC controller, temperature sensors, flow sensors, and VAV damper. Available for ceiling and side-wall mount with electric motor for deliberate room temperature control.
• Advantage Thermostat Collection Wall-mounted thermostats for Advantage Series VAV diffusers providing room temperature and occupant adjustable set points. Available in wired or wireless models with protocol-independent interface for building management system integration.
• DISIO Display Adjuster Remote temperature control set point adjuster for Therma-Fuser VAV diffusers. Features 7-segment display, capacitive touch buttons, temperature sensing, and optional BACnet MS/TP compatibility.
• Digital Wall Adjuster (DWA) Remotely adjustable temperature control set point for T-Series diffusers with simple analog I/O for building automation system connection. Small unobtrusive design.
• BACnet Wall Adjuster (BWA) BACnet-enabled wall adjuster for E-Series diffusers with plug-and-play connection. Automatically recognized by diffusers. Provides extensive data from both diffuser and adjuster to the BACnet network.
• AZON-E: Acu-Zone Electric Duct Heaters Electric duct-mounted heaters with SCR proportional heat controller for constant supply air temperature. Air flow sensor and modulating control maintain temperature at both design and very low air flows. Available in round, square, and rectangular sizes.
• AZON-W: Acu-Zone Hot Water Duct Heaters Hot water duct-mounted heaters with discharge air temperature sensor and PID controller. Provides constant supply air temperature at design and low air flows for single or multiple VAV diffusers.
• ARC: Acutherm Pressure Relief Collar Pressure bypass device for square VAV diffusers. Dual shutters open in response to excess duct pressure (approx. 0.25"wg/62Pa) to allow supply air into the return plenum. Adapts VAV diffusers to medium pressure systems.
• ARR: Acutherm Relief Ring Supply air bypass device for limiting inlet static pressure when VAV diffusers turn down. Lower profile with no moving components.
• APM: Advantage Power Module Power module for powering multiple Advantage diffusers with plug-and-play wiring. Features 96 VA Class 2 transformer, master on/off switch, and 6 individually protected output jacks with overload notification.
• DMSA: Diffuser Measuring Station Air flow measurement addition for Advantage VAV diffusers. Collar-mounted SP300 multipoint sensor provides accurate measurement throughout the operating range. BACnet compatible for network data availability.
• PIM: Pressure Independence Module Modulating static pressure controller/actuator for quiet Therma-Fuser operation at full flow and turndown. Field adjustable setpoint. Available as standalone or networked device in various damper shapes and sizes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10%-47% energy savings compared to other HVAC systems
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Price IndustriesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017In 2017, Acutherm joined Price Industries to elevate how they bring products to market. This relationship provides expanded access to technology and product development resources to create better solutions for customers. Price Industries is the parent company that owns Acutherm.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Titus HVAC: Titus manufactures VAV terminals, diffusers, and grilles for commercial HVAC, directly competing with Acutherm's Therma-Fuser and Advantage series in the same MEP-engineer specification channel.
• Krueger (prices industries' brand portfolio included; here as competitor): Krueger makes VAV terminals, diffusers, and grilles under Price Industries—alongside Acutherm as sibling brands—and competes head-to-head in VAV diffusers and air distribution products sold to MEP engineers and contractors.
• Nailor Industries: Nailor manufactures VAV terminal units, diffusers, and dampers for commercial HVAC, overlapping Acutherm's mechanical-thermal and digital-electric VAV diffuser product lines for the same engineering/contractor channel.
• METALAIRE (Metal Industries): METALAIRE produces grilles, diffusers, and VAV terminals for commercial air distribution, directly competing with Acutherm in architectural diffusers and zoned VAV control.
• Phoenix Controls: Phoenix Controls specializes in high-pressure, fast-responding VAV/CV valves for labs, healthcare, and critical environments—closely overlapping Acutherm's healthcare and R&D customer base (e.g., Dow, Stanford Medicine) with comparable precision zone-control offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Price Industries: Price Industries is Acutherm's parent and a broad HVAC air-distribution manufacturer with a much wider portfolio (Krueger, Titus-ish/Price-branded VAVs, air handlers, dampers). Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same VAV and air-distribution category that Acutherm specializes within.
• Trane Technologies: Trane is a global HVAC incumbent offering VariTrac and other VAV terminal boxes plus full BAS integration. It competes with Acutherm through complete HVAC system specifications rather than standalone VAV diffusers, but competes for the same specification slot.
• Johnson Controls: Johnson Controls provides building automation/HVAC systems including VAV terminals with controls integration. Comparable in the controls-and-VAV intersection where Acutherm competes via BACnet interoperability.
• Honeywell Building Technologies: Honeywell's building automation group supplies VAV controllers, sensors, and BAS software for commercial buildings, addressing the same individual-zone-control use cases as Acutherm's BACnet-native lines.

Regional players

• Jaga Climate Systems: Jaga is a European HVAC diffuser and climate-product manufacturer; comparable in high-efficiency architectural diffusers for energy-conscious commercial buildings, though geographically focused on Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Acutherm