SWU

What SWU does

SWU Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH is a municipal multi-utility company (Stadtwerke) jointly owned by the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, founded in 1850 and operating across energy, water, telecommunications, and mobility verticals through five wholly-owned subsidiaries: SWU Energie (electricity, gas, district heating, drinking water), SWU Erneuerbare Energien (wind, hydro, solar, hydrogen, geothermal, river heat pumps), SWU TeleNet (fiber-optic internet, telephone, IP-TV), SWU Verkehr (buses, trams, railway infrastructure), and SWU mobil (carsharing brand swu2go and electromobility including the SWU LadeStrom charging network).

SWU generates revenue primarily through consumption-based recurring tariffs in electricity, gas, water, and district heating; monthly fiber broadband subscriptions; transit fares and annual passes (Jahres-Abo); plus usage-based fees from carsharing and EV charging. Energy network charges are regulated through Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm Netze GmbH. The technical stack includes a proprietary SWU App (Android and iOS), an online self-service customer portal (Kundenbereich), the SWU Echtzeitauskunft real-time GPS transit map, real-time consumption tools, and digital energy consulting services. Distribution blends physical service centers (SWU ServiceCenter, SWU traffiti) in Ulm with direct B2B sales, online tariff calculators, and a referral program offering €50 per successful new customer.

SWU's customer base spans private households (Privatkunden), business customers (Geschäftskunden), and municipal governments across the Ulm/Neu-Ulm catchment and adjacent municipalities. Community engagement is reinforced by the SWUbi-Club children's program (ages 6–12), SWUbi-Teens, the quarterly SWU Journal magazine, and active regional sponsorship. In FY2025 the group reported profit of €7.3 million, exceeding expectations; it has since secured a 20-year gas network concession in Senden, entered grid-scale battery storage with TRICERA energy, and obtained €10 million in state funding for a green hydrogen electrolyzer.

Name

SWU

Legal name

SWU Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH

Website

https://swu.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SWU Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm is a municipal multi-utility company owned by the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm, providing electricity, gas, drinking water, district heating, fiber-optic telecom, public transit, carsharing, and EV charging to private households, businesses, and municipalities across the Ulm/Neu-Ulm region in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (221330)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

EV Charging–Integrated Retail Supply (Home/SMB) (EUAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

C&I Onsite/Behind-the-Meter Energy Supply (Solar, CHP, Microgrids) (EUAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Municipal utility services
• Energy supply
• Telecommunications services
• Public transit operations
• Drinking water supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Energy Supply (Strom, Gas): SWU supplies electricity and natural gas to residential and business customers in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm region, including standard regulated tariffs (Grundversorgung) and competitive special tariffs (Sondertarife) such as SWU SchwabenStrom, SWU NaturStrom, SWU RegionalStrom, SWU VarioStrom, and SWU SchwabenGas. Revenue is generated through recurring commodity charges based on consumption (kWh).
2. District Heating (Fernwärme/Wärme): District heating supply to residential and commercial buildings through a local heating network, with connection fees and recurring consumption charges.
3. Telecommunications (TeleNet): Telecommunications services including high-speed internet, telephone, TV and radio through fiber-optic network, with monthly subscription fees. The company offers fiber-to-the-x (FTtx) connections with promotional pricing as low as €19.90/month.
4. Public Transit (Nahverkehr): Urban and regional public transportation via buses and trams in Ulm and Neu-Ulm, generating revenue through ticket sales, fares, and annual travel passes (Jahres-Abo). Also operates railway infrastructure.
5. Drinking Water Supply: Drinking water supply to residential and commercial customers in the region, with recurring volume-based charges.
6. Carsharing (swu2go): Carsharing service with vehicle rental fees, registration fees, and usage-based charges for electric and conventional vehicles.
7. Electromobility (LadeStrom): EV charging solutions including the SWU LadeStrom-Karte for public charging and private charging station installation services.
8. Network Infrastructure Services (Netzdienstleistungen): Operation and maintenance of energy distribution networks (electricity, gas, water) through Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm Netze GmbH, subject to regulated network charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SWU (Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH) is a regional multi-utility company supplying electricity, natural gas, drinking water, and district heating to residential and business customers in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm area of Baden-Württemberg. Through its SWU TeleNet subsidiary it provides fiber-optic internet, telephone, TV and IP-TV services, and through SWU Verkehr it operates local buses and trams. SWU also offers mobility services including the swu2go carsharing system, EV charging (SWU LadeStrom-Karte), and operates renewable generation assets (photovoltaics, hydropower, wind, geothermal, green hydrogen).

Product overview

SWU (Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm) is a multi-utility company operating as a platform of integrated services across energy, telecommunications, mobility, and water sectors. The core product portfolio includes electricity products (SWU NaturStrom, SWU SchwabenStrom, SWU RegionalStrom, SWU VarioStrom), natural gas (SWU SchwabenGas), district heating (Fernwärme), drinking water supply, and public transportation. The telecommunications division (SWU TeleNet) offers internet, telephone, TV/radio, and IP-TV services through the SWU connect me App. Mobility services encompass public transport with ticketing, carsharing (swu2go), and electromobility solutions including the SWU LadeStrom-Karte and home charging stations. The company also operates renewable energy generation through photovoltaics, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal, river heat pumps, and a green hydrogen model region. Consumer engagement is supported through the SWUbi-Club and SWUbi-Teens children's programs and the quarterly SWU Journal magazine. Network infrastructure and grid services are managed through the affiliated Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm Netze GmbH.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• swu2go: Car sharing service offered by SWU mobil
• SWUbi-Club
• SWUbi-Teens
• SWU LadeStrom-Karte
• SWU connect me App
• SWU Journal
• SWU ServiceCenter
• SWU traffiti

Products and services

• SWU NaturStrom

Quantifiable outcome

• €7.3 million profit in fiscal year 2025, exceeding expectations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TRICERA energycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025SWU and TRICERA energy signed a contract in December 2025 for the construction of a battery large-scale storage system (Batteriegroßspeicher-System), representing SWU's entry into grid-scale energy storage as part of the energy transition strategy.
• Theater UlmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater Ulm collaborates with SWU on events for the SWUbi-Club children's program, including productions such as 'SWUbi im Reich der 7 Zwerge' (Snow White performance, December 2017). This partnership provides cultural enrichment activities for SWU customer families.
• BBU'01 (Basketball Club)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBU'01 is a local sports club partnered with SWU for the SWUbi-Club program, with events such as 'SWU Sponsors Day mit BBU'01'. SWU also sponsors the basketball club as part of its regional sponsorship activities.
• City of SendencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Senden awarded SWU a 20-year concession contract for gas network operation, signed in June 2026, continuing a long-standing partnership for energy infrastructure in the municipality.
• Donau 3 FM / Regio TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonau 3 FM (local radio) and Regio TV (regional television) partnered with SWU for SWUbi-Club behind-the-scenes tours of their studios (April 2018), providing educational media content for SWU customer families.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stadtwerke Stuttgart: Baden-Württemberg peer municipal utility offering energy, district heating, water, telecom, and public transit in the Stuttgart region. Operates in the same German state as SWU with comparable regulatory framework and a similar multi-utility service portfolio.
• Stadtwerke Karlsruhe: Baden-Württemberg municipal multi-utility with electricity, gas, district heating, water, tram/bus, telecom and a strong focus on renewable energy. Comparable scale and regional context to SWU.
• Stadtwerke München (SWM): Germany's largest municipal multi-utility, providing electricity, gas, district heating, water, public transit (MVG/MVG-sub), and telecom (M-net) in Munich. Most structurally comparable Stadtwerke model, serving a similar mid-sized German city with a vertically integrated service bundle.
• Stadtwerke Heidelberg: Mid-sized Baden-Württemberg municipal utility with energy, water, public transit, and telecommunications offerings directly comparable to SWU's bundled Stadtwerke model in a neighboring regional market.
• VAG Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg: German municipal public-transit operator (buses, trams, U-Bahn) integrated with energy services as part of the VAG/STAEDTLER N-ERGIE/Stadtwerke Nürnberg group. Directly comparable transit subsidiary arm to SWU Verkehr at similar mid-size scale.

Broad incumbents

• EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg: Dominant integrated energy incumbent in Baden-Württemberg operating across generation, distribution, EV charging (EnBW mobility+), and customer solutions. Competes with SWU on retail supply, renewable generation, and charging infrastructure.
• MVG Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft: Subsidiary of SWM operating Munich's buses, trams, and U-Bahn. Comparable urban public-transit operator arm to SWU Verkehr, including timetable data and real-time transit information technology.

Emerging players

• M-net Telekommunikations: Bavarian regional fiber/city-carrier offering broadband, telephony, and TV to municipal utility partners. Directly comparable to SWU TeleNet's regional fiber business model and competitive set.

Regional players

• Stadtwerke Augsburg (swa): Swabian neighbor municipal utility with electricity, gas, district heating, water, public transit (trams/buses), and broadband services. Same multi-utility Stadtwerke structure, close geographic proximity to Ulm, comparable scale.
• Lechwerke (LEW Group): Regional Bavarian energy supplier serving the Augsburg/Swabia region adjacent to SWU's Ulm territory. Overlapping customer geography and comparable renewable generation portfolio (hydro, wind, solar) with similar regional utility positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SWUStadtwerke
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SWUtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/swu.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swu
• Instagraminstagram.com/swu_stadtwerke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 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 SWU