What KWI International does

KWI International GmbH is an Austrian-headquartered manufacturer specializing in solid-liquid separation and water/wastewater treatment equipment, founded in 1949 by Dr. Milos Krofta. The company's core offering is dissolved air flotation (DAF) technology — it produces the widest range of DAF equipment globally with 10+ product models (Megacell, Supercell, Sedicell, Klaricell, Unicell, Flotofilter, and others) under the KWI brand. Beyond DAF, KWI supplies ceramic ultrafiltration membranes and ceramic MBR (CFM Systems), biological aerated filters, denitrification filters, activated carbon filters, sand filters, sludge thickening and drying systems, chemical dosing systems, agitators, and chain/flight scrapers. Its technology stack includes patented U-shaped lamella plates, nano-coated ceramic UF membranes with 20+ year lifespans, CFD-optimized tank and impeller design, and proprietary thin film sludge drying.

KWI operates two manufacturing facilities — Ferlach, Austria (~3,500 m² roofed production, ISO 9001/14001) and Jiaxing, China (21,900 m², ISO 9001/14001/45001 with a Manufacture License for Special Equipment) — producing stainless-steel units up to 12 meters. The company sells exclusively through direct enterprise field sales via four regional offices (Austria/Europe, China, France, UK), reaching customers in 20+ countries. Its revenue is generated from equipment sales and full EPC turnkey project delivery, including consulting, process design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, pilot testing, equipment rental, and retrofit services; pricing is project-based and quote-driven.

KWI serves municipal water/sewage authorities, seawater desalination plants, and industrial customers across oil & gas, pulp & paper, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, textiles & tanneries, and mining & steel — with over 4,700 reference projects globally. The company is privately held by SafBon Group, a globalized conglomerate, and is recognized as the #1 global market leader in DAF by Global Water Intelligence (June 2020). Flagship reference projects include the Taweelah Desalination Plant (UAE, 2021, 2,500,000 t/d — the largest DAF application in desalination), the Sembrong drinking water plant (Malaysia, 30,000 t/d, 2019 Best Water Treatment Plant award), and the Shouyangshan Power Plant (China, 80,000 m³/d).

Name

KWI International

Legal name

KWI International GmbH

Website

https://kwi-intl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KWI International is an Austrian-founded manufacturer of dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems, ceramic UF/MBR membranes, and related water and wastewater treatment equipment, serving municipalities and industrial customers across 20+ countries via direct EPC project delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization (EUANAFAK), Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ), Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services (BPALAHAD)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment equipment
• Dissolved air flotation
• Solid-liquid separation
• Ceramic membrane filtration
• Water treatment systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferlach

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales (DAF, Ceramic MBR, Filters, Agitators): Sale of proprietary water treatment equipment including DAF units, ceramic MBR membranes, clarifiers, filters (BAF, KS, V-type, variable pore, activated carbon, sand), agitators, chain and flight scrapers, and chemical dosing systems. Equipment is manufactured in stainless steel in two facilities (Ferlach, Austria and Jiaxing, China). Products are sold as standalone units or integrated into full turnkey flowsheet solutions.
2. Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Services: Full EPC project delivery including consulting, process design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and after-sales support. KWI offers complete process treatment chains from conception through supply and commissioning.
3. Pilot Testing and Rental: KWI provides pilot units for on-site testing (MBR, DAF models including ECC 06, MCH 01, SPC 06, MCV-01, SAF BP5) before clients commit to full purchase. Rental units are available for short-term needs including emergency breakdowns and additional capacity requirements.
4. Retrofit and Upgrade Services: Retrofitting existing sedimentation tanks with DAF capabilities, V-type filter upgrades to denitrification filters, and biological aerated filter retrofits. Provides cost-effective capacity expansion without additional physical footprint.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KWI International designs, manufactures, and installs proprietary water and wastewater treatment equipment centered on dissolved air flotation (DAF) technology, with 10+ DAF models plus ceramic UF/MBR membranes, biological filters, denitrification filters, sand/activated carbon filters, sludge management systems, agitators, and chemical dosing systems. The company delivers complete EPC turnkey flowsheet solutions—from consulting and process design through manufacturing, installation, commissioning, pilot testing, rental, retrofitting, and after-sales support—targeting municipalities, industrial clients, and seawater desalination plants across 20+ countries.

Product overview

KWI International is a solid-liquid separation expert offering a comprehensive portfolio of water and wastewater treatment solutions. The core product offering centers on Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) technology with 11+ standard models (Megacell, Supercell, Unicell, Klaricell, Sedicell, Ecocell, Flotofilter, and others) complemented by filtration products (ceramic UF membranes, ceramic MBR, BAF, KS Filter, denitrification filters, activated carbon filters, sand filters). Supporting equipment includes sludge management systems (thin film dryers, thickening DAF), chemical dosing systems, agitators, and chain/flight scrapers. The company provides end-to-end services including consulting, manufacturing (facilities in Austria and China), pilot testing, equipment rental, and retrofit services. KWI serves municipal, industrial (food & beverage, oil & gas, pulp & paper, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, heavy industries), and seawater desalination applications with solutions for drinking water, sewage treatment, water reuse, and industrial water supply.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Megacell: DAF product line featuring Megacell Horizontal and Megacell Vertical units with U-shaped lamella technology
• Supercell
• Sedicell
• Klaricell
• Ecocell
• Unicell
• Unicell BF
• Flotofilter
• CFM Systems
• Sedilamella

Products and services

• Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) Product Line KWI's flagship product line of dissolved air flotation systems for solid-liquid separation, offering 11+ standard models (Megacell H/V, Supercell, Sedicell, Klaricell, Ecocell, Unicell, Unicell BF, Flotofilter, Klaricell RJ, and custom designs) covering flows from small installations to 3,000 m³/hr per cell. Used for wastewater clarification, sludge thickening, algae removal, and pre-treatment across municipal, industrial, and seawater desalination applications.
• Clarifiers Range of clarifier products including Solids Contact Clarifier, Circular Radial-Flow Clarifiers, and Sedilamella (combining parallel plate separator and circular clarifier advantages) for various clarification applications.
• Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) Filter combining biological oxidation and suspended solids reduction in one structure, eliminating the need for secondary sedimentation in biological wastewater treatment.
• KS Filter Active sand filter with countercurrent principle design and double backwash facility for high nitrogen and phosphorus removal in wastewater treatment.
• Variable Pore Filter Percolation filtration filter using coarse and fine sand combination, offering high hydraulic load and turbidity removal up to 98%.
• Deep Bed Denitrification Filter Treatment unit combining biological denitrification and filtration for total nitrogen (TN) removal in secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment applications.
• V-type Denitrification Filter Filter combining biological denitrification and filtration with the entire filter bed in anoxic conditions to deoxidize nitrates to nitrogen gas.
• Activated Carbon Filter Water filtration product using activated carbon to trap and absorb suspended solids, VOCs, heavy metals, chlorine, and other contaminants.
• Ceramic MBR Ceramic membrane bioreactor technology for treating nitrogen and phosphate with higher efficiency while producing only 30% of traditional sludge volume.
• Ceramic UF Membranes (CFM Systems) Ceramic ultrafiltration membranes with 0.2 µm, 0.1 µm or smaller pore sizes utilizing advanced nano-coating technique for optimal anti-fouling properties. Offers 3-5x extended lifetime vs. other UF solutions, 2-10x higher flux rates (up to 450 LMH), and removes TSS, bacteria, algae, and other impurities.
• Sand Filters Dual media filters including pressure filters, V-type filters, and variable pore filters for removing suspended solids and silt in water treatment applications. ASME certified for design and manufacturing.
• Sludge Management Systems Complete sludge management solutions including DAF for sludge thickening (Sedicell/Megacell achieving up to 6% solid content), patented thin film dryers reducing sludge moisture from 80% to <40%, and auxiliary equipment for wet (60-80% moisture) and dry (<60% moisture) sludge management.
• Chemical and Lime Dosing Systems Chemical dosing skid and powder handling system for precise chemical dispensing and metered dosing in water treatment applications, including lime water preparation and dosing for desalination post-treatment.
• Chain and Flight Scrapers Customizable scraper systems for applications in seawater desalination, municipal water treatment, and industrial wastewater treatment, including explosion-proof designs for Zone 1 operation.
• Agitators Range of agitators with CFD-optimized impellers including RapidMix (up to 35% improved mixing vs. conventional pitched-blade), RadialFlow (high shear, 90° flat blade turbine), and AxialFlow (45° blade for high viscosity), all optimized for specific mixing applications.
• EPC Turnkey Project Delivery and Engineering Services Full Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) project delivery including consulting, process design, manufacturing at Austria and China facilities, installation, commissioning, retrofit, and after-sales support. Covers complete process treatment chains from conception through supply and commissioning for municipal and industrial clients.
• Pilot Testing and Equipment Rental Services On-site pilot testing using MBR and DAF pilot units (ECC 06, MCH 01, SPC 06, MCV-01, SAF BP5) to qualify technology before commitment. Rental units are available for short-term needs including emergency breakdowns and additional capacity requirements.
• Seawater Desalination Pre/Post-Treatment Solutions Complete pre-treatment (DAF for algae removal/turbidity reduction, ceramic UF membranes, dual media sand filters) and post-treatment (lime water preparation and dosing for remineralization to meet WHO potable water standards) solutions for seawater reverse osmosis systems.
• Oil & Gas Water Treatment Solutions Comprehensive oil and gas water management including DNF (Dissolved Nitrogen Flotation) for explosion-proof applications, CPI separators, API separators, and ceramic membrane systems for produced water treatment, refinery wastewater, EOR, and offshore/onshore water management.
• Pulp & Paper Water Treatment Solutions Water treatment for pulp and paper including whitewater recovery, de-inking, primary/secondary/tertiary wastewater treatment, TMP filtrate treatment, fiber recovery, and closed water cycle management to optimize production profitability.
• Food & Beverages Treatment Solutions Treatment solutions for highly loaded organic content, suspended solids, and fat in food and beverage wastewater, utilizing DAF, ceramic UF membranes for water reuse, biological treatment (BAF, MBR), and sludge management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% TSS removal in pharmaceutical WWTP installation (France)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Hydro International: Water treatment technology company specializing in stormwater, industrial process water, and advanced filtration/separation solutions. Comparable as a process-equipment peer with overlapping focus on separation, filtration, and niche water reuse applications.

Direct peers

• WesTech Engineering: Provider of water and wastewater treatment equipment including clarification, filtration, and biological processes for municipal and industrial applications. Comparable as a process-equipment competitor in solid-liquid separation and EPC project delivery.
• DAF Corporation: Specialist manufacturer of dissolved air flotation equipment for industrial and municipal applications. Comparable as a niche DAF-focused competitor with a similar product-led, project-based sales motion targeting overlapping verticals.
• Toro Equipment: Spanish manufacturer of dissolved air flotation and physical-chemical water treatment equipment for industrial and municipal markets. Comparable as a European DAF specialist competing for similar industrial and municipal separation projects.
• Parkson Corporation: US-based supplier of water and wastewater treatment equipment with a strong DAF offering and broad municipal/industrial customer base. Comparable as a direct DAF equipment competitor serving overlapping end markets in municipal and industrial solids separation.
• Smith & Loveless: US-headquartered manufacturer of water and wastewater treatment equipment including DAF clarification, filtration, and lift stations for municipal and industrial customers. Comparable as a specialist equipment vendor with overlapping product categories and project-based delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Xylem (Evoqua): Global water technology company providing treatment equipment, services, and digital solutions across municipal and industrial markets. Comparable as a competitor for large EPC water treatment projects where it bundles clarification/filtration with broader system integration and aftermarket services.
• Ovivo: Global provider of water and wastewater treatment equipment and solutions for municipal and industrial markets, including clarification and filtration. Comparable as a broader water-equipment incumbent competing for similar EPC and process upgrade opportunities.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water-treatment major offering full-scope municipal and industrial water solutions including DAF-equivalent clarification, EPC delivery, and long-term O&M. Comparable because it competes head-to-head with KWI on large desalination pre-treatment and industrial wastewater EPC bids, although Veolia's portfolio is far broader.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: International water and waste management group offering full lifecycle water solutions including clarification and filtration. Comparable as a broad-spectrum rival in municipal and industrial water EPC contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRU5oesfLgEQd_LOt55Hs2w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kwi-international-environmental-treatment-gmbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 KWI International