Gefico

What Gefico does

Gefico Enterprise S.L. is a Spanish industrial manufacturer specializing in desalination and water treatment solutions, founded in 1979 in Cerceda, A Coruña, and operating as a core subsidiary of the privately held Cetus Group since 2011. The company designs, develops, manufactures, and sells equipment based on three core technologies — reverse osmosis, thermal evaporation (vacuum distillation), and mechanical vapor compression evaporation — supported by complementary modules including mineralising filters, UV sterilisers, chemical dosing systems, IONPAC antifouling systems, tubular heat exchangers, and biogas upgrading plants using Evonik's SEPURAN Green membrane technology. Gefico claims to be the only auxiliary marine company worldwide that develops and manufactures all three desalination technologies in-house.

The company serves four primary markets — maritime, offshore, industrial, and land-based (hotel and residential) — with a documented base of more than 12,000 installations across 49 countries. Customer logos span navies (Tunisia, Peru), cruise lines (Celebrity Cruises/Royal Caribbean, Grimaldi Lines, Ponant, Stena Line, Baleària), research and special vessels (British Antarctic Survey, Polarcus, Jan De Nul), fishing fleets (Nodosa-built trawlers, tuna vessels), megayachts, hotel/resort chains (H10, RIU), and municipal projects (Puerto Lobito, Angola). Equipment is certified to major classification society standards (BV, LR, DNV-GL, ABS, RMRS, RINA, MCA) and to NATO/ATEX requirements for military applications.

Gefico commercializes primarily through project-based direct enterprise sales from its Cerceda headquarters and an authorized distributor network spanning 60 offices in 49 countries, supplemented by specification relationships with shipyards and naval architecture firms during the vessel design phase. Revenue is generated from custom-priced hardware sales of water treatment plants plus recurring professional services — installation, commissioning, training, spare parts, and warranty — supported by ISO 9001/14001/45001 and UNE 166002 R&D certifications. The company maintains a LinkedIn corporate presence and supports demand generation via participation in major international trade shows (Marintec, KORMARINE, Europort, Euromaritime, Expo PESCA & ACUIPERU) and EU/regional co-funded internationalization programs.

Name

Gefico

Legal name

GEFICO ENTERPRISE, S.L.

Website

https://gefico.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gefico Enterprise S.L. is a Spanish manufacturer of desalination and water treatment equipment, founded in 1979, serving maritime, offshore, industrial, and land-based (hotel, residential) clients across 49 countries via reverse osmosis, thermal evaporation, and vapor compression technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment and Desalination Equipment

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization (EUANAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ), Hybrid Desalination Systems (RO + Thermal/Other) (EUANAFAD), Post-Treatment & Remineralization (Stabilization, Blending, Disinfection) (EUANAFAG)

Keywords

• Desalination systems
• Water treatment equipment
• Reverse osmosis watermakers
• Marine water generation
• Thermal evaporation technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Cerceda

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Treatment Equipment Sales: Sale of manufactured water treatment and desalination equipment including reverse osmosis watermakers (AQE-M, AQE-S), freshwater generators (Aquamar series), heat exchangers, mineralising filters, UV sterilisers, dosing systems, and antifouling systems. Equipment is sold with associated pre and post-treatment components. The company designs, develops, manufactures, and sells these systems directly and through distributors globally.
2. Technical Services and After-Sales Support: Technical services including engineering advisory during conceptual design, installation commissioning, sea trial support, staff training, after-sales support for consumables and spare parts, warranty services, and maintenance and troubleshooting. Services are provided through the company's global network of 60 offices in 49 countries.
3. Biogas Upgrading Systems: Sale of biogas upgrading plants for biomethane production, using SEPURAN Green membrane technology. Systems are scalable from 50 Nm3/h to over 5,000 Nm3/h, targeting industrial clients seeking circular economy solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gefico designs, develops, manufactures, and sells desalination and water treatment systems for the maritime, offshore, industrial, and land-based markets. It is the only auxiliary company in the marine sector worldwide that produces all three core desalination technologies in-house: reverse osmosis (AQE series), thermal evaporation/vacuum distillation (Aquamar freshwater generators), and mechanical vapor compression evaporation. The portfolio also includes complementary treatment products such as mineralising filters, UV sterilisers, dosing systems, antifouling systems, tubular heat exchangers, and biogas upgrading plants using Evonik SEPURAN Green membranes.

Product overview

Gefico is a water treatment solutions provider offering three core desalination technologies: reverse osmosis (AQE-M and AQE-S series), thermal evaporation (Aquamar freshwater generators), and vapor compression evaporation. The product portfolio includes complementary add-on modules for complete water treatment systems: MHF mineralising filters for pH adjustment, IONPAC antifouling systems for cooling system protection, UV sterilisers for microbial inactivation, chemical dosing systems for pre and post-treatment, tubular heat exchangers, and biogas upgrading plants with SEPURAN Green membranes. The company also offers containerised solutions for mobile applications. These products serve maritime, offshore, industrial, and land-based (hotel and residential) markets, with systems designed to maritime sector standards for robustness and durability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAMAIN: Intelligent Engine Room (SALA DE MÁQUINAS INTELIGENTE SAMAIN) - a digital transformation project for SMEs in the naval sector, involving advanced communication and control solutions.
• Aquamar
• AQE Series

Products and services

• Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment (AQE Series)
• Aquamar Freshwater Generators Freshwater generators that produce distilled water by evaporating water under low pressure (vacuum), reducing vaporisation temperature and energy demand while minimising scale formation. They exploit any residual heat source (hot water, steam, thermal oil) to produce high-quality distilled water for ships, offshore platforms, and industrial applications.
• Vapor Compression Evaporation Systems Mechanical vapor compression evaporators that operate independently of thermal energy availability, supplying evaporation energy through a compressor. Used for effluent concentration in industrial processes and seawater desalination.
• Biogas Upgrading Plants Biogas upgrading plants that clean and purify raw biogas to obtain biomethane suitable for injection into natural gas networks or use as vehicle fuel, using SEPURAN Green membrane technology from Evonik. Configurable from 50 Nm3/h to over 5,000 Nm3/h for industrial clients.
• Containerised Water Treatment Plants Desalination plants installed inside ISO containers for mobile or remote water treatment, including the 40-foot container configuration used in the Puerto Lobito municipal project delivering 240 tonnes/day. Designed for rapid deployment where conventional water infrastructure is unavailable.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 12,000 installations contributed since 1979 across 6 markets
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CETUS Group (Cetus Global)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011In 2011, Gefico joined the CETUS Group, which combines two high-social-sensitivity sectors: Gefico (global provider of industrial solutions for water treatment market) and Galopín (operating in public space/playgrounds). The group provides Gefico with international reach, shared research talent, and design efficiency. CETUS Group website: cetusglobal.com.
• Galopín PlaygroundscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the CETUS Group, Galopín designs and installs public leisure spaces. Gefico contributes hydraulics and water management expertise to Galopín projects, including the wave pool at Lagoh Sevilla. Galopín manufactures pool structures, pumping systems, filtration, and water management systems. Website: galopinplaygrounds.com.
• Urban Planet EntertainmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper of the Lagoh commercial center in Seville (€260M investment). Gefico and Galopín provided water management and hydraulics technology for the artificial wave pool and leisure water features.
• L35 Architectural BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm that designed the Lagoh shopping center in Seville, incorporating Galopín/Gefico's wave pool and leisure water installations.
• Spanish Ministry of Industry, Commerce and TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGefico received support from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism for the SAMAIN (Sala de Máquinas Inteligente) digital transformation project. Funded under Orden ICT/1117/2021 and Orden ICT/474/2022, supporting Innovative Business Clusters (AEI) under the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia. Project code AEI-010500-2022b-197.
• Xunta de Galicia / IGAPEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGefico Enterprise S.L. received internationalization support from the Regional Government of Galicia through IGAPE, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) under the Programme FEDER Galicia 2014-2020. Also supported through Plan Foexga 2016-2017 for export promotion.
• European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGefico is a beneficiary of FEDER funding for internationalization projects, including participation in Marintec Shanghai 2017. The company participates in FEDER co-funded internationalization projects under the Programme Operativo FEDER Galicia 2014-2020.
• Evonik (SEPURAN Green)coreTechnology or IntegrationGefico uses Evonik's patented SEPURAN Green membrane technology for biogas upgrading plants. The system separates biomethane from biogas through membrane gas separation, scalable from 50 Nm3/h to over 5,000 Nm3/h.
• HC Group (South America)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for South America, accompanying Gefico at Expo PESCA & ACUIPERU in Lima, Peru. Represents Gefico in the South American maritime and fishing market.
• Reikon (Netherlands)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal distributor for the Netherlands, representing Gefico at Europort Rotterdam 2019 (hall 7, booth 7212). Supports Gefico's presence in the European maritime market.
• Universities and Research CentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious universities, research centres, and the business world actively collaborate with Gefico for R&D projects, enabling constant contact with state-of-the-art technologies and innovation opportunities. Collaboration is part of Gefico's open innovation model under the UNE 166002 R&D management system.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Alfa Laval: Global leader in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling, including marine freshwater generators and plate heat exchangers. Alfa Laval is a much larger incumbent that competes head-on in shipboard desalination and thermal evaporation, but across a far broader marine equipment portfolio.
• Wärtsilä: Major marine systems integrator offering freshwater generation as part of complete ship machinery packages. Competes with Gefico on commercial shipping and naval newbuilds where shipyards prefer single-vendor supply.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water-treatment major active in municipal and industrial desalination. Competes with Gefico in land-based hotel/resort and municipal potable water supply projects (e.g., Caribbean resorts, African municipalities).
• IDE Technologies: Israeli desalination technology provider specialising in large-scale thermal and RO plants. Comparable technology stack to Gefico and competes in industrial and municipal desalination, but at much larger project scale.

Direct peers

• Jowa (Kongsberg Maritime): Marine water maker specialist with reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation units for commercial shipping, offshore, and naval vessels. Closest direct competitor in the marine desalination segment.
• Cathelco: UK-based marine water treatment and antifouling systems supplier serving commercial shipping, offshore, and naval markets. Direct competitor to Gefico's IONPAC antifouling and RO watermaker lines.
• Hatenboer-Water: Dutch supplier of freshwater generators and reverse osmosis systems for the maritime sector. Comparable European mid-sized peer with overlapping cruise, yacht, and offshore customers.
• Recovered Energy (REC): Norwegian specialist in exhaust-heat-recovery freshwater generators using thermal evaporation. Directly comparable technology to Gefico's Aquamar line on commercial shipping and fishing vessels.

Regional players

• Sasakura Engineering: Japanese marine desalination and offshore water treatment specialist. Comparable thermal/RO technology mix serving Asian shipyards and offshore markets; regional rather than direct head-to-head competitor in Europe.

Emerging players

• Saltworks Technologies: Emerging water treatment specialist focused on industrial desalination and zero-liquid-discharge. Partial overlap with Gefico's industrial segment (effluent concentration, canning industry projects) but not a direct marine competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gefico
• Xx.com/gefico

Compliance4 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 Gefico