DVO digesters

What DVO digesters does

DVO, Inc. (DVO digesters) is a privately held U.S. anaerobic digestion engineering and equipment company founded by Steve Dvorak, headquartered in Chilton, Wisconsin, and operating since 2001. The company designs, builds, and commissions custom anaerobic digester systems based on its patented Two-Stage Linear Vortex™ mixed plug-flow architecture, which provides guaranteed hydraulic retention time and uses proprietary biogas recirculation instead of internal mechanical mixers. Systems are scalable from 500 to over 20,000 milking cattle and are deployed across livestock operations, municipal and food-company waste streams, and third-party biogas/RNG projects.

DVO's product portfolio centers on the core digester platform, extended by add-on modules for phosphorus recovery (85-90% capture) and nitrogen/ammonia recovery, and a digested-solids byproduct marketed as Magic Dirt™ for animal bedding and fertilizer use. The company sells capital equipment on a project-by-project basis through direct enterprise sales, with technical consultation led by VP of Marketing Melissa VanOrnum. Customers include large U.S. dairy farms (e.g., Clover Hill Dairy, Sievers Family Farms, Bar20 Dairy, Allen Farms, Fair Oaks, Burnett Dairy), municipal and food-industry operators, and biogas investors/developers. Over 200 systems have been installed across 24 U.S. states and 6 continents, processing manure from more than 500,000 dairy cows daily.

Revenue mechanics come from one-time capital sales of digester systems, supplemented by downstream value captured by end customers from biogas/RNG/electricity sales, fertilizer byproducts, and federal and state environmental credits. Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed, with financing often supported by USDA EQIP grants and other state/federal programs. The 2023 installation cohort of 15 new digesters across 10 states, with combined annual RNG capacity of 2.6 million MMBtu, indicates a recent acceleration in project activity and a strategic shift toward higher-value RNG production.

Name

DVO digesters

Legal name

DVO, Inc.

Website

https://dvoinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DVO, Inc. is a U.S. anaerobic digester engineering firm that designs, builds, and commissions custom Two-Stage Linear Vortex™ systems for dairy farms, livestock producers, municipalities, food companies, and biogas developers. The company has installed 200+ digesters across 24 states and 6 continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anaerobic Digestion Systems

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) & Biogas/RNG Production (Organics Feedstocks) (BPALAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Anaerobic Digestion Biogas Power (Agricultural & Industrial AD) (EUACAIAD), Manure Handling & Waste Management (Scrapers, Separators, Digesters Interfaces) (AFAAAIAI), Biogas Upgrading to RNG & Injection/Fueling (Gas Cleanup, Compression) (EUAIAEAF), Food Waste-to-Energy (Organic Waste AD & Thermal) (EUACAIAH)

Keywords

• Anaerobic digestion systems
• Biogas production technology
• Renewable natural gas
• Livestock waste management
• Nutrient recovery systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Chilton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Anaerobic Digester System Sales: Custom-designed and built anaerobic digesters sold to livestock producers, municipalities, food companies, and biogas investors/developers. Systems process animal manures, food waste, and other organic byproducts to produce biogas (for electricity, RNG, or liquid fuels) and valuable byproducts including bedding solids and liquid fertilizer.
2. Digester Byproducts: Revenue streams from digester outputs including: digested solids (animal bedding, peat-moss replacement, fertilizer), digested liquid effluent (crop fertilizer), and potential sale of carbon credits, renewable energy credits, and Federal Production Tax Credits.
3. Biogas/Energy Production: Farmers and operators generate revenue from biogas which can be sold to utilities for electricity, scrubbed for renewable natural gas (RNG/CNG), or used in boilers for steam. Waste heat from engines heats farm facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DVO designs, custom-builds, and installs anaerobic digester systems that process livestock manure, food waste, and industrial organic byproducts into biogas (for electricity, renewable natural gas, or liquid fuels), digested solids for animal bedding, and liquid fertilizer. The core is its patented Two-Stage Linear Vortex mixed plug-flow digester, sold with optional Phosphorus Recovery and Nitrogen/Ammonia Recovery modules and accompanied by the Magic Dirt branded solids byproduct.

Product overview

DVO digesters offers a portfolio of anaerobic digestion solutions centered on its patented Two-Stage Linear Vortex™ technology, a core digester system that processes agricultural and industrial organic wastes. The portfolio includes complementary add-on modules for Phosphorus Recovery and Nitrogen/Ammonia Recovery, which capture and concentrate nutrients from fermented materials into saleable fertilizers. DVO also markets its digested solids byproduct under the Magic Dirt™ brand for use as animal bedding or fertilizer. The company provides customized systems for livestock producers (handling cattle, poultry, and swine), municipalities and food companies, and biogas investors/developers. The core Two-Stage Linear Vortex digester serves as the foundational platform, with add-on nutrient recovery modules extending its value by creating additional revenue streams from captured phosphorus and nitrogen compounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Two-Stage Linear Vortex™: Proprietary patented anaerobic digester technology that processes farm and industrial wastes

Products and services

• Two-Stage Linear Vortex Anaerobic Digester Custom-engineered anaerobic digester using DVO's patented two-stage linear vortex mixed plug-flow design with guaranteed hydraulic retention time and proprietary biogas recirculation. Configured for livestock producers (cattle, poultry, swine), municipalities and food companies, and biogas investors/developers at scales from 500 to 20,000+ milking cattle; produces biogas for electricity/RNG, bedding solids, and liquid fertilizer.
• Phosphorus Recovery System Add-on module that captures 85–90% of phosphorus from fermented waste streams, concentrating it for easy transportation and producing a valuable fertilizer byproduct that protects waterways from nutrient runoff.
• Nitrogen/Ammonia Recovery System Add-on nutrient recovery module that captures ammonia/nitrogen that would otherwise be lost, converting it into a stable commercial fertilizer and creating an additional revenue stream for digester operators.
• Magic Dirt Branded digested solids byproduct from the anaerobic digestion process, marketed as a high-quality animal bedding material, peat-moss replacement, or fertilizer.
• Livestock Producer Digester Systems Segment-tailored application of the Two-Stage Linear Vortex digester for livestock producers handling manure and litter from cattle, poultry, and swine operations across 500 to 20,000+ head.
• Municipal & Food Company Digester Systems Segment-tailored application of the Two-Stage Linear Vortex digester for municipalities and food companies to process organic waste streams and food-production byproducts, generating renewable energy and reducing landfill dependence.
• Biogas Investor & Developer Solutions Turnkey Two-Stage Linear Vortex digester solutions for biogas investors and developers, positioned by DVO as the lowest cost per MMBtu produced and the quickest return on investment among digester designs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-130% more biogas output per ton of input compared to other digester designs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, industry affiliation, core partnership and industry partner.

• Energy VisionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2024NGP that published report on New York anaerobic digestion potential. Report supports DVO's position that building more digesters could cut NY methane emissions by 15%.
• The Council for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition)industry affiliationOthersIndustry association listed in DVO's website footer alongside American Biogas Council. Represents RNG industry stakeholders and promotes renewable natural gas development.
• American Biogas Councilcore partnershipOthersVP of Marketing Melissa VanOrnum serves as board member. DVO participates in events like Biogas Americas. Active collaboration on industry advocacy and education.
• Newtrientindustry partnerOthersCompany dedicated to reducing U.S. dairy industry's environmental footprint. Mark Stoermann from Newtrient participated in Biogas Americas 2024 panel alongside DVO representatives.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anaergia: Anaergia designs, builds, and operates anaerobic digestion systems for organic waste-to-energy projects across North America and Europe. Direct overlap with DVO in farm-scale AD and biogas upgrading, targeting the same livestock-producer and developer customer base.
• PlanET Biogas: German-headquartered manufacturer of anaerobic digestion plants for agricultural and industrial waste. Direct competitor to DVO's Two-Stage Linear Vortex design in farm-based and food-waste AD with comparable biogas-output performance claims.
• EnviTec Biogas AG: Publicly listed European AD plant manufacturer and operator covering agricultural, industrial, and municipal organic feedstocks. Competes with DVO for farm-scale AD projects and offers an integrated EPC + operating model.
• HoSt Group: Netherlands-based AD technology provider building farm, industrial, and municipal biogas plants globally. Direct competitor to DVO with overlapping product offerings in mixed plug-flow and CSTR digesters, including nutrient recovery add-ons.
• Xergi (Nature Energy): Danish AD technology and plant operator now part of Nature Energy, focused on agricultural and industrial biomass-to-RNG. Direct comparable in technology (mixed plug-flow digesters) and end-customers (large farms, developers).

Others

• American Biogas Council: U.S. industry trade association for the biogas/RNG sector. DVO's VP Marketing sits on its board. Industry-association peer connection—shapes standards, policy advocacy, and customer education that benefit DVO's market position.
• Newtrient: U.S. dairy-industry consortium dedicated to reducing the dairy value chain's environmental footprint, including promotion of anaerobic digestion. DVO works with Newtrient on industry advocacy (Biogas Americas panels), and Newtrient serves as an ecosystem/channel partner for DVO's dairy customers.

Emerging players

• Organic Waste Systems (OWS): Belgian AD technology provider serving agricultural and industrial organic waste-to-energy markets. Comparable AD technology peer with smaller scale than DVO and primarily European footprint.
• Cambrian Innovation: U.S.-based developer of anaerobic digestion and water-resource recovery solutions for food/beverage and agricultural waste. Adjacent technology peer with overlapping livestock/food-waste AD use cases though smaller in dairy footprint.
• Brightmark Energy: U.S.-based renewable natural gas developer using anaerobic digestion at dairy farms to produce RNG, with operations overlapping DVO's customer base. Comparable in end-product (RNG) and customer (dairy), but acts more as a developer/owner than an equipment supplier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DVOdigesters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dvo-inc-

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 DVO digesters