RBK

What RBK does

RBK GmbH is a Bonn-based hydrogeological consulting firm founded in 2012 as the legal successor to RBK Beratende Geowissenschaftler BDG, which had operated since 1995 under founder Dipl.-Geol. Michael Kasper. The company provides groundwater monitoring across networks of up to several thousand measurement points, hydrogeological reports (contamination assessment, hydraulic calculations, numerical groundwater modeling, water-rights and mineral-water procedures), suitability testing of measurement points per DVGW Working Sheet W129, Full-HD triple-camera well inspections to 300 m depth and 50 bar pressure, and measurement-point repair services. Its customers span German municipal and state governments, public water suppliers and associations (Erftverband, MSE Münchner Stadtentwässerung, Stadtwerke Nettetal), industrial operators (RWE Power AG, Conti Temic microelectronic), mineral-water producers (Artus Mineralquellen), academic institutions (Universität Bonn), and waste-management firms.

The firm supports field operations with four internally developed software products — levelApp (mobile data collection with plausibility checking and cloud backup), wellQApp (database-backed measurement-point passports with 39-criteria suitability evaluation), TIM (project time tracking with internal messenger), and rbk-wiki (internal knowledge and compliance documentation) — and modern pressure-rated inspection camera hardware. RBK processes approximately 115,000 measurement values per year with reported QA outcomes of a 0% failure rate, 0.05% implausible readings, and re-measurement deviation below 1 cm.

Commercially, RBK operates a sales-led, direct-engagement professional services model with quote-based, project-tailored pricing and no publicly listed rates. Revenue derives from a single line — hydrogeological consulting services — concentrated in Germany plus one disclosed engagement with the High Commission for The Development of ArRiyadh via a partner firm. Retention is anchored on a 35-year professional track record, ISO 9001:2015 certification (DQS and IQNET), and the BDG Consulting Geologist designation. The company is privately held by two managing directors (Kasper and Youssef Ben Aoun, the latter appointed in 2023), takes no external capital, and operates with 42 personnel in total (6 full-time, 5 part-time, and ~31 project-based groundwater readers deployed nationwide). Software is built for internal service delivery rather than as a separately commercialized product.

Name

RBK

Legal name

RBK GmbH

Website

https://rbk-bonn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bonn-based hydrogeological consulting firm providing groundwater monitoring, hydrogeological assessments, suitability testing of measurement points, camera inspections to 300 m depth, and measurement point repair services to German government agencies, water utilities, industrial operators, and waste management firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydrogeological Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Hydrogeological consulting
• Groundwater monitoring
• Water resource management
• Well inspection services
• Hydrogeological reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hydrogeological Consulting Services: Professional services revenue from hydrogeological assessments, groundwater monitoring, suitability testing, camera inspections, and measurement point repairs. Services are delivered to government agencies, water utilities, industrial companies, and waste management organizations across Germany.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

RBK GmbH sells hydrogeological consulting and groundwater management services to government agencies, water utilities, industrial firms, and waste management organizations across Germany. The firm's core offerings include hydrogeological reports, large-scale groundwater monitoring networks (up to several thousand measurement points), suitability testing of measurement points, camera-based well inspections to 300m depth, and physical measurement point repairs. Service delivery is supported by proprietary in-house software (levelApp, wellQApp, TIM, rbk-wiki) developed specifically for hydrogeological workflows.

Product overview

RBK GmbH is a hydrogeological consulting and groundwater management services company offering a unified portfolio of professional services and proprietary software products. The core service offering includes hydrogeological reports, groundwater monitoring, suitability testing, camera inspections, and measurement point repairs. These services are supported by four internally developed software products: levelApp (mobile data collection), wellQApp (database-based measurement point documentation), TIM (project time tracking), and rbk-wiki (internal documentation). The software products are developed for internal operational use to support the service delivery rather than as standalone commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydrogeological Reports (Hydrogeologische Gutachten) Comprehensive hydrogeological consulting deliverables including groundwater contamination assessment, remediation planning, hydrogeological construction support, groundwater occurrence exploration, hydraulic calculations, numerical groundwater modelling, water rights procedures, and mineral water resource monitoring. Targeted at government agencies, water utilities, industrial companies and operators needing expert hydrogeological assessments.
• Groundwater Monitoring (Grundwassermonitoring) Turnkey groundwater monitoring service for large measurement networks of up to several thousand points, generating approximately 115,000 measurement values per year with end-to-end quality assurance including data collection, preparation, transmission, and evaluation. Targeted at utilities, municipalities, industrial operators and waste management organisations managing groundwater resources.
• Suitability Testing of Measurement Points (Eignungsprüfung von Messstellen) Suitability testing for groundwater measurement points, wells and springs performed in accordance with state guidelines and DVGW Working Sheet W129, using proprietary software for data collection and automated evaluation based on 39 criteria. Targeted at operators of measurement networks needing compliance and reliability assessments.
• Camera Surveys and Well Inspection (Kamerabefahrungen und Brunneninspektion) Camera-based well inspections using a modern Full-HD triple camera system rated to 50 bar pressure, with autofocus, illumination, vertical and horizontal viewing for well diameters from 50mm to 1,000mm, digital depth recording and mp4 video to depths up to 300m. Delivered with result evaluation and recommendations for well owners and operators.
• Measurement Point Repairs (Messstellen-Reparaturen) Field repair services to extend the service life of groundwater measurement points, including removal of earth and mud, drainage installation, road cap replacement, levelling, gauge cap repair and replacement, and conversion between subsurface and surface configurations. Targeted at operators of measurement networks seeking to extend asset life.

Quantifiable outcome

• 115,000 measurement values per year, 0% failure rate, 0.05% implausible values, <1cm re-measurement deviation

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ingolstädter Kommunalbetriebe AöRminorOthersMunicipal utility company engaged as a client for groundwater monitoring services.
• earthfriendly ltd.minorOthersEnvironmental services company engaged as a client for hydrogeological services.
• High Commission for The Development of ArRiyadhminorOthersSaudi Arabian government agency engaged for groundwater monitoring projects through MK2 landscape architecture firm.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with a major water and environmental practice serving municipal, utility, and industrial clients across Europe. Competes with RBK on larger multi-disciplinary tenders while RBK competes on specialist hydrogeological depth.
• Tetra Tech: International consulting and engineering firm specializing in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure. Overlaps with RBK in hydrogeological assessments and groundwater monitoring for utilities and industrial clients.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with a significant water practice. Competes for German and pan-European hydrogeology and environmental monitoring contracts at a larger scale than RBK.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a strong environment and water practice serving utilities, municipalities, and industrial clients. Comparable on groundwater monitoring and environmental assessment mandates in Germany and Europe.
• WSP: Global professional services firm following the acquisition of Golder Associates, providing hydrogeology, environmental, and ground engineering services. Competes with RBK for larger German and European environmental monitoring and assessment mandates.
• Ramboll: International engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a strong water and environment practice in Northern Europe and Germany. Comparable on groundwater and environmental monitoring engagements for public and industrial clients.
• Fugro: Dutch geo-data specialist providing geotechnical, survey, and subsurface characterization services. Comparable on the field-data acquisition and subsurface characterization side of hydrogeological monitoring, particularly for large industrial and infrastructure projects.
• CDM Smith: Global engineering and construction firm with a substantial water and environment practice serving utilities and public-sector clients. Directly comparable on large-scale groundwater monitoring and water resources consulting work.

Regional players

• HPC AG: German engineering consultancy providing environmental, water, and infrastructure services to public and industrial clients. Operates in the same German market and serves overlapping municipal and industrial customers with comparable hydrogeology and groundwater services.

Direct peers

• ribeka GmbH: German software and hydrogeology firm founded by Michael Kasper in 1999 and closely connected to RBK (Kasper left ribeka to establish RBK GmbH in 2012). Operates in the same hydrogeological monitoring niche with overlapping software-tooling heritage, making it the closest like-for-like peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

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 RBK