What Delphin does

Delphin is the consumer-facing brand of PROAIR GmbH Gerätebau, a family-owned German manufacturer founded in 1993 in Argenbühl-Eglofs. The company designs, produces, and sells the DELPHIN — a multifunctional water-based cleaning appliance that simultaneously vacuums surfaces and washes room air using its patented L-Lamella water swirler technology. Rather than relying on HEPA filters or bags, the device binds dust, allergens, bacteria, and viruses in a water tank, which is emptied after each use. The product line centres on two main models (the DELPHIN T8 launched in 2022 and its predecessor S8), complemented by accessories such as the FLIPPER mopping attachment. Independent laboratory testing by airmid healthgroup documented 99.9% reduction of Influenza A(H1N1) viruses within 20 minutes and 99.6% reduction of Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria within 40 minutes, and the Italian Ministry of Health has classified DELPHIN as a preventive medicine.

The core technology stack is mechanical and proprietary: a wear-free PROAIR-developed motor (350-1350W, backed by a 10-year private-use warranty) drives the patented L-Lamella component to create a controlled vortex that washes incoming air through water. The company manufactures on a 6,000+ square-metre production footprint at its Argenbühl-Eglofs headquarters, currently employs 34 people, and is managed by second-generation owner Bernhard Grassinger.

Revenue is generated exclusively through hardware sales of the DELPHIN unit, accessories, and spare parts, distributed via two complementary go-to-market motions: a direct-sales field force conducting in-home no-obligation demonstrations (supported by a dedicated training centre in Eglofs), and an international channel-partner network of dealers and country representatives spanning 42 countries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is established during in-home consultations. The primary customer persona is health-conscious consumers (allergy and asthma sufferers, allergen-conscious households), with secondary segments in hospitality, healthcare, wellness, food & beverage, fitness, and retail verticals where case-study customers (e.g., Seehotel Moldan, St. Leonhards Apotheke, Kursanatorium Markgräflerland) have adopted the device.

Name

Delphin

Legal name

PROAIR GmbH Gerätebau

Website

https://delphin.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DELPHIN, manufactured by Germany's PROAIR GmbH, is a family-owned producer of a water-based multifunctional cleaning appliance that vacuums surfaces and washes room air using patented L-Lamella technology. It is sold via direct in-home demonstrations and a dealer network across 42 countries, serving health-conscious consumers and select commercial verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Household Cleaning Appliances

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Pressure Washing & Jetting Equipment (IMAHALAB)

Keywords

• Water air purifiers
• Water vacuum cleaners
• Multifunctional cleaning appliances
• Allergy cleaning devices
• Water filtration cleaning

Headquarters

HQ city

Eglofs

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DELPHIN Hardware Sales: PROAIR GmbH develops and produces the DELPHIN, a multifunctional air and surface cleaning appliance. Revenue is generated through direct sales of the DELPHIN unit, accessories, and spare parts. The product is sold through a network of dealers and sales partners internationally in 42 countries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Delphin, manufactured by PROAIR GmbH, is a multifunctional water-based cleaning appliance that simultaneously vacuums surfaces and washes room air. It uses a patented L-Lamella water swirler technology with only clean water as a dirt filter, binding dust, allergens, bacteria, and viruses in a water tank instead of filters or bags. The product line is sold internationally through home demonstrations and a network of dealers and country representatives across 42 countries.

Product overview

DELPHIN is a family of multifunctional water-based cleaning appliances manufactured by PROAIR GmbH in Germany. The product line centers on two main models (DELPHIN T8 as the newest generation and DELPHIN S8 as the previous model), which operate as combined water vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. These devices use a patented L-Lamella water swirler technology that binds dirt, dust, allergens, bacteria, and viruses in a water tank rather than traditional filters or bags. The DELPHIN system is designed for comprehensive surface and air cleaning, with complementary accessories like the FLIPPER for mopping functionality. The products are sold through a direct sales representative network rather than traditional retail channels, with the manufacturer offering comprehensive customer service and spare parts for all models including older generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DELPHIN T8 The current-generation DELPHIN water vacuum cleaner and air purifier that washes room air while cleaning surfaces, featuring reduced water change requirements, a compact design, and enhanced user-friendliness compared to predecessors. Designed for households, allergy sufferers, and commercial users seeking simultaneous surface cleaning and air purification.
• DELPHIN S8 Previous-generation DELPHIN water vacuum cleaner and air purifier using the patented L-Lamella water swirler technology that binds dirt, dust, allergens, bacteria, and viruses in the water tank. Independently tested by airmid healthgroup showing 99.9% virus and 99.6% bacteria reduction. Classified by the Italian Ministry of Health as preventive medicine.
• FLIPPER Mopping accessory that attaches to the DELPHIN, enabling simultaneous mopping, vacuuming, and drying of floors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% reduction of Influenza A(H1N1) viruses within 20 minutes in a 28.5 m³ room
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• airmid healthgroup ltdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent test laboratory from Dublin, Ireland that conducted 6-month intensive testing of DELPHIN S8 air purification capabilities. Confirmed 99.9% virus reduction and 99.6% bacteria reduction effectiveness.
• SIMA (Società Italiana Di Medicina Ambientale)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian Society of Environmental Medicine. The president Alessandro Miani presented DELPHIN S8 and subsequently University of Milan testing confirmed its ability to reduce fine dust in indoor air.
• University of MilanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted testing of DELPHIN's ability to reduce fine dust in indoor air. Testing confirmed Alessandro Miani's hypothesis, leading to Italian Ministry of Health classification of DELPHIN as preventive medicine.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Miele: Miele is a German premium home appliance manufacturer with vacuum cleaners and increasingly indoor air products in its portfolio. Comparable on German manufacturing heritage and premium positioning, but operates across a much broader appliance portfolio rather than specializing in air purification.
• Honeywell: Honeywell offers a broad line of air purifiers, including the HPA series, distributed through mass retail. Comparable on the air purification product category but operating as a diversified industrial conglomerate with HEPA technology rather than DELPHIN's water-based, direct-sales specialty approach.
• Philips (Domestic Appliances): Philips sells the Series 3000i and 8000i air purifiers as part of its broader domestic appliances portfolio. It competes with DELPHIN in residential air purification but with mass-market HEPA technology and broad retail/e-commerce distribution rather than DELPHIN's direct-sales model.

Direct peers

• Blueair: Blueair (owned by Unilever) is a Swedish-founded premium air purifier brand with global distribution. It targets the same health-conscious and allergy-driven consumer segment as DELPHIN and is a direct competitor in premium residential and small-commercial air purification.
• Kärcher: Kärcher is a German family-owned manufacturer of cleaning equipment including pressure washers, vacuums, and indoor air products. It shares DELPHIN's German Mittelstand DNA and water-based cleaning heritage, though at a much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Dyson: Dyson is a global premium manufacturer of bagless vacuum cleaners and air purifiers (Purifier Cool/Heist) with strong brand equity and broad retail distribution. It competes with DELPHIN in the premium air purifier and vacuum categories though using HEPA/HEPA-H13 filtration rather than water-based filtration.
• Bissell: Bissell is a US-based manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, and hard-floor cleaning appliances. Comparable on the vacuum/surface cleaning side of DELPHIN's product, though without DELPHIN's water-based air purification differentiator.
• Venta Luftwäscher: Venta is a German manufacturer of water-based air purifiers (Luftwäscher) using comparable water-filtration technology to DELPHIN. It is the closest direct competitor — same German heritage, same water-based purification concept, and overlapping target customers in homes and offices.
• IQ Air: IQ Air is a Swiss premium manufacturer of hyper-HEPA air purifiers targeted at allergy/asthma sufferers and clinical applications. It overlaps directly with DELPHIN's health-conscious consumer and healthcare-vertical focus, though using multi-stage HEPA filtration rather than water-based technology.
• Vorwerk (Kobold): Vorwerk is a German family-owned direct-sales company best known for Kobold vacuum systems and Thermomix, sold via in-home demonstrations through a partner network. Its GTM motion, premium positioning, German Mittelstand heritage, and vacuum product line closely mirror DELPHIN's operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proair-gmbh

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 Delphin