Sanisphere
Sanisphere designs, manufactures, markets, and installs public toilets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersNyons, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sanisphere does
Sanisphere is a French worker cooperative (SCOP) founded in 1991 and headquartered in Nyons, France, that designs, manufactures, markets, and installs public dry toilets for government and institutional buyers. The company operates a portfolio of five product lines (Sanilight, Sanimagine, Sanimax, Sanipop, Saniter) comprising roughly ten distinct models, all built around a patented conveyor-belt separation system operated by pedal that automatically separates liquids from solids without the sawdust used by conventional dry toilets. Solid waste is processed through vermicomposting, which reduces waste volume by 7-10x, while separated urine can be routed to sewage, primary treatment, or agricultural valorization. The technology is fully waterless, requires no electricity, and incorporates natural ventilation as an anti-odor mechanism, enabling autonomous operation in remote and high-altitude environments.
The company's business model combines hardware sales, project-based installation services, and recurring maintenance contracts sized to each site's usage profile. With over 1,400 installations deployed across France and Europe, Sanisphere serves rural municipalities, urban public spaces, protected natural areas, leisure and tourism sites (ski resorts, camping grounds), and highway rest areas. Customers are predominantly French departmental governments and public-sector entities, with international reach evidenced by a seven-language website (French, English, Spanish, Bulgarian, German, Italian, Romanian). The company has coordinated two EU 7th Framework Programme research consortia (2012-2016) and continued into Horizon 2020 Performance PME, and is an active member of RAE, ATEP, Urivalyon, and Ti²VALUE, signaling ongoing R&D investment in circular-economy sanitation and waterless multi-story building applications.
Sanisphere firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sanisphere
- Legal name
- Sanisphère
- Website
- https://www.sanisphere-fr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sanisphere designs, manufactures, markets, and installs public toilets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sanisphere industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Sanitation Equipment
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
- SIC
- Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Toilet Installation & Repair (HSAOAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Portable Toilet Rental & Servicing (BPALAMAF), Portable Restroom & Sanitation Rentals (Restrooms, Handwashing Stations) (HSACAFAH)
Keywords
Where Sanisphere is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nyons
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sanisphere business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Dry Toilet Unit Sales: Sale of Sanisphere dry toilet products including Sanilight, Sanimagine, Sanimax, Sanipop, and Saniter product lines. Hardware sales constitute the primary revenue stream from municipal and institutional buyers.
- Installation Services: Professional installation services for toilet units including site analysis, integration, and commissioning support.
- Maintenance Contracts: Ongoing maintenance contracts ensuring durability and proper functioning of installations. Provides peace of mind for operators with customized service based on location, usage frequency, and operating conditions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Others | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sanisphere product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sanisphere designs, manufactures, sells, and installs public dry toilets (toilettes sèches publiques) that operate without water or connection to sewer networks. The product range addresses the sanitation needs of municipalities, natural parks, ski resorts, highway rest areas, and camping grounds where conventional water-based infrastructure is unavailable or undesirable, using a patented separation system combined with vermicomposting and natural ventilation.
Product overview
Sanisphere is a French manufacturer of public dry toilets (toilettes sèches) offering a complete portfolio of waterless, autonomous sanitary solutions. The product portfolio consists of five distinct product lines: Sanilight (4 models), Sanimagine (2 models), Sanimax (1 model), Sanipop, and Saniter (3 models, PMR-accessible). All products share Sanisphere's core patented separation technology using a conveyor belt activated by pedal, biological treatment via vermicomposting, and natural ventilation. The products serve various public environments including rural/urban communities, protected natural spaces, leisure areas, and highway service areas. Services include integration, installation, and maintenance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sanilight: Product line of 4 dry toilet models for various public environments.
- Sanimagine
- Sanimax
- Sanipop
- Saniter
Products and services
- Sanilight Public dry toilet model in Sanisphere's product range, designed for outdoor public use in sites without water or sewer infrastructure.
- Sanimagine
- Sanimax
- Sanipop
- Saniter
- Installation and integration services
- Maintenance services
Quantifiable outcome
- Waste volume reduced by 7 to 10 times through vermicomposting
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sanisphere
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sanisphere technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Sanisphere partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UrivalyoncoreRegional initiative building a value chain for human urine valorization for agricultural purposes. Project brings together construction, sanitation, research, agriculture, and municipal stakeholders to test concrete solutions for nutrient collection and valorization.
- OCAPI Programme (École des Ponts ParisTech)minorResearch collaboration demonstrating that 1 liter of urine can contribute to producing the equivalent of two baguettes, validating urine's agricultural value.
- Réseau Assainissement Ecologique (RAE)coreAssociation promoting ecological sanitation approaches based on responsible resource management, environmental impact reduction, and material flow recycling implemented in collaboration with public and private stakeholders.
- ATEP (Association Technique pour l'Eau Potable)minorIndustry association for on-site wastewater treatment actors. SANISPHERE contributes to technical, legal, and societal considerations related to off-network sanitation solutions.
- Ti²VALUE Project ConsortiumcoreMulti-partner project developing waterless toilets suitable for multi-story buildings. Combines self-cleaning surfaces, optimized separation and transport systems with social and cooperative approach in collaboration with academic and local government partners.
- ONF (Office National des Forêts)minorPartnership supporting Grande Chartreuse monastery forest renewal through multi-year management program. Project includes tree health assessment, pruning, selective felling, enhanced monitoring, and preservation of high ecological value trees.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sanisphere competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Separett: Swedish manufacturer of waterless/separating toilets for both household and public use. Comparable to Sanisphere as a European dry-toilet specialist with patented separation technology and similar sustainability positioning.
- Biolan: Finnish producer of dry composting toilets and eco-sanitation systems for households, public sites, and off-grid applications. Comparable product category and end-customer overlap (rural, off-grid, public sanitation).
- Clivus Multrum: Australian/US pioneer in waterless composting toilets for public and remote applications. Comparable as a long-established dry-toilet manufacturer with biological treatment and similar low-water positioning.
- Rocal (Grupo Rocal): Spanish manufacturer of portable and modular public toilets, including off-grid and event units. Comparable as a Southern European public toilet manufacturer with overlapping municipal and event-site customers.
Broad incumbents
- Armal Group: US/global portable toilet manufacturer with broad municipal and construction-site sanitation offerings. Comparable as a larger incumbent in the public/portable sanitation category where Sanisphere operates.
- Polyportables (USA): North American portable sanitation equipment manufacturer for events and construction. Overlaps with Sanisphere's public-sanitation use cases, though with portable/rental rather than permanent dry-toilets.
- Thetford: Global manufacturer of sanitation systems for RVs, marine, and portable applications. Comparable in the broader portable/alternative sanitation category with significant R&D and global distribution scale.
- Dometic: Large global supplier of mobile living solutions including sanitation products for RVs, boats, and outdoor use. Comparable at the broad-category level (alternative sanitation) but with very different end-customer mix and scale.
Regional players
- Tufway (UK): UK-based portable toilet manufacturer serving events and public sites. Comparable as a regional public-sanitation manufacturer competing in adjacent geographies.
Emerging players
- EcoSan (Ecological Sanitation): Emerging player in ecological/urine-diverting sanitation systems with a sustainability mission similar to Sanisphere's. Comparable as a niche competitor in the eco-sanitation segment with overlapping technology concepts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sanisphere social profiles
Digital presenceSanisphere financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sanisphere leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sanisphere funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sanisphere M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sanisphere
What does Sanisphere do?
Sanisphere designs, manufactures, sells, and installs public dry toilets (toilettes sèches publiques) that operate without water or connection to sewer networks. The product range addresses the sanitation needs of municipalities, natural parks, ski resorts, highway rest areas, and camping grounds where conventional water-based infrastructure is unavailable or undesirable, using a patented separation system combined with vermicomposting and natural ventilation.
Is Sanisphere a public or private company?
Sanisphere is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Sanisphere founded?
Sanisphere was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sanisphere based?
Sanisphere is headquartered in Nyons, France, in the Europe region.
How does Sanisphere make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dry Toilet Unit Sales are the primary driver. The others are installation Services and maintenance Contracts.
Who are Sanisphere's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Separett, Biolan, Clivus Multrum and Rocal (Grupo Rocal). Broad incumbents are Armal Group, Polyportables (USA), Thetford and Dometic. Tufway (UK) is listed as a regional player. EcoSan (Ecological Sanitation) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sanisphere have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sanisphere.
What industry is Sanisphere in?
Sanisphere's product category is Public Sanitation Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAOAAAD, Toilet Installation & Repair, with a secondary code of BPALAMAF, Portable Toilet Rental & Servicing. Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4950.