What Broad Group does

Broad Group (远大科技集团) is a privately held Chinese industrial technology company founded in April 1994 by Zhang Yue in Changsha, Hunan, and operating across at least seven wholly-owned subsidiaries. Its flagship is the Holon/Live Building (活楼) modular construction system, which uses factory-built stainless steel modules (12m x 3m x 2.4m) with pre-installed wiring, ducts, and finishing to enable high-rise assembly in days rather than months — demonstrated publicly by a 26-story, 208-apartment residential tower assembled in 5 days in January 2024.

The company's product portfolio spans factory-built modular construction, non-electric absorption heat pump central air conditioning, Building Cooling Heating and Power (BCHP) trigeneration systems, clean air and PM2.5 filtration products, prefabricated bridges and elevated highways, aluminum wind power, building energy retrofits, and resource recycling services. Underlying technology centers on stainless steel core panel (芯板) materials, absorption heat pumps that use waste heat or natural gas instead of electricity for cooling, and H13-level filtration delivering 99.9% PM2.5 removal.

Broad generates revenue through hardware sales (HVAC units, air purifiers, modules), one-time construction project contracts, and managed Energy Performance Contracting (EMC/DBFO) services, distributed via direct enterprise sales teams per subsidiary, dedicated e-commerce storefronts (broadair.net, broademc.net, Tmall, Taobao), and project-based direct sales for large infrastructure deployments. Customer segments include governments (municipal housing, district cooling), commercial and industrial buildings (hotels, hospitals, airports, data centers), and consumer clean air buyers, with named enterprise customers including QUALCOMM HQ, Madrid Airport, National Australia Bank, and Xiangya Hospital across China, the USA, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Chile, India, and Indonesia.

Name

Broad Group

Legal name

远大科技集团

Website

https://broad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Broad Group is a privately held Chinese industrial technology company that designs, manufactures, and deploys factory-built stainless steel modular high-rise buildings, non-electric absorption air conditioning and BCHP trigeneration systems, clean air products, and energy management services for governments, commercial/industrial enterprises, and consumers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Modular Construction Systems

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC Equipment (Heating, Cooling & Air Handling) (IMAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ventilation, Ducting & Air Distribution Equipment (IMAHAKAG), HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB)

Keywords

• Modular construction
• Non-electric air conditioning
• Clean air systems
• Building energy management
• Prefabricated buildings

Headquarters

HQ city

Changsha

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Modular Construction (活楼): Factory-built prefabricated buildings sold as complete modular units for residential, commercial, and mixed-use applications. Revenue from construction projects including assembly services.
2. Central Air Conditioning Systems: Sales of non-electric air conditioning units, absorption heat pumps, and integrated air conditioning systems for commercial, industrial, and government buildings.
3. Clean Air Products: Sales of fresh air ventilation systems, air purifiers, electrostatic disinfection units, and mobile respiratory protection devices through retail and online channels.
4. Energy Management (EMC): Contract energy management services including design, construction, financing, and operation (DBFO) of building energy systems. Savings-based and performance contracting models.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Broad Group manufactures and sells factory-built stainless steel modular buildings (活楼/Holon), non-electric absorption central air conditioning systems, clean air purification equipment, aluminum wind power systems, and prefabricated highway/bridge infrastructure. The company also delivers building energy retrofit services and energy performance contracting (EMC) to commercial, industrial, and government customers globally, alongside consumer-grade clean air products sold through online retail channels.

Product overview

Broad Group (远大科技集团) offers a diversified portfolio of sustainable building and environmental technology products. The core product is the 活楼 (Living Building/Holon) modular construction system, which uses factory-built stainless steel modules for rapid building assembly. This system integrates with 芯板材料 (core panel materials) as the structural foundation. Adjacent products include 预制高架公路/桥梁 (prefabricated infrastructure) and 铝风电 (aluminum wind power) for renewable energy. The company also provides 中央空调 (central air conditioning) featuring non-electric absorption heat pump technology, and 洁净空气 (clean air) products including air purifiers and fresh air systems. Services include 合同能源管理 (energy performance contracting), 建筑节能改造 (building energy retrofits), and 再生资源 (recycling). All products emphasize ultra-low carbon emissions, energy efficiency, and sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 活楼 (Live Building/Holon): Prefabricated stainless steel modular construction system marketed as sustainable buildings with over 1,000 year lifespan

Products and services

• Holon / Live Building (活楼) Modular Construction Factory-built stainless steel modular construction system using the Holon method. Modules (12m × 3m × 2.4m) are manufactured off-site with electrical wiring, ducts, and water filtration pre-installed, then stacked and bolted together on-site to assemble multi-story buildings in days rather than years. Targeted at residential, commercial, hotel, and mixed-use developers and government housing programs.
• Prefabricated Elevated Highways and Bridges (预制高架公路、桥梁) Prefabricated modular highway and bridge construction systems built using Broad Group's core panel materials, enabling rapid deployment of elevated road and bridge infrastructure. Targeted at government infrastructure agencies and civil engineering contractors.
• Aluminum Wind Power (铝风电) Wind power generation systems utilizing aluminum components for sustainable energy production. Targeted at utility-scale and distributed renewable energy developers.
• Core Panel Materials (芯板材料) Stainless steel core panel materials serving as the structural foundation for modular construction, with claimed durability exceeding 1,000 years. Sold as a standalone structural material for construction projects.
• Central Air Conditioning (中央空调) Non-electric absorption heat pump air conditioning systems that utilize waste heat or natural gas for cooling, reducing electricity consumption significantly. Sold to commercial buildings, hospitals, airports, data centers, and district energy systems.
• Clean Air Products (洁净空气) Air purification and fresh air systems including electrostatic air disinfectors, fresh air purifiers, and fresh air ventilation systems with heat recovery, using H13-level filtration materials that remove 99.9% of PM2.5 particles. Sold to commercial buildings, hospitals, schools, public facilities, and residential customers.
• Mobile Lung Protection (移动肺保) Personal portable respiratory protection device providing filtered clean air for individuals on the go. Targeted at individual consumers concerned with PM2.5 pollution and respiratory health.
• Vehicle Lung Protection (车用肺保) In-vehicle air purification device providing clean cabin air for vehicle occupants. Targeted at vehicle owners and fleet operators.
• Three-Use Dual-Energy Air Conditioner (远大三用两能空调) Multi-function air conditioning system combining cooling, heating, and domestic hot water functions in one unit, designed for commercial and residential buildings seeking integrated climate and water heating.
• Energy Performance Contracting / EMC (合同能源管理) Contract energy management services in which Broad Group designs, builds, finances, and operates building energy systems, sharing the cost savings with clients. Targets commercial and public building owners seeking zero-upfront energy retrofits.
• Building Energy Saving Renovation (建筑节能改造) Building energy efficiency retrofit service implementing near-zero energy building standards, including thermal insulation upgrades and smart building systems for existing commercial, industrial, and public buildings.
• Renewable Resources / Recycling (再生资源) Resource recycling and renewable resource management services operated through Broad (Hunan) Renewable Resources Co., Ltd., handling collection and processing of recyclable materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26-story building completed in 5 days with ~100 workers and 2 cranes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Daikin Industries: World's largest HVAC manufacturer with strong presence in absorption chillers and commercial/industrial cooling. Directly comparable to Broad's non-electric absorption AC and central HVAC offerings.
• Trane Technologies: Global HVAC equipment major with strong commercial/industrial cooling, heating, and energy services portfolio. Directly comparable to Broad's central air conditioning and BCHP businesses serving data centers, airports, and large commercial buildings.
• Ameresco: Energy services company specializing in energy performance contracting (ESPC) and building retrofits. Directly comparable to Broad's 合同能源管理 (EMC) and building energy retrofit service lines.
• Carrier Global: Global leader in HVAC, refrigeration, and building automation. Comparable to Broad's commercial/industrial refrigeration, central AC, and clean air businesses across similar enterprise customer segments.
• Lennox International: HVAC equipment and refrigeration manufacturer serving commercial and residential markets. Comparable to Broad's central air conditioning and clean air product lines targeting similar B2B and B2C channels.

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE: Global energy services and district heating/cooling operator. Comparable to Broad's district cooling/heating and BCHP deployments such as Nanjing Hexi New City and international government/military projects.
• Johnson Controls: Building technologies major spanning HVAC, controls, building automation, and energy services. Comparable as a broader portfolio incumbent competing with Broad's integrated HVAC + energy management + clean air bundle.

Emerging players

• Plant Prefab: California-based prefabricated home builder using factory-built modules with sustainability focus. Comparable as an emerging modular construction peer targeting similar residential and small-commercial markets.
• Katerra: Was a high-profile vertically integrated modular construction company (now defunct) pursuing factory-built multifamily buildings. Historically the most direct pure-play peer to Broad's Holon/Live Building system in Western markets.

Others

• IES (Integrated Environmental Solutions): Building performance analytics and energy modeling software provider. Adjacent peer via the energy efficiency / near-zero-energy building ecosystem in which Broad's retrofit and EMC services operate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 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 Broad Group