Dekabo

What Dekabo does

Dekabo is a Belgian specialist contractor in horizontal directional drilling (HDD), founded in 1997 by Kim and Natalie Aerts and headquartered in Olen, Belgium. The company executes trenchless installation of underground linear infrastructure such as pipelines, cables, and ducts using guided parabolic bore paths between an entry and exit point, alongside integrated polyethylene (PE) welding for pipe connections. The core technology is the HDD rig fleet (Ditch Witch JT-9 through JT-100, AT30/AT40, DW2020), supplemented by specialized RSTP probes for drilling under reinforced concrete and rock-drilling heads for hard ground conditions, with an internal engineering study service performing computer-simulated bore path design and producing technical dossiers in X, Y, Z coordinates. The group operates as DKB Partners BV with three divisions: Dekabo (Olen, headquarters), Fordibel (Herstal, Wallonia, established 2004), and Rio Construct (Asse/Brussels, acquired 2020), collectively covering Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels.

Dekabo generates revenue almost entirely from professional services sold on a project-quote basis, working primarily as a subcontractor for utility companies (Proximus, Ores, Veolia, Aquafin, IPALLE), engineering firms, and large construction developers, and also directly for industrial and private clients. Named enterprise projects include HDD borings at Charleroi Airport and Brussels Airport, fiber network deployments for Volker Wessels Telecom and VOO, high-voltage connections for wind farms, brewery utility infrastructure for Brouwerij Dubuisson, and sewer installations for Pairi Daiza. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by repeat relationships and a partnership approach, supplemented by a website, project portfolio, and inbound quote requests. Since 2019 the group has been owned by Belgian investment fund KeBeK Private Equity together with the management team led by CEO Bart Denoodt; the group employs approximately 100 people with more than 200 years of combined HDD experience.

Name

Dekabo

Legal name

DKB Partners BV

Website

https://dekabo.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dekabo is a Belgian specialist contractor in horizontal directional drilling (HDD), trenchless PE pipe welding, and sewer renovation. It serves utility companies, engineering firms, construction developers, and industrial clients across Belgium through its Dekabo, Fordibel, and Rio Construct divisions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Olen

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HDD Drilling Services: Horizontal directional drilling services performed primarily as subcontractor work, executing guided bore installations for utility and infrastructure projects. Includes fast execution with immediate product line pulling after drilling.
2. PE Welding Services: Polyethylene welding services for pipeline installations, including welding of PE materials with registration.
3. Sewer Renovation Services: Sewer renovation and installation services through Rio Construct subsidiary, including house connections, partial renovations, manhole renovations, shortliners, and robot techniques.
4. Internal Engineering Studies: Engineering and design services for drilling projects including cost estimation, technique determination, drill path visualization, and technical dossier preparation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dekabo performs horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for trenchless installation of underground linear infrastructure such as pipelines, cables, and conduits using the "no-dig principle" via a guided parabolic path from entry point A to exit point B. Complementary offerings include polyethylene (PE) welding for pipeline connections and sewer renovation services (through Rio Construct subsidiary) using pipe bursting, robotic techniques, and injection works. An internal engineering study service provides drill path design, obstacle mapping, and technical dossiers for both direct clients and external engineering bureaus.

Product overview

Dekabo is an independent full-service organization specializing in horizontal directional drilling (HDD: Horizontal Directional Drilling), PE welding, and sewer renovation. The company operates as part of the Dekabo Group under holding company DKB Partners BV, alongside sister companies Fordibel and Rio Construct. The core offering is HDD services using the 'no-dig principle' for trenchless underground infrastructure installation, complemented by PE welding for pipe connections and Rio Construct's sewer renovation services (including pipe bursting, robotic techniques, and injection works). An internal engineering service provides preparatory studies and bore path design. Services are delivered through a modern machine fleet including Ditch Witch equipment (JT-9, JT-25, JT-40, JT-100, DW2020, AT30, AT40 models), working primarily as subcontractors for utility companies and infrastructure projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Horizontaal Gestuurde Boringen (Horizontal Directional Drilling) Trenchless installation of underground linear infrastructure (pipelines, cables, conduits) using the "no-dig principle" via a guided parabolic path from entry point A to exit point B. Service is delivered for utility companies, construction developers, and engineering firms across Belgium.
• PE Laswerken (PE Welding) Polyethylene welding services for connecting and sealing PE pipes used in utility networks, integrated with HDD installations. Includes welding of PE materials with registration.
• Rioolrenovatie (Sewer Renovation) Sewer renovation and installation services delivered through the Rio Construct subsidiary acquired in 2020. Includes house connections, partial renovations, pit renovations, shortliners, pipe bursting, robotic techniques, horizontal drilling, and injection works.
• Interne Studiedienst (Internal Engineering Study Service) Internal engineering and design service that performs preparatory studies for drilling projects, including digital plan processing (DWG format), obstacle mapping, computer-simulated bore path design, technical documentation, and bore reports in X, Y, Z coordinates. Service is provided for direct clients as well as external engineering bureaus and utility companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects completed within 1 day for multiple bore installations (e.g., 250m high-voltage connection at wind farm completed in 1 day)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rio ConstructcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sewer renovation and works company acquired by Dekabo Group in 2020, specializing in house connections, partial renovations, manhole renovations, shortliners, robot techniques, horizontal drilling, and injection works. Founded 2016 with ~30 employees and expected revenue of 6.2M EUR.
• DKB Partners BVcoreOthersOverarching holding company of Dekabo Group that encompasses all divisions and subsidiaries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• A.Hak Industrial Services: Netherlands-based pipeline and HDD contractor serving utilities across Europe. Overlaps with Dekabo in trenchless pipeline and cable installation for gas, water, district heating and telecom, with comparable engineering and execution model.
• Horizontal Drilling International (HDI): French HDD specialist executing long-distance and large-diameter horizontal directional drilling for pipelines, cables and river/road crossings across Europe. Direct peer in HDD service offering and project complexity (similar rock-drilling and long-bore capabilities).
• Visser & Smit Hanab: Dutch specialist in HDD, pipeline construction and cable installation. Directly comparable to Dekabo in trenchless underground infrastructure delivery for utilities, with similar project portfolio (gas, water, fiber, power) and customer base across the Benelux.
• Renotec Group: Belgian specialist in sewer and pipeline renovation, including trenchless techniques (shortliners, CIPP, pipe bursting). Overlaps directly with Rio Construct's sewer renovation offering and competes for the same municipal/utility clients in Belgium.

Broad incumbents

• Vermeer Corporation: US-based global manufacturer of HDD rigs and trenchless installation equipment, also offering dealer-supported services. Comparable as broad incumbent in HDD capital equipment; Dekabo operates Ditch Witch/Vermeer competitive equipment in its fleet.
• TRACTO-TECHNIK: German-headquartered global manufacturer of trenchless technology including HDD rigs, trenchers and guided boring tools. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the HDD/trenchless category with deeper product portfolio and international footprint than Dekabo.
• Colas Group: Major French/international infrastructure group with utility and pipeline construction activities, including trenchless works. Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in utility line construction across the same European geographies Dekabo serves.

Others

• Digital Control Incorporated (DCI): US-based manufacturer of HDD guidance and locating equipment (subsurface radio sondes like the RSTP-type technology Dekabo uses). Adjacent ecosystem supplier rather than direct competitor; represents the tooling layer Dekabo depends on for precision boring.

Regional players

• Ackerman & van Haaren (Engi) / Engicon: Belgian civil engineering and infrastructure contractor active in pipeline, sewer and utility construction. Regional peer competing for the same Belgian municipal and utility infrastructure projects Dekabo executes as subcontractor.
• LMR Drilling: UK-based horizontal directional drilling contractor serving utility and infrastructure clients with comparable rig fleet and trenchless installation services. Regional peer with similar project types but operating in UK rather than Belgium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dekabogroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Dekabo