What LUH does

Labor für Umwelthygiene Dr. Bürger GmbH & Co. KG (LUH) is an independent German testing laboratory founded in 2003 and headquartered in Hanshagen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It provides accredited microbiological and chemical water analysis for drinking water, wastewater, pool and process water, cooling-tower circuits, and legionella surveillance, using conventional wet-lab methodology supplemented by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for pathogen identification. The laboratory operates under DAkkS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001 certification, making its reports legally usable for regulatory and compliance purposes across Germany.

LUH's customer base spans housing and property managers, dental and ENT medical practices, agricultural operators, small municipal sewage-plant operators, public institutions, and private well owners, with no single dominant segment disclosed. Revenue is generated on a per-sample fee-for-service basis, with routine tests priced between EUR 49 and EUR 77 and on-site qualified sampling priced at EUR 40 plus EUR 75 travel, indicating a high-volume, low-ticket commercial model. Customer acquisition is conducted through direct outreach, professional-association channels (notably a partnership with Landeszahnärztekammer Baden-Württemberg), and trade-event presence such as Trinkwassertag and DWA workshops.

The company is privately held as a family-owned GmbH & Co. KG with no external funding rounds disclosed in the input. Its principal recent capital action is the April 2026 commissioning of a new laboratory facility in Hanshagen, which expands physical analytical capacity at its single site. The business model is therefore best characterized as a compliance-driven, regionally rooted B2B testing services operation rather than a high-growth technology venture, with growth dependent on regulation-driven recurring test demand and incremental capacity build-out.

Name

LUH

Legal name

Labor für Umwelthygiene Dr. Bürger GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://luh-buerger.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LUH is an independent DAkkS-accredited German testing laboratory founded in 2003 in Hanshagen, providing microbiological and chemical water analysis (drinking, wastewater, cooling-tower, legionella) to housing operators, dental and medical practices, agriculture, and public-institution customers on a per-sample fee basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Quality Testing Laboratory Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services (in-house/contract labs; microbiology, metals, organics) (EUANAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG), Microbiology & Pathogen Monitoring (Legionella, Coliform, HABs) (EUAHACAI), Water Sampling, Testing & Laboratory Analysis (Legionella/Microbiology) (BPABAJAB)

Keywords

• Water quality testing
• Drinking water analysis
• Legionella testing
• Wastewater analysis
• Environmental hygiene services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanshagen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Testing Services: LUH generates revenue through providing water analysis laboratory services. Customers pay for testing of water samples including drinking water, wastewater, swimming pool water, well water, dental unit water, and HVAC systems. Pricing is per sample with different test packages available (e.g., HNO Basis at 77 EUR, Microbiology packages 54-70 EUR, Legionella at 49 EUR, qualified sampling at 40 EUR plus travel). Results are delivered electronically via signed PDF.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LUH is a DAkkS-accredited environmental hygiene laboratory that performs microbiological and chemical water analysis under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005. It tests drinking water, well water, wastewater, pool water, cooling tower water, and water in dental and ENT medical practices for pathogens, Legionella, and chemical parameters. The laboratory offers qualified on-site sampling, accredited analysis, and issuance of legally recognized test reports required by German drinking water and infection protection regulations.

Product overview

LUH (Labor für Umwelthygiene) operates as a comprehensive water analysis laboratory offering a portfolio of specialized testing services. The core offerings include drinking water (Trinkwasser), wastewater (Abwasser), swimming pool water (Schwimmbadwasser), well water (Brunnenwasser), and Legionella testing. Specialized services target dental practices (Zahnarztpraxis/Dental RKI) and ENT practices (HNO-Praxis/DGKH), as well as evaporative cooling systems (Verdunstungskühlanlagen). The portfolio includes modular add-on testing packages such as Mikrobiologie, MikrobiologiePlus, Legionellentest, Komfort Test, Basis Test, heavy metal testing (Blei Kupfer Nickel, Schwermetall), Babytrinkwasser, iron-manganese testing, heat pump water testing, and various wastewater parameters (BSB5, CSB). The laboratory also provides qualified sampling services. The products are primarily service-based laboratory analysis offerings rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trinkwasseruntersuchung (Drinking Water Testing) DAkkS-accredited microbiological and chemical analysis of drinking water for landlords, property managers, housing companies, and public institutions in compliance with the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV).
• Brunnenwasseruntersuchung (Well Water Testing) Microbiological and chemical analysis of private well water for private homeowners using a free express transport service; tests for coliforms, E. coli, and chemical parameters.
• Abwasseruntersuchung (Wastewater Analysis) Analysis of wastewater for small sewage treatment plant operators, including municipal and private operators required to verify discharge quality.
• Legionellenuntersuchung (Legionella Testing) Legionella screening of drinking water installations for landlords, property managers, and building operators as required by German drinking water regulations; uses culture-based and molecular methods including MALDI-TOF differentiation of Legionella species.
• Schwimmbadwasseranalyse (Pool Water Analysis) Microbiological and chemical testing of swimming pool and bathing water for pool operators and hotels in accordance with DIN 19643 and related standards.
• Zahnarztpraxis-Wasserprüfung (Dental Practice Water Testing) Specialized water testing package for dental practices, including treatment unit and rinse water analysis, in compliance with infection protection requirements for medical practices.
• HNO-Praxis-Wassertest (ENT Practice Water Testing) Specialized water testing package for ear, nose and throat medical practices targeting Legionella and pseudomonads in clinical water systems.
• Verdunstungskühlanlagen-Prüfung (Cooling Tower Testing) Microbiological testing of evaporative cooling systems and cooling towers in compliance with the 42nd Federal Immission Control Ordinance (42. BImSchV) for building operators.
• Trinkwasser-Installationsprüfung (Drinking Water Installation Testing) Testing of in-building drinking water installations for landlords and property owners, covering stagnation sampling, system inspections, and compliance sampling.
• Qualifizierte Probenahme (Qualified Sampling Service) On-site qualified sampling by trained field technicians across Germany; customers may also self-sample using the company's courier service.
• Tränkwasseranalyse (Livestock Drinking Water Analysis) Analysis of drinking water for livestock in agricultural operations, including microbiological and chemical parameters relevant to animal husbandry.
• Teichwasseruntersuchung (Pond Water Analysis) Water analysis for ornamental and recreational ponds covering microbiological and chemical parameters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Results delivered within 16 days of sample receipt
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Landeszahnärztekammer Baden-Württemberg (LZK BW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2016Since February 2016, LUH is an official partner of the Landeszahnärztekammer Baden-Württemberg for legally compliant drinking water testing at dental units. LUH provides a unique shipping service enabling LZK members to easily, quickly, and securely conduct sample collection with a DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited laboratory. This partnership represents a significant channel partnership with the professional dental association in Germany's third-largest state.
• Deutscher Fachverband für Luft- und Wasserhygiene (DFLW e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUH is a member of DFLW e.V. (German Association for Air and Water Hygiene), supporting the association's tasks and goals in the fields of room air and water hygiene. LUH contributes expertise and support to the association's mission in these specialized hygiene domains.
• Dr.-Ing. Carsten Gollnisch (Akkreditierte Hygieneinspektionsstelle für Trinkwassersysteme - AHT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUH collaborates with Dr.-Ing. Carsten Gollnisch of AHT (Accredited Hygiene Inspection Body for Drinking Water Systems) in organizing hygiene expert meetings (Hygienefachgespräche) on topics including the revised Trinkwasserverordnung and legionella in residential buildings.
• Dr. med. Christian Lück (Konsiliarlaboratorium für Legionellen, TU Dresden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUH collaborates with Dr. med. Christian Lück from the Consiliary Laboratory for Legionella at TU Dresden for hygiene expert meetings, providing expertise on legionella differentiation using molecular methods and MALDI-TOF technology.
• Berufsverband der Hygienekontrolleure Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRalf Neitz from Berufsverband der Hygienekontrolleure Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V. was a speaker at LUH's Trinkwassertag 2026 event on drinking water hygiene topics.
• Bundesverband der Hygieneinspektoren e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaximilian Stubbe from Bundesverband der Hygieneinspektoren e.V. was a speaker at LUH's Trinkwassertag 2026 event.
• AQUAEffekt (Timo Effe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTimo Effe from AQUAEffekt was a speaker at LUH's Trinkwassertag 2026 event on drinking water topics.
• Gebr. Kemper GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndreas Stillecke from Gebr. Kemper GmbH & Co. KG was a speaker at LUH's Trinkwassertag 2026 event on drinking water hygiene and technology topics.
• DWA (Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUH regularly participates in DWA workshops and events (DWA Nordost, DWA Sachsen/Thüringen) as exhibitor and speaker. DWA is Germany's leading association for water management, wastewater and waste. LUH's Dr. Harald Bürger and Bernd Kaiser have presented at DWA workshops on small sewage plant testing topics.
• Technische Hygiene.Info (Dr. Carsten Gollnisch)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUH cooperates with Technische Hygiene.Info for seminars on the revised Trinkwasserverordnung. Dr. Gollnisch serves as seminar leader, combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience from his work as expert witness and authorized inspector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GBA Group: German laboratory group providing environmental, food, water, and pharmaceutical testing including drinking water and wastewater analysis under DAkkS accreditation — a closer peer to LUH than global incumbents, with comparable accreditations and SME/municipal customer focus in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Scientific: Global market leader in food, environmental, pharmaceutical and clinical testing; its German operations include accredited water testing services that directly overlap with LUH's drinking water, wastewater, and legionella offerings, albeit at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Bureau Veritas Germany: International TIC (testing, inspection, certification) provider with German operations offering environmental and water testing; competes with LUH on legionella, drinking water, and cooling tower compliance work for industrial and commercial clients.
• SGS Germany: SGS is one of the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification companies; its German arm offers accredited environmental and water quality laboratory services targeting industrial, municipal, and commercial customers in the same regulatory regimes LUH serves (TrinkwV, ISO 17025).
• TÜV Rheinland: Major German certification and testing organisation offering water hygiene inspections, drinking water installation assessments, and legionella testing for property managers and public buildings — directly overlapping with LUH's TrinkwV-driven service portfolio, though as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Intertek Germany: Global quality assurance and testing group; its German operations include environmental and water testing capabilities serving industrial, commercial, and public-sector customers overlapping with LUH's regulated water testing offerings.
• TÜV SÜD: German technical inspection and testing body with accredited water and environmental testing services, including drinking water and legionella inspections for residential and commercial buildings; competes with LUH for property manager and public institution customers.

Emerging players

• Hygiena: Specialised provider of microbiology testing solutions including water testing products and rapid microbiological diagnostics; competes with LUH in the microbiology testing segment (legionella, coliforms) using complementary rapid-test technology for water hygiene applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 LUH