What MicroBubbles does

MicroBubbles GmbH is a Leipzig-based environmental engineering company founded in April 2021 with support from the German Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovations (SPRIND). It develops and deploys physical water-treatment systems designed to remove microplastics and micropollutants from municipal stormwater and wastewater without chemical additives. The core technology is a patented in-situ microflotation process that generates ultra-fine gas bubbles of roughly 45 μm diameter to bind hydrophobic particles and transport them to the water surface for mechanical removal, achieving claimed elimination rates of up to 95% for tire abrasion and 90% for TSS63. The system is modular and consists of three components: a 10-foot Land Unit container for gas saturation, an In-situ Unit for direct bubble generation inside basins, and a Skimmer for flotate removal, supporting retrofit deployment into existing sedimentation tanks and stormwater facilities.

The company operates a vertically integrated stack that pairs its hardware with in-house analytical capability: a microplastic analysis laboratory in Bad Lippspringe built around ISO class 7 and 8 clean rooms, offering sample preparation claimed to be up to 70x faster than conventional methods and recovery rates up to 99% across a 5 mm to 1 μm size range. Complementary digital offerings include TyreWearMapping (a GIS-supported emission hotspot model co-developed with Fraunhofer UMSICHT), a fluorescence-based screening method for early microplastic detection, volume-proportional composite samplers, and real-time monitoring of particle count, size distribution and pollutant concentration. Revenue is generated across three streams: hardware sales of microflotation systems, professional analytical testing services, and system-integration/consulting for retrofit deployments.

MicroBubbles serves German municipal water and wastewater operators, highway infrastructure managers, planning and engineering firms, and industrial companies that face tightening compliance under the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD/KARL) and the German DWA-A 166 and DWA-A 102 standards. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with a pilot-led model, currently anchored by long-term monitoring partnerships with Stadtentwässerungsbetrieb Paderborn (STEB) and Autobahn GmbH Branch Westfalen, alongside alliances with Fraunhofer institutes, DWA, Gelsenwasser, and multiple German universities. The company has roughly 30 staff across its Leipzig headquarters and Bad Lippspringe laboratory and has received regional recognition through the Innovationspreis 2025 award.

Name

MicroBubbles

Legal name

MicroBubbles GmbH

Website

https://microbubbles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MicroBubbles GmbH is a Leipzig-based environmental engineering company developing patented in-situ microflotation hardware, an ISO-certified microplastic analytics lab, and GIS-based TyreWearMapping to remove microplastics and micropollutants from water for German municipal operators, highway authorities, and engineering firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote) (EUANADAE)

Keywords

• Water treatment systems
• Microplastic removal
• Microflotation technology
• Wastewater treatment
• Water purification

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Microflotation Systems (Hardware/Software): Sale and installation of modular microflotation units (Land Unit container-based and In-situ units) for water treatment facilities, targeting municipal operators, industries, and engineering firms
2. Analytical Testing Services: Laboratory services for microplastic and micropollutant analysis providing scalable data for pollution visualization and regulatory compliance
3. System Integration and Consulting: Technical integration services for retrofitting existing facilities with microflotation technology, including planning support and performance validation

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MicroBubbles develops and sells modular water purification systems based on patented in-situ microflotation technology that generates ultra-fine gas bubbles (45 μm) to physically bind and remove microplastics and micropollutants from water without chemical additives. The portfolio includes the container-based Land Unit, In-situ bubble generation unit, and Skimmer for surface removal, complemented by in-house microplastic analytical laboratory services and the TyreWearMapping GIS model. The systems are designed as retrofit solutions for existing municipal stormwater and sewage treatment facilities.

Product overview

MicroBubbles offers a modular, scalable water purification system centered on its patented in-situ microflotation technology. The core product consists of three integrated components: the Land-based Unit (10-foot container with pumps for gas saturation), the In-situ Unit (bubble generation for direct application in water), and the Skimmer (for removing floated particles). This physical microflotation technology uses ultra-fine gas bubbles (45 μm diameter) to bind and remove microplastics and micropollutants without chemical additives. Complementing the hardware system, MicroBubbles provides in-house analytical laboratory services with ISO-classified clean rooms, the TyreWearMapping GIS model for tire wear hotspot visualization, fluorescence-based screening methods, volume-proportional samplers, and real-time monitoring analytics. The portfolio is designed for retrofitting existing stormwater treatment facilities and integrates the core microflotation modules with precision analytics for monitoring and verification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-situ Microflotation Technology System Patented modular physical microflotation system installed directly in treatment basins. Generates ultra-fine gas bubbles (45 μm diameter) through pressure relief flotation that bind hydrophobic microplastics and micropollutants, transporting them to the water surface for removal via skimming. Operates without chemical additives and is designed as a retrofit solution for existing municipal stormwater and sewage treatment facilities.
• Microplastic Analysis Laboratory Services In-house analytical laboratory services providing precise microplastic sample analysis using cutting-edge technology in ISO class 7 and 8 certified clean rooms. Achieves up to 99% recovery rate with sample preparation up to 70x faster than conventional methods, measuring in size range from 5 mm to 1 μm. Delivers scalable data for pollution visualization and regulatory compliance reporting.
• TyreWearMapping GIS-supported model for mapping tire wear hotspots and microplastic emissions, providing interactive visualization for targeted emission reduction planning. Developed with Fraunhofer UMSICHT and uses traffic data, road types, speeds, and gradient curvature to identify pollution hotspots for microplastic emission sources.
• Real-time Analytics and Monitoring Analytics system that records particle count, size distribution, and pollutant concentration in real time, providing reliable evidence for water treatment operators, authorities, and investors. Enables compliance monitoring and performance verification of microflotation deployments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Elimination rates of up to 95% for tire abrasion and 90% for TSS63
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature10 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Stadtentwässerungsbetrieb Paderborn (STEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term monitoring project of sedimentation tank impounded in Paderborn. Analyzed TSS63, microplastics, and micropollutants in stormwater. First test site for prototype under real operating conditions. Installed four samplers at the Paderborn location.
• Autobahn GmbH Branch WestfalencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term study of highway rainwater treatment systems monitoring seasonal variations in TSS63, microplastics, and micropollutants. Examines various stormwater facilities with different technical standards. Installed six samplers at Neheim location.
• Fraunhofer UMSICHTmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on TyreWearMapping project developing GIS-supported model for mapping tire wear hotspots using traffic data, road types, speeds, and gradient curvature data for Paderborn region.
• TH OWL (Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for research collaboration in water treatment technology and micropollutant analysis.
• Hochschule BielefeldmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences for innovative solutions against microplastics.
• Fraunhofer IEMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems.
• University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for environmental research and water treatment studies.
• Leibniz University Hannover (LFI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Institute of Environmental Engineering for research collaboration.
• UFZ (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with leading environmental research center for water treatment research.
• P3 GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology and engineering partner.
• Bad Lippspringe (Municipality)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership location; analytical laboratory operates in Bad Lippspringe with municipal support.
• TU BraunschweigminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical University partnership for engineering research.
• GelsenwassermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater management company partnership; featured in Gelsenwasser GLASKLAR podcast.
• DWA (German Association for Water, Wastewater and Environment)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership partnership with leading German water industry association for standards compliance (DWA-A 102, DWA-A 166).
• Naturkundemuseum PaderbornminorOthersEducational partnership for public awareness on environmental topics.
• Metronom Agentur für Kommunikation und Design GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConcept, design and development agency for website and communications (Leipzig).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nijhuis Industries: Netherlands-based water and wastewater treatment company offering DAF, flotation, and micropollutant removal solutions to municipalities and industry. Overlaps with MicroBubbles in municipal microplastic retrofit applications and serves similar European utility customers.
• Hydro International: UK-based water-treatment specialist offering dissolved air flotation (DAF) and stormwater treatment systems to municipal and industrial customers. Competes directly with MicroBubbles in retrofit microplastic and TSS63 removal at wastewater and rainwater facilities.
• KWI International: Austrian manufacturer of dissolved gas flotation systems for industrial and municipal water treatment. Highly comparable in core flotation technology, customer base, and geographic focus on European municipal markets.
• EnviroChemie: German industrial water and wastewater treatment specialist (part of SUEZ) serving industrial and municipal customers with flotation, separation, and micropollutant removal. Strongly comparable as a German-headquartered competitor offering physical (non-chemical) treatment solutions.
• Matter Industries (formerly Porifera): US-based deep-tech startup developing novel membrane and separation solutions for microplastic and contaminant removal from water. Comparable as a venture-backed, single-technology microplastic-removal challenger targeting industrial and municipal applications.

Others

• Wilo SE: German-headquartered global pump and water systems manufacturer. Adjacent as a supplier of pumping and water-circulation technology used inside MicroBubbles' containerized Land Unit and in similar municipal water-treatment infrastructure.

Emerging players

• INKplant GmbH: German deep-tech startup developing innovative water treatment and membrane technologies. Comparable as a similarly early-stage German water-tech venture operating at the intersection of research partnerships and commercial pilots.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water and wastewater treatment division of Veolia, providing a full portfolio of treatment solutions including flotation and tertiary treatment to municipalities and industry. Overlaps with MicroBubbles in stormwater and wastewater microplastic removal applications.
• Trojan Technologies: Veolia-owned UV water treatment specialist serving municipal and industrial customers globally. Competes in adjacent water-treatment steps (disinfection, advanced treatment) and could extend into microplastic polishing via its municipal channel.
• Xylem: Global water technology major offering pumps, filtration, treatment, and digital solutions to municipal and industrial customers. Competes with MicroBubbles across the broader wastewater-treatment stack and could rapidly add microplastic polishing to its installed base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microbubbles-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 MicroBubbles