H2O

What H2O does

H2O GmbH is a German manufacturer of industrial wastewater recycling systems headquartered in Steinen, Baden-Württemberg. The company designs, builds, and services the VACUDEST line of vacuum distillation systems, which evaporate water from industrial wastewater under vacuum, condense and recover clean distillate, and concentrate contaminants — enabling zero liquid discharge (ZLD) for manufacturing operations. The proprietary technology stack includes the core VACUDEST system, a self-cleaning heat exchanger branded Activepowerclean (introduced 2000), oil-removal Clearcat, COD-compliance Purecat, pH-control Destcontrol, touch-control Vacutouch, distillate-polishing Oxydest, and a post-concentrator branded VACUDEST ZLD. Underlying technology traces to 1985/1986 vacuum distillation units originally introduced at Mannesmann Demag Wittig; H2O GmbH was formed in 1999 via management buy-out of the vacuum distillation branch of Gardner Denver Wittig and has continuously developed the platform since, with ISO 9001 certification (2024-2027) governing quality management.

H2O generates revenue from capital equipment sales of VACUDEST systems (sized from XS at 40 l/h through XXL), recurring spare parts and consumables, and professional services including lifecycle management, maintenance, e-Service, hotline, training, and re-engineering, supplemented by consulting and engineering work centered on its in-house Application Center. The customer base spans 1,700+ enterprises across 40+ countries, with named logos including AUDI AG, Sony DADC Austria, Montblanc, Harting AG, Jet Aviation, SIKA, RDO Springs, Sea Link, and CAPSA. Eight primary verticals are served: surface technology, automotive, aviation/MRO, electronics, metal working, chemicals/pharmaceuticals/healthcare, energy generation, and waste disposal/recycling. Customer-facing economics cited include up to 95% reduction in wastewater disposal costs, 90-99% water recovery rates, and 1.5-3 year payback periods.

H2O goes to market through direct enterprise field sales with regional area sales managers covering Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Poland, USA, and Mexico, supplemented by three wholly-owned subsidiaries in China (Kunshan), Poland (Poznan), and Switzerland (Muttenz), and a network of channel and service partners across approximately 12 additional countries. Demand generation runs through industry trade shows (IFAT, Surface Technology, PaintExpo, EuroBLECH, Global Industrie), an active multilingual website with ratgeber content, webinars, and a substantial case-study library. The company is privately held and owner-managed, with Matthias Fickenscher as Managing Director and controlling shareholder.

Name

H2O

Legal name

H2O GmbH

Website

https://h2o-de.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

H2O GmbH is a German manufacturer of VACUDEST vacuum distillation systems that enable zero liquid discharge in industrial wastewater treatment, serving 1,700+ enterprise customers across 40+ countries in automotive, surface technology, electronics, aviation, and other manufacturing sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Wastewater Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)

SIC

Heating Equip, Except Elec & Warm Air; & Plumbing Fixtures (3430)

akta.pro primary industry

Vacuum Pumps & Systems (IMAHANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Parts Washing & Degreasing Equipment (IMAHALAD)

Keywords

• Industrial wastewater treatment
• Vacuum distillation systems
• Zero liquid discharge
• Water recycling equipment
• Industrial process water recovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Steinen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. VACUDEST Systems Sales: Sale of vacuum distillation equipment including VACUDEST XS through XXL models. One-time capital equipment purchase with options for customization and capacity. Equipment includes base systems plus add-on modules like Clearcat, Purecat, and ZLD.
2. Spare Parts and Consumables: Replacement parts, system cleaners, defoamers and operating materials. Consumables are selected for specific applications in the application center for wastewater-free production.
3. Service and Maintenance: Customer Care services including maintenance, installation and commissioning, hotline support, e-Service, training, re-engineering, and on-site service. Lifecycle management and financing options also available.
4. Consulting and Engineering: Wastewater consulting including wastewater analysis, solution planning, and process optimization. Application center for testing and validating solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

H2O GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells VACUDEST vacuum distillation systems that treat industrial wastewater by evaporating water under vacuum and recovering it as clean distillate, enabling zero liquid discharge (ZLD) production. The company also supplies add-on technologies (Clearcat, Purecat, Activepowerclean, Destcontrol, Vacutouch, Oxydest), consulting, installation, and lifecycle services to industrial customers worldwide.

Product overview

H2O offers the VACUDEST product line - a platform of vacuum distillation systems for industrial wastewater treatment achieving zero liquid discharge. The core VACUDEST system comes in capacity sizes from XS to XXL (40 l/h and above). Supporting technologies include add-on modules like Clearcat (oil removal), Purecat (COD compliance), Activepowerclean (self-cleaning heat exchanger), Destcontrol (pH control), Vacutouch (machine control), and Oxydest (final polish). VACUDEST ZLD serves as a post-concentrator for enhanced treatment. The company also offers VACUDEST Circular for refurbished systems. All products are backed by consulting, engineering, lifecycle management, and customer care services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VACUDEST: The core vacuum distillation technology system for industrial wastewater treatment enabling zero liquid discharge production.
• VACUDEST ZLD
• Clearcat
• Purecat
• Activepowerclean
• Destcontrol
• Vacutouch
• Oxydest
• VACUDEST Circular

Products and services

• VACUDEST Vacuum Distillation System H2O's main vacuum distillation system for industrial wastewater treatment that achieves zero liquid discharge by evaporating wastewater under vacuum and recovering clean water as distillate. Sold in capacity sizes from XS (40 l/h) to XXL.
• VACUDEST ZLD Post-Concentrator Standalone post-concentrator system that enables enhanced zero liquid discharge results by further concentrating residual waste after the primary VACUDEST treatment step.
• VACUDEST Circular (Refurbished Systems Program) Refurbished second-hand VACUDEST systems program offering customers previously used vacuum distillation units that have been reconditioned for long-term reliable operation.
• Wastewater Consulting and Engineering Services Professional wastewater consulting services including wastewater analysis, custom solution planning, and process optimization, performed at H2O's in-house application center for wastewater-free production.
• Customer Care (Maintenance, Installation, Spare Parts, Training) Lifecycle services for installed VACUDEST systems including maintenance, installation and commissioning, hotline support, e-Service, spare parts, training, re-engineering, and on-site service, plus leasing and financing options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% reduction in wastewater disposal costs through local water recovery
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kontek Ecology Systems Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized sales and service partner for Canada and USA. Handles installations, spare parts, and on-site service in Burlington, Ontario.
• FinnSonic OycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Finland. Located in Lahti, Finland.
• Aquaprox I-TechcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for France. Located in Cergy-Pontoise, France.
• Tanhay CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Korea. Located in Incheon, Republic of Korea.
• INERCO ITC S.A.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Spain (Madrid, Sevilla) and Chile. Part of INERCO group providing environmental technology solutions.
• UNIWES Engineering (S) Pte LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Singapore. Located in Paya Ubi Industrial Park.
• Hardtest Ipari Kereskedelmi Kft.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales partner for Hungary. Located in Budapest.
• Eco-Vision bvbacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerService partner for Belgium. Handles installations, spare parts, and on-site service. Located in As, Belgium.
• LiquidSkycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerService partner for India. Handles installations, spare parts, and on-site service. Located in Pune, India.
• Ultraseal Malaysia Sdn BhdcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerService partner for Malaysia. Handles installations, spare parts, and on-site service. Located in Subang Jaya.
• Washwater Systems WW ABcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerService partner for Sweden. Handles installations, spare parts, and on-site service. Located in Järfälla, Sweden.
• Kulstof s.r.o.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerService partner for Czech Republic and Slovakia. Handles installations, spare parts, and on-site service. Located in Prague.
• Blue CompetenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance Partner of the Blue Competence sustainability initiative. Commits to twelve Sustainability Guidelines of the Mechanical Engineering Industry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Suez Water Technologies & Solutions (now Veolia): Major industrial water treatment provider with evaporation, ZLD, and chemical treatment offerings. Comparable customer base (automotive, chemicals, metal finishing) and competes with H2O on integrated ZLD solutions for large manufacturers.
• GEA Group: Industrial process equipment manufacturer with evaporation and separation technologies used in food, chemical, and wastewater applications. Comparable in offering vacuum-evaporation based process systems with broader portfolio and larger engineering scale than H2O.
• Evoqua Water Technologies: Industrial and commercial water and wastewater treatment provider serving similar end markets including metal finishing, automotive, and aerospace. Overlap in industrial process water reuse and ZLD applications against H2O's specialty vacuum distillation offering.
• Alfa Laval: Global industrial equipment manufacturer with separation and heat transfer technology including evaporation and distillation systems for industrial wastewater treatment. Provides similar process engineering capabilities across H2O's served verticals with broader scale and global service network.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global leader in industrial water treatment including ZLD and evaporation technologies. Direct overlap in industrial wastewater recycling for surface treatment, chemicals, and manufacturing; competes as a much larger, broader portfolio incumbent against H2O's specialized vacuum distillation niche.

Others

• Busch Vacuum Solutions: European-headquartered (Germany) vacuum pump manufacturer with global industrial vacuum technology portfolio. Adjacent enabling technology to H2O's vacuum distillation systems with overlapping German industrial customer base.
• Atlas Copco (Vacuum Technique): Global vacuum pump and system manufacturer including industrial vacuum technology used in process applications. Adjacent enabling technology supplier to H2O's vacuum distillation platform rather than a direct wastewater treatment competitor.

Direct peers

• Bucher Unipektin (Bucher Group): Swiss industrial evaporation and drying equipment manufacturer with vacuum evaporator systems for industrial wastewater treatment. Most direct comparable in vacuum distillation technology, modular systems, and European manufacturing heritage with similar customer types in surface finishing and chemicals.
• Atmospheric Systems (SMS group) / Rochem: Manufacturer of vacuum distillation and evaporation systems for industrial wastewater recycling with similar technology approach to H2O's VACUDEST. Competes in same European surface treatment and metal finishing markets with comparable system sizing and modular configurations.

Emerging players

• Condorchem Enviro Solutions: Spanish provider of industrial wastewater treatment including evaporation and zero liquid discharge solutions. Comparable offering to H2O for surface treatment and metal finishing customers in Southern Europe and Latin America (H2O's INERCO partner covers overlapping Spain/Chile geography).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h2o-gmbh-leaders-in-zero-liquid-discharge
• Instagraminstagram.com/h2ogmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 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 H2O