Richter

What Richter does

Richter Steuerungstechnik GmbH is a German industrial control systems and automation company founded in 1987 by Manfred Richter and headquartered in Kasendorf, Upper Franconia, Bavaria. The company designs, manufactures, and commissions custom switchgear, automation systems, and process control software (PLCs, CAD engineering, and modular visualization tools) for industrial customers, machine builders, municipal utilities, and energy operators. Its core product portfolio spans three areas — Schaltanlagenbau (switchgear construction), Automatisierung (automation), and Prozessleitsysteme (process control systems) — applied across specialized water treatment domains including ultrafiltration-based drinking water preparation, pool water treatment, wastewater technology, and membrane filtration, plus energy distribution and cost management for power plant operators. Notable delivered projects include Europe's first passive-house certified indoor pool (Bambados Bamberg), a 400 m3/h ultrafiltration plant for Stadtwerke Kulmbach, converter systems for Siemens, power plant controls for RWE and EON, and tsunami-relief ultrafiltration deployments in Indonesia.

The company's business model is project-based custom engineering with B2B direct sales: each engagement runs from consultation through CAD planning, in-house SPS programming, panel manufacturing, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance. Pricing is determined per project with EXW delivery from Kasendorf and net-30 payment terms. Revenue streams include one-time hardware/license sales, professional engineering services, and recurring maintenance contracts. The firm operates a second production site in the Czech Republic, bringing total headcount to approximately 150 employees. It holds UL 508A certification for North American exports, plus DIN ISO 9001 (quality) and DIN EN ISO 14001 (environmental) certifications.

Richter is organized under inuwat AG, alongside sister company W.E.T. Wasser.Energie.Technologie GmbH (membrane filtration). In February 2026, ELIQUO WATER GROUP GmbH — itself part of SKion Water — acquired a majority stake in inuwat Holding, integrating Richter into a larger water technology platform with sister entities ELIQUO KGSTULZ GmbH (Torgau, switchgear) and EnviroProcess (Scandinavia). CEO Michael Otte also chairs IHK-Gremium Kulmbach. Three of the original founders retain minority equity.

Name

Richter

Legal name

Richter Steuerungstechnik GmbH

Website

https://richter-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Richter Steuerungstechnik GmbH is a German industrial automation company founded in 1987 in Kasendorf, Bavaria, designing custom switchgear, PLC automation, and process control systems for water treatment, machine builders, and energy operators worldwide, now part of ELIQUO WATER GROUP / SKion Water.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation and Control Systems

NAICS

Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

Monitoring & Control (Dosing Systems, Remote Monitoring, Sensors) (BPABAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ), Water Filtration, Treatment & Softening Plumbing Products (IMADALAK)

Keywords

• Industrial automation systems
• Switchgear manufacturing
• Process control systems
• Water treatment automation
• Control panel engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Kasendorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Control Systems & Switchgear: Design, manufacturing, and installation of custom control panels and switchgear for industrial applications
2. Engineering & Project Services: Custom engineering, CAD planning, SPS programming, visualization software development, and commissioning services
3. Maintenance & Service: Ongoing maintenance, service, and support for installed systems
4. Machine Supply to OEM: Supplying control systems to machine builders as an OEM supplier

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Richter Steuerungstechnik designs, manufactures, and commissions custom switchgear, automation, and process control systems for industrial water treatment, machine building, and energy customers. Core offerings include control panel/switchgear construction (Schaltanlagenbau), automation solutions (Automatisierung) with in-house PLC programming and CAD planning, and modular process control/visualization systems (Prozessleitsysteme). Complementary offerings include ultrafiltration and membrane filtration water treatment systems, energy distribution, and ongoing maintenance and service contracts.

Product overview

Richter Steuerungstechnik GmbH is an industrial control systems and automation company based in Kasendorf, Germany, founded in 1987. The company offers a portfolio of integrated solutions centered on three core offerings: Schaltanlagenbau (switchgear/switchboard construction), Automatisierung (automation systems), and Prozessleitsysteme (process control systems). These core systems are applied across specialized water treatment domains including Badewasseraufbereitungsanlagen (bath water treatment), Membranfilteranlagen (membrane filtration), Wasseraufbereitungsanlagen (drinking water treatment), and Abwassertechnik (wastewater treatment), complemented by Energieverteilungen (energy distribution) and Energiekostenmanagement (energy cost management) services. The company also provides supporting services including assembly, commissioning, and maintenance. Richter operates as part of the inuwat AG holding company (acquired by ELIQUO WATER GROUP in February 2026) alongside sister company W.E.T. Wasser.Energie.Technologie GmbH, and is UL 508A certified for North American exports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schaltanlagenbau (Switchgear Construction)

Quantifiable outcome

• Ultrafiltration systems with up to 400 m3/h treatment capacity for drinking water
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ELIQUO WATER GROUP GmbHflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2026Richter Steuerungstechnik became part of ELIQUO WATER GROUP through the acquisition of majority shares in inuwat Holding GmbH on February 16, 2026. ELIQUO WATER GROUP is part of SKion Water. Richter strengthens the group's capabilities in automation technology and switchgear manufacturing, complementing ELIQUO KGSTULZ GmbH's switchgear production in Torgau.
• INUWAT AGcoreOthersParent holding company for Richter Steuerungstechnik and W.E.T. Wasser.Energie.Technologie GmbH. inuwat AG focuses on protecting water and energy resources through automation technology and water treatment solutions.
• W.E.T. Wasser.Energie.Technologie GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company under inuwat AG, specializing in membrane filtration systems for swimming pool and drinking water treatment. Companies collaborate on environmental technology and water resource protection, sharing innovations in automation and filtration technology.
• ELIQUO KGSTULZ GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of ELIQUO WATER GROUP located in Torgau. Richter's switchgear production complements ELIQUO KGSTULZ's existing production capabilities, creating a strong manufacturing base for electrical systems within the group.
• EnviroProcessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScandinavian sister company within the ELIQUO WATER GROUP/SKion Water network. Strategic partnership for technology sharing and market expansion in Scandinavian region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ELIQUO KGSTULZ GmbH: Sister company within ELIQUO WATER GROUP producing switchgear in Torgau. Functionally overlapping with Richter's switchgear manufacturing post-2026 acquisition and a natural benchmark for production efficiency.
• Beckhoff Automation: German PC-based automation and control systems provider. Comparable as a Mittelstand-rooted specialist in PLC/automation platforms serving industrial and process customers similar to Richter's automation segment.
• WAGO Kontakttechnik: German manufacturer of automation, interconnection, and control technology. Closely comparable to Richter as a specialist provider of industrial automation and control-system components used in plant and process applications.
• Phoenix Contact: German industrial automation and electrical connectivity specialist with deep expertise in control cabinets, PLCs, and field-level devices. Direct overlap with Richter's switchgear and automation offering.
• W.E.T. Wasser.Energie.Technologie GmbH: Sister company of Richter under inuwat AG / ELIQUO WATER GROUP, focused on membrane filtration for pool and drinking water. Highly comparable as a partner/collaborator on Richter's ultrafiltration projects (e.g., Stadtwerke Kulmbach).
• Rittal GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of enclosures, power distribution, and climate-control solutions for switchgear and industrial automation. Overlaps with Richter's switchgear construction and energy distribution offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric SE: Global automation and energy management provider with EcoStruxure platforms for water and utilities. Comparable broad incumbent competing in the same tenders and reference architecture space.
• ABB Ltd. Global industrial automation and electrification company with substantial presence in water and wastewater process control. Competes with Richter on plant-level automation and switchgear.
• Endress+Hauser Group: Swiss-German specialist in process automation instrumentation for water/wastewater plants. Overlaps with Richter on the measurement, control, and process-automation side of municipal water projects.
• Siemens AG (Smart Infrastructure / Digital Industries): Global automation incumbent whose SIMATIC PLCs and water-industry solutions target the same plant operators Richter serves (Siemens is also a customer). Sets the competitive benchmark Richter competes against in larger tenders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/richtersteuerungstechnik

Compliance3 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 Richter