SGB

What SGB does

SGB GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer founded in 1962 by Dr. Fritz Berg in Siegen, Germany. The company produces, sells, installs, and maintains leak detection systems for double-walled containers and pipelines, and identifies itself as the leading manufacturer of leak detection technology in Europe. SGB invented the vacuum-based monitoring method that underpins its product line and has accumulated more than 64 years of continuous domain expertise. Manufacturing is conducted in-house in Germany and products carry European certifications, with the pneumatic leak detection system anchored as Class I under EN 13160 and Explosion-Protection ratings for Zone 1 and Zone 2 hazardous areas.

The product portfolio consists of specialized hardware leak detection units (Leckanzeiger), sensors, and probes configured for distinct applications: tank farms and chemical plants (Leckanzeiger für Tankläger & Chemie), fuel stations (Leckanzeiger für Tankstellen), residential and commercial heating oil installations (Leckanzeiger für Heizölanlagen), and cryogenic / hazardous gas storage (Leckanzeiger für LH2, LNG & NH3). Key products include the VLX 330 A-Ex HK — an explosion-protected variant for flat-bottom tanks with integrated heating and condensate vessel — the Leckagesonde LS 816 leakage probe with 8 to 16 sensor connections, and the VL-34 vacuum-based detection unit.

SGB distributes through a combination of an owned B2B e-commerce shop (shop.sgb.de) and an authorized network of distributors, installation partners, and agents spanning more than 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts; no recurring subscription revenue is reported. Customers include major chemical producers (BASF, Bayer, Henkel, Lanxess, Merck), international oil companies (Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, Repsol, MOL, Aral/bp), tank and pipe manufacturers (Blohm & Voss, Haase, Dehoust, Brugg, Georg Fischer), and approximately 300 tank protection specialist companies. The company is independently owned as a GmbH with no parent or external institutional investors disclosed, led by CEO Carsten Schmidt and Technical Director Martin Hüccking. Competitive positioning is reinforced by active membership in standards bodies (CEN, DIN, DIBt, PEI, BBS, UNITI, APEA).

Name

SGB

Legal name

SGB GmbH

Website

https://sgb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SGB GmbH, founded in 1962 in Siegen, Germany, manufactures, installs, and services vacuum-based leak detection systems for double-walled tanks and pipelines, serving industrial operators in oil, gas, chemical, and heating sectors across more than 50 countries through authorized distributors and a B2B shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Leak Detection Systems

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Fugitive Emissions & Leak Detection (LDAR, OGI, Methane) (EUAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pressure Equipment, Boilers & Heat Exchanger Inspection (EUAEAHAB), Circuit Protection Devices (MCBs, MCCBs, ACBs, fuses, RCD/GFCI, surge protection) (IMAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Leak detection systems
• Vacuum-based monitoring
• Double-walled tanks
• Explosion-protected sensors
• Industrial safety equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Siegen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Leak Detection Hardware Sales: SGB manufactures and sells leak detection devices, sensors, probes, and monitoring units for double-walled tanks and pipelines. Products are sold directly through a B2B e-commerce shop and through a global distributor and installer network. Revenue is generated through product sales with no indication of recurring subscription fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SGB manufactures, sells, installs, and maintains vacuum-based leak detection hardware (Leckanzeiger) for double-walled tanks and pipelines. Its product range covers detectors for tank farms and chemical plants, fuel stations, residential and commercial heating oil systems, and cryogenic gas (LH2, LNG, NH3) installations, including Ex-rated Zone 1/2 variants such as the VLX 330 A-Ex HK and multi-channel probes such as the LS 816. All devices are manufactured in-house in Germany and sold to industrial, commercial, and government buyers through authorized distributors, installation partners, agents, and a B2B e-commerce shop.

Product overview

SGB is the inventor and leading European manufacturer of vacuum-based leak detection technology, founded in 1962 by Dr. Fritz Berg. The product portfolio consists of hardware-based leak detection systems (Leckanzeiger) that monitor double-walled tanks and pipelines for leaks using vacuum pressure monitoring. The core offerings include specialized detectors for different applications: Tankläger & Chemie (tank farms and chemical plants), Tankstellen (gas stations), Heizölanlagen (heating oil systems), and LH2/LNG & NH3 (cryogenic and industrial gases). Key products include the VLX 330 A-Ex HK (explosion-protected variant for flat-bottom tanks with integrated heating/condensate vessel), Leckagesonde LS 816 (leakage probe with 8-16 sensor connections), and VL-34 units. The products provide permanent monitoring with alarm outputs when leaks are detected, primarily targeting industrial operators, tank protection companies, and chemical/mineral oil industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leckanzeiger für Tankläger & Chemie (Leak Detector for Tank Farms & Chemical Plants) Vacuum-based leak detection system for double-walled storage tanks and pipelines at tank farms and chemical plants, designed for industrial operators requiring permanent certified monitoring under EN 13160.
• Leckanzeiger für Tankstellen (Leak Detector for Filling Stations) Leak detection system for fuel stations that monitors double-walled tanks and underground piping for leaks, targeted at retail fuel site operators.
• Leckanzeiger für Heizölanlagen (Leak Detector for Heating Oil Systems) Leak detection hardware for residential and commercial heating oil storage systems, monitoring single and double-walled tanks used in building heating.
• Leckanzeiger für LH2, LNG & NH3 (Leak Detector for Cryogenic Gases)

Quantifiable outcome

• Class I classification under EN 13160 European standard — highest protection level for environmental safety
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• APEA (Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration), GBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGB is a member of APEA, contributing to standards development and regulatory alignment for petroleum and explosives safety in Great Britain.
• BBS Bundesverband Energie Anlagen Sicherheit e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGB is a member of BBS, the German Federal Association for Energy Plant Safety. SGB staff serve as lecturers at BBS seminars on 'Assembly - Service - Leak Detection Devices'.
• CEN European Committee for StandardizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGB participates in the CEN international standards committee for 'Leak Detection Systems', contributing to the development of European Norm EN 13160. SGB's pneumatic leak detection technology is anchored in EN 13160 as a Class I system — the highest environmental protection level.
• DIBt Deutsches Institut für BautechnikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGB participates in DIBt expert committees on 'Safety Equipment for Containers and Pipelines', contributing to approval principles for leak detection technology in Germany.
• DIN Deutsches Institut für NormungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGB participates in the national standards committee for 'Tank Systems' (NATank), contributing to German and European standards development for tank installations.
• PEI Petroleum Equipment Institut, USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGB holds membership in the US-based PEI, connecting with the North American petroleum equipment industry and standards community.
• UNITI Bundesverband mittelständischer Mineralölunternehmen e. V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGB is a member of UNITI, the German Federal Association of Medium-Sized Mineral Oil Companies, supporting the SME oil sector with leak detection expertise and industry representation.
• LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSGB maintains a company profile on LinkedIn for professional networking, employer branding, and industry communication.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Chart Industries: Chart Industries provides cryogenic equipment and instrumentation for LNG, hydrogen, and industrial gas applications, intersecting with SGB's LH2/LNG/NH3 leak detection product line in the emerging clean-fuel energy market.
• Dräger: Dräger specializes in gas detection and explosion protection technology for hazardous environments, overlapping with SGB's Ex-rated leak detection products for Zone 1/2 applications in LNG, NH3, and hydrogen contexts.
• OPW (a Dover company): OPW designs and manufactures fluid handling, tank gauging, and leak detection products for fuel stations and industrial petroleum storage, with overlapping fuel station and tank farm applications as SGB.
• MSA Safety: MSA Safety manufactures fixed and portable gas detection instruments for hazardous environments, providing adjacent technology to SGB's leak detection systems for refineries, chemical plants, and cryogenic storage facilities.

Direct peers

• Veeder-Root: Veeder-Root (a Franklin Electric brand) is the dominant North American provider of tank gauging and leak detection systems for fuel stations, directly competing with SGB's Tankstellen and Tanklager product lines in regulated petroleum storage.
• Franklin Fueling Systems: Franklin Fueling Systems manufactures leak detection, line leak detection, and tank monitoring equipment for fuel stations and industrial petroleum storage — overlapping directly with SGB's core double-walled tank and pipeline monitoring portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens: Siemens offers process automation, gas detection, and tank farm management solutions through its Digital Industries portfolio, addressing the same refinery, chemical, and industrial storage customers as SGB.
• Emerson Electric: Emerson's Rosemount and Branson product lines include tank gauging, leak detection, and process instrumentation widely deployed in refineries, chemical plants, and tank farms — a broad incumbent in the same regulated industrial measurement market as SGB.
• Endress+Hauser: Endress+Hauser is a global leader in industrial measurement instrumentation for liquids and gases, supplying tank gauging, level detection, and process analytics that overlap with SGB's tank and pipeline monitoring offerings for the chemical and oil & gas sectors.
• Honeywell: Honeywell Process Solutions provides industrial gas detection, leak detection, and tank farm automation solutions, serving the same oil, gas, and chemical end markets as SGB with a broader software-and-services-led portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SGBGmbH
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/sgb-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 SGB