KWB

What KWB does

KWB (Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH) is a Berlin-based, non-profit applied research organisation founded in 2001 that delivers consulting, applied research, and open-source digital tooling for the urban water cycle. It operates through six research groups (Energy & Resources; Groundwater; Stormwater & Surface Waters; Smart City & Infrastructure; Water Treatment & Reuse; and Water & Risk, established April 2025), staffed by ~41 employees including doctoral-level group leaders, and serves municipalities, water utilities, public administration, industry, and academic partners across Germany, the Baltic Sea Region, and broader Europe.

KWB's technical portfolio is centred on modelling, sensor, and digital tools for water quality, asset management, and risk assessment. Proprietary and open-source products include the QMRA Tool for quantitative microbial risk assessment, SEMAplus for sewer deterioration forecasting, SWIM:AI for data-driven bathing-water quality prediction, ABIMO and the Berlin Water Model for water-infrastructure planning, the Human Health Exposure Assessment (HHEA) multi-chemical exposure model co-developed with Eurecat, the Decision Support Framework (DSF) for persistent pollutants produced under PROMISCES, and the satellite-based Normalized Difference Trophic Index (NDTI) developed from Sentinel-2 imagery in the AD4GD project. These tools are produced in collaboration with EU, national, and regional research consortia and underly the institute's consulting engagements on quaternary treatment, water reuse, phosphorus recycling, and smart-city water infrastructure.

KWB is funded through three revenue streams: competitive research-project grants (e.g., EU Green Deal projects including PROMISCES, IMPETUS, WaterMan), fee-based consulting engagements with utilities and municipalities scoped individually and typically structured as multi-year contracts, and operational support from its three institutional shareholders — Technologiestiftung Berlin (50.00%), Berliner Wasserbetriebe AöR (25.47%), and Berlinwasser Holding GmbH (24.53%). Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed, with engagements quote-based. The organisation maintains a publications database of 1,202 entries spanning 2001–2025 and a project portfolio of 130+ active and completed initiatives, and it celebrated its 25th anniversary on June 16, 2026 with ~150 guests from science, business, politics, and administration.

Name

KWB

Legal name

KWB Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH

Website

https://kompetenz-wasser.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KWB (Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH) is a Berlin-based non-profit applied research institute offering consulting, open-source modelling tools, and AI-driven digital solutions for urban water management to municipalities, utilities, industry, and research partners across Germany and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Research and Consulting

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Utilities (22)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Asset Management (EUAEAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Utility IoT (SCADA, Leak/Quality Monitoring) (EUADAPAK), Real-Time Monitoring & Smart Stormwater (Sensors, SCADA/IoT, RTC) (EUANAEAK), Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ), Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient) (EUAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Urban water research
• Water management consulting
• Wastewater treatment advisory
• Water reuse services
• Water sector applied research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: KWB conducts applied research funded by EU programmes (e.g., EU Green Deal projects such as PROMISCES, IMPETUS, WaterMan), national research grants, and regional funding. Project funding supports collaborative research consortia and generates revenue for research activities.
2. Consulting Services: KWB offers fee-for-service consulting across water treatment, asset management, smart city, phosphorus recycling, and related domains. Consulting engagements with municipalities, water utilities, and public administration generate service revenue.
3. Stakeholder Membership and Network Services: As a non-profit limited company (gGmbH) with shareholders including Berlinwasser Holding, Berliner Wasserbetriebe, and Technologiestiftung Berlin, KWB receives operational support and project engagement through its shareholder network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KWB delivers applied research, consulting services, and open-source tools to support sustainable urban water management. The portfolio spans consulting across the full urban water cycle (sewer asset management, micropollutant removal via quaternary treatment, water reuse, phosphorus recycling, energy recovery, smart city integration) as well as software tools such as the QMRA Tool, SEMAplus, and the SWIM:AI bathing water prediction system, delivered to municipalities, water utilities, and industry.

Product overview

KWB (Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin) is a non-profit applied research organization focused on sustainable urban water management, offering a portfolio of consulting services and tools rather than a single product. The portfolio includes eight core offerings: SEMAplus (sewer deterioration forecasting), Quaternary Treatment consulting (micropollutant removal), Life Cycle Solutions, Phosphorus Recycling, SWIM:AI (AI-powered bathing water quality prediction), Smart City Consulting, the open-source QMRA Tool, and Water Reuse consulting. These services are delivered through six research groups (Energy & Resources, Groundwater, Stormwater & Surface Waters, Smart City & Infrastructure, Water Treatment & Reuse, and Water & Risk) and span consulting, software tools, and research projects addressing climate resilience, circular economy, digitalization, and risk assessment in urban water systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SEMAplus Deterioration forecasting service for sewer systems, enabling water utilities to predict pipe degradation and plan maintenance interventions. For municipal water utilities and drainage infrastructure operators.
• Quaternary Treatment for Targeted Micropollutant Removal Professional consulting for the implementation and optimisation of quaternary (4th stage) wastewater treatment systems for targeted micropollutant removal, in compliance with the revised EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 2024/3019. For wastewater treatment plant operators.
• Life Cycle Solutions (LCS) Consulting services for sustainable wastewater treatment plant design and operation in the era of climate change, integrating lifecycle assessment approaches. For wastewater treatment plant operators and municipalities.
• Phosphorus Recycling Consulting Process analysis and evaluation services for phosphorus recovery from wastewater and sewage sludge, supporting circular economy approaches. For wastewater treatment plant operators and municipalities.
• SWIM:AI Data-driven AI prediction system for water quality at bathing sites, enabling early warning and proactive management of bathing water safety. For municipalities, public health authorities, and bathing water operators.
• Smart City Consulting Advisory services on the digital transformation of cities, focusing on water management integration into smart city concepts. For municipalities and public administration.
• QMRA Tool Open source online tool for quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), enabling water suppliers and public health authorities to evaluate health risks from microbial contamination.
• Water Reuse Consulting Comprehensive consulting services for water reuse implementation, addressing treatment technologies, regulatory compliance, and sustainability assessment. For municipalities, water utilities, and industrial users.

Quantifiable outcome

• PROMISCES project: 19 KWB staff across 5 research groups participated in the EU Green Deal project, with 27 partners from 9 countries examining PFAS and iPM(T)s across 7 European case studies.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

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

• French Geological Survey (BRGM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRGM led the PROMISCES project (27 partners, 9 countries), which focused on identifying and removing PFAS and iPM(T)s in soil, sediment, and water systems for a circular economy.
• German Environment Agency (UBA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBA collaborated in the Berlin PROMISCES case study, carrying out toxicological analysis and evaluation alongside BioDetection Systems (BDS).
• Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBfG used non-targeted analysis approaches to identify substances not yet included in standard monitoring programmes as part of the Berlin PROMISCES case study.
• Eurecat (Spanish technology and research centre)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKWB collaborated with Eurecat to develop the Human Health Exposure Assessment (HHEA) model, released as open-source upon project completion in May 2025.
• INERIS (French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINERIS co-led the development of the open-source Decision Support Framework (DSF) alongside RIVM and Eurecat under the PROMISCES project.
• RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRIVM co-led the development of the Decision Support Framework (DSF) for preventing, monitoring, and treating persistent pollutants in the PROMISCES project.
• Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGB provided sediment core sampling equipment for the Berlin PROMISCES case study at Lake Tegel.
• BAM (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAM conducted sediment sample preparation and analysis for extractable organofluorine (EOF) in the Berlin PROMISCES case study.
• WaterMan Consortium (16 organisations, 6 Baltic Sea Region countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaterMan project involves 16 organisations across 6 countries in the Baltic Sea Region, driving implementation of water reuse internationally through capacity building.
• AD4GD Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAD4GD project explored satellite-based approaches for lake monitoring, resulting in the NDTI trophic index developed using Sentinel-2 imagery for Brandenburg lakes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology): Swiss federally funded water research institute conducting applied research on urban water systems, treatment, and micropollutants — directly comparable applied research and consulting mandate.
• TZW: Technologiezentrum Wasser Karlsruhe: German non-profit water technology centre providing applied research, drinking water testing, and consulting for utilities — directly comparable German applied-research peer.
• KWR Water Research Institute: Dutch non-profit water research institute running applied research, public-private partnerships, and consulting for water utilities — closely comparable non-profit applied-research model with utility shareholders.
• IWW Water Centre (Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wasser): German applied water research institute providing consulting, laboratory services, and software tools for water utilities — comparable non-profit consulting and tool-development model.
• DHI Water & Environment: Denmark-based water modelling and consulting firm offering MIKE software, water quality tools, and advisory services — comparable commercial modelling and consulting portfolio.
• SINTEF (Water and Environment): Norwegian applied research institute with a dedicated water and environment unit delivering consulting, modelling, and EU project research — comparable Nordic applied-research-consulting hybrid.

Broad incumbents

• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water and wastewater service provider with consulting, treatment technology, and digital water offerings — broader incumbent with overlapping utility advisory and treatment expertise.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water utility and technology provider offering treatment solutions, consulting, and digital water services — broader incumbent with overlapping consulting and micropollutant treatment offerings.
• Ramboll Water: Global engineering consultancy with a dedicated water practice covering asset management, climate adaptation, and water reuse — broader incumbent with adjacent consulting footprint.

Emerging players

• Fraunhofer IGB (Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology): German applied research institute with water and wastewater process engineering groups — adjacent applied-research peer with partial overlap on water treatment and resource recovery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kompetenzwasser
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/12230060

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KWB