Kaden

What Kaden does

KADEN – VODOMĚRY, s. r. o. is a privately held Czech limited liability company (s. r. o.) founded in 1992 and headquartered in Osečnice, Skuhrov nad Bělou, with a sales/administrative office in Náchod. The company designs and manufactures residential water meters and complementary heat cost allocation indicators, and self-identifies as the only manufacturer of residential water meters in the Czech Republic, with all competing products on the Czech market being imports. Its product range spans third-generation mechanical meters (S050/S055, PICOFLUX) and electronic meters with bidirectional radio remote reading (S060/S065, i_Flux), plus the KADEN C10 dual-sensor heat cost allocator. Manufacturing is fully in-house at the Osečnice facility, including plastic injection molding, brass body production, mechanical assembly, and testing.

The company's technology stack centers on proprietary radio communication (Rcom bidirectional protocol at 868 MHz and Wireless Mbus/OMS compatibility), tamper-resistant mechanical designs (a magnetic-resistant clutch and shielding ring introduced in September 2000, sapphire axial bearings, hermetically sealed counter cartridges), and an in-house Authorized Metrological Center (AMS K-51) that performs mandatory verification under Czech and EU law. All meters carry MID type approval and ISO 9001 certification (since 2001, audited annually by TÜV NORD Cert GmbH Essen). Revenue derives from new meter sales (hardware), repair and recertification services with exchange-based replacement, metrological verification (including for competitors' meters), and supporting radio reading hardware and software (ZET 810 USB module, SPRÁVCE and ODEČET applications, i-KADEN online reading portal).

Go-to-market is dual-channel: direct online sales through the company's own e-commerce store (eshop-vodomery.cz) to end customers including housing cooperatives, apartment owner associations, and individual homeowners; and indirect distribution through a network of more than 340 registered installation firms (montážní firmy) across the Czech Republic who purchase meters for on-site installation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; transactions are handled either through the e-shop or via installation partners. The customer base is long-tailed and fragmented, with revenue underpinned by the legally mandated 5-year recertification cycle for residential water meters.

Name

Kaden

Legal name

KADEN – VODOMĚRY, s. r. o.

Website

https://kadenvodomery.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kaden is the sole Czech manufacturer of residential water meters, producing mechanical and electronic meters plus heat cost allocators in-house for housing cooperatives, apartment owners, and individual homeowners across the Czech Republic via direct e-commerce and a 340+ installation-partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Water Meters

NAICS

Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Submetering & Multi-Unit Property Billing (MUDs, submeters, RUBS, landlord/tenant billing) (EUANAIAK)

Keywords

• Residential water meters
• Heat cost allocators
• Metrological verification
• Electronic flow measurement
• Water meter manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Skuhrov Nad Belou

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water meter sales (new): Sale of new mechanical and electronic water meters (S050, S055, S060, S065, PICOFLUX, i_Flux) directly to customers and through installation partners. Electronic meters with remote reading capability command premium pricing.
2. Water meter repair and recertification: Kaden performs complete repairs of used water meters following a strict technology process — full disassembly, replacement of all wet-run components with new parts, counter reset, new cover. Repaired meters carry the same 5-year warranty as new meters. Customers can exchange old meters for new ones at a discount.
3. Heat cost allocator (ITN) sales: Sale of KADEN C10 heat cost allocators, a complementary product to water meters for fair distribution of heating costs in multi-unit buildings.
4. Authorized metrological verification (AMS K-51): As an Authorized Metrological Center (AMS K-51), Kaden performs mandatory verification (ověření/cejchování) of water meters according to Czech and EU metrology law. Each water meter must be verified before use, with verification valid for 5 years.
5. Radio reading equipment and software: Sale of USB radio modules (ZET 810) and reading software (Správce, Odečet applications) for remote meter reading from electronic water meters and ITN devices.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kaden manufactures residential mechanical and electronic water meters (S050, S055, PICOFLUX, S060, S065, i_Flux) and complementary heat cost allocators (ITN C10) entirely in-house in the Czech Republic. The company also provides metrological verification services through its Authorized Metrological Center (AMS K-51), water meter repair and recertification, USB radio reading hardware (ZET 810), reading software (SPRÁVCE, ODEČET), and an i-KADEN web-based online consumption monitoring service.

Product overview

KADEN – VODOMĚRY is a Czech manufacturer of residential water meters and heat cost allocation indicators. The product portfolio consists of two main categories: mechanical water meters (S050, S055, PICOFLUX) and electronic water meters with wireless remote reading capability (S060, S065, i_Flux). All electronic meters support bidirectional radio communication using proprietary Rcom protocol and standardized Wireless Mbus (OMS) protocol. The KADEN C10 heat cost indicator complements the water meter range, sharing the same communication infrastructure. Software applications (SPRÁVCE and ODEČET) enable meter data management and reading, while the i-KADEN web service provides on-line consumption monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ITN KADEN C10: Heat cost allocator device with two-sensor technology for individual heating cost indication on radiators
• KADEN PICOFLUX
• KADEN i_Flux
• KADEN S060/S065
• KADEN S050/S055

Products and services

• KADEN S050 Mechanical residential water meter for cold water measurement, featuring high durability, magnetic resistance, and 5-year warranty covering the entire 5-year verification period. Sold directly and through installation partners.
• KADEN S055 Mechanical residential water meter for hot water measurement, with robust construction and 5-year warranty covering the full verification period.
• KADEN PICOFLUX High-precision mechanical single-jet dry-running residential water meter with exceptional low-flow sensitivity (registers from 8 l/h, guaranteed accuracy from 20 l/h) and four-pole magnetic coupling for resistance to external magnetic influence.
• KADEN S060 Electronic residential water meter for cold water with radio remote reading capability, bidirectional wireless communication, 5-year battery life, and alarm/error state registration. MID-certified.
• KADEN S065 Electronic residential water meter for hot water with radio remote reading capability, bidirectional wireless communication, 5-year battery life, and tamper detection features. MID-certified.
• KADEN i_Flux Electronic water meter with wireless remote reading and on-line data collection capability, compatible with Wireless Mbus (OMS) and Rcom protocols, supporting on-line consumption monitoring via i-KADEN service.
• KADEN C10 (ITN) Dual-sensor heat cost allocation indicator for measuring radiator consumption, featuring radio communication, LCD display, 8-year battery life, and compatibility with KADEN S060/S065 electronic water meters via the Rcom protocol.
• i-KADEN Online Reading Service Web-based service (odectyonline.cz) providing 24-hour monitoring of water and energy consumption data from electronic water meters and heat cost indicators.
• Water Meter Repair and Recertification Service Complete repair of used water meters following a strict technology process: full disassembly, replacement of all wet-run components with new parts, counter reset, and new cover. Repaired meters carry the same 5-year warranty as new meters. Customers can exchange old meters for new ones at a discount.
• Authorized Metrological Verification (AMS K-51) Authorized metrological verification (ověření/cejchování) of water meters by AMS K-51 under Czech and EU metrology law. Each water meter must be verified before use, with verification valid for 5 years. Independent third-party verification available, including for competitors' meters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Meter accuracy: ±2% for cold water (Q2–Q4 flow range), ±3% for hot water (Q2–Q4), ±5% at minimum flow Q1
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TÜV NORD Cert GmbH EssenminorOthers · 1 January 2001International certification company that performed the initial ISO 9001:2008 quality management certification audit in 2001 and conducts annual surveillance and recertification audits. Certificate number 04 100 010504.
• VIPA LiberecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVIPA Liberec co-manufactures the ITN KADEN C10 heat cost allocator alongside Kaden's manufacturing in Osečnice on Rychnovsko in the foothills of the Orlické hory mountains.
• Over 340 registered installation firms (montážní firmy)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of more than 340 installation firms holding ČMI (Czech Metrological Institute) registration certificates for water meter installation. These firms are listed in Kaden's database and cover nearly the entire Czech Republic territory. Firms that are VAT payers and install meters in apartments can invoice meters with reduced VAT rate.
• ČMI Brno (Český metrologický institut)minorOthersCzech Metrological Institute's notified body (NB 1383) that oversees Kaden's quality system under Government Decree 464/2005 Coll. implementing EU MID. Involved in the conformity assessment process for water meters before market introduction.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Maddalena: Italian mid-sized manufacturer of residential water meters and heat cost allocators with European distribution. Comparable size and product range to Kaden, including mechanical and electronic meters for multi-unit properties.
• Zenner: German-headquartered mid-sized manufacturer of residential and commercial water meters and heat cost allocators. Highly comparable to Kaden in product mix (mechanical + electronic water meters, heat allocation) and European mid-market positioning.
• bmeters: Italian manufacturer of residential and industrial water meters with European distribution. Closely comparable to Kaden in size, product mix (mechanical + electronic meters), and target customers in multi-unit residential buildings.
• Wehrle-Werk: German specialist manufacturer of water meters, heat meters, and electronic meter-reading systems. Very comparable product focus and mid-tier European footprint, directly competing for the same multi-unit metering demand.

Broad incumbents

• Sensus (Xylem): Sensus, a Xylem brand, provides smart water, gas, and electric metering solutions globally. Highly overlapping product scope with Kaden's electronic water meter and remote reading capabilities, but at utility-grade global scale.
• Badger Meter: US-listed global manufacturer of flow measurement and control products for water and other fluids. Competes in the residential and commercial water meter category but at much greater scale and with broader industrial exposure.
• Itron: Global leader in water, gas, and electricity smart metering and AMI/networked solutions. Massively larger and broader than Kaden but competes in the same end market of residential and multi-utility submetering.
• Kamstrup: Danish smart metering company specializing in ultrasonic water, heat, and electricity meters with integrated radio and cloud-based reading platforms. Larger and more technology-forward than Kaden, but directly competing for the same apartment-building submetering customers across Europe.
• Diehl Metering: German division of Diehl Group producing water, heat, gas, and electricity meters with significant European market share. Broader portfolio and larger scale than Kaden, but directly overlapping on residential water and heat allocation meters.

Regional players

• Apator: Polish metering and infrastructure group with water meter and heat cost allocator product lines serving Central/Eastern European markets. Comparable mid-tier size and a logical direct competitor for Kaden in regional multi-unit property metering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 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 Kaden