DESOTEC
DESOTEC provides rental-based mobile activated carbon filtration services to industrial and environmental customers across Europe and North America, serving 2,000+ clients in 17+ verticals with a closed-loop carbon reactivation model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersRoeselare, Belgium
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DESOTEC does
DESOTEC is a Belgian industrial environmental services company founded in 1990 that operates a circular, mobile activated carbon filtration business targeting industrial and environmental customers across Europe and North America. Its core technology is a fleet of modular, plug-and-play mobile filter units — the AIRCON series for air and gas purification and the MOBICON series for water and liquid purification — deployed at customer sites under a rental subscription model with monthly billing and no upfront capital outlay. Saturated carbon is transported to DESOTEC-owned reactivation furnaces (including the REDIX-95 oven) where thermal desorption restores the carbon for reuse, forming a closed-loop circular service that the company quantifies as cutting CO2 emissions equivalent to 80,000 passenger cars annually. The proprietary flue gas treatment system with continuous emissions monitoring operates at one-fifth of permitted Belgian emission limits.
The company's full-service offering spans needs analysis, engineering consultation, filter delivery and installation, ongoing filter exchange, sustainable waste handling, and 24/7 technical support, all delivered through a hub-and-spoke network anchored at its Roeselare (Belgium) headquarters and reactivation facilities, plus North American operations in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and California acquired from Evoqua Water Technologies in 2023. DESOTEC serves over 2,000 customers across 17+ verticals including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food production, automotive, battery production and recycling, biogas and renewable energy, remediation services, steel and metals, polymers, and waste/wastewater management — addressing pain points such as VOC and solvent compliance, odor control, biogas upgrading, wastewater treatment, and PFAS/AOX/COD removal.
DESOTEC generates revenue through recurring rental fees on mobile filtration units and related services, with pricing undisclosed and tailored to purification needs, filter size, and service requirements. The go-to-market is sales-led, executed through a direct enterprise sales force with engineering consultation and supported by multi-language content marketing, webinars, and industry event presence. Ownership transitioned from Blackstone to EQT Future (majority) in November 2025, with Blackstone retaining a minority position; the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026.
DESOTEC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DESOTEC
- Legal name
- DESOTEC
- Website
- https://desotec.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- DESOTEC provides rental-based mobile activated carbon filtration services to industrial and environmental customers across Europe and North America, serving 2,000+ clients in 17+ verticals with a closed-loop carbon reactivation model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DESOTEC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Filtration Services
- NAICS
- Remediation Services (562910), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)
- SIC
- Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media) (IMAEAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adsorption & Taste/Odor Control (GAC/PAC, Air Stripping) (EUANABAF), Containment, Decontamination & Negative Air Systems (Setup/Monitoring) (BPALALAE)
Keywords
Where DESOTEC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roeselare
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
DESOTEC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Mobile Filter Rental: DESOTEC provides mobile filtration solutions on a rental basis, eliminating upfront investment for customers. The rental model includes filter delivery, installation, replacement, and sustainable waste handling. Revenue is generated through recurring rental fees based on filter usage and service requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Rental-based mobile filtration service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
DESOTEC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DESOTEC provides rental-based mobile activated carbon filtration solutions for industrial air, gas, water, and liquid purification. Filters are delivered, installed, exchanged, and the saturated carbon is transported to DESOTEC facilities where it is reactivated in proprietary REDIX-95 furnaces for reuse, creating a closed-loop circular service. The offering is sold on a recurring rental basis with no upfront capital investment required from customers.
Product overview
DESOTEC offers a comprehensive circular mobile filtration solution centered on rental-based activated carbon filtration systems. The core offering consists of mobile filter units (AIRCON series for air/gas, MOBICON for water/liquids) delivered to customer sites, with DESOTEC handling installation, monitoring, and safe removal of saturated filters. The REDIX-95 reactivation ovens enable closed-loop carbon recycling. Services span air/gas purification, water/liquid purification, and soil remediation across 17+ industry verticals including chemical, pharmaceutical, food, automotive, biogas, and construction. The modular, plug-and-play design allows flexible configurations in series or parallel without upfront investment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mobile Activated Carbon Filtration Solutions Rental-based mobile filtration service using activated carbon to adsorb and remove pollutants from air, gas, water, and liquids. Filters are delivered, installed, and exchanged as needed with no upfront investment required.
- Air and Gas Purification Mobile filtration solutions for industrial air emissions, odor control, and biogas purification, including treatment of VOCs, H2S, terpenes, siloxanes, and other gaseous pollutants.
- Water and Liquid Purification Mobile filtration solutions for wastewater treatment, groundwater remediation, and process liquid purification, including removal of PFAS, AOX, COD, BOD, hydrocarbons, pesticides, phenol, and surfactants.
- Soil Remediation Services Mobile, temporary, full-service purification solutions for air emissions and groundwater associated with land remediation projects, treating contaminated sites from historic industrial activity.
- Carbon Reactivation Services Service where spent activated carbon is treated in reactivation furnaces to desorb adsorbed contaminants and restore carbon for reuse, reducing need for fresh raw material and supporting circular economy model.
Quantifiable outcome
- CO₂ emissions equivalent to 80,000 passenger cars per year cut through carbon reactivation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DESOTEC
Customer profileSegments17 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
DESOTEC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
DESOTEC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Evoqua Water TechnologiescoreDESOTEC acquired Evoqua Water Technologies' carbon reactivation and exchange services business. The acquisition includes facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and California, marking DESOTEC's first expansion into North America and enabling it to meet rising filtration demands in the US market.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DESOTEC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carbon Activated Corporation: Activated carbon manufacturer and reactivation service provider serving industrial and environmental applications. Closely comparable to DESOTEC across the same carbon adsorption and regeneration value chain, though smaller and more US-focused.
- Donaldson Company: Industrial filtration manufacturer serving OEM and replacement-filter markets in air, gas, and liquid filtration. Comparable to DESOTEC in industrial air-handling and liquid purification end-markets, though Donaldson emphasizes filtration hardware rather than service-based carbon exchange.
- Jacobi Carbons: International supplier of activated carbons and related services, including reactivation. Directly comparable to DESOTEC in GAC/PAC supply and carbon regeneration, particularly for water and air treatment applications.
- MANN+HUMMEL: Global filtration company with industrial and life-sciences divisions covering air, gas, and liquid filtration. Comparable to DESOTEC in industrial filtration service and aftermarket/replacement business across multiple verticals.
- Calgon Carbon (Kuraray): One of the world's largest activated carbon manufacturers and reactivation service providers. Directly comparable to DESOTEC as both sell activated-carbon-based purification and operate carbon reactivation services for industrial and municipal customers.
- Pentair: Water treatment and flow technologies provider serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers with filtration systems. Comparable to DESOTEC's water and liquid purification line, especially for industrial process water and wastewater.
- Pall Corporation (Danaher): Filtration, separation, and purification specialist serving industrial, biopharma, and food & beverage customers. Overlaps directly with DESOTEC in process fluid and air purification, including mobile/rental filtration offerings for industrial applications.
Broad incumbents
- Xylem (Evoqua Water Technologies): Major water and wastewater treatment player that divested its carbon reactivation business to DESOTEC in 2023. Highly comparable across industrial water treatment, though with a far broader portfolio outside activated carbon.
- Cabot Corporation: Global specialty chemicals and performance materials company with a sizable activated carbon business. Overlaps with DESOTEC in supplying adsorbent media for air and water purification, although Cabot is primarily a carbon manufacturer rather than a mobile filtration service provider.
- Veolia Environnement: Global environmental services giant providing water, waste, and energy solutions. Comparable to DESOTEC in industrial wastewater treatment and environmental remediation services, though Veolia operates at a much larger scale and across a far broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DESOTEC social profiles
Digital presenceDESOTEC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DESOTEC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
DESOTEC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
DESOTEC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DESOTEC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DESOTEC
What does DESOTEC do?
DESOTEC provides rental-based mobile activated carbon filtration solutions for industrial air, gas, water, and liquid purification. Filters are delivered, installed, exchanged, and the saturated carbon is transported to DESOTEC facilities where it is reactivated in proprietary REDIX-95 furnaces for reuse, creating a closed-loop circular service. The offering is sold on a recurring rental basis with no upfront capital investment required from customers.
Is DESOTEC a public or private company?
DESOTEC is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was DESOTEC founded?
DESOTEC was founded in 1990. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is DESOTEC based?
DESOTEC is headquartered in Roeselare, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does DESOTEC make money?
One revenue line is on record: mobile Filter Rental.
Who are DESOTEC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carbon Activated Corporation, Donaldson Company, Jacobi Carbons, MANN+HUMMEL, Calgon Carbon (Kuraray), Pentair and Pall Corporation (Danaher). Broad incumbents are Xylem (Evoqua Water Technologies), Cabot Corporation and Veolia Environnement.
Does DESOTEC have an API?
No public API is recorded for DESOTEC.
What industry is DESOTEC in?
DESOTEC's product category is Industrial Filtration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAIAK, Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media), with a secondary code of EUANABAF, Adsorption & Taste/Odor Control (GAC/PAC, Air Stripping). Its NAICS code is 562910 and its SIC code is 3564.