EMW filtertechnik

What EMW filtertechnik does

EMW filtertechnik GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of industrial air filtration and wastewater treatment products, headquartered in Diez (Rhineland-Palatinate) with approximately 120 employees and a 70-year operating history dating to its 1954 founding by Emmerling and Weyl. The company designs and manufactures a broad portfolio spanning IECEx-certified explosion-proof air filters, (H)EPA compact filters, pocket and panel filters, cartridge filters, activated carbon filters, pulse-jet (Pulsfilter) systems, and its proprietary Poret® open-cell reticulated filter foam in polyester and polyether variants (10–80 PPI). Core process technologies include Minipleat pleating (adopted 1984) that compresses large filter surface areas into compact housings, reticulation of polyurethane foam for combined mechanical and biological filtration, and IECEx/ATEX certification of filter assemblies for hazardous atmospheres. Product compliance is anchored to EN 779, EN 1822, ISO 16890, ISO 29461, and ISO 29463 standards, and the company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications through 2027.

The company's primary end markets are gas turbine and power generation air intake filtration (with documented LM6000 and GE 6FA.03 retrofits delivering up to 60% reduction in compressor efficiency loss), data center HVAC, general HVAC and building services, clean-room and pharmaceutical environments, biological wastewater treatment, and explosion-hazard industrial zones. Revenue mechanics are entirely B2B hardware sales transacted through a request-for-quotation (RFQ) model with a €500 minimum order value, project-based custom engineering, and replacement/aftermarket filter cycles; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution combines an internal direct sales team organized by DACH, Export, and Key Account functions, named regional contacts (UK, Finland), and an international representative network reaching over 60 countries. Siemens is disclosed as the pivotal 1990s reference customer when EMW entered the gas turbine segment. Ownership remains with the founding family under a dual Managing Director structure (Kevin Drache, Stephan Roosen), with no institutional investors, subsidiaries, or disclosed M&A activity in the input data.

Name

EMW filtertechnik

Legal name

EMW filtertechnik GmbH

Website

https://emw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

EMW filtertechnik GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer (founded 1954, ~120 employees, Diez) of air filtration and wastewater treatment products — including Poret® reticulated foam, Minipleat compact filters, and IECEx-certified explosion-proof filters — serving gas turbine operators, data centers, HVAC, clean rooms, and industrial hazardous-zone customers in over 60 countries via direct sales and a representative network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Air Filtration

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Dust Collection & Air Filtration Equipment (Industrial) (IMAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services (BPALAHAD), Emission Control & Scrubbing Equipment (Scrubbers, Dust Collectors, Catalytic Systems) (IMAHAEAK)

Keywords

• Industrial air filtration
• HEPA air filters
• Gas turbine filtration
• Poret filter foam
• Explosion-proof filters

Headquarters

HQ city

Diez

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Air Filter Products: Sale of industrial air filtration products including pocket filters, compact filters, cartridge filters, panel filters, (H)EPA filters, IECEx/ATEX filters, and activated carbon filters. Also includes filter media and coalescer products. Products are sold directly via sales team and via RFQ/request quotation system.
2. Poret® Filter Foam Materials: Sale of Poret® filter foam materials in polyester and polyether variants, sold in various colours, shapes, and sizes with pore densities from 10 PPI to 80 PPI. Used both as standalone filtration media and as input for biological degradation and reticulation applications.
3. Custom/Project-Based Filtration Solutions: Special project enquiries for upcoming development projects, with tailored product solutions and custom engineering support. Minimum order value of €500.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

EMW filtertechnik manufactures and sells industrial air filtration and wastewater treatment products, including (H)EPA, compact minipleat, cartridge, pocket, panel, activated carbon, and IECEx/ATEX explosion-proof filters, alongside its proprietary Poret® reticulated polyurethane filter foam. The company sells these 'Made in Germany' products via dedicated regional and key account sales teams, an online RFQ system, and an international representative network serving customers in over 60 countries, with applications spanning gas turbine air intakes, HVAC, data centers, clean rooms, and biological wastewater treatment.

Product overview

EMW filtertechnik GmbH is a German manufacturer of air filtration and wastewater treatment solutions with over 60 years of experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of filtration products including IECEx/ATEX explosion-proof air filters, cartridge filters, compact filters (minipleat technology), activated carbon filters, (H)EPA filters (E10-H14 grades per EN 1822), Poret® filter foams (open-cell polyurethane with 10-80 PPI pore density), coalescer/filter media, pocket filters, and panel filters. These products serve diverse applications including gas turbine air intake filtration, data center HVAC systems, cleanroom facilities, wastewater treatment, and industrial ventilation. The product line emphasizes 'Made in Germany' quality with filter solutions tested to international standards including ISO 16890, EN 779, EN 1822, ISO 29461, and ISO 29463. The portfolio is anchored by the proprietary Poret® foam technology, developed through the company's reticulation process for opening foam cell pores, which serves as both a standalone filter medium and a prefilter component for protecting downstream high-efficiency filters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Poret®: Filter foam product line - polyester and polyether filter foams available in various colors, shapes and sizes with controlled pore density from 10 PPI to 80 PPI (pores per inch). Used for mechanical filtration and biological degradation applications.
• Poret® aqua
• Poret® Wrap

Products and services

• IECEx Air Filters (formerly ATEX Air Filters) Explosion-proof air filters certified for use in explosive atmospheres across all EX zones, replacing the former ATEX certification standard. Targeted at industrial facilities in chemical, oil & gas, paint, and processing operations.
• Cartridge Air Filters Replacement cartridge filters for industrial air filtration systems, including rotating machine air intake applications.
• Compact Filters (Minipleat) Space-efficient air filters using minipleat technology that integrate large filter surface areas into compact dimensions, suitable for HVAC and industrial applications. Efficient particle separation down to sub-1 µm (including viruses and bacteria) with lower pressure drop.
• Activated Carbon Filters Air filters using activated carbon media for gas-phase filtration and removal of odors and volatile organic compounds in industrial environments.
• (H)EPA Air Filters High-efficiency particulate air filters including EPA, HEPA, and ULPA grades for cleanroom applications, gas turbines, and critical air quality requirements, available in E10-H14 filter classes per EN 1822.
• Poret® Filter Foam Specialized open-cell polyurethane filter foam available in polyester and polyether variants, with controlled pore density from 10 PPI to 80 PPI, used for mechanical filtration and biological degradation in air and water treatment applications.
• Filter Media / Coalescer Filter media including Poret® coalescer media for separating liquid aerosols from gas streams; washable and reusable for extended service life. Used in gas streams and wastewater treatment.
• Pocket Filters Bag-style air filters designed for high dust-holding capacity in HVAC and industrial ventilation systems.
• Panel Filters Flat panel air filters for pre-filtration and general ventilation applications.
• Equipment Supporting equipment and accessories for filter installation, monitoring, and maintenance sold as a standalone line.
• Pulsfilter (Pulse Filters) Pulsable pulse jet cleaning filters for gas turbine applications, featuring Poret®-Wrap prefilter media for stable pressure differential and extended service life.

Quantifiable outcome

• EMW (H)EPA filter upgrade reduced compressor efficiency loss by 60% on a GE 6FA.03 gas turbine — saving the operator millions of USD, implemented without structural modifications to the existing filter housing.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SiemenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSiemens was the pivotal first customer when EMW entered the gas turbine market in the 1990s. This partnership marked a significant strategic milestone for EMW, enabling the company to establish reference credentials in the power generation sector. Following the Siemens engagement, EMW installed HEPA filters in the power generation segment during the 1990s, pioneering the application of high-efficiency filtration in gas turbine air intake systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AAF (American Air Filter): Large global incumbent offering air filtration products across HVAC, cleanroom, industrial process, and gas turbine markets. Overlaps broadly with EMW's portfolio as a much larger multinational competitor with full global service infrastructure.
• Pall Corporation: Broad industrial filtration incumbent with strong positions in aerospace, energy, and bioprocessing. Overlaps with EMW in industrial air/gas filtration and cleanroom/biological filtration adjacencies.
• Atlas Copco (Power and Flow / Industrial Air): Global industrial compressor and air treatment specialist whose compressor intake filtration requirements overlap with EMW's industrial air filtration portfolio. A potential customer-side competitor via in-house or partner-branded filtration solutions.
• 3M (Filtration division): Diversified industrial conglomerate with a long-standing filtration business spanning HVAC, cleanroom, and industrial process applications. Overlaps broadly with EMW's product set as a much larger global incumbent.

Direct peers

• Donaldson Company: US-based global filtration manufacturer with strong overlap in industrial air filtration, gas turbine intake filtration, and dust collection. Donaldson is a direct competitor in the gas turbine segment where EMW has built reference cases on GE and Siemens platforms.
• MANN+HUMMEL: German-headquartered global filtration company with deep overlap in industrial air filtration, HVAC, and cleanroom applications. Both compete in pocket, compact, and HEPA filter categories, and both emphasize 'Made in Germany' manufacturing and OEM partnerships in industrial markets.
• Freudenberg Filtration Technologies: German manufacturer of industrial air and liquid filtration products, including HEPA/ULPA, pocket, and pleated filters. Comparable as a fellow German Mittelstand competitor serving HVAC, cleanroom, and process industry customers across Europe and globally.
• Camfil: Swedish specialist in air filtration with a directly comparable product portfolio in HEPA, compact, pocket, and molecular filters for HVAC, cleanrooms, and process industries. Camfil competes head-to-head with EMW in ISO 16890/EN 1822-compliant filtration and gas turbine intake filtration.

Others

• Ahlstrom: Supplier of filtration media (non-woven, microglass) to filter manufacturers. Comparable as a media-side counterpart whose products compete with or supply into the same filter OEM value chain that EMW operates in with its Poret® foam.
• Linde (industrial gas / cleanroom): While not a direct air filter competitor, Linde operates cleanroom and gas processing businesses that consume HEPA and process filtration solutions comparable to EMW's cleanroom product line, making it a relevant end-market reference peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 EMW filtertechnik