Erde

What Erde does

Erde is an Italian civil engineering and construction company headquartered in Acqui Terme (Piedmont) with additional offices in Genoa and Milan, operating across northern Italy for approximately three decades. The firm specializes in integrated design and turnkey construction for six sectors: agro-food industry facilities (wineries, dairies, slaughterhouses, olive mills, preserves factories, fruit/vegetable processing), agricultural holdings (livestock facilities, greenhouses, vineyards), public infrastructure and irrigation, sustainable building (Klimahouse-certified bio-construction and energy requalification), geothermal and heat pump systems, and historic restoration. Its core technology stack combines conventional civil engineering with a proprietary industrial patent (filed March 2016 with the University of Genoa) for evaluating thermophysical properties of terrain and effective thermal resistance of geothermal probes, plus an experimental laboratory greenhouse (SAM-Lab) developed jointly with the University of Genoa and CeRSAA to test energy-efficient cultivation technologies.

The company's business model is project-based and sales-led, organized around three service divisions: subsidized financing assistance, engineering and design, and building/plant construction. Erde positions itself as the single point of contact from feasibility study through commissioning, bundling public subsidy and EU grant application support directly into project delivery. Geothermal projects, executed exclusively with in-house professionals and equipment since 2011, carry contractual and insurance guarantees on cost and delivery time. Customer mix spans private enterprises (LIDL, GIUSO GUIDO S.p.A., Musetti S.r.l., Frantoio di Sant'Agata d'Oneglia, Cantina Viticoltori dell'Acquese, Cooperativa l'Ortofrutticola) and government entities (Provincia di Asti, municipalities, EU/Piedmont Region co-funded works), with individual project values ranging from approximately €260,000 to €2,000,000.

Revenue mechanics rely on lump-sum or cost-plus construction contracts and professional service fees, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Marketing is predominantly relationship-driven via the company's website (erde.it) and project referrals rather than active digital campaigns. Distribution is fully direct — no intermediaries or resellers — with competitive bidding for public contracts and direct negotiation for private projects. The company holds €1,500,000 in registered share capital, maintains 11–50 employees, and operates three Italian offices.

Name

Erde

Legal name

ERDE

Website

https://erde.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Erde is an Italian civil engineering and construction firm specializing in turnkey design and build services for agri-food facilities, agricultural holdings, public infrastructure, sustainable buildings, and geothermal systems across northern Italy with three decades of domain experience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Acqui Terme

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Design Services: ERDE provides preliminary and executive design services, authorization practice management, technical and administrative assistance, construction supervision, and safety coordination services. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees.
2. Construction and Implementation Services: ERDE executes construction works for agricultural, food processing, infrastructure, and geothermal projects. Revenue is generated through lump-sum or cost-plus construction contracts.
3. Subsidized Financing Assistance: ERDE assists clients in obtaining public subsidies, subsidized financing, and tax benefits for agricultural and energy efficiency projects. This service is bundled with project delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Erde is an Italian civil engineering and construction firm that delivers turnkey design-build projects for the agri-food industry, agricultural businesses, public infrastructure, sustainable buildings, geothermal systems, and historical building restoration. The firm operates three integrated divisions — Subsidized Financing Assistance, Engineering and Design, and Building and Plant Construction — providing a single point of contact from feasibility study through plant commissioning, including obtaining public subsidies and tax incentives on behalf of clients.

Product overview

ERDE is a full-service engineering and construction company operating primarily in the Italian agri-food sector. The company operates three main divisions: Subsidized Financing (Finanziamenti Agevolati), Engineering and Design (Ingegneria e Progettazione), and Building and Plant Construction (Costruzioni Edili e Impiantistiche). ERDE serves six key sectors: Agri-Food Industry (its primary focus, including wineries, dairy, meat processing, olive oil mills, sauces/conserves, and fruit/vegetable processing), Agricultural Businesses (farms, stables, vineyards), Infrastructure and Irrigation, Sustainable Building (bio-building and energy-efficient construction with Klimahouse certification), Geothermal (turnkey systems since 2011 with patented technology), and Restoration (historical buildings). The company provides end-to-end services from feasibility studies and financing assistance through design and construction execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Subsidized Financing Assistance (Finanziamenti Agevolati) Assistance in obtaining subsidized financing, public contributions, and fiscal incentives for agricultural, energy efficiency, and construction projects; bundled with project delivery from feasibility through commissioning.
• Engineering and Design (Ingegneria e Progettazione) Preliminary and executive design services, feasibility studies, authorization practice management, technical and administrative assistance, construction supervision, and safety coordination.
• Building and Plant Construction (Costruzioni Edili e Impiantistiche) Construction, testing, and reporting services for buildings and plant systems across agricultural, food processing, infrastructure, geothermal, and restoration projects, delivered via lump-sum or cost-plus contracts.
• Turnkey Geothermal Systems (Impianti Geotermici) Design and construction of turnkey geothermal and heat pump systems for heating and cooling of buildings, greenhouses, and agricultural facilities, including feasibility assessment, public subsidy acquisition, executive design, and execution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects co-financed by European Union, national ministries, and regional governments - including CIPÉ Program 'FIORIFRUTTI', EU Regulation 1305/2013 PSR Liguria, PAR-FAS 2007-2013
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Università di Genova (University of Genoa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2016ERDE collaborates with the University of Genoa on geothermal technology research and development. In March 2016, they jointly filed an industrial invention patent for geothermal probe evaluation technology. The partnership also produced the SAM-Lab experimental greenhouse inaugurated in February 2016, which experiments with advanced greenhouse cultivation methodologies and technologies focused on energy efficiency improvement.
• CeRSAA (Centro di Sperimentazione e Assistenza Agricola della Camera di Commercio di Savona)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeRSAA collaborated with ERDE and the University of Genoa on the SAM-Lab experimental greenhouse project. CeRSAA is the Agricultural Experimentation and Assistance Center of the Savona Chamber of Commerce.
• UGI (Unione Geotermica Italiana)minorOthersERDE is an associate member of the Italian Geothermal Union, indicating professional membership in the geothermal industry association.
• IGA (International Geothermal Association)minorOthersERDE is an associate member of the International Geothermal Association, demonstrating international engagement in the geothermal sector.
• ATF (Associazione Italiana dei Tecnici del Freddo)minorOthersERDE is an associate member of the Italian Association of Refrigeration Technicians, indicating specialized expertise in refrigeration and cooling systems integrated with geothermal solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Trevi Group: Italian engineering and construction group specializing in geotechnical and infrastructure works. Comparable to ERDE as an Italy-based contractor executing technically demanding, project-based engineering work for public and private clients.
• Impresa Pizzarotti: Italian general contractor executing civil engineering, public infrastructure, and industrial construction. Comparable to ERDE's engineering-design-build model serving both private enterprise and public administrations in Italy.
• Ghella: Italian infrastructure contractor with roots in tunneling, civil works, and large public projects. Comparable to ERDE in its Italian identity, project-based general contracting model, and public-sector focus.
• Renzo Costruzioni: Italian construction firm executing commercial, agricultural and public-building projects. Comparable in vertical scope and engagement size to ERDE's agro-industrial portfolio.
• Rizzani de Eccher: Italian general contractor executing civil engineering, infrastructure, and industrial building projects across Italy and internationally. Comparable to ERDE's mix of design-and-build delivery, public and private clients, and project-ticket size range in the millions.
• CMC Ravenna: Italian cooperative construction firm delivering public works, infrastructure, and civil engineering projects. Comparable in scale and bid-driven project acquisition, with similar exposure to public-subsidy funding cycles.
• Bonatti: Italian general contractor executing infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects. Comparable to ERDE for its mixed private/public client base and integration of design and construction execution.

Broad incumbents

• Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo): Italy's largest general contractor with operations across infrastructure, energy, and industrial construction globally. Comparable as a buyer of design-build engineering services, but operates at far greater scale and geographic breadth than ERDE.
• GEA Group: Global supplier of process technology for the food, dairy, and beverage industries. Comparable to ERDE's agro-industrial customer orientation, though operating as an equipment vendor rather than turnkey constructor.

Emerging players

• Mannvit: Icelandic engineering consultancy executing geothermal power and district-heating projects. Comparable to ERDE's geothermal design and turnkey implementation capability, though at international project scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Erde