Ryser Engineers

What Ryser Engineers does

Ryser Ingenieure AG is a Swiss engineering consulting firm founded in 1912 and headquartered at Engestrasse 9, Bern. Operating as an independent, owner-managed Aktiengesellschaft (stock company) with approximately 40 employees, the firm delivers full-lifecycle engineering services across four integrated disciplines: drinking water (Trinkwasser), wastewater (Abwasser), energy (Energie), and civil infrastructure (Tiefbau). Its client base is overwhelmingly public-sector — municipal water utilities, wastewater associations, regional authorities, and energy contracting companies — primarily across the Swiss cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Valais, Solothurn, and Vaud. Service scope runs from strategic master planning (Generelle Wasserversorgungsplanung / Generelle Entwässerungsplanung) through feasibility, detailed design, public-tender support, construction management, and commissioning. Notable engagements include the CHF 80 million STEP EBBV wastewater treatment plant (70,000 PE, commissioning 2028), Bern's largest reservoir at Mannenberg (30,000 m³), and multiple district heating and wastewater heat recovery networks.

Technical capabilities centre on municipal water supply infrastructure, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) wastewater treatment with intelligent cycle control, biogas upgrading to biomethane via membrane separation, wastewater heat recovery for district heating, small-scale hydropower, and ultrafiltration water treatment. An in-house GIS department develops digital infrastructure planning solutions, including proprietary semi-automated software for generating condition assessment reports and remediation plans for private wastewater systems (ZpA workflow), and contributed to the cantonal Informationsplattform Wasser (IPW) data models for Bern and Solothurn. Projects such as the Stufenpumpwerk Stalden were planned entirely in 3D, representing a pioneering approach within the firm.

Revenue is generated through fee-based, project-by-project engineering mandates awarded via Swiss public-sector procurement processes, with no public pricing disclosed and no resellers or third-party distribution channels. The firm operates a collaborative network with specialist partners including Triform SA, Triform AG, IG Mikropower, Rytec AG, Ingenta AG, Kuster+Hager AG, and KOHLER + PARTNER AG, and holds memberships in ten professional associations. Ryser is currently extending internationally for the first time in its 113-year history through a VSA-commissioned wastewater knowledge exchange in Serbia.

Name

Ryser Engineers

Legal name

Ryser Ingenieure AG

Website

https://rysering.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ryser Ingenieure AG is a Swiss engineering consulting firm founded in 1912, serving municipal water utilities, wastewater associations, and energy contracting clients across Switzerland with full-lifecycle engineering in drinking water, wastewater, energy, and civil infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil & Environmental Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Asset Management (EUAEAMAH), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Drinking water engineering
• Wastewater treatment engineering
• Municipal infrastructure consulting
• Civil underground engineering
• Renewable energy engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Consulting Services: Ryser Ingenieure AG generates revenue through fee-based engineering and consulting engagements across four core disciplines: drinking water, wastewater, energy, and civil infrastructure (Tiefbau). Projects span the full project lifecycle including master planning, feasibility studies, detailed design, tendering, and construction management/commissioning. Revenue is primarily project-based and sourced from public-sector clients (municipalities, water utilities, municipal associations) via public procurement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ryser Ingenieure AG is a Bern-based Swiss engineering consultancy providing full-lifecycle planning, design, supervision, and commissioning services for drinking water supply systems, municipal wastewater treatment plants, renewable energy installations (biogas processing to biomethane, hydropower, wastewater heat recovery, waste heat utilization), and underground civil infrastructure (Tiefbau). The firm also develops proprietary GIS-based assessment software used for private wastewater infrastructure condition reports required under Swiss regulation.

Product overview

Ryser Ingenieure AG is a Swiss engineering firm offering specialized infrastructure engineering services across four core domains: Trinkwasser (drinking water), Abwasser (wastewater), Energie (energy), and Tiefbau (civil engineering). The company provides complete project lifecycle services from strategic planning and design (SIA phases 1-5) through construction and commissioning. Key service modules include Generelle Wasserversorgungsplanung (GWP) for water supply planning, Generelle Entwässerungsplanung (GEP) for drainage planning, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and condition assessments. The firm employs specialized technologies including Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) systems for wastewater treatment, wastewater heat recovery systems, biogas processing to biomethane via membrane separation, and ultrafiltration water treatment. Founded in 1912, the company operates from Bern with approximately 40 employees and serves clients throughout Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trinkwasser (Drinking Water Engineering) Full-lifecycle engineering of drinking water supply systems, including reservoirs (e.g., Reservoir Mannenberg), pump stations, ultrafiltration drinking water treatment plants (e.g., UF plant Rougémollet), and Grundwasserpumpwerk (groundwater pumping station) projects. Targeted at Swiss municipal water utilities and water supply associations requiring regulatory-compliant water infrastructure.
• Abwasser (Wastewater Engineering) Engineering of municipal wastewater treatment plants and infrastructure, including SBR (Sequencing Batch Reactor) plant design such as the ARA Basse-Broye project, optimization studies for existing plants (e.g., STEP EBBV), and regulatory drainage planning. Targeted at municipal wastewater associations and Abwasserverbände.
• Energie (Energy Engineering) Engineering services for renewable energy and heat recovery installations, including Klärgasaufbereitung zu Biomethan (biogas upgrading to biomethane), Wasserkraft (hydropower), and Abwasserwärmenutzung (wastewater heat recovery) projects. Targeted at municipal energy utilities (Stadtwerke), regional energy associations, and private operators pursuing energy transition projects.
• Tiefbau (Civil / Underground Engineering) Planning and construction supervision of municipal underground civil works, including sewer construction, reservoir construction, utility coordination, and three-dimensional modeling of underground infrastructure. Targeted at Swiss municipal public works departments and infrastructure offices.
• Generelle Wasserversorgungsplanung (GWP) Regulatory general water supply planning study required under Swiss cantonal water law, covering long-horizon supply security, source planning, and infrastructure investment planning for water utilities. Targeted at Swiss municipalities and regional water associations required by regulation to maintain an approved GWP.
• Generelle Entwässerungsplanung (GEP) Regulatory general drainage / wastewater planning study required under Swiss cantonal water protection law, defining municipal wastewater network investment, hydraulic capacity, and treatment strategy. Targeted at Swiss municipalities required by regulation to maintain an approved GEP.
• Zustandsuntersuchung privater Abwasseranlagen (ZpA) Regulatory condition assessment of private wastewater installations (ZpA) on building parcels, including sewer lateral inspection, state classification, and rehabilitation report generation using the firm's proprietary semi-automated GIS-based Sanierungsberichte software (with INTERLIS data modeling). Targeted at Swiss municipalities responsible for inspecting private wastewater infrastructure under federal water protection requirements.
• Geografische Informationssysteme (GIS) Services Geographic information system services covering water and wastewater infrastructure mapping, INTERLIS-based data modeling, and digital network documentation. Targeted at Swiss municipalities, water associations, and wastewater associations requiring standardized digital infrastructure records.

Quantifiable outcome

• STEP EBBV wastewater treatment plant will serve 70,000 PE and is designed to meet future requirements for energy consumption, net-zero targets, and improved nitrogen elimination
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• VSA (Verband Schweizer Abwasser- und Gewässerschutzfachleute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025VSA (Swiss Association for Water and Wastewater Professionals) commissioned Ryser Ingenieure AG employee Michael Steiner for an international knowledge exchange workshop in Subotica, Serbia, promoting wastewater expertise exchange between Swiss and Serbian professionals.
• IG MikropowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIG Mikropower is cited as a specialist partner for interdisciplinary collaboration. The firm is mentioned as part of the professional network benefiting all employees through knowledge exchange and collaborative project delivery.
• Rytec AG, MünsingencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRytec AG is a specialist partner firm engaged for interdisciplinary collaboration and is noted for joint project delivery, including modeling of electricity, heat, and gas flows for the ARA Münsingen energy strategy project.
• Triform SAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTriform SA (engineering joint venture partner) and Ryser Ingenieure AG are jointly planning the new STEP EBBV wastewater treatment plant (CHF 80 million investment, 70,000 PE, commissioning 2028). Ryser is responsible for the SBR biological treatment stage design.
• Ingenta AG, BerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIngenta AG, Bern is the project partner (partner firm within an Ingenieurgemeinschaft) for the Reservoir Mannenberg project in the IG Trentamila consortium.
• Kuster+Hager AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKuster+Hager AG is the project partner for the ARA Brienz new construction project (2018–2023), working jointly with Ryser Ingenieure AG.
• KOHLER + PARTNER AG, BurgdorfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOHLER + PARTNER AG (Burgdorf) is the engineering team partner for the Wärmeverbund Selhofen district heating project in Kehrsatz, working alongside Ryser Ingenieure AG in a planing team structure.
• Durena AG, ZürichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDurena AG, Zürich is listed as a project partner for the Fernwärmenetz Tiefenau district heating network project in Bern.
• KASTELER ENGINEERING GmbH, WabernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKASTELER ENGINEERING GmbH, Wabern is listed as a project partner for the Fernwärmenetz Tiefenau district heating network project in Bern.
• beconcept ag, BelpminorStrategic or Co-development Partnerbeconcept ag, Belp is the concept, design, and text editing partner for the firm (responsible for the Ryser Ingenieure AG website), and also collaborates on the Wärmeverbund Selhofen project.
• Triform AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTriform AG is listed as a project partner alongside Ryser Ingenieure AG for the wastewater heat recovery system in Yverdon-les-Bains (2016–2019).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ernst Basler + Partner (EBP): Larger Swiss consulting and engineering firm with practices across infrastructure, environment, energy, and risk. Competes with Ryser on selected water/wastewater and energy mandates but offers a much broader service portfolio and national footprint.
• Pöyry (now part of AFRY): International engineering consultancy (formerly Pöyry) with significant Swiss operations in water, wastewater, and energy infrastructure. Competes for larger municipal and industrial water mandates and represents the global incumbent threat in Ryser's space.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with water and environmental infrastructure practices active across Europe. Overlaps with Ryser on large municipal water/wastewater tenders and represents the international incumbent tier of competition.
• SIG Group / SIGA: Established Swiss engineering and infrastructure services group active in water, civil, and environmental projects. Comparable in domain but materially larger and more diversified than Ryser, representing incumbent competition on larger municipal mandates.

Direct peers

• CSD Ingenieure AG: Swiss engineering firm active in water, environment, civil infrastructure, and energy consulting. Overlaps with Ryser on water/wastewater and environmental engineering mandates for Swiss municipal and industrial clients.
• Hunziker Betatech AG: Swiss engineering consultancy focused on water/wastewater, civil infrastructure, and energy projects for municipal clients. Highly comparable scope (drinking water, wastewater, district heating, civil works) and comparable size to Ryser, serving a similar Swiss municipal tender pool.
• AF Toscano AG: Swiss engineering consultancy specializing in water, wastewater, and underground infrastructure for municipal clients. Direct competitor with overlapping service lines (Trinkwasser, Abwasser, Tiefbau) and similar reliance on Swiss cantonal tenders.
• Basler & Hofmann AG: Swiss engineering firm offering water, environment, civil infrastructure, and energy services to public-sector clients. Comparable multidisciplinary structure to Ryser and one of the larger direct competitors in the same Swiss municipal infrastructure market.
• Holinger AG: Swiss engineering firm specializing in water, wastewater, and environmental infrastructure consulting for municipalities. Closest direct peer to Ryser Ingenieure AG, with comparable multidisciplinary service lines, similar Swiss cantonal client base, and overlapping public tender exposure.
• Emch+Berger AG: Swiss engineering group with water/wastewater, civil, and environmental infrastructure practices. Comparable in service mix and Swiss public-sector focus, though larger and broader in scope than Ryser.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ryser-ingenieure-ag-bern

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Ryser Engineers