Sydro Consult

What Sydro Consult does

SYDRO Consult GmbH is an independent German consulting firm founded in September 1999 in Darmstadt, specializing in system hydrology, water resources management, and information technology applied to the water sector. The firm serves water authorities, government agencies, water infrastructure operators, mining companies, river basin committees, ministries, and international organizations, with project footprints in Germany, broader Europe, the Nile Basin (Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan), and the Mekong region (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam). Service offerings span water resources management, hydrological and hydraulic modeling, flood risk management and mapping under EU directives, ecosystem-based adaptation, custom software development in Python, .NET, Fortran, and C#, and research and capacity building. Pricing is project-specific and quote-based, with revenue derived from professional services consulting, software licensing and support (Talsim), and government-funded research contracts (notably BMU/BMUV-funded TASK and TASK2 projects).

The firm's core proprietary technology is the Talsim hydrological modeling software, developed continuously for over 20 years and released as Talsim 5 in July 2025, used for rainfall-runoff simulation, streamflow forecasting, and operational decision support for dam and reservoir operators. On top of Talsim, SYDRO has built the TASK drought early warning system (operational since 2020) and its successor TASK2 (launched February 2021), which combine seasonal forecasts from NOAA and ECMWF with ground-station observations to compute hydro-meteorological indices for early drought detection; the TASK2 Dashboard, released June 2023, exposes these outputs via a public web application. Distribution is direct and enterprise-oriented: secured through competitive tendering for international development work (Mekong River Commission, Nile Basin Initiative, GIZ, World Food Programme) and direct consulting engagements with German regional water authorities (Bezirksregierungen, Wasserverbände, TLUBN).

SYDRO employs 11-50 staff from its Darmstadt headquarters and is a privately held GmbH with no external investment or parent company. As of January 2026, the management team expanded to include Nada Abdelwahab and Dipl.-Ing. Felix Froehlich alongside founding Managing Director Dipl.-Ing. Markus Funke, with Dr. Hubert Lohr transitioning to an owner role. The firm maintains an active presence at industry events (Tag der Hydrologie, DAWAKO, ICOLD, Nile Basin Development Forum) and contributes to peer-reviewed publications in WasserWirtschaft and other technical outlets, reinforcing its position in the specialized German and European hydrology consulting market.

Name

Sydro Consult

Legal name

SYDRO Consult GmbH

Website

https://sydro.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SYDRO Consult GmbH is an independent Darmstadt-based consulting firm specializing in hydrology and water resources management, serving water authorities, infrastructure operators, and international organizations with proprietary modeling software (Talsim) and specialized engineering services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydrology & Water Resources Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient) (EUAHAKAF), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Data Management, LIMS & Compliance Software (ELN, eDMS, reporting automation) (EUANAJAE)

Keywords

• Hydrological modelling software
• Water resources consulting
• Drought early warning
• Flood risk management
• Dam safety assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Darmstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Specialized hydrology and water resources management consulting for public authorities, water infrastructure operators, mining companies, river basin committees, ministries, and international organizations. Projects range from feasibility studies to operational systems implementation.
2. Software Licensing and Support: Talsim-NG hydrological modeling software development, maintenance, and user training. Includes software customization and integration services.
3. Research and Development Projects: Government-funded research projects (BMU/BMUV funded) for climate adaptation, drought management, and water resources innovation. Includes TASK and TASK2 projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sydro Consult provides specialized engineering consulting, hydrological modelling, and custom software development for water resources management, flood risk, drought early warning, and dam safety. The firm's proprietary Talsim software family and the TASK / TASK2 drought early warning system are licensed to water authorities, dam operators, and international development organizations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Product overview

Sydro Consult GmbH is an independent consulting company specializing in hydrology and water resources management. The company offers a portfolio of hydrological modeling software (Talsim) combined with advisory services for water resources management, flood risk management, ecosystem services, information technology, and software development. The core products include Talsim (hydrological modeling software with over 20 years of history), TASK (climate change adaptation strategy for dams), and TASK2 (operational drought early warning system). These products and services are provided as an integrated offering combining specialized software tools with expert consulting services for water authorities, infrastructure operators, and international organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Talsim: Hydrological modeling software developed and maintained by SYDRO Consult, with Talsim 5 released as a new version continuing the 20+ year history of the software.
• TASK
• TASK2

Products and services

• Talsim / Talsim-NG (Talsim 5) Proprietary hydrological modelling software used by water authorities, dam operators, and engineering consultancies for catchment, reservoir, and water-resource simulation. Licensed and maintained by Sydro Consult.
• TASK2 Dashboard Web-based dashboard for the TASK2 drought early warning system, providing operational visualization and decision support for water authorities and drought management agencies.
• Water Resources Management Consulting Specialist consulting services covering integrated water resources management for public-sector water authorities and international development clients.
• Modelling Services Project-based hydrological and water-resource modelling engagements delivered to public agencies, operators, and consultancies using Sydro's proprietary tools and methods.
• Flood Risk Management Consulting Consulting services for flood hazard, flood risk, and floodplain studies, supporting compliance with frameworks such as the EU Floods Directive and dam safety requirements.
• Ecosystem Services Consulting Advisory services supporting the assessment and valuation of water-related ecosystem services for public-sector and development-finance clients.
• Information Technology Services IT services supporting hydrological data management, model deployment, and software integration for water-sector clients.
• Software Development Services Custom software development for water-sector clients, including bespoke modelling tools, decision-support systems, and integration with Talsim.
• Research and Capacity Building Applied research projects and capacity-building programmes funded by German federal ministries and development partners, including the TASK / TASK2 drought early warning research programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• TASK drought early warning system operational since 2020 for reservoir operators in Germany
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thüringer Fernwasserversorgung (TFW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2021Joint partner in TASK2 research project (2021-present) for developing operational tools for seasonal hydro-meteorological forecasts for drought adaptation. TFW provides operational use case and continued support for drought trend monitoring web application.
• City of ErfurtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2021Joint partner in TASK2 research project for developing drought adaptation tools and decision support systems for water management.
• Arcadis GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Donaumoos project (digitalization, modeling and visualization of water system) and Vattenfall pumped storage feasibility study.
• Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) / Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner for coordinated dam operation studies in the Eastern Nile basin. SYDRO provides technical expertise for development scenarios and cascade dam optimization.
• Mekong River Commission (MRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing engagement since 2017 for development of Annual Mekong Flood and Hydrology Reports. SYDRO serves as lead consultant for regional hydrological assessments.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in multiple international projects including ECOSWat Thailand (Drone Pioneer Award 2017), Nile basin studies, and Yom River basin ecosystem-based adaptation measures.
• Thüringer Landesamt für Umwelt, Bergbau und Naturschutz (TLUBN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on drought trend monitoring and model verification for Thuringia region, accompanying TASK2 project activities.
• Uganda Ministry of Water and EnvironmentminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration on Nile basin coordinated dam operation project. Workshop and field trip coordination in Uganda.
• Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) BangkokminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture cooperation discussions on capacity building and support for AIT students writing theses on ecosystem-based measures in Thailand.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DHI: Danish water modeling and hydrology consulting/software firm (MIKE suite) serving the same water authorities, dam operators, and international development clients as SYDRO, with overlapping rainfall-runoff and flood forecasting capabilities.
• Deltares: Dutch applied research institute for water, subsurface and infrastructure offering hydrological modeling, flood risk management, and software tools (e.g., Delft3D, Sobek) — directly competes with SYDRO on EU and international development tenders.
• HR Wallingford: UK-based water research and consulting organization specializing in hydraulic and hydrological modeling, flood risk management, and reservoir operations — comparable service portfolio to SYDRO's Talsim and consulting practice.
• KISTERS: German water data management and hydrology software vendor (WISKI, KiWater) with comparable offerings in hydrological monitoring, forecasting, and compliance reporting for water authorities and reservoir operators.

Broad incumbents

• Sweco: European engineering consultancy with broad water management capabilities, including hydrological modeling and flood risk management for public authorities — competes for the same German and EU tenders.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with a sizable water management practice; SYDRO has previously partnered with Arcadis Germany (e.g., Vattenfall pumped storage study) and competes for similar water infrastructure tenders.
• Ramboll: International engineering, consulting, and design firm with a strong water and climate adaptation practice, competing for European water authority and international development assignments.
• AFRY: European engineering and consulting firm (formerly Pöyry and ÅF) with extensive water resources and hydropower capabilities, comparable to SYDRO's dam operations, hydropower feasibility, and integrated water management services.
• Royal HaskoningDHV: Large international engineering consultancy with significant water practice (Flood Risk, Water Resources) serving similar municipal and international clients but as part of a much broader portfolio of services.

Emerging players

• HydroComp: US-based hydrology and hydrodynamic software firm focused on dam and reservoir operations (HydroComp NavEditor) — comparable niche software offering to Talsim-NG for a smaller user base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Sydro Consult