Rich + Holscher

What Rich + Holscher does

Reich + Hölscher (legal entity: reich + hölscher TGA-Planer GmbH, founded 1981) is a German engineering consultancy specializing in Technische Gebäudeausrüstung (TGA) — technical building equipment planning. Headquartered in Bielefeld with a second office in Paderborn, the firm employs approximately 50 people and delivers HVAC, sanitary, fire protection, electrical, and building automation planning for commercial and public construction projects throughout Germany. The firm ranks 16th nationally among more than 27,000 TGA planning firms and serves a client base spanning universities, municipalities, hospitals, public institutions, and enterprises such as Weidmüller and Engelbert Strauss.

The company's core services encompass thermal building simulation, energy efficiency optimization, sustainability certification support (e.g., DGNB), and integration of self-learning building control software developed in partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute and University of Freiburg. Notable project work includes the €90 million Stadthaus IV municipal building in Lemgo and a €25 million data center, with the IGS Rinteln project winning the Deutscher Architekturpreis 2023. The firm has also received the Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis, underscoring its positioning in sustainable building design.

Reich + Hölscher generates revenue through fee-based professional services tied to project scale and complexity, typically structured as a percentage of construction cost (industry standard 3–8%). The firm pursues projects through both public-sector tenders and direct enterprise commissions, with 2023 marking a generational leadership transition to André Büttner and Marcel Weiß alongside the founding of a new operating entity, reich + hölscher TGA-Fachplaner GmbH, and expansion into the housing developer segment.

Name

Rich + Holscher

Legal name

reich + hölscher TGA-Planer GmbH

Website

https://reich-hoelscher.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reich + Hölscher is a German TGA engineering consultancy (founded 1981, Bielefeld) that plans HVAC, sanitary, fire protection, and building automation systems for universities, municipalities, hospitals, and enterprises across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Services Engineering (TGA)

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC Controls & Optimization (Smart Thermostats, VAV, Chillers/Boilers Controls) (BPABAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Building Thermal Controls & Building Management Systems (HVAC BMS) (IMAHAKAK), Chillers, Boilers & Central Plant Operations (BPABACAG)

Keywords

• TGA planning services
• HVAC engineering
• Building automation design
• Energy simulation consulting
• Renewable heating systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Planning Services (TGA-Planung): Reich + Hölscher generates revenue through fee-based engineering and planning services for technical building equipment. Projects span all Leistungsphasen (service phases) of building projects, from concept through construction supervision and documentation. Contracts are project-based, typically tied to construction or renovation projects for commercial and public clients. Revenue is generated as professional services for engineering design, simulation, and project management of HVAC, plumbing, and building automation systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Reich + Hölscher provides integral Technical Building Equipment (TGA) planning services covering heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sanitary systems, fire protection, and MSR/building automation for commercial and public construction projects across Germany. Services span all Leistungsphasen from conceptual design through construction supervision, using advanced energy simulation and self-learning control systems to deliver CO2-neutral, energy-efficient building solutions for clients such as municipalities, universities, hospitals, data centers, and commercial developers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TGA-Planung (Technical Building Equipment Planning) Integral planning of Technical Building Equipment (TGA) — heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sanitary, fire protection, and MSR/building automation systems — for commercial and public construction projects, delivered across all service phases from concept through construction supervision and documentation.

Quantifiable outcome

• All buildings can be supplied entirely with renewable energies using only ambient air heat pumps, with 90% of required electricity generated on-site from solar PV and 10% purchased as green electricity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• bez+kock architekten bda generalplaner gmbhcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Stuttgart-based architecture firm and general planner. Co-developed the award-winning IGS Rinteln (Hildburgschule) project with Reich + Hölscher providing TGA engineering. This partnership represents a deep co-development collaboration combining architectural vision with technical building systems design for a landmark sustainable school building.
• Scheidt Kasprusch Architekten GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-based architecture firm. Designed the Bürgerforum Ahlen project, a major event building for up to 1,600 visitors. Reich + Hölscher served as TGA planning partner for this complex public building project (2022-2026).
• KonText – Kontor für Marketing und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMarketing and public relations agency based in Halle Westfalen. Provides design and production services for the company's marketing materials and website, as identified in the imprint. Used for corporate communications and design.
• Fraunhofer Institute, University of FreiburgcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Fraunhofer Institute at the University of Freiburg developed the self-learning building control software used by Reich + Hölscher for managing complex building energy systems. The software integrates hundreds of measurement points with weather forecasts for proactive temperature management. Reich + Hölscher operates and monitors these systems from their offices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ZWP Ingenieur-AG: Cologne-based engineering firm specialized in TGA planning, building physics, and energy-efficient building concepts, with multiple German offices. Direct peer because both firms are German TGA specialist practices with comparable service scope (HKS, sanitary, MSR), customer mix (commercial/public), and energy-simulation-driven differentiation targeting the same regulated decarbonization mandate.
• Ingenieurgruppe Bauen (IGB): Mannheim-based engineering office specializing in TGA/MEP planning, energy concepts, and building simulation for commercial and public clients across Germany. Direct peer because both compete for the same HOAI-structured TGA planning mandates on public-sector and institutional projects, with comparable boutique firm size and integrated MEP focus.
• SCHÜSSLER-PLAN Ingenieurgesellschaft: Düsseldorf-based German engineering firm providing TGA, civil/structural, and infrastructure engineering for public and commercial projects nationwide. Direct peer because both are mid-sized German engineering offices competing for the same HOAI-regulated commercial and public-sector mandates, with comparable multi-disciplinary MEP/TGA planning scope.

Emerging players

• Bollinger + Grohmann: Frankfurt-based international engineering office delivering structural, facade, and increasingly MEP/building-services engineering for complex and award-winning architectural projects. Comparable because both firms regularly co-develop high-profile sustainable public and institutional buildings with architects (e.g., IGS Rinteln's partnership with bez+kock architekten), though Bollinger + Grohmann is broader and more internationally focused.
• Werner Sobek: Stuttgart-based international engineering firm focused on structural, facade, sustainability, and MEP engineering with a strong sustainability/energy-efficiency research orientation. Comparable because of the energy-simulation and decarbonization-driven design ethos that overlaps with Reich + Hölscher's value proposition, though Werner Sobek's larger footprint and broader service portfolio position it as adjacent rather than directly competitive.

Broad incumbents

• Buro Happold: UK-headquartered international engineering consultancy with German offices (Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt) delivering MEP, structural, and sustainability engineering for complex commercial and public buildings. Comparable because both firms are competing for the same high-end TGA mandates on sustainability/energy-transition-driven building projects in Germany, though Buro Happold operates at materially larger scale and full international reach.
• Drees & Sommer: Stuttgart-headquartered engineering, consulting, and project-management firm with ~5,000 employees delivering a much broader portfolio (real estate, infrastructure, industrial, digital) of which TGA/MEP planning is one integrated capability. Highly comparable because both firms compete for German TGA planning mandates on commercial and public sector projects, but Drees & Sommer operates at far greater scale and across many adjacent disciplines.
• HPP Architekten: Düsseldorf-based major German architecture practice with integrated TGA engineering and project-management capabilities serving large public and commercial clients. Adjacent peer because of overlapping TGA planning scope on German institutional and commercial projects (offices, universities, healthcare), though HPP is architect-led and substantially larger than a pure TGA planner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100057643569856

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Rich + Holscher