Valvo Bauelemente

What Valvo Bauelemente does

Microwave Techniques GmbH (formerly Valvo Bauelemente GmbH) is a Hamburg-based manufacturer specializing in passive RF and microwave components, principally circulators, isolators, power loads, isoductors, isolaunchers, double units, and waveguide extensions. The company's products are built on ferrite technology and span frequencies from 26 MHz to 5.875 GHz with power handling from 0.1 W up to 100 kW (in water-cooled loads), covering seven core product lines totaling 635+ catalogued designs. The product portfolio serves four primary vertical segments: communications (broadcasting, mobile base stations, aviation control), scientific research (plasma, particle colliders, chemistry), industrial processing (heating, drying, vulcanization, welding), and medical (MRI, RF ablation).

The company originated within Philips, gaining independence in 1999, and was acquired in June 2023 by Microwave Techniques LLC of Gorham, Maine, USA, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary within a combined group of 140+ employees operating four manufacturing facilities in Germany and the United States. Following the acquisition, the entity rebranded from Valvo Bauelemente GmbH to Microwave Techniques GmbH, while retaining its Hamburg engineering and manufacturing operations. The business model is direct B2B sales-led: products are quote-based, with no public pricing, and customers engage through a small sales team (Managing Director, customer desk, purchasing) via website inquiry forms and email. Revenue is generated entirely through hardware sales of standard catalog items and customized designs, with the latter representing a stated core competency involving rapid prototyping and close customer collaboration. No software, SaaS, subscription, or AI-enabled offerings are part of the business. Supporting the core product portfolio are ValvoTools, an S-parameter measurement data viewer for Touchstone files, and a library of free technical application notes published under Creative Commons.

Name

Valvo Bauelemente

Legal name

Microwave Techniques GmbH

Website

https://valvo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Microwave Techniques GmbH (formerly Valvo Bauelemente) is a Hamburg-based manufacturer of passive RF and microwave ferrite components, including circulators, isolators, and power loads, serving communications, scientific, medical, and industrial customers globally as a subsidiary of Microwave Techniques LLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RF/Microwave Passive Components

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)

SIC

Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)

akta.pro primary industry

Passive Filters & RF Passives (LC Filters/Diplexers/Baluns/Attenuators) (HDAHANAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Passive Components (Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Ferrites) (IMAGAJAA), RF, Microwave & Wireless ICs (HDAHAAAF)

Keywords

• RF components
• Microwave components
• Circulators
• Isolators
• Ferrite technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Passive RF/Microwave Component Sales: Direct sales of passive RF and microwave components including circulators, isolators, power loads, and related devices. Revenue generated through product sales with customized design services as a complementary offering.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Microwave Techniques GmbH (formerly Valvo Bauelemente GmbH) is a Hamburg-based manufacturer of passive RF and microwave components, including circulators, isolators, power loads, isoductors, isolaunchers, double units, and waveguide extensions. The company sells a catalog of 635+ ferrite-based designs spanning 26 MHz to 5.875 GHz with power handling from 0.1 W to 100 kW, and offers customized design engineering services for tailored RF component solutions.

Product overview

Microwave Techniques GmbH (formerly Valvo Bauelemente GmbH) offers a comprehensive portfolio of passive RF and microwave components organized into seven core product lines: Circulators (455 models, 3/4-port passive components in junction, lumped element, and waveguide types), Isolators (147 models, 2-port non-reciprocal components), Power Loads (8 models, including water-cooled loads up to 100 kW), Isoductors (1 model, unmatched ferrite cores), Isolaunchers (2 models, combined magnetron launcher and isolator units), Double Units (18 models, series-connected combinations), and Waveguide Extensions (4 miscellaneous models). The product portfolio spans frequencies from 26 MHz to 5.875 GHz with power handling from 0.1 W to 100 kW. Supporting offerings include ValvoTools (S-parameter viewer software), Application Notes (technical documentation), and Customized Design engineering services for tailored RF solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circulators Passive RF components with three or four ports in junction, lumped element, and waveguide configurations, used to direct microwave signals in communications, scientific research, medical, and industrial applications. The 455-model line covers 10 W to 5000 W power handling and frequencies from 26 MHz to 178 MHz in standard catalog variants.
• Isolators Passive 2-port components that allow microwave energy to pass in one direction only while blocking reverse signals, available as junction, lumped element, or waveguide types. The 147-model line is optimized for communications, medical (MRT, RF Ablation), and industrial heating applications.
• Power Loads High-power RF terminations that absorb unwanted reflected power, offered as integrated loads (pre-assembled with isolators) or standalone units. Eight catalog models include water-cooled loads with power handling up to 100 kW for industrial use.
• Isoductors Non-reciprocal ferrite cores supplied without integrated matching elements, allowing flexibility for external matching design. The catalog model VJB1153 operates at 171–181 MHz with 330 W power handling.
• Isolaunchers Combined units integrating a magnetron launching unit and an isolator within a common housing, available for waveguide and coaxial distribution systems with optional forward/backstreaming power monitoring probes. Two waveguide models operate at 2.45 GHz with 3 kW power handling.
• Double Units Combinations of two circulators or isolators connected in series within a common housing for applications requiring very high isolation. The 18-model catalog includes Isolator–Circulator and Isolator–Isolator combinations with isolation values up to 55 dB.
• Waveguide Extensions Miscellaneous waveguide components including waveguide extensions for connecting RF systems, with four models supporting R9, R22, R26, and R32 waveguide sizes for frequencies including the 2.45 GHz ISM band.
• ValvoTools Software S-parameter measurement data viewer supporting Touchstone files (.s2p, .snp) with any number of ports, including frequency domain charts, Smith charts, numerical view, markers and limits, and automatic phase shift. Distributed as standalone (Matlab R2017a Runtime) and web installer versions.
• Customized Design Engineering Service Rapid implementation of tailored RF component designs adapted to individual customer constraints, including frequency, power, bandwidth, thermal, and connector specifications, with design samples and prototypes delivered on short lead times through close customer collaboration.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Microwave Techniques LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2023Microwave Techniques LLC of Gorham, Maine, USA acquired Valvo Bauelemente GmbH in June 2023. The acquisition creates a leading global producer of high-power microwave components with complementary product portfolios. Valvo operates as a subsidiary of MT LLC, maintaining operations in Hamburg while benefiting from shared resources, customer support integration, product line integration, employee collaboration, and joint R&D projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Qorvo: Major broad-line RF semiconductor and passive component supplier serving communications infrastructure, defense, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Valvo in high-power RF infrastructure applications.
• Skyworks Solutions: Large RF semiconductor company with a growing portfolio of high-power and infrastructure components. Overlaps with Valvo in broadcast, mobile base station, and RF infrastructure markets.
• MACOM Technology Solutions: Broad-line RF, microwave, and millimeterwave component supplier serving communications, industrial, and defense markets. Overlaps with Valvo in passive components for high-power applications but with a much wider portfolio.
• Mercury Systems: Provider of RF and microwave components and subsystems primarily for defense and aerospace applications. Overlaps with Valvo in high-power ferrite components for specialized industrial and scientific applications.

Direct peers

• RLC Electronics: Manufacturer of RF and microwave components including circulators, isolators, switches, and power loads. Comparable product portfolio serving similar high-power industrial, scientific, and communications applications.
• DiTom Microwave: Specialized manufacturer of ferrite-based circulators and isolators serving communications, medical, and industrial markets. Closely comparable product line and customer overlap with Valvo's core offerings.
• Bird Technologies: Manufacturer of RF power measurement and termination products, including high-power RF loads and signal chain components. Directly comparable in power load and high-power RF component offerings.
• Anaren (TTM Technologies): Manufacturer of RF and microwave passive components including circulators, isolators, and custom RF subsystems. Directly comparable in ferrite-based component technology and customer base across defense, communications, and industrial.
• Spinner Group: German-headquartered manufacturer of RF and microwave components including high-power loads, circulators, and waveguide components. Direct competitor with similar product technology and industrial/scientific customer base.
• Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (Transdigm): Major manufacturer of high-power RF and microwave passive components including circulators, isolators, and loads for defense and industrial applications. Directly competes with Valvo in ferrite-based components for high-power systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microwave-techniques-gmbh

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 Valvo Bauelemente