What AWS does

AWS GmbH is a Germany-based specialized service provider for industrial and municipal wastewater and water management, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GELSENWASSER AG since 1999. Founded in 1994 in Dortmund and headquartered in Gelsenkirchen (Willy-Brandt-Allee 26), the company delivers long-term operational management of wastewater treatment plants, water treatment facilities, and canal infrastructure, with a typical contract duration of 10-20+ years. As of 2019, AWS served 4 municipalities (Hallenberg, Bad Karlshafen, Schkopau AZV, and Schriesheim via joint venture) and 14 industrial companies including BP Ruhr Oel, Evonik, Thyssenkrupp, August Storck, Unilever, Refresco, and ADM Wild.

Core technical capabilities span biological wastewater treatment (activated sludge, Sequence-Batch Reactor / SBR systems, nutrient removal), industrial process engineering for complex contaminant streams (PFOS elimination, activated carbon filtration for landfill leachate), biogas desulfurization, and canal data management (KIS-based self-monitoring and AI-assisted damage assessment via the Ing Plus AG partnership). The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified and DVGW/DWA-TSM certified for drinking water and wastewater operations in Hallenberg and Bad Karlshafen, supporting eligibility for municipal procurement.

Revenue is generated primarily through long-term managed services contracts (Betriebsführung), with complementary streams including engineering/professional services, build-operate-transfer (BOT) arrangements (e.g., 10-year Elb-Milch flotation plant), and outcome-based Einsparcontracting where AWS earns a percentage of verified customer cost savings. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supplemented by industry events (VDI conferences, Berliner Milchforum, IFAT), the biannual ImPuls B2B magazine, and inbound referrals via the GELSENWASSER AG network. Annual revenue exceeded €10 million in both 2017 and 2018; no later public disclosure is available. The company employs approximately 60 people across Germany and works with roughly 1,000 suppliers, of which ~50 are system-critical for daily plant operations.

Name

AWS

Legal name

AWS GmbH

Website

https://aws-gw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AWS GmbH is a Gelsenkirchen-based, GELSENWASSER-owned specialist in long-term operational management of industrial and municipal wastewater and water treatment plants across Germany, serving 14 industrial firms and 4 municipalities under multi-year contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Management Services

NAICS

Remediation Services (562910), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administrative and Support Services (561)

SIC

Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Turnaround & Outage Planning/Management (TAR Coordination) (IMAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF), EHS Auditing, Inspections & Assurance (BPAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment services
• Water management operations
• Municipal water supply
• Industrial process engineering
• Canal infrastructure services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gelsenkirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Long-term Operational Management Contracts (Betriebsführungsverträge): AWS generates primary revenue through long-term operational management contracts for wastewater treatment plants, water treatment facilities, and canal infrastructure for municipalities and industrial companies. These contracts cover technical and commercial operations management with typical durations of 10–20+ years.
2. Energy-Saving Contracting (Einsparcontracting): AWS offers cost-optimization analysis and implementation services for industrial wastewater treatment where customers pay only when measurable cost savings are achieved. AWS receives a pre-negotiated percentage of the achieved savings.
3. Project Planning and Implementation Services: Design and construction of customized wastewater treatment and water treatment facilities, including process engineering, equipment installation, and commissioning for industrial clients.
4. Plant Construction and Operation (BOT Model): AWS builds new treatment facilities (e.g., flotation plants) and then operates them under long-term contracts. Example: Flotationsanlage for Elb-Milch at the Stendal plant, operated under a 10-year contract.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AWS GmbH provides long-term technical and commercial operational management (Betriebsführung) of wastewater treatment plants, water treatment facilities, and canal infrastructure for municipalities and industrial companies across Germany. The company delivers full-lifecycle services including process engineering, plant construction, commissioning, and ongoing operations, often under 10-20+ year contracts, with a unique outcome-based Einsparcontracting model where customers pay a percentage of achieved cost savings.

Product overview

AWS GmbH is a holistic service provider for industrial and municipal water treatment and wastewater management. The company operates a platform-plus-services model centered around long-term operational management of water and wastewater treatment plants. Core offerings include wastewater treatment management, water treatment, canal network management, and specialized services including process engineering, operational consulting, and intelligent canal data management. The company serves both municipalities and industrial clients across Germany, offering individual modules like operator models, savings contracting, and drinking water supply that can be combined based on client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ImPuls: B2B magazine published twice yearly covering wastewater management topics, projects, and industry news

Products and services

• Wastewater Operational Management (Betriebsführung Abwasser)
• Operator Models for Wastewater (Betreibermodelle)
• Process Engineering for Wastewater (Verfahrenstechnik)
• Water Treatment Operational Management (Wasseraufbereitung Betriebsführung)
• Drinking Water Supply (Trinkwasserversorgung)
• Water Desalination Contracting
• Einsparcontracting (Savings Contracting)
• Industrial Wastewater Plant Quick Check (Quick-Check Industriekläranlage)
• Operational Consulting (Betriebsberatung)
• Canal Operational Management (Betriebsführung Kanal)
• Canal Services (Kanaldienstleistung)
• Intelligent Canal Data Management
• Wastewater Reuse (Abwasserwiederverwendung)
• Wastewater Diversion (Abwasserableitung)

Quantifiable outcome

• 55% reduction in specific energy consumption for aeration (from ~16 kWh/Ea to ~7 kWh/Ea) through turbo compressor replacement with screw compressors at Schkopau wastewater treatment plant
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nijhuis IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020AWS partnered with Dutch plant builder Nijhuis Industries for the construction of a flotation plant for Elb-Milch at the Stendal facility. Nijhuis is a solutions provider in water management focused on water reuse and resource recovery, nominated for the Water Technology Award 2020. AWS served as the main contractor and operator while Nijhuis supplied the treatment equipment.
• Stadtwerke StendalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020AWS partnered with Stadtwerke Stendal (in which Gelsenwasser is also a stakeholder) for the daily operation and maintenance of the Elb-Milch wastewater pre-treatment plant. Stadtwerke Stendal contributes local operational expertise, combining various competencies of the wastewater network into a customized solution.
• Ing Plus AGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019AWS collaborates with Ing Plus AG (in which GELSENWASSER AG holds a stake) to offer an intelligent canal data management service package for large industrial sites. Ing Plus provides an AI-powered platform for automated canal inspection data analysis, damage assessment, and sanitation planning. AWS contributes its wastewater and canal operations expertise to create a comprehensive canal management offering. This partnership enables approximately 80% of identified canal damages to be assessed automatically with sanitation concepts.
• GELSENWASSER AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019AWS is a 100% subsidiary of Gelsenwasser AG. The parent company provides strategic backing, access to its network of approximately 10,000 km of canal infrastructure, specialized technical expertise across water and wastewater operations, and corporate-level engineering support. AWS operates as the specialized industrial and municipal wastewater management arm of Gelsenwasser.
• Fraunhofer ISE (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019AWS participated as an industrial partner in the HighCon research project (funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) coordinated by TU Berlin, which included Fraunhofer ISE among its research partners. The project developed processes for treating concentrates from industrial water recycling.
• TU Berlin - Fachgebiet UmweltverfahrenstechnikminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019AWS participated as an industrial partner in the HighCon research project led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven Uwe Geißen at TU Berlin's Environmental Process Engineering department, which developed selective value recovery processes for industrial wastewater recycling concentrates.
• WVE Wasserversorgungs- und -entsorgungsgesellschaft Schriesheim mbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000AWS holds a 24.5% equity stake in WVE, a joint venture with Stadt Schriesheim (51%) and MVV Energie AG (24.5%). WVE manages water supply and wastewater treatment for the city of Schriesheim in Baden-Württemberg. AWS contributes its wastewater treatment expertise through its managing director Dr. Thomas Nelle. This was the first cooperative model of its kind in Baden-Württemberg.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nijhuis Industries: Dutch water management solutions provider focused on water reuse and resource recovery; existing AWS partner (Elb-Milch Stendal flotation plant), serving similar industrial customers with comparable treatment equipment and services.
• WTE Wassertechnik GmbH: German engineering and operating company specializing in industrial and municipal water/wastewater treatment, with comparable service portfolio including plant design, construction, and operational management for industrial and public-sector clients.
• EnviroChemie GmbH: German specialist in industrial water and wastewater treatment with comparable offerings in process engineering, plant construction, and operational management for industrial clients across chemicals, food, and pharmaceuticals.

Broad incumbents

• REMONDIS Aqua GmbH & Co. KG: Major German water and wastewater services group offering industrial water treatment, municipal operations, and recycling services; much larger scale than AWS but overlapping in industrial wastewater operations and municipal contract management.
• Xylem Inc. Global water technology company providing pumps, treatment systems, and digital solutions for utility and industrial water/wastewater customers; overlaps with AWS in industrial wastewater monitoring and intelligent network management.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water treatment technology and services provider with significant German presence across industrial wastewater, process water, and municipal operations; competes with AWS for large industrial and municipal contracts.
• Kurita Water Industries Ltd. Japanese water treatment specialist offering industrial water management, chemicals, and facility operations globally; overlaps with AWS on industrial wastewater operational management and ultrapure/process water services.

Emerging players

• H2O Innovation Inc. Canadian specialty water treatment company providing membrane systems, operations and maintenance services, and water reuse solutions for industrial and municipal clients; comparable niche focus but smaller scale than AWS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aws-by-gelsenwasser

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 AWS