YBR Geologists

Name

YBR Geologists

Legal name

YBR Géologues SA

Website

https://ybr.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Independent Swiss engineering geology and geotechnical consultancy (YBR Géologues SA), founded 1997, delivering subsurface, geotechnical, hydrogeological, environmental and natural hazard expertise to public authorities, construction firms, industrial operators and legal/insurance clients across Swiss Romandie and the Paris region via three offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Support Activities for Mining (213)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotechnical Investigation & Site Characterization (Boreholes, In-situ Testing, Lab Testing) (IMAFAOAG), Shallow Foundations & Ground Support (Footings, Rafts, Ground Beams) (IMAFAOAB), Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring (Settlement, Inclinometers, Piezometers) (IMAFAOAH), Geotechnical, Hydrogeological & Seismic Engineering (Slope Stability, Ground Support, Dewatering) (IMAKAOAN), Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB), Geotechnical Site Investigation & Engineering Geology (Borings, Lab Testing) (EUAHAFAE)

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering
• Engineering geology
• Hydrogeology consulting
• Contaminated site remediation
• Natural hazard assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Boudry

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering study and expert mandates: Project-based fee income from over 2,200 studies and expertises delivered to private clients and public authorities (communes, cantons, confederation, railway companies) since 1997. Engagement scope spans G1–G5 / SIA phase 2–5 geotechnical missions, expert reports for courts and insurance, polluted site investigations and hydrogeology studies.
2. Geotechnical works execution follow-up and contracting support: Billable consulting for tender preparation, costing, works direction and execution follow-up on special works (retaining structures, deep foundations), often paired with the underlying study mandate.
3. Environmental and polluted site consulting: Fee-for-service mandates covering historical investigations, technical detail investigations, on/off-site treatment design, remediation projects, surveillance, soil protection concepts, environmental impact studies and regulatory liaison (OSites, OLED).
4. Instrumentation, monitoring and surveillance services: Recurring and project-based revenue from vibration, inclinometric, fissure and hydrogeological monitoring mandates, including remote real-time surveillance with alerting, sold to construction sites, infrastructure operators and environmental stakeholders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

YBR Géologues SA is an independent Swiss engineering consultancy delivering geotechnical, geological, hydrogeological, natural hazard, environmental and expert-witness services. The firm conducts soil and rock studies, 2D/3D subsurface modelling, design of retaining structures and foundations, contaminated-site investigations, groundwater flow modelling and in-situ monitoring with real-time alerting for public authorities, construction firms, industrial operators, insurers and lawyers across Switzerland and France.

Product overview

YBR Géologues SA is a Swiss independent engineering geology and geotechnical consulting firm (founded 1997 in Neuchâtel, headquartered in Boudry) offering a portfolio of seven interlinked service lines rather than a single software product: Géologie de l'ingénieur, Géotechnique, Expertise, Sites pollués, Dangers naturels, Hydrogéologie and Mesures et surveillances. These service lines are operationally grouped into five internal departments – GEOTEC (geotechnics, engineering geology, works direction), GEO-ENV (geology, hydrogeology, polluted sites, geothermics, pedology, natural hazards), DAO (2D/3D technical drawing and GIS), INSTRUMENTATIONS-ESSAIS (vibration, displacement, piezometric measurements) and ADMIN – which together deliver the firm's studies, modelling, sizing, monitoring and expert-witness assignments. The Swiss firm is complemented by a French sub-brand, YBR Géotechnique Environnement SAS (Paris, founded 2021, inaugurated 2022), and both are owned by Anticlinal Holding SA. A new Nyon/Eysins branch was opened in 2025 to serve Western Switzerland (Geneva, Vaud, Jura). The portfolio is a service-platform architecture: the technical service lines are the customer-facing modules and the departments are the delivery backbone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engineering Geology (Géologie de l'ingénieur) Engineering-geology studies bridging the underground and construction, including geological mapping, direct (drillings, soundings) and indirect (seismic) reconnaissance, hydrogeological reconnaissance, 2D/3D geological and geostatistical modelling, archive/data compilation, and SIA 267 geotechnical studies produced jointly with the geotechnics team.
• Geotechnics (Géotechnique) Full-scope geotechnical engineering covering soil and rock mechanics, water management on sites, SIA 267 studies, digital modelling and stability calculations, sizing of retaining structures (nailed, Berlin, diaphragm, sheet-pile walls, tunnels) and special foundations (piles, micropiles, ballasted columns, shallow foundations), plus tendering, measurement and on-site execution follow-up.
• Expert Witness Services (Expertise) Court-appointed and insurance-mandated expert services delivered by qualified specialists for judicial procedures, claims and conciliation proceedings, leveraging the firm's recognised technical and ethical standards in geology, hydrogeology and natural hazards.
• Polluted Sites (Sites pollués) End-to-end environmental services on polluted sites by SIPOL-qualified specialists, including historical investigations, technical-investigation specifications, on/off-site treatment, remediation design, monitoring, material management concepts, soil protection, works direction in polluted environments, environmental impact studies and authority permitting, compliant with OSites, OLED and current norms.
• Natural Hazards (Dangers naturels) Natural-hazard management for landslides, rockfall, subsidence, sinkholes and flooding: hazard identification and mapping, slope-stability and rock-trajectory modelling, flood modelling, design of protection/stabilisation/mitigation works, and execution monitoring.
• Hydrogeology (Hydrogéologie) Groundwater and surface-water expertise for environmental protection and construction dewatering: aquifer characterisation, tracer tests and groundwater flow modelling, infiltration testing, works-water management, drinking/thermal/irrigation well siting, protection-zone mapping, ground-coupled heat-pump sizing, landslide drainage, and monitoring tied to landfills, quarries and polluted sites.
• Measurements and Monitoring (Mesures et surveillances) In-situ measurement, monitoring and alarm services covering vibration/shock monitoring compliant with SN 640 312 and DIN 4150-2, inclinometric displacement monitoring of retaining works and landslides, crack monitoring, hydrogeological monitoring (manual/automatic piezometry with GSM alarms, pumping and tracer tests, physico-chemical and microbiological analyses), and bespoke instrumentation via partner labs and institutes such as EPFL.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,200 studies and expertises delivered since 1997
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 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

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

• Anticlinal Holding SAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent group that wholly owns YBR Géologues SA (Switzerland) and YBR Géotechnique Environnement SAS (France). Group also includes entities active in mining, environmental and IT domains. Provides shared methods, cross-border specialist mobility, methodological transfers and a unified governance owned 100% by partners Mikaël Hänni and Charles Robert-Charrue.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOngoing collaboration for specialised measurements and laboratory services beyond YBR's in-house capacity, used for complex or non-standard instrumentation and analyses.
• Institut universitaire romand de santé au travail (IST)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegular collaboration with the IST institute for specialised laboratory and research services in occupational health and related fields.
• SIA (Société suisse des Ingénieurs et des Architectes)coreOthersYBR Géologues SA and its staff are affiliated to the SIA, applying SIA norms (e.g. SIA 267 for geotechnical studies) and encouraging active participation of staff in SIA work groups.
• CHGEOL (Swiss Association of Geologists)coreOthersYBR Géologues SA and its staff are affiliated to CHGEOL, reinforcing professional standing in engineering geology and hydrogeology in Switzerland.
• GS (Geologische Stiftung Schweiz / Swiss Geological Society)coreOthersYBR Géologues SA and its staff are affiliated to the Swiss geological foundation GS, supporting continuous training and contribution to the geological community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hager & Partner AG: Swiss engineering geology consultancy with focus on natural hazards, landslides and rockfall, similar to YBR's Dangers naturels practice. Comparable in technical scope, customer type (public authorities, cantons) and Jura/Alpine regional exposure.
• De Cérenville Géotechnique SA: Established Swiss geotechnical engineering firm headquartered in Écublens (VD) with a strong footprint in Romandie. Directly competes with YBR in geotechnical studies, slope stability, foundations and special works for the same public and private clients.
• Karakas & Français SA: Swiss engineering geology and geotechnics consultancy based in Lausanne. Closely overlaps with YBR in SIA 267 geotechnical studies, natural hazard assessments and works direction for special works in the Lemanic region.
• Fondasol: French geotechnical and environmental engineering group with strong Île-de-France presence. Competes head-to-head with YBR Géotechnique Environnement SAS on geotechnical studies, environmental site assessments and dewatering/groundwater services.
• Géotechnique Appliquée Dériaz SA (GAD): Long-standing Swiss geotechnical firm with operations across Romandie. Provides soil mechanics, foundation engineering and special works consulting on a project-based fee model, mirroring YBR's core offerings.
• Géotec SA: Major French geotechnical engineering firm with nationwide coverage including Île-de-France. Closest direct competitor to YBR's Paris subsidiary in soil mechanics, polluted sites, hydrogeology and G1-G5 geotechnical missions in the French market.
• Géotest SA: Swiss geotechnical and environmental engineering consultancy offering engineering geology, geotechnics, hydrogeology and environmental services across Romandie and the Lemanic arc. Directly comparable in service portfolio, regional footprint and customer base to YBR.

Regional players

• Sol-Concept: Swiss geotechnical and environmental firm operating primarily in German-speaking Switzerland. Comparable in service mix (geotechnics, polluted sites, hydrogeology) but does not directly compete in YBR's Romandie and Paris core markets.

Emerging players

• Norbert SA (Geotechnical): Smaller Swiss geotechnical and environmental engineering firm active in Romandie. Competes with YBR on a subset of mandates (geotechnical studies, polluted sites) for similar construction and public-sector clients, but with a smaller service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• AF-Consult Switzerland: Large Swiss engineering consultancy (part of AFRY/Pöyry) with a broad civil and geotechnical offering across Switzerland. Competes with YBR on larger public infrastructure tenders where scale and multidisciplinary depth matter, but is not specialised in YBR's niche regional geotechnical work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 YBR Geologists