What WAGU does

WAGU GmbH (full legal name: WAGU - Gesellschaft für Wasserwirtschaft, Gewässerökologie und Umweltplanung mbH) is a German private limited engineering and environmental consultancy headquartered at Kirchweg 9, 34121 Kassel. Founded in 1999, the firm integrates water management engineers, landscape architects, biologists, surveyors, and CAD/GIS specialists into a single cross-disciplinary team to deliver water-body development plans, natural river engineering, hydraulic and hydrological modelling, flood protection design, environmental and nature conservation planning, public-relations for environmental projects, and topographical surveying. Its technology stack rests on one- and two-dimensional hydrodynamic-numerical (1D/2D-HN) flow models, hydrological rainfall-runoff (N-A) catchment models, and a proprietary two-dimensional stream/floodplain model used for morphological development forecasting, supported by modern flow-measurement equipment and GIS/CAD planning systems.

The firm operates under the German HOAI fee structure across all performance phases (1–9) for outdoor facilities and engineering structures, plus specialist expert opinions. Client acquisition is via direct engagement, public procurement, and long-standing relationships with German public-sector bodies across four federal states (Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, Lower Saxony). Its named client base spans municipal administrations (Kassel, Bad Hersfeld, Meschede, Frankenberg, Sundern, Marburg, Attendorn, Menden, Wetzlar, Arnsberg), water associations (Wasserverband Losse, Wupperverband, Wasserverband Diemel), regional councils (Regierungspräsidium Kassel), state environmental agencies (HLUG Wiesbaden, TLUG Jena), federal authorities (Bundesamt für Naturschutz), and research institutions (IWES / Fraunhofer Kassel). Documented output includes over 5,000 km of mapped waterways, 1,000+ km of EU Water Framework Directive (WRRL) implementation plans, and 500+ km of natural stream development concepts.

WAGU is owned and led by three Managing Directors — Thomas Schmidt (water body development, nature conservation, environmental planning), Michael Kühneweg (flood protection, hydraulics, databases, software development, GIS, CAD), and Axel Sobirey (hydraulic engineering, N-A modelling, hydro-morphology, flood protection) — alongside approximately 12 further team members for a total of about 15 staff. There is no parent company, no external institutional investment, no disclosed subsidiaries, and no public listing. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

WAGU

Legal name

WAGU - Gesellschaft für Wasserwirtschaft, Gewässerökologie und Umweltplanung mbH

Website

https://wagu-kassel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WAGU GmbH is a Kassel-based engineering and environmental consultancy founded in 1999 that delivers water management, hydraulic modelling, flood protection, stream renaturalisation, and nature conservation planning services to German municipal, regional, and federal public-sector clients across Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, and Lower Saxony.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Engineering Consultancy

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Water management consulting
• Hydraulic engineering services
• Environmental planning services
• Flood protection planning
• Stream restoration consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Kassel

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 and Planning Services (Ingenieurdienstleistungen): WAGU generates revenue through fee-based engineering and environmental planning services rendered to public-sector clients and government bodies. Services cover HOAI phases 1–9 for outdoor facilities and engineering structures, as well as specialist expert opinions, hydraulic studies, and environmental assessments. Revenue is project-based, typically under public procurement frameworks. WAGU has been operating since 1999 and has no disclosed revenue figures publicly available.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

WAGU GmbH provides integrated engineering and environmental planning services for water bodies, covering all HOAI performance phases (1-9) for outdoor facilities and engineering structures. The firm's eight service areas include stream development, natural water engineering, hydraulics/hydrology, flood protection, environmental planning, nature conservation planning, public relations for environmental projects, and surveying. Services are delivered to German public-sector clients combining hydraulic engineering with aquatic biology expertise.

Product overview

WAGU GmbH is a water management, stream ecology, and environmental planning engineering firm founded in 1999, based in Kassel, Germany. The company operates as a consulting firm offering integrated services across eight core areas: stream development planning, natural water engineering, hydraulics/hydrology, flood protection, environmental planning, nature conservation planning, public relations for environmental projects, and surveying. WAGU's multidisciplinary team combines water management engineers, landscape architects, and biologists to deliver projects spanning all HOAI performance phases (1-9) for outdoor facilities and engineering structures, with particular expertise in renaturation projects, flood risk management, and EU Water Framework Directive implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stream Development (Gewässerentwicklung)
• Natural Water Engineering (Naturnaher Wasserbau)
• Hydraulics and Hydrology (Hydraulik/Hydrologie)
• Flood Protection (Hochwasserschutz)
• Environmental Planning (Umweltplanung)
• Nature Conservation Planning (Naturschutzplanung)
• Public Relations for Environmental Projects (Öffentlichkeitsarbeit)
• Surveying (Vermessung)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 km of flowing waters mapped and assessed across four German states
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sweco Germany: European engineering consultancy with German water management and environmental planning capabilities — comparable service offering but operates as part of a much larger pan-European group.
• CDM Smith Europe: Global engineering consultancy with a large German water practice covering flood protection, water resources, and environmental planning — comparable in service offering but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic reach than WAGU.
• Arcadis Germany: Global design and engineering consultancy with water management, flood resilience, and environmental planning practices in Germany — comparable service overlap but much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Ramboll Germany: International engineering, consulting, and architecture firm with significant German water and environment practice spanning flood risk, WRRL, and ecological restoration — comparable domain but at materially greater scale and geographic breadth.
• AFRY (formerly Pöyry): Global engineering and design firm with strong German presence in water, hydropower, and environmental engineering — comparable in technical disciplines but at much larger scale and with broader sector coverage.

Direct peers

• Hydro-Ingenieure GmbH: German engineering firm focused on water management, hydraulic modelling, and flood protection planning for public-sector clients — directly comparable in service portfolio and customer profile.
• Björnsen Beratende Ingenieure (BCE): One of the largest German water engineering consultancies, headquartered in Koblenz, offering hydraulic engineering, flood protection, and WRRL implementation services to public-sector clients across multiple German states — directly comparable to WAGU in service mix, client type, and project scope.
• Dr. Blasy – Dr. Øverland Beratende Ingenieure: Mid-sized German water and environmental engineering consultancy providing hydraulic modelling, flood protection, and water body development planning to municipalities and water associations — directly comparable to WAGU in discipline mix and public-sector focus.
• Sydro GmbH (DHI Group): German water engineering consultancy and software firm specialising in hydrodynamic-numerical modelling, WRRL implementation, and flood risk analysis — directly comparable in hydraulic modelling and water body planning capabilities.
• Unger Ingenieure: German water management and hydraulic engineering consultancy delivering HOAI-compliant planning for flood protection, renaturalisation, and water body development — directly comparable in scale, service offering, and target clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wagu

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 WAGU