What ecoTech Umwelt-Messsysteme GmbH does

ecoTech Umwelt-Messsysteme GmbH is a Bonn, Germany-based environmental measurement systems company that develops, produces, and distributes scientific instruments for monitoring water, soil, and air. Founded in 1984 (preceded by 1980 eclector development with the University of Bonn) and converted to a GmbH in 1991, the firm operates across six specialist areas — Hydrology, Soil Science, Ecology, Meteorology, Monitoring, and Botany — with a portfolio of approximately 5,000 products of which roughly 300 were developed in-house. Its proprietary sensor technologies include a patented full-range soil matric potential sensor combining mini-electrodes with Tensiomark probes, a 2009-patent-pending online pH measuring system for soils, a utility-patented pH electrode (since 2015), Redox/ORP electrodes, laboratory lysimeters, pF laboratory stations, and specialized suction cups and suction plates. The firm also serves as an authorized In-Situ service center for all of Europe and integrates YSI multi-parameter probes and Sommer flow measurement equipment into its monitoring stations.

The company's primary customer base consists of research institutions, environmental authorities, and engineering offices in Germany and broader Europe, supported by a network of international distributors spanning North America, Asia Pacific, and South America. ecoTech employs roughly 7 people, including the founder Gerhard F. Behre as CEO, and operates through direct enterprise field sales with project-based consulting and long-term post-sale support. Its go-to-market emphasizes tailored monitoring solutions designed within customer budgets rather than high-volume transactional selling. Revenue is generated principally through hardware sales of measurement devices and customized monitoring stations, supplemented by technical consulting and authorized service-center revenue from the In-Situ partnership. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and quotes are provided on request.

The company is privately held under founder/management control with no external equity funding. Strategic activity has centered on incremental product development (Tensiomark since 2013, measuring buoy in 2024, lysimeter applications in 2025), facility expansion (new warehouse/workshop in 2012 and new headquarters in 2019), and channel partnerships (In-Situ in 2022, YSI since 1994, and a broad international distributor roster). The business remains a specialized Mittelstand niche manufacturer with deep domain expertise but limited scale and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities or external capital.

Name

ecoTech Umwelt-Messsysteme GmbH

Legal name

ecoTech Umwelt-Messsysteme GmbH

Website

https://ecotech.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ecoTech Umwelt-Messsysteme GmbH is a 7-employee Bonn-based manufacturer of environmental monitoring instruments for water, soil, and air, serving research institutions, environmental authorities, and engineering offices across Europe with patented sensor technology and customized monitoring stations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Monitoring Equipment

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Quality Monitoring (Surface Water, Stormwater, Drinking Water) (EUAHACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Irrigation Monitoring & Sensors (Flow/Pressure Meters, Soil Moisture, Water Quality Sensors) (AFABAHAJ), Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC)

Keywords

• Environmental monitoring systems
• Water quality measurement
• Soil science instruments
• Hydrological measurement devices
• Meteorological weather stations

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Environmental Monitoring Equipment Sales: Sale of measurement devices and environmental monitoring systems for hydrology, soil science, meteorology, ecology, and botany applications.
2. Tailored Monitoring Systems: Custom monitoring stations combining instruments with data loggers and transmission equipment for multidisciplinary projects.
3. Technical Consulting and Project Support: Competent consulting services for technical equipment of projects, determining appropriate technical solutions for project ideas within customer budgets.
4. Authorized Service Center: ecoTech operates as authorized In-Situ service center, providing service and support for partner products.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ecoTech develops, produces, and markets measurement devices and environmental monitoring systems for water, soil, and air across six specialist areas: Hydrology, Soil Science, Meteorology, Ecology, Monitoring, and Botany. The portfolio spans more than 5,000 products including multi-parameter water quality sondes, suction cups and plates, laboratory lysimeters, electrochemical sensors (pH, Redox/ORP, matrix potential), weather stations, and automated monitoring stations with data logging and transmission. The company also provides technical consulting, project support, and authorized service for In-Situ products in Europe.

Product overview

ecoTech Umwelt-Messsysteme GmbH is an environmental measurement systems company that develops, produces, and markets over 5,000 products across 6 specialist areas (Hydrology, Soil Science, Meteorology, Ecology, Botany, and Monitoring) for water, soil, and air monitoring. The product portfolio centers on specialized scientific instruments and monitoring systems including multi-parameter water quality probes (YSI), soil water extraction equipment (suction cups, suction plates), laboratory stations (pF laboratory station, laboratory lysimeter), electrochemical sensors (pH electrodes, Redox/ORP electrodes, matrix potential sensors), automated monitoring stations with data logging and transmission capabilities, meteorological weather stations, ecology trapping equipment, and botanical measurement devices (Dendro Module for sap flow). The company combines established third-party sensor technology (YSI sondes, Sommer flow meters) with its own proprietary sensor innovations and monitoring stations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DendroModul: Measurement of sap flow and stem growth in trees

Products and services

• Hydrology Monitoring Systems
• Water Level Data Loggers
• YSI Multi-Parameter Probes
• Handheld Instruments
• Suction Cups and Suction Plates
• pF Laboratory Station
• Laboratory Lysimeter
• Redox/ORP Electrode
• pH Electrode
• Matrix Potential Sensors
• Tensiomark
• Nitrate Monitoring Sets
• Mechanical Vacuum Controls
• Weather Stations
• Data Monitoring Systems
• Measuring Buoys
• Eclectors
• DendroModul (Dendro Module)
• Sommer Discharge and Flow Velocity Equipment

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• In-Situ Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew distribution partnership announced. ecoTech serves as authorized In-Situ service center for Germany and all of Europe. Partnership focuses on water level, water quality, and flow monitoring instruments and software. ecoTech provides local support and service for In-Situ products.
• YSIcoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing partnership since 1994 for multi-parameter probes used in hydrology applications. YSI probes are integrated into ecoTech monitoring systems for water quality monitoring.
• AnhydreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distribution partner based in France.
• BioformminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• GeoprecisionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• SDEC FranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• Solum FreiburgminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• Van WaltminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• EcoSearchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• ICT InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• Eco-MindminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• EncosysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• PSP Soil SearchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.
• University of BonnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal cooperation since 1980 with Prof. Dr. Kneitz at the zoological institute for development of eclectors.
• Jena GeosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing international distribution partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• METER Group: METER Group (formerly Decagon Devices) manufactures scientific-grade sensors and data loggers for soil moisture, matric potential, and environmental monitoring — directly competing with ecoTech's soil science, hydrology and data monitoring product lines, and serving the same research and agricultural science customers.
• YSI (a Xylem brand): YSI, now part of Xylem, manufactures multi-parameter water quality sondes — exactly the type of probe ecoTech has resold and integrated since 1994. Their products overlap directly with ecoTech's hydrology monitoring systems and target the same research/environmental authority buyers.
• In-Situ Inc. In-Situ is a global manufacturer of water level, water quality and flow monitoring instruments — ecoTech's direct distribution partner in Europe and the supplier of products ecoTech services, making it a direct competitive/complementary peer in hydrology monitoring.
• Stevens Water Monitoring Systems: Stevens manufactures water quality and soil moisture monitoring sensors, data loggers and telemetry systems — directly comparable to ecoTech's hydrology, soil science and continuous monitoring offerings for environmental and agricultural research buyers.
• s::can: s::can (Austria) builds online water quality sensors and monitoring stations using spectral and electrochemical methods — directly comparable to ecoTech's YSI-integrated multi-parameter water quality monitoring stations sold to environmental and industrial research customers.
• Campbell Scientific: Campbell Scientific supplies data loggers and integrated environmental monitoring stations for hydrology, meteorology, soil and ecological research — closely overlapping with ecoTech's data monitoring, meteorology, and combined sensor+logger station offerings.
• OTT Hydromet (Veralto/Hach): OTT Hydromet manufactures hydrological and meteorological monitoring instruments (water level, discharge, water quality) — a direct competitor to ecoTech's hydrology portfolio and serving many of the same environmental authority and research customers across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Hach (Veralto): Hach, part of Veralto, is a dominant global water analysis and monitoring instrumentation company — overlapping with ecoTech in water quality sensors and online monitoring, but operating across municipal, industrial and laboratory markets at a vastly larger scale.
• Hanna Instruments: Hanna Instruments is a much larger incumbent manufacturer of pH, ORP, conductivity and dissolved oxygen meters (benchtop, portable, process) — overlapping with ecoTech's handheld and electrode products but operating across a far broader industrial, food, and educational customer base.
• Endress+Hauser: Endress+Hauser is a global process instrumentation leader covering flow, level, water quality and analytical sensors — broadly comparable to ecoTech on hydrology and water quality measurement, but serving industrial process plants globally rather than research and environmental authority niches.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecotech-umweltmesssysteme-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 ecoTech Umwelt-Messsysteme GmbH