GULDAGER

What GULDAGER does

Guldager A/S is a Danish privately held water-treatment and corrosion-protection company founded in 1946 by Alfred Guldager, who had invented the foundational Guldager Elektrolysesysteem in 1923. The company designs, manufactures and services electrolytic corrosion-protection equipment (Unicat, AnoPerm R/F), water-softening units (UniSoft series), reverse-osmosis systems (UniRo 150 through 10,000+ l/h), ultrafiltration membranes, CO2 dosing (CalcFree), seawater antifouling systems, balancing valves (Alpha B) and the UniControl remote-monitoring platform, plus integrated turnkey solutions such as CatoCool for cooling towers and Potable Water Makers. Underlying technologies are cathodic protection using titanium mixed-oxide anodes, electrolytic dissolution of aluminum to form protective oxide layers (Katholyse), and membrane separation with 95-98% salt rejection.

Guldager operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Belgium (Guldager N.V., Halle), Switzerland and Germany (Guldager GmbH, Neustadt) plus a global network of agents and dealers providing 24/7 service, spare parts and maintenance contracts. Revenue is generated via three streams: hardware sales of treatment equipment, professional services (maintenance, repair, modernization), and managed/turnkey custom solutions bundling equipment supply with installation and ongoing service; pricing is quote-based per customer configuration and not publicly disclosed. The company employs ~90 people, was recapitalized by Danish private equity firm Capidea in 2016 as part of a generational succession, and is currently led by CEO Claus Torbøl alongside the founder's grandsons Hans and Henrik Guldager.

Guldager's customer base is industrial and commercial B2B, spanning industrial manufacturing (steel, food & beverage), HORECA, energy and oil-and-gas (offshore platforms, power plants), municipal water utilities with concrete reservoirs, and large one-off projects such as the Peterborough waste-to-energy plant and Haldor Topsoe's P6 catalyst factory. The company has publicly stated a 2021 strategy to pursue acquisitions in Germany, Switzerland and Belgium to evolve from a specialty equipment vendor into a full-service water-treatment provider, and it signed the UN Global Compact in 2020 to formalize ESG commitments.

Name

GULDAGER

Legal name

Guldager A/S

Website

https://guldager.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Guldager A/S is a Danish family-owned water-treatment and corrosion-protection specialist, founded 1946, that designs and services electrolytic, membrane and softening systems for industrial, commercial, energy and municipal customers across Europe via subsidiaries in Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Filtration, Treatment & Softening Plumbing Products (IMADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Systems & Treatment (Pumps/Boilers/Water Heaters/Filtration) (IMAIABAK), Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN)

Keywords

• Industrial water treatment
• Corrosion protection systems
• Water softening equipment
• Reverse osmosis systems
• Electrolytic water treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Alleroed

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Treatment Equipment and Solutions: Sale of water treatment products including softening systems (UniSoft), reverse osmosis units (UniRo), ultrafiltration systems, and corrosion protection equipment. Equipment is sold with full installation and maintenance services.
2. Service, Maintenance, and After-Sales Support: Comprehensive service packages including spare parts availability, maintenance, repair, and modernization of equipment. Standard performance and maintenance contracts are offered, adapted to each customer solution.
3. Custom Turnkey Solutions: Complete custom-designed water treatment systems including potable water makers, industrial water treatment, and cooling tower solutions. Includes commercial and technical solution provision, equipment supply, installation, and ongoing system maintenance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Guldager A/S designs, manufactures, sells, and services water treatment and corrosion protection equipment for commercial and industrial customers. The portfolio includes ion-exchange softening systems (UniSoft series), reverse osmosis units (UniRO series), electrolytic/Katholyse-based corrosion protection (Unicat, AnoPerm, UniControl), ultrafiltration, antifouling systems, bacteria control solutions, and complete custom turnkey water treatment plants for drinking water, boiler feed, process water, and cooling tower applications.

Product overview

Guldager A/S is a Danish water treatment and corrosion protection company founded in 1946, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions under the 'Wise Water Treatment' philosophy. The product range includes water softening systems (UniSoft series: 4-6-12, Mini, KT, 9020-9100, 30-60-90, Hydrus) for removing calcium and magnesium through ion exchange; reverse osmosis systems (UniRO series: 150, 401, 4-1600, 2-6000, 6-10.000, Project) for desalination with 95-98% salt retention; corrosion protection products (Unicat for pipe systems, AnoPerm F for filters, AnoPerm R for reservoirs, UniControl monitoring); bacteria control solutions (Healthy Water Service, Alpha B valves); and complete solutions (CatoCool for cooling towers, Potable Water Makers, Ultrafiltration, Antifouling). The portfolio is complemented by global service and after-sales support including maintenance contracts and spare parts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CatoCool: Complete water treatment program for cooling towers and industry, combining scale prevention, filtration, fouling prevention, bacteria control, and corrosion protection in one system
• UniSoft
• UniRO
• CalcFree
• AnoPerm
• UniControl
• Unicat
• Alpha B
• Healthy Water Service
• Wise Water Treatment

Products and services

• UniSoft Series Water Softening Systems Ion-exchange water softening units for commercial and industrial use that remove calcium and magnesium salts. The series includes compact models for HORECA (UniSoft Mini, UniSoft 30-60-90), duplex industrial units (UniSoft 9020-9100) with 25% lower water and salt consumption than time-controlled systems, and the hydraulic UniSoft Hydrus for remote locations.
• UniRO Series Reverse Osmosis Systems Reverse osmosis systems for water desalination using membranes that block 95-98% of all salts. Range includes the mobile UniRO 150 (with UV filtering), compact UniRO 401 (180 l/h), UniRO 4-1600, UniRO 2-6000, large-scale UniRO 6-10.000, and custom UniRO Project units for industrial applications including seawater desalination.
• Unicat Pipe System Corrosion Protection Treatment unit with aluminum cathode and titanium anode coated with mixed metal oxide that forms a protective aluminum oxide layer throughout the pipe installation to prevent corrosion. Comprises a treatment unit, electronic unit, and pump.
• AnoPerm Cathodic Protection Systems

Quantifiable outcome

• Reverse osmosis membranes block 95-98% of all salts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: Global leader in water treatment solutions and services for industrial and municipal clients. Overlaps with Guldager in industrial process water, boiler water, and cooling tower treatment, but operates at vastly larger scale across more geographies.
• Veolia Environnement: Global environmental services group with major water utility and industrial water operations. While broader than Guldager, it competes directly in industrial water outsourcing, service contracts, and water treatment plant construction in overlapping European geographies.
• Pentair: Global water solutions provider with industrial and commercial filtration, softening, and treatment equipment lines. Competes with Guldager in industrial water treatment and offers broader residential and pool portfolios.
• Xylem: Major global water technology company providing pumps, treatment, and metering solutions. Competes with Guldager in industrial water treatment and offers overlapping reverse osmosis and filtration capabilities, particularly for utility and industrial customers.
• Kurita Water Industries: Japanese global water treatment specialist serving industrial and semiconductor customers with chemicals, equipment, and ultrapure water systems. Overlaps with Guldager's industrial process water and boiler water treatment offerings at enterprise scale.
• Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies, with industrial water treatment including cooling tower, boiler, and process water programs. CatoCool and Guldager's cooling-tower/bacteria-control offerings directly overlap with Ecolab's Nalco Water industrial portfolio.
• Culligan International: Global water treatment company offering softening, filtration, and RO solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Most directly comparable in product categories and the softener/RO portfolio overlap, though Culligan operates a much larger dealer-driven distribution model.

Regional players

• Grundfos: Danish-headquartered global pump manufacturer with water treatment adjacencies (dosing, disinfection). Geographic and cultural peer to Guldager, with overlapping presence in Denmark and broader EMEA industrial water markets.

Direct peers

• BWT (Best Water Technology): European-headquartered water treatment specialist focused on softening, filtration, and disinfection technologies. Directly comparable to Guldager in product categories (softening, RO, point-of-entry systems) and serves overlapping HORECA, industrial, and commercial segments across Europe.
• EnviroChemie: European specialist in industrial water treatment and wastewater recycling for process industries. Directly comparable mid-sized competitor with similar focus on industrial process water treatment and turnkey solutions for European manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guldager

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 GULDAGER