Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH

What Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH does

Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH is a German specialty-industrial engineering firm, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Rheinbach, that develops and manufactures electrolytic ozone generators for industrial water treatment. Its core technology is based on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolysis, which produces ozone directly from water without requiring feed gas, in contrast to conventional corona-discharge systems. The product portfolio spans the ELAP, ELAG, OMZ, O3zone-Pen, KVM Series, and CMG Series ozone generators, complemented by in-house ozone sensors, and the company reports more than 2,000 ozone cells installed across over 31 countries.

The company targets highly regulated industrial segments including pharmaceutical manufacturing, food and beverage processing, medical technology, and semiconductor fabrication, where ozone is used for sanitization, clean-in-place (CIP) processes, and ultrapure water treatment. Compliance with GMP-C, ISPE guidelines, FDA-relevant standards, and CE marking positions the technology for pharmaceutical-grade and semiconductor-grade applications. Direct end-users include industrial sites such as the Hoechst industrial park.

Innovatec pursues a dual go-to-market combining direct sales to industrial end-users with white-label/OEM supply to global water-treatment OEMs, most notably BWT AG (sold under the STERITRON brand) and Xylem/WEDECO (sold under the WEL series). The company is privately held, employs approximately 13 people, and conducts collaborative R&D with FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Leadership rests with Managing Director Stefan Rittmaier, and the firm has received public innovation funding, including a €330,000 BMBF #DATIpilot grant in 2025 for the D²ELOX next-generation electrolyzer project.

Name

Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH

Legal name

Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH

Website

https://innovatec-rheinbach.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH, founded 1994 in Rheinbach, Germany, manufactures electrolytic ozone generators using PEM electrolysis for water treatment in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical technology, and semiconductor industries, supplying OEMs including BWT and Xylem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water Treatment Equipment (Ozone Generation Systems)

NAICS

Industrial Gas Manufacturing (325120), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Biocides & Disinfection Chemicals (Non-Agricultural) (IMAEAJAL)

Keywords

• Electrolytic ozone generators
• Pharmaceutical water disinfection
• Ozone destructors
• PEM electrolysis technology
• Electrochemical water purification

Headquarters

HQ city

Rheinbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ozone Generator Hardware Sales: Sale of electrolytic and silent-discharge ozone generators (ELAP, ELAG, OMZ, O3zone-Pen, CMG series), catalytic ozone destructors (KVM series), and accessory components. The company also produces custom OEM products under private label for partners such as BWT Pharma & Biotech (STERITRON) and Xylem Water Solutions (WEL series).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH develops and manufactures electrolytic ozone generators and catalytic ozone destructors used for chemical-free disinfection of ultrapure and process water. Its PEM-based systems produce ozone directly in situ from water without external feed gas, addressing biofilm control and microbiological contamination in pharmaceutical, food & beverage, medical, semiconductor, and cosmetics water systems. The company also offers sensors, microcells, OEM/private-label units, and is developing boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrochemical purification technology.

Product overview

Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH offers a comprehensive portfolio of ozone-based water treatment solutions comprising electrolytic and silent discharge ozone generators, catalytic ozone destructors, sensors, and OEM products. The core product lines include: ELAP Series (industrial-scale electrolytic ozone generators for pharmaceutical water systems with capacities 1.5-5.0 gO3/h), ELAG Series (compact electrolytic generators for smaller applications), OMZ Ozone Microcell (miniaturized generator for integration into devices), and O3zone-Pen (mobile battery-powered generator). Supporting products include KVM Series catalytic ozone destructors (Pharmaline for GMP-C pharmaceutical compliance and Standard series) and DiffO3zone/AbsolutO3zone sensors for ppb-level ozone measurement. The company also supplies OEM products under WEL (Xylem) and STERITRON (BWT) brands. All products are manufactured in Germany (Rheinbach) with complete production from design to serial product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STERITRON (BWT): A special version of the ELAP ozone generator adapted to customer demand by BWT Pharma & Biotech, for pharmaceutical and chemical industry water purification.
• WEL (Xylem Water Solutions / WEDECO)

Products and services

• ELAP Series Electrolytic Ozone Generator Industrial-scale electrolytic ozone generator for continuous or discrete disinfection of cold storage and distribution systems for ultrapure water. Produces ozone directly from water using PEM technology, with models delivering 1.5 to 5.0 g O3/h, modular design, touchscreen control, and Safe-Logic process monitoring. Targeted at pharmaceutical PW, HPW, and WFI loops.
• ELAG Series Compact Electrolytic Ozone Generator Compact electrolytic ozone generator for smaller applications including bio labs, hemodialysis, hospital pharmacies, and smaller cold WFI installations. Generates ozone directly from purified water with fully automatic operation and low maintenance.
• OMZ Ozone Microcell World's smallest ozone generator using CH+ cell hearts, integrable into devices, apparatus, and plant designs via standard G 3/8 inch thread. Produces up to 60 mg O3/h in pulsed operation and 30 mg/h continuous, with output adjustable by current.
• O3zone-Pen Mobile Electrolytic Ozone Generator Compact, mobile, battery-powered electrolytic ozone generator about the size of a pencil (approx. 70 g). Submersible in water for mobile sanitization of containers up to 20 L, generating up to 15 mg O3/h directly from water with no added substances.
• KVM Series Catalytic Ozone Destructors Catalytic ozone destructors using noble metal catalyst on oxide ceramic substrate for residual ozone gas disposal. Includes Pharmaline series (KVMK, KVM-P, KVMT-P, KVME-P, KVMI-P) for GMP-C pharmaceutical applications and Standard series (KVMT, KVME, KVMI) for general use. Cold-starting, no electrical connection required, service life of several thousand operating hours.
• CMG Series Silent-Discharge Ozone Generators Ozone generators based on silent electrical discharge (Siemens principle), producing ozone rates from 0 to 100 g O3/h using oxygen or dried air as feed gas, for applications where feed-gas-based generation is appropriate.
• Micro Disinfection System Decentralized disinfection system for water distribution networks, combining an ozone microcell with CH+ longlife cell hearts (1,500+ hour operation in drinking water quality) and DiffO3zone/AbsolutO3zone ppb-range ozone sensors.
• DiffO3zone and AbsolutO3zone Ozone Sensors Potentiometric sensors for ppb-range measurement of dissolved ozone in water. DiffO3zone enables fast differential measurement of ozone production or dissipation in flow-through systems; AbsolutO3zone uses an innovative dry reference electrode for ultrapure water monitoring. H-variants are tolerant to hydrogen.
• STERITRON OEM Unit (BWT Pharma & Biotech) Private-label version of the ELAP electrolytic ozone generator, sold by BWT Pharma & Biotech under the STERITRON name and integrated into turnkey water treatment, storage, and distribution systems for pharmaceutical and chemical industry customers.
• WEL Series OEM Unit (Xylem / WEDECO) Customer-specific design of the ELAP electrolytic ozone generator sold by Xylem Water Solutions under the WEDECO brand, producing ozone directly from water to remove microbes and biofilms and ensure sterile water distribution in pharmaceutical applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 INNOVATEC ozone cells installed and operating worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Since January 2025, INNOVATEC has been working closely with a research team at FAU as part of the D2ELOX project to develop an innovative electrochemical water purification and disinfection process based on boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. The project focuses on material selection, manufacturing processes, water treatment efficiency, and approval requirements for consumer-oriented applications. The project received 330,000 EUR in funding from the #DATIpilot program of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space.
• Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINNOVATEC has a long-standing collaboration with the university on joint R&D projects. In a prior project funded by the BMBF KMU initiative, INNOVATEC collaborated with the university and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to develop the micro disinfection system. Faculty contacts include Prof. Dr. Gerd Knupp (Analytical Chemistry), Prof. Dr. Steffen Witzleben (Inorganic Chemistry), Prof. Dr. Dieter J. Reinscheid (Microbiology), and Prof. Grimmig. The company shares its excitement of creating innovation with young engineers and students through numerous joint projects.
• German Aerospace Center (DLR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINNOVATEC collaborated with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in a joint project funded by the BMBF KMU initiative to develop the micro disinfection system for decentralized disinfection of water distribution systems. DLR's Institute for Solar Research, led by Dr. Christian Jung, contributed expertise to the project.
• GRS Batterien Service GmbHminorOthersGRS Batterien handles the complete documentation, reporting to the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), and recycling of discarded accumulators used in INNOVATEC's ELAP devices. This partnership ensures compliance with German Battery Act (BattG) requirements. The 2025 recycling rate achieved was 95.3%.
• CWR Systems (Netherlands)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCWR Systems is INNOVATEC's direct sales representative in the Netherlands, distributing INNOVATEC's ozone generator products in the Dutch market.
• APACO (France and Switzerland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAPACO is INNOVATEC's direct sales representative in France and Switzerland, distributing INNOVATEC's ozone generator products in these markets.
• BWT Pharma & BiotechcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBWT Pharma & Biotech purchases INNOVATEC's ELAP electrolytic ozone generators under the private-label name STERITRON. BWT integrates the units into turnkey water treatment, storage, and distribution systems for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The STERITRON was presented at ACHEMA 2015 with INNOVATEC's AbsolutO3zone and DiffO3zone sensors.
• Xylem Water Solutions / WEDECOcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerXylem Water Solutions sells the WEL ozone generator series, a customer-specific design of INNOVATEC's ELAP series under the WEDECO brand, for pharmaceutical water treatment and sterile water distribution applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kurita Water Industries: Japanese water treatment chemicals and equipment specialist with strong semiconductor and electronics ultrapure water exposure — competes with Innovatec in semiconductor pure water disinfection, primarily in Asia.

Broad incumbents

• BWT Pharma & Biotech: European water treatment major that resells Innovatec's ELAP as STERITRON within its pharma water systems; competes in the same pharmaceutical purified water and WFI storage/distribution segment.
• Mitsubishi Electric (Ozone Generator Division): Large Japanese conglomerate with a silent-discharge ozone generator business serving water and air treatment — overlaps with Innovatec's CMG series and is a broad incumbent in industrial ozone generation.
• Halma plc: UK-listed group of safety, environmental, and medical sensor/technology companies with adjacent offerings in water quality monitoring and disinfection, including flow-through ozone-related instrumentation.
• Ecolab: Global water, hygiene, and infection prevention specialist serving pharmaceutical, food & beverage, and healthcare with complementary disinfection and water treatment solutions and chemicals.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water treatment major offering ozone-based disinfection and pharmaceutical water systems worldwide — competes in the same pharmaceutical and ultrapure water treatment segment as Innovatec.
• Xylem Water Solutions (WEDECO): Global water technology major whose WEDECO brand sells ozone generators (including the WEL series, which is itself an OEM version of Innovatec's ELAP) for pharmaceutical and municipal water treatment. Both direct competitor and OEM partner.
• Suez Water Technologies (Ozonia): Global water/wastewater treatment major whose Ozonia subsidiary supplies ozone generation systems for industrial water, pharmaceutical, and municipal applications — competes in the same enterprise water disinfection space.

Direct peers

• Primozone: Swedish manufacturer of high-concentration electrolytic ozone generators targeted at pharmaceutical water, food & beverage, and industrial water treatment — the closest direct competitor to Innovatec's ELAP/ELAG product lines using similar PEM electrolysis technology.
• De Nora: Italian electrode and electrochemical technology company with a water treatment division offering ozone generators and BDD electrode systems for industrial and municipal water — directly adjacent in electrolytic and advanced electrochemical water treatment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovatec-ger%C3%A4tetechnik-gmbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Innovatec Gerätetechnik GmbH