What Janisch & Schulz Engineers does

Janisch & Schulz Engineers (legal entity: Ingenieurgesellschaft Janisch & Schulz mbH) is a German specialist engineering firm founded in 1993 in Münzenberg-Gambach, Hessen. The company designs, builds, and services nature-based wastewater treatment systems — primarily Pflanzenkläranlagen (constructed wetlands) — that purify domestic and commercial sewage through planted soil filters using filtration, adsorption, and biological degradation. Its product portfolio spans core constructed wetland systems (vertical and horizontal flow configurations with intermittent loading), natural swimming pools (Naturbäder) with biological water purification, rainwater management infrastructure, and the integrated Pflanzenklimaanlagen that treat wastewater on green roofs while providing passive building cooling. The firm has developed electroactive constructed wetlands (CW-MFC) in collaboration with research partners, integrating microbial fuel cell technology to reduce land footprint by over 50% while generating bioelectricity, and operates natural sludge mineralization (Schlammvererdung) processes that eliminate energy input for sludge handling.

The firm serves municipalities, commercial and industrial operators, and private property owners — typically entities with decentralized wastewater needs outside central sewer networks. Customer relationships span public tender wins (e.g., ProNatura in Mexico, the Rayón and Acolman municipalities, and UN-funded judicial buildings in Paraguay), enterprise partnerships (LivingCircles GmbH for nature kindergartens, Rosenschule Ruf for a rose nursery), and recurring maintenance contracts. Geographic operations cover Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and Argentina, with each market managed by a regionally appointed Managing Director; R&D collaboration extends to India.

Janisch & Schulz earns revenue through three streams: (1) engineering design and consulting services, (2) turnkey construction and installation of treatment plants and related infrastructure, and (3) ongoing maintenance, inspection, and technical support — including mandatory leak testing. Projects are acquired through competitive public bidding for municipal work and direct negotiation for private clients. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed, but completed municipal scale plants are multi-million-euro investments (e.g., the 18,000 m² Cihuatlán facility serving 20,000 residents). The company markets via a multilingual website, LinkedIn, newsletter, conference presence (Aquatech, Pan-American conferences, German Water Partnership), and earned media features.

Name

Janisch & Schulz Engineers

Legal name

Ingenieurgesellschaft Janisch & Schulz mbH

Website

https://janisch-schulz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Janisch & Schulz Engineers is a German specialist engineering firm, founded 1993, that designs and constructs nature-based constructed wetland wastewater treatment plants for municipalities, commercial operators, and private clients, with active projects across Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and Argentina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Engineering Services

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Treatment Plant Construction (Drinking Water) (IMAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ), Water Reuse & Reclamation Infrastructure Construction (Recycled Water Systems) (IMAFAGAH), Water Features Design & Installation (Ponds, Fountains, Waterfalls) (HSAIABAE)

Keywords

• Constructed wetlands
• Decentralized wastewater treatment
• Nature-based sanitation
• Natural swimming pools
• Rainwater management engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Münzenberg-Gambach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Design Services: Planning and design of constructed wetland systems for municipal, commercial, and residential applications. Includes project planning, engineering drawings, permitting support, and construction supervision.
2. Construction and Installation: Turnkey construction of wastewater treatment plants, natural swimming pools, and rainwater management systems. Revenue from materials, labor, and project management.
3. Maintenance and Service: Ongoing maintenance, inspection, and technical services for installed plants including leak testing (Dichtheitsprüfung) and operational support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Janisch & Schulz Engineers plans, builds, and services nature-based wastewater treatment systems (Pflanzenkläranlagen / constructed wetlands) for municipalities, commercial clients, and private property owners. The company also designs natural swimming pools (Naturbäder), rainwater management infrastructure, and wetland air conditioning systems (Pflanzenklimaanlagen). Projects range from small household-scale units to large municipal plants serving 20,000+ residents, executed through the firm's offices in Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and Argentina.

Product overview

Janisch & Schulz Engineers is a German engineering company founded in 1993 specializing in nature-based wastewater treatment solutions. The company offers a portfolio of products centered around Pflanzenkläranlagen (Constructed Wetlands) as the core technology, supplemented by Natural Swimming Pools (Naturbäder), Rainwater Management systems, and Wetland Air Conditioning (Pflanzenklimaanlagen) for passive building cooling. The portfolio also includes emerging technologies such as Electroactive Constructed Wetlands (CW-MFC) developed in collaboration with research partners. The company operates internationally with projects in Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and Argentina, serving municipalities, private operators, and industrial clients with systems ranging from small household units to large-scale treatment plants serving populations of 20,000+.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pflanzenkläranlagen (Constructed Wetlands) Plant-based wastewater treatment systems that purify domestic and commercial sewage through planted soil filters combining filtration, adsorption, and biological degradation; serves municipalities, commercial operators, and private property owners.
• Naturbäder (Natural Swimming Pools) Free swimming pools with biological water purification using planted gravel filters and regeneration ponds that maintain hygienic water quality with minimal technical effort, creating habitat islands for endangered species.
• Regenwasserbehandlung (Rainwater Management) Blue-green-grey infrastructure solutions for rainwater management at property and urban levels, creating individual nature-based concepts for water resource management.
• Pflanzenklimaanlagen (Wetland Air Conditioning) Building air conditioning combined with wastewater purification, where pre-treated or final-treated wastewater is distributed over green roof substrates through irrigation systems, purifying the water while providing passive building cooling through evaporation.
• Elektroaktive Pflanzenkläranlagen (Electroactive Constructed Wetlands / CW-MFC) Advanced constructed wetland system integrated with microbial fuel cell technology that replaces non-conductive substrate with conductive materials (graphite, coal, coke) to accelerate biochemical decomposition processes while generating bioelectricity, reducing land requirements by at least 50%.
• Urbanes Wassermanagement (Urban Water Management) Comprehensive urban water management solutions including decentralized wastewater treatment, water reuse for irrigation, and integrated blue-green infrastructure planning for cities and municipalities.
• Wartung und Service (Maintenance Services) Ongoing maintenance, inspection, and technical services for constructed wetlands and small treatment plants, including leak testing (Dichtheitsprüfung) and operational support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower limit exceedance probability than technical treatment plants - significantly fewer outliers in operation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core, strategic and innovation.

• German Water Partnership (GWP)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Janisch & Schulz participates in GWP's 'Urban Water Resilience' working committee. GWP is a network of German water sector companies promoting international cooperation.
• LivingCircles GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023LivingCircles GmbH is the building system developer and general contractor for nature-kindergarten projects. Since 2023, four urban nature kindergartens have been equipped with decentralized constructed wetlands designed by Janisch & Schulz.
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gernot MinkestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Dr. Gernot Minke, globally recognized expert in sustainable architecture and green roofs, collaborates with Janisch & Schulz on Valle Tucán residential project in Paraguay. His expertise in vault constructions and green roof systems complements J&S wastewater treatment technology for building climate control.
• Dr. Asheesh Kumar Yadav / Dr. Yamini MittalinnovationStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration with Indian scientist Dr. Asheesh Kumar Yadav and J&S India/Germany researcher Dr. Yamini Mittal for development of electroactive constructed wetlands (CW-MFC) technology. Pilot plant established at a long-term customer site.
• ProNatura (Mexico)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 2018, Janisch & Schulz has been commissioned by ProNatura to plan and construct large-scale constructed wetland plants in Mexico. ProNatura is a key client/investor in nature-based wastewater treatment infrastructure, commissioning the 20,000-resident Cihuatlán plant and other projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ASIO, spol. s r.o. ASIO is a Central European (Czech) provider of small-scale and decentralized wastewater treatment technologies, including nature-rooted systems for municipalities and households. Comparable to J&S in targeting decentralized municipal and private wastewater treatment with innovative, small-footprint solutions.
• Organica Water: Organica Water builds nature-based and hybrid biological wastewater treatment plants for municipal and industrial clients, especially in Asia. It is one of the closest emerging comparables to J&S in technology philosophy (nature-based, biological processes) and similar in being a focused challenger to incumbents.

Regional players

• Rotoplas S.A.B. de C.V. Rotoplas is a major Mexican provider of water storage, treatment, and flow solutions for residential, commercial, and municipal customers. As a regional Mexican player with a water-treatment portfolio, it is a natural adjacent comparable — though its model is product-based rather than engineered-construction.

Broad incumbents

• Xylem Inc. Xylem is a leading global water technology company with a strong municipal wastewater portfolio (including the Evoqua acquisition). Competes with J&S for municipal treatment projects and increasingly positions around smart, sustainable water — adjacent to nature-based solutions.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Veolia WT&S is a global water treatment technology and EPC provider serving municipal and industrial customers. As the largest incumbent in decentralized and municipal water, it represents the dominant competitive reference for any nature-based player seeking to win municipal contracts.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: SUEZ WT&S is a major global water and wastewater treatment technology and services provider, particularly strong in Europe and Latin America. It competes with J&S at the municipal and industrial treatment level and represents a likely integration target or partnership counterparty.
• Huber SE: Huber SE is a long-established German manufacturer of equipment and systems for municipal and industrial water/wastewater treatment (screens, aeration, sludge handling). Comparable as a German-headquartered water technology competitor targeting municipal clients, though its portfolio is mechanical rather than nature-based.
• BWT AG (Best Water Technology): BWT is an Austrian-headquartered water technology group serving municipal, industrial, and residential customers across Europe and beyond. As a DACH-region water incumbent, it is comparable in market positioning, though focused on filtration and chemical treatment rather than nature-based systems.
• WABAG Group: WABAG is a global water and wastewater treatment EPC firm with strong presence in municipal projects across Europe, India, and the Middle East. Competes with J&S for municipal tenders and operates in overlapping geographies (India, Latin America indirectly), though primarily with conventional technology.

Direct peers

• ATB Water GmbH: ATB Water is a German engineering firm specializing in nature-based and decentralized wastewater treatment solutions, including constructed wetlands and plant-based systems for municipalities and commercial clients — directly comparable in technology, customer base, and German engineering DNA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/janisch-schulz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Janisch & Schulz Engineers