What Berliner Regenwasseragentur does

The Berliner Regenwasseragentur is a publicly funded non-profit initiative established in 2021 and operated as a division of Berliner Wasserbetriebe AöR (Berlin's public water utility) together with the Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und Umwelt (Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment). The agency serves as an information exchange, advisory body, and dialogue platform for decentralized rainwater management and Berlin's 'Schwammstadt' (sponge city) transformation. It targets four primary stakeholder groups: public administrations, housing companies and property owners, planners and architects, and citizens and civic initiatives — all operating under Berlin's BReWa-BE discharge regulations.

The agency's core product portfolio is a suite of free digital planning tools, including the RegenRechner (cost calculator for swales, infiltration trenches, green roofs, permeable paving, and unsealing, with Q2 2025 pricing), the Zisternen-Rechner (five-step cistern sizing tool), Abkopplungspotenzialkarten (GIS-based decoupling potential maps), the Digitaler Planungstisch (multitouch collaborative planning table co-developed with Interactive Scape GmbH), the Hochwasser-Infoportal (May 2026 flood risk portal co-developed under the SmartWater project), and a Chat-Tool Versickerung for the Barnim Plateau. These tools are complemented by a Projektdatenbank (49+ sponge city project entries), Ratgeber guidebooks, an Anbietersuche provider directory, a Fördermittelübersicht funding overview, and the Schwammintelligenz magazine.

The business model is non-commercial: all tools, advisory services, events (Forum Regenwasser, Treffpunkt Bauwende, Sponge City Exhibition), and the REGENIAL! project competition are provided free of charge. The initiative does not generate revenue; funding flows from Berliner Wasserbetriebe, the Berlin Senate, and project-specific grants (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, BMWSB, KfW). Headcount stands at approximately 10 employees, including team members such as Hanna Meyer, Wolfram Schroff, Svenja Kriegebaum, and Paul Kober. Research partnerships with TU Berlin and engineering consultancies (Prof. Dr. Sieker, Pecher und Partner, Confideon) underpin the economic analyses feeding the RegenRechner tool.

Name

Berliner Regenwasseragentur

Legal name

Berliner Wasserbetriebe AöR

Website

https://regenwasseragentur.berlin

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Berliner Regenwasseragentur is a publicly funded Berlin initiative under Berliner Wasserbetriebe AöR and the Berlin Senate that provides free digital planning tools, advisory services, and educational resources on decentralized rainwater management. It serves public administrations, housing companies, property owners, planners, and citizens pursuing sponge city development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Water Management Advisory

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• Rainwater management
• Sponge city planning
• Decentralized stormwater
• Urban climate adaptation
• Water-sensitive planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public information and advisory services (free): The Berliner Regenwasseragentur is a free public service initiative operated by Berliner Wasserbetriebe and the Berlin Senate. It provides information, advisory services, planning tools, and networking opportunities at no charge to the public. It does not generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Berliner Regenwasseragentur is a publicly funded initiative that serves as an information exchange, advisor, networker, and dialogue platform for decentralized rainwater management (Schwammstadt) in Berlin. It provides free digital planning tools (cost calculators, cistern sizing, GIS-based decoupling potential maps, an interactive digital planning table), comprehensive guidebooks, a project database, funding overviews, provider directories, and consulting services. Its core activity is supporting public administrations, housing companies, property owners, planners, and citizens in implementing rainwater management solutions.

Product overview

Berliner Regenwasseragentur operates as an information exchange, advisor, networker, and dialogue platform offering a suite of digital planning tools, consulting services, and educational resources for decentralized rainwater management and sponge city development. The core product portfolio includes interactive digital tools such as the Kostenrechner (Cost Calculator), Zisternen-Rechner (Cistern Calculator), Abkopplungspotenzialkarten (Decoupling Potential Maps), Projektdatenbank (Project Database), Chat-Tool Versickerung, and the Digitaler Planungstisch (Digital Planning Table). These are complemented by informational guides (Ratgeber), provider search (Anbietersuche), funding overviews (Fördermittelübersicht), and the Hochwasser-Infoportal. Additional services include the Schwammstadt-Ausstellung traveling exhibition, REGENIAL! project competition, Forum Regenwasser annual event, and free Sprechstunde Regen consultations. The platform also publishes the Magazin with research articles and news, plus annual reports (Jahresbericht) and flyers as downloadable publications. Services target administrations, housing companies, property owners, planners, and citizens seeking to implement rainwater management solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kostenrechner (Cost Calculator) Digital planning tool that estimates investment and operating costs for decentralized rainwater management measures including swales, trench systems, infiltration trenches, tree trenches, permeable pavements, unsealing, and green roofs. Based on three model scenarios per measure with pricing from Q2 2025.
• Zisternen-Rechner (Cistern Calculator) Five-step digital tool for calculating the size of rainwater cisterns/storage tanks, including rainwater yield, non-drinking water demand, coverage rate, and recommended tank size. Also calculates potential drinking water savings based on connected roof area, usage type, and retention period.
• Abkopplungspotenzialkarten (Decoupling Potential Maps) GIS-based mapping tool that identifies and evaluates areas in Berlin suitable for rainwater decoupling from canalization, enabling strategic planning for decentralized rainwater management across the city.
• Projektdatenbank (Project Database) Searchable database showcasing sponge city project examples across Berlin, organized by typology including educational/cultural/health facilities, office buildings, residential buildings, quarters, streets, and recreational areas.
• Ratgeber Regenwasser (Rainwater Guide) Comprehensive guide covering topics including roof greening, unsealing, facade greening, greywater recycling, green roofs with solar, rainwater use, and infiltration.
• Anbietersuche (Provider Search) Directory tool to find qualified professionals for planning, construction, and operation of rainwater management systems in Berlin.
• Chat-Tool Versickerung (Infiltration Chat Tool) Interactive chat-based tool specifically designed for rainwater infiltration planning on the Barnim Plateau area of Berlin.
• Orientierungshilfe (Orientation Guide) Recommendations and guidance for water-sensitive planning in Berlin, providing advice for early-stage integration of rainwater management into urban planning processes.
• Digitaler Planungstisch (Digital Planning Table) Interactive multitouch display prototype developed with Interactive Scape GmbH that enables multiple stakeholders to collaboratively plan and evaluate decentralized rainwater management measures using Berlin's geodata.
• Hochwasser-Infoportal (Flood Info Portal) Digital information tool enabling citizens to assess their individual flood risk using input forms and questionnaires, download risk reports, and access information on emergency and precautionary measures.
• Fördermittelübersicht (Funding Overview) Overview of available financial subsidies and funding programs for rainwater management projects in Berlin.
• Schwammstadt-Ausstellung (Sponge City Exhibition) Traveling exhibition showcasing 18 Berlin sponge city projects, making blue-green urban development tangible for visitors. Previously hosted at Gärten der Welt.
• REGENIAL! Wettbewerb (Project Competition) Annual project competition organized by Berliner Regenwasseragentur recognizing outstanding sponge city projects, with winners selected by an independent jury. The 2024 competition yielded 49 entries, with 10 selected as winners.
• Magazin (Magazine) Digital magazine featuring articles, guides, research findings, and news about sponge city topics, rainwater management, and climate adaptation in Berlin, including Schwammintelligenz magazine articles on impulse, research, guides, and current news.
• Forum Regenwasser (Rainwater Forum) Annual professional forum bringing together practitioners, administrators, planners, and citizens to discuss sponge city topics and rainwater management.
• Sprechstunde Regen (Rainwater Consultation) Free initial consultation service provided by Regenwasseragentur for questions about rainwater management and options for decentralized rainwater management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cistern calculator enables calculation of rainwater storage size and potential drinking water savings (e.g., 1.81 EUR per 1000L drinking water saved)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und UmweltcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Co-developed the Hochwasser-Infoportal (flood information portal) with Berliner Wasserbetriebe, providing citizens with individualized flood risk assessment tools and preventive measures.
• Technologiestiftung BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Partnered with Berliner Wasserbetriebe and Senatsverwaltung to develop the Hochwasser-Infoportal as part of the SmartWater project under Berlin's Smart-City-Strategy 'Gemeinsam Digital: Berlin'.
• Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin (KWB)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Research partner in the SmartWater project, contributing expertise in water management research for the Hochwasser-Infoportal development.
• Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und Umwelt (Berlin Senate Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Senate administration is a co-initiator of the Berliner Regenwasseragentur alongside Berliner Wasserbetriebe. It provides policy framework, regulatory guidance (including BReWa-BE), and co-funds the initiative. The agency supports the administration by channeling practical needs into policy strategies and funding programs.
• Berliner Wasserbetriebe (Berliner Waterworks)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerliner Wasserbetriebe operates the Regenwasseragentur as a division of its public utility. It provides operational infrastructure, technical data, staff, and digital tools. The agency supports BWB in advancing sponge city topics internally and implementing decentralized rainwater management citywide.
• Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the 'Blühende Mulden' (blooming swales) research project studying perennial plants in infiltration swales to promote biodiversity and improve rainwater management performance. TU Berlin conducted plant selection research and monitoring.
• Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. Sieker mbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in the development of the 'Ökonomische Analyse dezentraler Regenwasserbewirtschaftung in Berlin' study, which formed the basis for the RegenRechner cost calculation tool.
• Dr.-Ing. Pecher und Partner Ingenieurgesellschaft mbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the economic analysis of decentralized rainwater management in Berlin and the associated RegenRechner cost calculation tool.
• Confideon Unternehmensberatung GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting partner in the development of the economic analysis of decentralized rainwater management in Berlin and the RegenRechner tool.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll: Global engineering and consulting firm with a major water management practice covering stormwater, climate adaptation, and sponge city projects; competes with the Regenwasseragentur in the enterprise advisory tier where bundled implementation support is needed.
• Stantec: International engineering consultancy with a dedicated water practice that delivers stormwater management, green infrastructure, and climate adaptation projects for municipalities - adjacent to but more commercially positioned than the Regenwasseragentur's free advisory model.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with significant water and climate adaptation capabilities, including stormwater management and urban resilience consulting that overlaps with the Regenwasseragentur's domain at the project-implementation level.

Direct peers

• Waternet: Amsterdam's regional water authority runs an extensive public-facing program on climate-adaptive urban water management including sponge city and rainwater decoupling initiatives, combining public advisory with infrastructure operation - the closest international analog in terms of integrated mandate.
• Hamburger Stadtentwässerung: Hamburg's municipal wastewater and stormwater utility provides public information, advisory services, and digital tools for rainwater management and climate adaptation, making it one of the closest German analogs to the Berliner Regenwasseragentur's public-mandate advisory model.
• Stadtentwässerung München: Munich's municipal wastewater and stormwater utility operates a public-facing advisory and information program for decentralized rainwater management and sponge city topics, with comparable mandates around compliance guidance and stakeholder engagement in a major German city.
• Melbourne Water: Australian water authority that pioneered Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) and operates a comparable public-information and advisory mandate around decentralized stormwater management and integrated water planning, serving as a global template for this model.

Others

• Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall (DWA): German water industry association that sets standards and disseminates knowledge on rainwater management, wastewater, and stormwater topics - an ecosystem participant that shapes the regulatory and technical environment in which the Regenwasseragentur operates.
• Wavin: Global manufacturer of rainwater management and stormwater drainage products (retention systems, infiltration units, green roof solutions) that supplies the technical infrastructure recommended by the Regenwasseragentur's planning tools and advisory services.

Emerging players

• Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin (KWB): Berlin-based water research center that is an existing research partner of the Regenwasseragentur on the SmartWater project, with overlapping focus on urban water management research and applied projects in Berlin's water sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0V7uKqlawhb6BcFma_4Kiw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berliner-regenwasseragentur

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berliner Regenwasseragentur