Urban Water Retention

What Urban Water Retention does

Urban Water Retention ApS (UWR) is a privately held Danish company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Helsinge, Denmark, that designs, manufactures, and sells a patented modular underground stormwater retention system for urban cloudburst and climate-adaptation projects. The UWR System is built from interlocking composite-plastic pipe and connect modules that form watertight underground basins installed only 40 cm below the surface, eliminating the need for membranes, geotextiles, or foils. The platform includes accessories for inlet/outlet connections, water-brake flow regulation (0–54 L/sec), buoyancy protection via the GWS groundwater-safety system, plus add-on modules for tree watering (Træplante System) and rain gardens (Regnbede). The system is verified by a Danish GTS institute with documented load capacity up to T3 road class and a 75+ year lifespan, and is supported by a full Environmental Product Declaration co-developed with Rambøll.

UWR generates revenue through one-time direct sales of modular system components to commercial buyers — primarily Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and German municipalities, public authorities, and civil-engineering contractors — priced by quote in Danish Kroner with quarterly indexation and DAP delivery per INCOTERMS 2020. The company sells exclusively to commercial entities, with a small-order handling fee (300 DKK) below 5,000 DKK. The customer base is concentrated in Danish public-sector projects (e.g., Frederiksberg Kommune, Solbjerg Parkkirkegaard, Campus Rolighedsvej, Egedal Fjernvarme, Boligforeningen Ringparken Aarhus), with regional expansion underway via dedicated project managers in Sweden/Norway and Germany. The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, anchored by participation in international trade shows (Aquatech Amsterdam, STHLMS Mässan, InfraSpree), a multilingual corporate website, and active social channels.

The company is led by co-founders Lars Knudsen and Christian Rosenvinge, each with 40 years of relevant domain experience, supported by a small team including Simon Klindt (Sweden/Norway) and Sandra Schoeller (Germany). UWR is independently owned with no disclosed venture-capital, private-equity, or parent-company involvement, and has not disclosed funding or revenue figures. Its 2025 Aquatech Innovation Award in Amsterdam is the most prominent third-party validation of the technology to date.

Name

Urban Water Retention

Legal name

Urban Water Retention ApS

Website

https://uwrsystem.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urban Water Retention (UWR) is a Danish company that designs, manufactures, and sells a patented modular underground stormwater retention system to municipalities, contractors, and public authorities across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stormwater Management Infrastructure

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Detention, Retention & Storage Systems (Ponds, Tanks, Vaults) (EUANAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Stormwater & Drainage Infrastructure Construction (Sewer, Detention, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAF)

Keywords

• Stormwater management systems
• Modular retention basins
• Cloudburst protection infrastructure
• Urban climate adaptation
• Water retention solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinge

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. UWR System Product Sales: UWR generates revenue through the sale of their modular stormwater management system components including UWR Connect modules, UWR Pipe modules, cover plates, connection rings, and accessories. The company sells directly to contractors, municipalities, and public authorities for infrastructure projects. Orders are quote-based with pricing in Danish Kroner.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urban Water Retention designs, manufactures, and sells the UWR System, a patented modular underground stormwater retention basin made from composite plastic components. The system consists of interlocking UWR Connect (distribution) and UWR Pipe (storage) modules that assemble into watertight basins for collecting, storing, infiltrating, or delaying rainwater during cloudbursts without visible surface infrastructure. It is sold to municipalities, public authorities, and civil engineering contractors for urban climate adaptation projects in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Germany.

Product overview

Urban Water Retention (UWR) offers a single unified product system — the UWR System — consisting of modular, interlocking plastic components that form underground water retention basins for urban stormwater management. The core system comprises two main module types: UWR Connect (distribution module) and UWR Pipe (storage module), which connect via UWR Connectring rings and secure with UWR Pin Lock and UWR S-Lock locking mechanisms. Accessory components include UWR Cover and CoverPipe studs for pipe connections in various diameters (DN315 to DN600), bore seals (F570/F910 series), water brakes for flow regulation, and GWS check valves for buoyancy protection. Add-on systems extend the platform to tree watering (Træplante System) and rain gardens (Regnbede). The system is designed for rapid 'Plug & Play' installation under roads with only 40cm coverage, eliminating the need for membranes or geotextiles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UWR System (Modular Stormwater Retention Basin) A patented modular underground stormwater retention system made from composite plastic that forms watertight basins for collecting, storing, infiltrating, or delaying rainwater during cloudbursts. Comprises UWR Connect distribution modules and UWR Pipe storage modules plus accessories (covers, connectrings, locks, coverpipes, bore seals, water brakes, check valves). Sold to municipalities, contractors, and civil engineering firms for urban climate adaptation and infrastructure projects. Installed 40 cm below surface, no membranes required, traffic load capacity up to T3 road class, 75+ year lifespan.
• Træplante System (Tree Planting System)

Quantifiable outcome

• Installation depth of only 40cm below surface
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RambøllcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Rambøll collaborated with UWR to develop and publish the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the UWR System. This partnership provides third-party verification and documentation of the system's low carbon footprint from cradle to grave, supporting ESG and sustainability reporting requirements for customers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hauraton: German manufacturer specializing in drainage channels, infiltration and stormwater retention systems sold to municipalities, civil engineers and contractors across Europe — overlapping use cases and customer base with UWR.
• Wavin: Part of Orbia, Wavin is one of the largest plastic pipe and stormwater management system manufacturers in Europe, with comparable underground retention/infiltration products and direct sales to European municipalities and contractors. It is the most direct large-scale competitor to UWR's modular stormwater basin.
• Otto Graf (Graf): German manufacturer of plastic stormwater retention/infiltration systems (e.g., EcoBloc, Rigofill), serving European municipalities and civil engineering contractors with directly comparable modular underground stormwater products.
• ACO (ACO Drain / ACO Stormbrixx): ACO sells modular stormwater storage/attenuation systems (e.g., Stormbrixx) made from plastic, serving the same municipal and contractor customers across Europe with a broader drainage portfolio. Closely comparable product offering and target buyer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Pipelife: Pan-European plastic pipe and stormwater infrastructure manufacturer with a broad portfolio that overlaps with UWR in stormwater management products sold to municipal and construction customers.
• Uponor: Nordic-headquartered infrastructure and building solutions provider with stormwater management offerings; competes with UWR in the Nordic municipal market and has substantially greater scale.

Regional players

• NDS (National Diversified Sales): North American manufacturer of stormwater management and drainage products. Comparable modular product category but primarily serves the US/Canada market rather than UWR's Nordic/DACH focus.

Emerging players

• WATER SAVING SYSTEMS / Hydro International: Provider of stormwater treatment, attenuation and SuDS solutions to municipal and developer customers in Europe, overlapping with UWR in stormwater retention/management use cases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@urbanwaterretention
• Facebookfacebook.com/urbanwaterretention
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwr-urban-water-retention
• Instagraminstagram.com/urbanwaterretention

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Urban Water Retention