CULLIGAN FRANCE

What CULLIGAN FRANCE does

Culligan France is the French subsidiary of Culligan International, a privately held global water treatment group founded in 1936 and operating in 90+ countries. Headquartered in Versailles and serving France and Switzerland, the company distributes and services ion-exchange water softeners (Culligan Avenew, Evolife, and the IoT-enabled Smart Modernity), under-sink purifiers using activated carbon and reverse osmosis (Click & Drink Intense and Premium), and a professional water-fountain portfolio (Purity Prime/Advanced/Essential, Aquabar Firewall, CB Premium, CB Danu). Underlying technology relies on ion-exchange resin to remove calcium and magnesium, activated carbon and reverse-osmosis membranes for contaminant removal (chlorine, pesticides, PFAS, pharmaceutical residues, nitrates, heavy metals), and connected-device telemetry via the Culligan Connect app.

The business operates a hybrid B2C/B2B model. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware purchases and recurring rentals (softener rentals from €59/month) and tiered annual maintenance contracts (Essentiel, Confort+, Privilège), plus enterprise fountain rental/sale with all-inclusive service. Go-to-market is a 70+ agency direct-sales field network staffed by 500+ advisors and 700+ technicians performing free in-home water analysis and professional installation, supplemented by an enterprise sales division targeting hospitality, healthcare, education, government, energy, media, cosmetics, and fitness customers (logos include Club Med, L'Oréal, Engie, France TV, Emeis, Sorbonne Université, Ministère de l'écologie, Fitness Park). The group-level acquisition of Waterlogic (2017-2020) extended bottled-cooler capability.

At scale, Culligan France claims 200,000+ residential water-softener customers in France, 36,579 verified residential Trustville reviews, ~22 million Culligan products installed globally, ~15,000 group employees, and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EcoVadis Bronze, and Attestation de Conformité Sanitaire (ACS) certifications. The brand presence and field-service footprint constitute the primary competitive moat; AI/ML capability is not disclosed beyond IoT-style connected-device optimization.

Name

CULLIGAN FRANCE

Legal name

Culligan

Website

https://culligan.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Culligan France, the French subsidiary of privately held Culligan International, sells and rents water softeners, residential purifiers, and enterprise water fountains across France and Switzerland via a 70+ agency field-service network serving both individual homeowners and enterprise customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Equipment

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Home System Care (Water Softeners, Septic Treatments, Drain/Openers, Appliance Cleaners) (CRADAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Domestic Hot & Cold Water System Hygiene (Potable Water) (BPABAJAD), Countertop Water Filtration Systems (CRAJAJAC), Point-of-Use (POU) Faucet-Mount Water Filters (CRAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Water softener systems
• Drinking water filtration
• Reverse osmosis purifiers
• Office water fountains
• Water treatment maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Versailles

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Softener Sales: One-time purchase of water softening equipment (adoucisseurs) ranging from compact monobloc to high-performance bi-bloc models. Includes professional installation and setup.
2. Water Softener Rental: Monthly rental contracts starting at €59/month for water softeners. Includes maintenance, salt supplies, and all consumables. No-commitment options available.
3. Water Purifier/Osmoseur Sales: One-time purchase of under-sink filtration systems and reverse osmosis units. Includes Click & Drink Intense and Click & Drink Premium models.
4. Maintenance Contracts: Annual or bi-annual maintenance contracts covering equipment inspection, disinfection, filter replacement, and parts. Three tiers: Privilège, Confort+, and Essentiel.
5. Water Fountain Rental (Enterprise): All-inclusive rental packages for businesses including equipment, installation, maintenance, consumables, and support. Monthly billing with full service coverage.
6. Water Fountain Sales (Enterprise): Direct purchase of water fountains for businesses. Includes installation and optional maintenance contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Culligan France sells, rents, and services water treatment equipment for households and businesses across France. Its residential portfolio includes ion-exchange water softeners (Avenew, Evolife, Smart Modernity) and under-sink drinking water purifiers (Click & Drink Intense, Click & Drink Premium). Its enterprise portfolio includes network and bottled water fountains (Purity Prime, Purity Advanced, Purity Essential, Aquabar Firewall, CB Premium, CB Danu) deployed in offices, healthcare, hospitality, education, and public-sector sites. The offer is delivered through 70+ local agencies that provide free in-home water analysis, professional installation, and tiered annual maintenance contracts (Essentiel, Confort+, Privilège).

Product overview

CULLIGAN FRANCE offers a comprehensive water treatment portfolio comprising three core product lines: residential water softeners (Culligan Avenew, Culligan Evolife, Culligan Smart Modernity) that eliminate limescale through ion-exchange resin technology; residential water purifiers (Click & Drink Intense with activated carbon filtration and Click & Drink Premium with reverse osmosis) that filter contaminants from drinking water; and professional water dispensers (Purity Prime, Purity Advanced, Purity Essential, Aquabar Firewall®, CB Premium, CB Danu) providing filtered still, sparkling, hot, and cold water for businesses. Products are available for purchase or rental with installation and annual maintenance services through a network of 70+ agencies across France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Culligan Avenew Water Softener Monobloc compact water softener with integrated salt tank, designed for small spaces, using ion-exchange resin technology to remove calcium and magnesium ions responsible for limescale. Sold and rented to individual homeowners and small businesses across France.
• Culligan Evolife Water Softener Bi-bloc family water softener with digital backlit screen, optimized hydraulic performance, and intelligent regeneration cycles that reduce salt and water consumption. Targeted at family households seeking whole-house limescale protection.
• Culligan Smart Modernity Connected Softener High-tech connected bi-bloc water softener with patented Smart regeneration technology that optimizes water, salt, and electricity consumption, and the Culligan Connect IoT app for remote monitoring, salt-level alerts, bypass control, and maintenance tracking. Targeted at tech-oriented households and premium subscribers.
• Click & Drink Intense Water Purifier Under-sink drinking water purifier using vegetable (coconut-shell) activated carbon filtration to remove chlorine, pesticides, PFAS, pharmaceutical residues, and heavy metals while preserving minerals, with wireless Click & Drink button for instant filtered water from the existing tap. Targeted at individual households seeking plastic-bottle-free drinking water.
• Click & Drink Premium Reverse Osmosis Purifier Under-sink reverse osmosis system with three-stage filtration (5-micron pre-filter, activated carbon, RO membrane) removing ~90% of minerals and eliminating nitrates, pesticides, PFAS, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Targeted at households needing the highest level of purification, including for infant formula preparation.
• Purity Prime Network Water Fountain Connected professional water fountain with 65 L/h cooling capacity, Firewall UVC bacteria-elimination technology, and C-Sense intelligent monitoring, dispensing cold, temperate, finely sparkling, sparkling, hot, and extra-hot water. Targeted at enterprises, healthcare, hospitality, education, and public-sector sites.
• Purity Advanced Network Water Fountain Professional water fountain with 45 L/h cooling capacity, dispensing cold, temperate, sparkling, and hot water. Targeted at office and small institutional sites seeking a connected network fountain with multiple temperature options.
• Purity Essential Network Water Fountain Entry-level professional water fountain with 30 L/h cooling capacity for cold, temperate, and hot water dispensing. Targeted at small offices and businesses needing an affordable network-connected dispenser.
• Aquabar Firewall Network Water Fountain Network-connected water fountain with 80 L/h cooling capacity, dispensing cold, temperate, and sparkling water for glasses, bottles, and carafes, with Firewall UVC purification. Targeted at high-traffic enterprise environments including large offices, healthcare, and education campuses.
• CB Premium Bottled Water Fountain Bottled water fountain serving 1–10 users in locations without a water connection, dispensing cold and temperate water for glasses, bottles, and carafes. Targeted at small offices and meeting rooms where plumbing is unavailable.
• CB Danu Bottled Water Fountain Bottled water fountain with bottom-loading design for ergonomic bottle replacement, dispensing cold and temperate water. Targeted at small offices, meeting rooms, and sites without plumbing where easy bottle handling is required.
• Water Softener Rental Subscription (€59/month and above) Recurring monthly rental of Avenew, Evolife, or Smart Modernity water softeners starting at €59/month, bundling professional installation, all maintenance, salt supplies, and consumables. Targeted at homeowners preferring a no-commitment, all-inclusive alternative to outright purchase.
• Culligan Annual Maintenance Contracts (Essentiel, Confort+, Privilège) Annual or bi-annual maintenance service contract for installed Culligan equipment with three tiers: Essentiel (entry, annual visit and disinfection), Confort+ (annual visit, 10% parts discount, 72h response), and Privilège (1–2 annual visits, full disinfection, 100% parts discount, 48h priority response, all consumables included). Targeted at existing Culligan customers seeking recurring service coverage.
• Culligan 30-Day Satisfied-or-Refunded Trial 30-day post-installation satisfaction guarantee on purchased water softeners, providing a full refund if the customer is not satisfied, with Culligan covering desinstallation costs. Targeted at first-time residential softener buyers seeking a risk-free trial.
• Free In-Home Water Quality Analysis Free water analysis service provided by Culligan Advisors either online (by postal code) or in-home, including personalized equipment recommendations and a custom quote. Targeted at prospective residential customers as the first step of the purchase or rental journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-64% reduction in energy bills due to reduced limescale on heating elements
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ANRH (Association Nationale pour la Réinsertion des Personnes Handicapées)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ANRH for reconditioning water fountains. Culligan collaborates with ANRH to restore and refurbish used water fountain equipment, promoting circular economy and supporting disability employment. This partnership demonstrates Culligan's commitment to social responsibility and environmental sustainability through equipment lifecycle extension.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pentair: Global water treatment company with residential and commercial filtration, softening and point-of-use products. Comparable product breadth, though Pentair operates across a wider portfolio including pool and flow technologies.
• BWT (Best Water Technology): Austria-headquartered European water treatment group offering softeners, filtration and Point-of-Use solutions across residential and commercial segments. Most direct peer to Culligan France given overlapping European footprint, product portfolio and service-driven go-to-market.
• EcoWater Systems: US-headquartered water softening and treatment specialist with global dealer network. Highly comparable business model of dealer-installed softeners plus recurring service revenue, just with a North America-centric footprint.
• Brita (part of Clorox / Obrist in EMEA): Consumer water filtration brand with strong presence in pitcher and POU filters across Europe. Comparable on residential filtration demand, though Brita focuses on consumer replacement filters versus Culligan's installed-system model.

Regional players

• A. O. Smith Corporation: US-headquartered water treatment and water heating company with growing international presence. Comparable residential and light-commercial filtration/softening portfolio, though primarily focused on North American and Asian markets.
• Coway: South Korea-based home water purifier leader with rental-based subscription model. Highly relevant comparable on subscription economics and connected purifier products, though Coway operates primarily in Asia.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water and wastewater services group with technology offerings spanning residential, commercial and industrial water treatment. Operates as a broad incumbent whose enterprise and municipal solutions partially overlap Culligan France's professional segment.
• Watts Water Technologies: Manufacturer of water treatment, plumbing and flow-control products sold through professional channels. Comparable on commercial water quality and treatment products, though with a much wider product portfolio.
• 3M (formerly 3M Purification, now Solventum / independent filtration unit): Large industrial conglomerate with a long-standing water filtration product line serving residential and commercial customers. Comparable on filtration technology and brand recognition, though water is a small piece of a much broader portfolio.
• Culligan International: Global parent of Culligan France operating in 90+ countries. Overlapping brand, technology platforms (Click & Drink, Smart Modernity) and product portfolio, but operates as a broader diversified group rather than a France-specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/culligan-france

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 CULLIGAN FRANCE