bde
bde GmbH is a Stuttgart-based structural engineering firm offering load-bearing structure planning, independent technical inspection, and expert opinion services for buildings and infrastructure. Founded in 1960, the 35-person firm serves enterprise, public-sector, and institutional clients across Baden-Württemberg.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersStuttgart, Germany
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What bde does
bde GmbH (Bornscheuer Drexler Eisele) is a Stuttgart-based structural engineering firm founded in 1960 that provides planning, independent technical inspection, and expert opinion services for complex buildings and infrastructure. The firm operates with approximately 35 staff (30 engineers plus three managing partners) and serves enterprise, government, and institutional clients across Baden-Württemberg and selectively beyond. Its disclosed project portfolio spans aircraft hangars (Elbe Flugzeugwerke 95m x 70m column-free span), automotive research campuses (Bosch Renningen), semiconductor fabs (Bosch wafer fab Reutlingen, 205,000 m³), administrative centers (LBBW €200M, 400,000 m³), sports halls, bridges, and large residential complexes.
The firm's offering is organized around three core service pillars: Tragwerksplanung (Structural Planning) for load-bearing structure design, Bautechnische Prüfung (Technical Construction Inspection) for independent verification under the German four-eyes principle, and Gutachten (Expert Opinions) for dispute resolution and certified assessments. Methodology centers on Building Information Modeling (BIM) digital-twin workflows and finite element analysis. Specialty competencies cover steel, timber, and concrete construction; welding quality assurance via certified Schweißfachingenieure; FROSIO Level III corrosion protection inspection; certified concrete repair planning; and structural inspection per DIN 1076 and VDI 6200. The combination of planning engineers and Prüfingenieure (certified testing engineers) within a single firm is a defining structural feature.
Commercially, bde operates as a project-based B2B professional services firm, engaging directly with property developers, public institutions, industrial companies, and architectural firms. Revenue is generated through customized project fees with no publicly disclosed pricing; distribution relies on direct engagement, long-standing architectural partnerships (Blocher Blocher Partners, Hascher Jehle, Nixdorf Consult), competition wins, and professional referrals. The firm is privately held with no external investment or funding rounds; ownership rests with three managing partners (Krämer, Ploch, Günther) supported by a Prokurist (Weihing). Quality management has been certified by TÜV Rheinland under the Planer am Bau quality association since 2021.
bde firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- bde
- Legal name
- bde GmbH
- Website
- https://b-d-e.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- bde GmbH is a Stuttgart-based structural engineering firm offering load-bearing structure planning, independent technical inspection, and expert opinion services for buildings and infrastructure. Founded in 1960, the 35-person firm serves enterprise, public-sector, and institutional clients across Baden-Württemberg.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
bde industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Structural Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (541310)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)
Keywords
Where bde is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stuttgart
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
bde business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tragwerksplanung (Structural Planning): Engineering services for design and planning of load-bearing structures for complex construction projects, covering all phases from concept to execution planning.
- Bautechnische Prüfung (Technical Inspection): Independent technical verification services of structural calculations and execution plans, following the four-eyes principle mandated by German building regulations.
- Gutachten (Expert Opinions): Expert assessments including court-appointed expert opinions, private expert opinions, arbitration opinions, and certified expert testimonies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
bde product offering
Product offeringCore offering
bde GmbH is a German structural engineering and consulting firm (Beratende Ingenieure VBI) that plans and inspects load-bearing structures (Tragwerke) for buildings and infrastructure. Its three core service pillars are Tragwerksplanung (structural planning from concept to execution), Bautechnische Prüfung (independent technical verification per the four-eyes principle), and Gutachten (court-appointed, private, and arbitration expert opinions). Projects span residential, industrial, office, bridge, and education/social buildings, supported by in-house competencies in BIM, timber, steel, welding, corrosion protection, concrete repair, and structure inspection.
Product overview
bde GmbH is a structural engineering and consulting firm (Beratende Ingenieure VBI) offering integrated planning and inspection services. The core service portfolio consists of three main pillars: Tragwerksplanung (Structural Planning), Bautechnische Prüfung (Technical Construction Inspection), and Gutachten (Expert Opinions/Appraisals). These are complemented by specialized competency areas including BIM (Building Information Modeling), Nachhaltigkeit (Sustainability), Holzbau (Timber Construction), Stahlbau (Steel Construction), Schweißen (Welding), Korrosionsschutz (Corrosion Protection), Bauen im Bestand (Building in Existing Structures), Betoninstandsetzung (Concrete Repair), and Bauwerksprüfung (Structure Inspection). The company is distinguished by its combination of planning and inspection engineers, enabling the team to leverage competencies and knowledge from both areas for optimized planning outcomes. The company was founded in 1960 and operates from Stuttgart with approximately 30 engineers across three managing partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tragwerksplanung (Structural Planning)
- Bautechnische Prüfung (Technical Construction Inspection)
- Gutachten (Expert Opinions and Appraisals)
Quantifiable outcome
- Competence center for Building in Existing Structures positioned as sustainability leadership
Companies that use bde
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
bde technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
bde partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hochschule für Technik StuttgartcoreActive academic partnership through faculty involvement of managing partners as professors, enabling continuous knowledge transfer from latest research and standardization work to practice. Enables experimental investigations and material testing capabilities.
- TÜV RheinlandcoreQuality management certification partner through Planer am Bau quality association. Provides independent verification of firm's quality management system and operational processes.
- Planer am Bau Quality AssociationcoreQuality association membership providing structured and continuously optimized workflows, improved customer orientation, and error reduction through standardized quality management system.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
bde competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EiBS Ingenieure GmbH: German engineering firm providing structural planning, technical inspection (Bautechnische Prüfung), and expert opinion services comparable to bde. Mid-sized German Beratende Ingenieure operating in the same regulatory Prüfingenieur framework with similar service offerings.
- Werner Sobek: Stuttgart-headquartered structural engineering and consulting firm specializing in innovative, sustainable, and lightweight load-bearing structures. Direct competitor for high-end structural planning in the Stuttgart/Baden-Württemberg market, with overlapping expertise in steel, timber, concrete, and complex geometry projects.
- Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering: Stuttgart-based structural engineering consultancy focused on complex geometry, bridges, and large-span structures. Direct competitor in the German high-end structural planning market with comparable expertise in steel, timber, and hybrid construction methods.
- Schlaich Bergermann Partner (SBP): Stuttgart-headquartered structural engineering firm specializing in bridges, lightweight structures, and tensile architecture. Highly comparable German structural consulting peer with shared home market, similar scale, and overlapping technical inspection and planning capabilities.
- Bollinger + Grohmann: Frankfurt-based structural engineering consultancy with offices across Europe, providing structural design for complex buildings, bridges, and special structures. Direct German peer offering comparable Tragwerksplanung services and competing for similar high-profile architectural projects.
- Ingenieurgruppe Bauen: German engineering consultancy providing structural planning, inspection, and expert opinion services similar to bde. Comparable mid-sized German Beratende Ingenieure with overlapping service portfolio in residential, industrial, and infrastructure structural engineering.
- DR. SCHÜTZ INGENIEURE: German structural engineering consultancy offering Tragwerksplanung, Prüfingenieur services, and expert opinions across residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. Comparable mid-sized German Beratende Ingenieure with overlapping Prüfingenieur credential structure.
Broad incumbents
- BuroHappold Engineering: Global engineering consultancy with structural engineering as a core service line, including German operations. Broader incumbent offering multidisciplinary services (MEP, sustainability, facades) where bde's pure structural focus overlaps as a specialty subset.
- Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with established German presence and broad structural engineering capabilities. Competes for large-scale complex projects in Stuttgart and beyond; much larger scale and broader service portfolio than bde.
Others
- Dlubal Software GmbH: German structural and FEM analysis software vendor whose tools (RFEM, RSTAB) are used by bde and other structural engineers. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem enabler whose product evolution (especially in BIM integration) materially shapes bde's delivery economics and capability set.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
bde social profiles
Digital presencebde compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
bde financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
bde leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
bde funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
bde M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about bde
What does bde do?
bde GmbH is a German structural engineering and consulting firm (Beratende Ingenieure VBI) that plans and inspects load-bearing structures (Tragwerke) for buildings and infrastructure. Its three core service pillars are Tragwerksplanung (structural planning from concept to execution), Bautechnische Prüfung (independent technical verification per the four-eyes principle), and Gutachten (court-appointed, private, and arbitration expert opinions). Projects span residential, industrial, office, bridge, and education/social buildings, supported by in-house competencies in BIM, timber, steel, welding, corrosion protection, concrete repair, and structure inspection.
Is bde a public or private company?
bde is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was bde founded?
bde was founded in 1960.
Where is bde based?
bde is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does bde make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tragwerksplanung (Structural Planning) is the primary driver. The others are bautechnische Prüfung (Technical Inspection) and gutachten (Expert Opinions).
Who are bde's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EiBS Ingenieure GmbH, Werner Sobek, Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering, Schlaich Bergermann Partner (SBP), Bollinger + Grohmann, Ingenieurgruppe Bauen and DR. SCHÜTZ INGENIEURE. Broad incumbents are BuroHappold Engineering and Arup. Dlubal Software GmbH is listed as an others.
Does bde have an API?
No public API is recorded for bde.
What industry is bde in?
bde's product category is Structural Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAA, Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAK, Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services. Its NAICS code is 541310 and its SIC code is 8711.