Gradiant Acquires H+E Group, a Leading European Water Technology Company, to Amplify Semiconductor and Industrial Water Expertise

BOSTON — Gradiant, a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment, today announced its acquisition of H+E Group (Hager+Elsässer), an established European water solutions provider with over 100 years of experience in providing end-to-end solutions to advanced manufacturing. This acquisition underscores Gradiant's commitment to delivering leading-edge solutions for the semiconductor sector and represents the company's first footprint in Europe.

By combining H+E Group’s domain expertise in semiconductor and industrial water with Gradiant's broad suite of end-to-end water treatment solutions, Gradiant is in a prime position to deliver innovative and tailored solutions to address the unique challenges faced by semiconductor manufacturers. H+E Group’s long history and extensive 30,000 reference installations reflect its track record of successfully delivering high-quality water solutions. This acquisition allows Gradiant to leverage these achievements and further establish itself as a leader in water solutions for the global semiconductor and industrial water market.

“We are thrilled to welcome H+E Group into the Gradiant family. This acquisition aligns with our strategic vision of becoming a comprehensive solutions provider for the semiconductor industry,” said Prakash Govindan, COO of Gradiant. “H+E Group brings to Gradiant deep experience in ultrapure water and wastewater treatment for the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sector and establishes a firm foundation in the EMEA region. This synergistic collaboration doesn’t just combine our strengths, it accelerates our ability to innovate and adeptly navigate the ever-changing needs of the global industrial water market.”

“This is the right next step for H+E Group’s fast-growing industrial wastewater and ultrapure water business to be acquired by Gradiant,” said Jennifer L. Wick, Co-Founder of Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF) I and SGF II and Chairman of the Board of Aquarion AG and Geschäftsführer of H+E GmbH. “The acquisition enables the company to continue to grow at a rapid pace in many geographies including Asia, Middle East, and the United States, fueled by Gradiant’s global reach and differentiated technology portfolio.”

The announcement is part of a larger transaction where SGF I and II has sold a majority stake in Aquarion, a Swiss-based industrial water and wastewater treatment company that provides end-to-end solutions to the industrial sector, including semiconductor, energy, food & beverage, and pharmaceuticals.