About Us

With more than seven decades of experience helping customers control energy use, Techem has embarked on a game-changing strategy to become a global leader in innovation in integrated, digital energy efficiency solutions for the building sector. 

Founded in 1952, Techem’s first products allowed residential buildings to fairly distribute heating costs among tenants. From there, it was a natural evolution for the company to aspire to become a core player in sustainable buildings to meet today’s climate challenges.

Building operations – largely from heating, cooling, and ventilation – are estimated to contribute about 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. And as consultants are fond of saying, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. The potential global impact from reducing emissions in the building sector is tremendous. Our traditional metering expertise and global reach provide a strong springboard for Techem to become a leading innovator in smart energy solutions for buildings.

Customer Value

Techem delivers customer value through its range of integrated energy efficiency solutions. And the value created extends beyond our immediate customers to include significant contributions to climate protection and decarbonization by making energy use in the building sector more transparent, tracking successes in abatement strategies and measures, and creating greater transparency.

Our suite of solutions strives to further expand our One Digital Platform which allows us to fully digitalize our services to increase energy efficiency of buildings and to improve our customer experience. This is backed by our passion for innovation and a focus on products that are easy and cost-efficient to implement in residential buildings. While conforming to data security mandates in Europe and other markets, Techem builds transparency by providing consumption statistics as part of the open data economy. By enabling the transition away from fossil fuels, our solutions provide strong support for our customers in reducing both their energy costs and their carbon footprints.

As regulators are turning increased attention to emissions from day-to-day building operations, often setting specific abatement targets in cities or entire countries, Techem systems will command even greater urgency. We deploy digital monitoring and AI-assisted analysis to encourage landlords and tenants alike to consciously reduce their energy consumption.

Along with their significant contribution to global decarbonization, our integrated solutions also contribute to lower operating costs for building, benefiting investors, owners, and tenants alike.

Climate Change

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. At Techem, we are aware of our responsibility to contribute to greenhouse gas abatement and are working on solutions for a successful digital energy transition in the building sector. An affordable net zero building stock is only possible through digitalization and modern technologies, and Techem is committed to contributing to this effort through digitally networked solutions and devices that help reduce energy consumption, increase efficiency, and channel renewable energy generation across sectors.

Digitalization also makes property management more cost effective, reliable, and convenient. For Techem, climate protection, process efficiency and legal certainty go hand in hand.

We are blazing the path to nearly net zero neighborhoods by 2050.

Reducing CO₂ emissions in buildings is a core component of this effort. 

The Techem Group

Techem is a leading service provider for smart and sustainable buildings. Our suite of innovative solutions covers a range of priority issues amid the global climate challenge, including energy management and resource conservation, a healthy living and working environment, and process efficiency in real estate. Techem monitoring systems improve efficiency all along the entire value chain for heating and water systems in buildings. In addition, our comprehensive portfolio includes wireless smoke detectors that can be watched remotely and systems to assure healthy drinking water throughout a building.

Founded in 1952, the company has more than 4,000 employees in 18 countries, and our solutions are present in more than 12,5 million residences. We are the global market leader in remote recording of energy consumption in homes, and, as we continue to innovate around networking and digital processes, strive to become a leader in smart energy solutions for the building industry worldwide.

Owner

Techem is by a consortium of the Swiss Partners Group and the Canadian companies Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP). These three companies pursue a medium- to long-term investment strategy and hold a number of investments in the areas of infrastructure, energy supply, and renewables that are complimentary to Techem’s aspirations.

Company profile

Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm. Since 1996, the firm has invested USD 200 billion in private equity, private real estate, private debt and private infrastructure on behalf of its clients globally. Partners Group seeks to generate superior returns through capitalizing on thematic growth trends and transforming attractive businesses and assets into market leaders. The firm is a committed, responsible investor and aims to create sustainable returns with lasting, positive impact for all its stakeholders. With USD 142 billion in assets under management as of 30 June 2023, Partners Group provides an innovative range of bespoke client solutions to institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and private individuals globally. The firm employs more than 1,800 diverse professionals across 20 offices worldwide and has regional headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland; Denver, USA; and Singapore. It has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2006 (symbol: PGHN). For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

 

Investment approach

Partners Group is an experienced investor in the fields of energy and renewable energy. Making a sustainable positive contribution is one of its core principles. The company creates value with its investments through active, long-term and responsible investments and works closely with management throughout the life of its investments. The investment results promote the prosperity of its clients, who are ultimately millions of private beneficiaries around the globe. Partners Group was one of the first private market investment companies to sign up to the United Nations’ “Principles for Responsible Investment.” The company systematically integrates Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors throughout its investment process. After the acquisition, it consults with management teams to improve the implementation of the most relevant ESG factors for each company.

Company profile

CDPQ is a long-term institutional investment firm that mainly manages the assets of public and semi-private pension funds and insurance companies. As of the end of 2017, CDPQ had $298.5 billion in net assets under management. As one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in leading financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate, and private debt.

Investment approach

CDPQ has a long track record of investing in the infrastructure, energy and renewable energy sectors. It constantly strives to build lasting relationships and enable long-term development within its portfolio. The investment approach follows three principles: a lower level of liquid assets and loans, further globalization, and combating climate change.

Company profile



With net assets of $189.5 billion at the end of 2017, OTPP is Canada’s largest pension fund for a single profession. The independent organization invests the fund’s assets and manages the pensions of 323,000 active and retired teachers in the province of Ontario. OTTP invests in liquid and illiquid assets worldwide through five divisions in six different asset classes, thus providing for diversification and volatility management.

Investment approach

The private capital division invests, either alone or with partners, in private companies directly as well as indirectly through private equity funds. It seeks to add value to its portfolio companies by assisting them with long-term strategic planning, establishing high-performing management teams and board committees, and promoting good governance practices. OTPP also invests in long-term equity investments that deliver sustained current income and growth relative to inflation. At the end of 2017, the portfolio comprised by industry 29 percent, consumer and retail; 17 percent, industrials; 16 percent, telecom, media, and technology; 16 percent, financial services; 13 percent, healthcare; 6 percent, energy and power; and 3 percent, venture capital and growth Equity.

History

Techem looks back at more than seven decades of helping our customers with energy management. Some milestones.

Our history at a glance

Techem was founded in 1952 by Friedrich Ott in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, as a company for the evaluation of technical-chemical processes and patents, helping measure and distribute heating costs in residential buildings fairly. At the time, evaporator tubes was still the standard method of measurement.

Techem was founded in 1952 by Friedrich Ott in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, as a company for the evaluation of technical-chemical processes and patents, helping measure and distribute heating costs in residential buildings fairly. At the time, evaporator tubes was still the standard method of measurement.

A new standard: Techem introduced electronic heat cost allocators to the market in 1983 which work more accurately than the analogue devices and can compensate measurement errors better.

Techem began offering energy contracting in 1992 and introduced a radio system for recording consumption in 1996.

Techem ushered in a new era in 2005 with the launch of remote reading via mobile communications. In 2007, wireless smoke detectors were added to the product portfolio, and in 2009 the Techem Smart System was introduced. It records and transmits the consumption values of the individual recording devices centrally and automatically. 

In 2010, Techem Energy Contracting’s energy management system was certified according to DIN EN 16001. 2011 saw the introduction of wireless smoke detectors with remote inspection, and in 2012, Techem expanded its range of services to include legionella testing in cooperation with the SGS Institut Fresenius. The Techem heating service was launched in 2013 and supplemented by the Techem heating service with direct electricity in 2014. Hydraulic balancing and Techem drinking water treatment were launched in 2018. Digital system monitoring with Techem Smart Monitor was introduced in 2019. 

In 2020, Techem added a focus on renewable energy generation and entered the holistic metering operation with Techem SmartMetering in 2021. This was followed that same year by the market launch of e-charging solutions.