When was Essential founded?

Essential was founded in 1968 and raised its 1st funding round 52 years after it was founded.

Where is Essential located?

Essential is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, United States. It is registered at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

How many employees does Essential have?

As of Aug 31, 2026, the latest employee count at Essential is 215.

Is Essential a funded company?

Essential is a funded company, having raised an undisclosed amount across 2 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a $***** Post IPO round, raised on Mar 17, 2020.

When was the latest funding round of Essential?

Essential's latest funding was a $***** Grant (prize money) round on Nov 30, 2020, with participation from 0 investor.

What is the annual revenue of Essential?

Annual revenue of Essential is more than $1B as on Dec 31, 2025

Where does Essential rank among its competitors?

Essential ranks 11th amongst 800 active competitors, of which 21 are funded. It stands 11th in terms of total funding among its competitors. The most recent competitor to raise funding was Enzen, which secured $9.98M in May, 2024.

Who are the top competitors of Essential?

Essential's top competitors include United Utilities, Metito and Thames Water. Among them, Enzen secured the most recent funding round in May, 2024.

Essential - 2026 Company Profile, Funding, Competitors & Financials

Essential is a public company based in Bryn Mawr (United States), founded in 1968. It operates as a Provider of waste water treatment services in rural areas. Essential has raised an undisclosed amount in funding. The company has 800 active competitors, including 21 funded and 136 that have exited. Its top competitors include companies like United Utilities, Metito and Thames Water.

Company Details

Website: essential.co
Email ID: *****@essential.co
Phone Number: +1 **********
Registered Address: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Key Metrics

Founded Year

1968

Location

Bryn Mawr, United States

Stage

Public

Latest Funding Round

Grant (prize money), Nov 30, 2020, $*****

Investors

Castle Investment Management & 1 more

Ranked

11^th among 800 active competitors

Annual Revenue

$1B+ as on Dec 31, 2025

Employee Count

215 as on Aug 31, 2026

Investment & Acquisitions

Greenville Water & 2 more

Similar Companies

United Utilities & 829 more

Exit Details

Public

View Essential's full profile

Essential is associated with 2 legal entities given below:

Legal Entity Name	Date of Incorporation	Revenue	Latest Employee Count	Documents
Essential Utilities, Inc. CIN: 78128 , United States, Active		$1B+ (As on Dec 31, 2025)	3258 (As on Dec 31, 2023)	-
AQUA AMERICA, INC. CIN: 231702594 , United States, Active	Dec 31, 1999	-	3448 (As on Dec 31, 2024)	-

Essential got listed on May 29, 1981.

Click here to take a look at Essential's IPO in detail

Essential has raised funding over 2 rounds. Its first funding round was on Mar 17, 2020. Essential has 2 institutional investors.

Here is the list of recent funding rounds of Essential:

Date of Funding	Funding Amount	Round Name	Post-Money Valuation	Revenue Multiple	Lead Investors	Other Investors
Nov 30, 2020	6798864	Grant (prize money)	2837560	6903594	3394000	5903995
Mar 17, 2020	4728998	Post IPO	9371233	8251667	2811310	CPP Investments

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Essential's employee count trend

Essential has 215 employees as of Aug 26. Here is Essential's employee count trend over the years:

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Top competitors of Essential include United Utilities, Metito and Thames Water. Here is the list of Top 10 competitors of Essential, ranked by Tracxn score:

Rank	Company Details	Short Description	Total Funding	Investors	Tracxn Score
1st	United Utilities 1995, Warrington (United Kingdom), Public	Provider of water and sewage services	-	Greyrock Investments, Triodos Investment Management ... & 1 others	62/100
2nd	Metito 1958, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Acquired	Offers water management solutions	$92M	Mitsubishi, Japan Bank for International Cooperation ... & 10 others	60/100
3rd	Thames Water 1996, Reading (United Kingdom), Acquired	Provider of drinking water system services	$963M	MIRA, Europa & 1 others	60/100
4th	Goodnight Midstream 2011, Dallas (United States), Acquired	Provider of integrated saltwater management services	$580M	Tailwater Capital, Cadence Bank & 3 others	59/100
5th	Shriram EPC 2000, Chennai (India), Public	Provider of mineral processing and sewagewater treatment services	-	Saama, Bessemer Venture Partners & 1 others	58/100
6th	Aqualia 2002, Madrid (Spain), Late Stage	Provider of water treatment, filtration, and distribution services	$1.26B	IFM Investors, Europa	58/100
7th	Core & Main 2017, Saint Louis (United States), Public	Distributor of water, wastewater, and fire protection products	$67M	Clayton Dubilier & Rice	55/100
8th	Enzen 2006, Solihull (United Kingdom), Series C	Provider of consulting, technology, engineering, and operating services for businesses	$252M	Greater Pacific Capital, Classic Capital ... & 18 others	55/100
9th	Middlesex Water 1897, Iselin (United States), Public	Provider of wastewater treatment services	-	Comerica	54/100
10th	SAUR Group 1933, Guyancourt (France), Acquired	Provider of drinking water and treatment services	-	Groupe BPCE, BNP Paribas & 2 others	54/100
11th	Essential 1968, Bryn Mawr (United States), Public	Provider of waste water treatment services in rural areas	-	Castle Investment Management, CPP Investments	54/100

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Essential has acquired 3 companies including Greenville Water, Superior Water Company and The Reynolds Group. Essential has not made any investments as of now.

Here is the list of its acquisitions:

Date of Investment/Acquisition	Type	Company Name	Founded Year	Location
-	Acquisition	The Reynolds Group	1989	Tustin (United States)
Oct 04, 2023	Acquisition	Greenville Water	1889	Greenville (United States)
Jan 04, 2016	Acquisition	Superior Water Company	1987	United States