Mars

What Mars does

Mars, Incorporated is a privately-held, family-owned global consumer packaged goods conglomerate founded in 1911 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The company operates three core platforms—Petcare (Pedigree, Royal Canin, IAMS, Whiskas, Banfield, VCA, BluePearl, PrettyLitter, Heska diagnostics), Snacking (M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Dove/Galaxy, and post-Kellanova brands Pringles, Pop-Tarts, Cheez-It, KIND, RXBAR, Kellogg's cereals, Hotel Chocolat), and Food & Nutrition (Ben's Original, Seeds of Change, Tasty Bite)—serving consumers and pets across more than 80 countries through approximately 130,000-170,000 associates. Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced CPG sales across retail grocery, mass merchandisers, e-commerce, foodservice, vending, and direct-to-consumer channels, complemented by professional veterinary service fees across owned hospital networks. Strategic priorities include integrating the December 2025 Kellanova acquisition, deploying Google Cloud Gemini Enterprise as the primary AI operating system, scaling smart-manufacturing investments (Slough digital twin factory, $2B US and €1B EU capex by end-2026), and pursuing regulated product reformulations such as the dye-free M&M's phase-out in response to FDA and MAHA movement pressure.

The company's competitive position rests on iconic brand equity built over more than a century, manufacturing scale (e.g., Haguenau's ~50 billion M&M's annually at 70% export to ~40 countries), and a vertically integrated pet care stack spanning nutrition, veterinary hospitals, diagnostics, and health-monitoring products. Recent capital allocation reflects a heavy emphasis on AI/digital transformation, renewable energy procurement (158.4 MW Lithuanian wind PPA, 100% renewable U.S. electricity), electric freight (300 Einride trucks by 2030), and regenerative agriculture (960+ farmers across 9,000+ hectares in Ecuador with ofi). Mars is governed by the Mars family across five generations and remains outside public equity markets, with revenue estimated at approximately US$55 billion.

Name

Mars

Legal name

Mars, Incorporated

Website

https://mars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Mars is a privately-held, family-owned global conglomerate operating across Petcare, Snacking (including Kellanova brands), and Food & Nutrition, serving consumers and pets in more than 80 countries through iconic brands such as M&M's, Snickers, Pedigree, and Royal Canin, plus owned veterinary hospital networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Packaged Goods

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Snack Food Manufacturing (31191), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (311340)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Cookies & Crackers (2052), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dry Kibble (Dog & Cat) (CRADAFAA), Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars) (CRADABAG), Wet/Canned & Pouch Food (Dog & Cat) (CRADAFAB)

Keywords

• Pet food products
• Confectionery manufacturing
• Veterinary health services
• Snack food brands
• Pet nutrition

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Confectionery Products: Mars is the world's leading manufacturer of chocolate, chewing gum, mints and fruity confections. Core brands include M&M's, SNICKERS, TWIX, SKITTLES, STARBURST, DOVE, GALAXY, MALTESERS, EXTRA gum, 5 Gum, LIFE SAVERS. Products sold through retail, e-commerce, and direct channels globally.
2. Pet Care Products & Services: Mars Petcare includes pet nutrition (PEDIGREE, ROYAL CANIN, IAMS, WHISKAS), pet health veterinary services (BANFIELD, BLUEPEARL, VCA), and pet wellness products (PRETTYLITTER acquired for over $1 billion in May 2021). Mars acquired Heska Corporation for approximately $1.3 billion in June 2023 for veterinary diagnostics.
3. Snacking Products: Following the $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova completed December 2025, Mars expanded into global snacking staples including PRINGLES, POP-TARTS, CHEEZ-IT, RXBAR, KIND, and rice-based products like BEN'S ORIGINAL.
4. Food & Nutrition: Healthy, tasty food that is part of consumers' daily lives including BEN'S ORIGINAL rice, SEEDS OF CHANGE, TASTY BITE products.
5. Veterinary Health Services: Banfield Pet Hospital, BluePearl, and VCA animal hospitals provide veterinary services across the US, with Mars investing in Crown Veterinary Services to enter India's market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mars, Incorporated is a diversified global manufacturer of confectionery (chocolate, gum, mints, fruity candies), pet food and pet nutrition products, snack foods (chips, crackers, toaster pastries, bars), and prepared food/rice products. It also operates a network of veterinary hospitals and pet health services under its Mars Petcare platform, serving consumers in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Product overview

Mars, Incorporated is a diversified conglomerate operating across three main platforms: Petcare, Snacking, and Food & Nutrition. The Petcare platform encompasses pet nutrition brands (Pedigree, Royal Canin, IAMS, Whiskas), veterinary services (Banfield, VCA, BluePearl pet hospitals), and health-monitoring products (PrettyLitter). The Snacking platform includes iconic confectionery brands (M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Dove/Galaxy, EXTRA, Life Savers) and was significantly expanded through the $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova (completed late 2025), adding Pringles, Pop-Tarts, Cheez-It, Kellogg's cereals, KIND, RXBAR, and Hotel Chocolat. The Food & Nutrition platform includes Ben's Original rice, Seeds of Change, and Tasty Bite. Mars operates across more than 130 countries with 130,000+ associates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M&M's: Chocolate candy with colored button-shell compartments
• Snickers
• Twix
• Skittles
• Starburst
• Pedigree
• Royal Canin
• IAMS
• Whiskas
• Banfield Pet Hospital
• VCA
• BluePearl
• Dove
• Pringles
• Pop-Tarts
• Cheez-It
• Kellogg's
• KIND
• Hotel Chocolat
• Ben's Original
• 5 Gum
• EXTRA
• CocoaVia

Products and services

• M&M's

Quantifiable outcome

• 42.6% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions against 2015 baseline
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.

• LivelihoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Mars is a long-standing investor in Livelihoods Carbon Fund 4, a €150 million nature-based climate solutions fund that has raised €124 million at first close. The fund aims to sequester or avoid 7–10 million tons of CO₂ over 25 years while improving living conditions for more than 500,000 people through projects restoring forests, mangroves, and agricultural soils. Mars has participated in Livelihoods initiatives since 2009 enabling planting of over 160 million trees.
• RaindropminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2026Raindrop agency launched integrated advertising campaign for PrettyLitter featuring founder Daniel Rotman in humorous video 'Inside The Mind Of A Cat' spanning broadcast, OTT, and social media. Previous successful campaigns achieved top industry rankings for engagement and trial persuasion metrics.
• HABRIstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Mars is founding partner of The Pets & Families Housing Coalition convened by HABRI, APPA, Independence Pet Holdings, and MCPP to advocate for pet-inclusive housing policies including prohibiting breed/size restrictions, capping excessive pet rents and deposits, and mandating pet policy transparency.
• EinridecoreTechnology or Integration · 2 June 2026Einride partnered with Mars to deploy a fleet of 300 digitally optimized electric heavy-duty trucks across Mars' European network by 2030. First delivery completed between Mars Petcare's factory in Verden and distribution center in Minden, Germany. The partnership represents digital freight mobility transformation of Mars' supply chain operations.
• NYX Professional MakeupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026NYX Professional Makeup partnered with Mars to launch limited-edition M&M'S Smushy Surprize Matte Lip Balm blind bags, marking NYX's entry into mystery collectibles space targeting Gen Z and millennial collector culture.
• European EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Mars signed a long-term virtual power purchase agreement with European Energy for majority output from the Skuodas Wind Farm in Lithuania (158.4 MW installed capacity, 490 GWh renewable electricity annually). The wind farm will power Mars' Lithuanian pet food manufacturing facility and is scheduled to go live in 2028 as part of Mars' Renewables Acceleration Program.
• U.S. Soccer FederationstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 April 2026Kellanova operating under Mars Snacking entered partnership with U.S. Soccer Federation to become official snack sponsor, launching six limited-edition products across Cheez-It, Pringles, Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats, and Town House with U.S. Soccer imagery and patriotic flavors.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or Integration · 23 April 2026Mars partnered with Google Cloud to implement enterprise-wide AI transformation, deploying Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise as its primary AI operating system to automate workforce operations and provide associates with AI assistants capable of handling complex multistep tasks across petcare, snacking, and food categories.
• ofi (Olam Food Ingredients)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Mars and ofi announced a five-year strategic collaboration (2025-2029) to advance climate-smart and regenerative agriculture practices in Ecuador's cocoa production. First phase involves over 960 farmers implementing regenerative agriculture across more than 9,000 hectares in major cocoa-growing regions including El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, and Santo Domingo. Building on 15 years of joint sustainable cocoa sourcing.
• Nashville YardsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Mars entered multi-year strategic partnership with Nashville Yards to create pet-friendly amenities including the IAMS Bark Park, securing naming rights as official pet food partner. Partnership facilitated by AEG Global Partnerships and Southwest Value Partners, advancing Mars' global BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program.
• Heska CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026Mars acquired Heska Corporation for approximately $1.3 billion in June 2023 to strengthen its Science & Diagnostics division within Mars Petcare, enhancing veterinary diagnostics capabilities and companion animal health technology.
• StravastrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 April 2026Mars partnership between IAMS pet nutrition brand and Strava fitness app to launch Pet Tag feature allowing U.S. dog owners to track walks, jogs, and outdoor activities with their pets, participating in monthly challenges. Partnership part of BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program aiming to increase pet-friendly green space access for 10 million people and pets by 2030.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Nestlé: The largest global food, beverage, and nutrition conglomerate (~$110B+ revenue); directly comparable through Nestlé Purina PetCare (Mars Petcare's closest peer), confectionery (KitKat, Smarties vs Snickers/Twix), and Nestlé Health Science. Public-market benchmark for Mars's pet care and nutrition portfolio.
• General Mills: After the Kellanova spin-off/divestiture, General Mills is the U.S. cereal and snack incumbent (Cheerios, Annie's, Nature Valley); now directly competes with Mars Snacking's cereal business and overlaps in bars and refrigerated dough.
• PepsiCo: Through Frito-Lay, the largest global salty-snack player (Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos), competing with Kellanova's Pringles and Cheez-It across DSD and convenience; comparable in DSD distribution scale, AI-led marketing, and away-from-home channels.

Direct peers

• Mondelēz International: The most direct confectionery and snacking peer at ~$36bn revenue (cited as Mars's smaller chocolate competitor); overlapping brands across gum, chocolate, biscuits, and cheese snacks (Cadbury, Oreo, Trident) compete head-to-head with Mars Wrigley and Kellanova-added snacks.
• The Hershey Company: Pure-play U.S. chocolate and confectionery competitor (~US$11bn revenue); direct rival in chocolate bars, gummies (Skittles vs Hershey's), and U.S. retail merchandising slotting. Comparable on category mix and channel exposure.
• Ferrero: Private global confectionery player (~$20bn revenue) with Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac, and Ferrero Rocher; increasingly overlapping with Mars in premium chocolate, gifting, and seasonal confectionery after Ferrero's own recent category acquisitions.
• Colgate-Palmolive: Owns Hill's Pet Nutrition, the global pet food peer most directly competing with Mars Petcare (Royal Canin, Pedigree, IAMS); comparable on veterinary-channel distribution and specialty pet retail. Concentrates the CPG conglomerate peer comparison to a single category.
• J.M. Smucker: U.S. food conglomerate with overlapping dog treats, peanut butter (Skippy vs M&M's/Snickers co-brands), and Sweet Baked Snacks (Hostess); one of the few North American peers that holds pet food and snack bar positions comparable to Mars's portfolio.
• WK Kellogg Co: North American cereal pure-play remaining after the Kellanova carve-out; competes head-on with the Kellogg's cereal brands now operating under Mars Snacking in markets like Botany, Australia — directly mirroring Mars's recent cereal exposure.
• Post Holdings: Diversified consumer foods holding company with cereal, refrigerated retail, and pet food (e.g., Smucker-related deals) competing in adjacent staples; comparable on private-label-oriented pet food and U.S. grocery channel strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Mars
• Facebookfacebook.com/Mars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mars
• Instagraminstagram.com/marsglobal
• Xx.com/marsglobal

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A13 records

Investments12 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mars