Katjes International

What Katjes International does

Katjes International GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German brand holding company headquartered in Emmerich, founded in 2009 as part of the broader Katjes group. The company acquires majority or controlling stakes in established consumer goods brands across Western Europe and develops them under a long-term holding model ("We come to stay"), spanning confectionery (Sperlari, Piasten, Treets, Dallmann's, Candy Kittens), healthy snacking (Graze, acquired from Unilever in February 2026), oral care (Theramed, acquired from Henkel in 2022), luxury fashion (Bogner, 60% stake closed September 2025; Missoni, ~27% stake closed March 2026), and premium cosmetics (Shirin Beauty joint venture launched 2025). The company's core competency is brand management, marketing, and strategic acquisition rather than proprietary technology; its technology footprint consists of standard consumer website infrastructure (Google Analytics, Google Maps, Google reCAPTCHA). Operations span Germany, the UK, Italy, and France, with revenue growing from €133 million in 2012 through reported growth of 17% (2021), 15% (2022), and 28.1% (2023) to record levels in FY2025.

The business model is to acquire established consumer brands at scale, strengthen their market position through organic growth and targeted follow-on acquisitions, and develop them for long-term relevance — typically retaining brand autonomy and existing management. Revenue is generated through consumer product sales distributed via supermarket chains, specialty pharmacies, premium retail, brand-owned stores, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce across European markets. Growth has been financed exclusively through corporate bond issuances (a debut 2011/2016 bond at 7.125%, a 2015/2020 bond of €60M, a 2019/2024 bond of €110M at 4.25%, and the current 2023/2028 bond of €185M at 6.75% following an August 2025 €70M tap and a March 2026 €15M expansion), with no equity raises and no external private-equity or venture-capital backing. Ownership is concentrated among managing shareholders Tobias Bachmüller, Bastian Fassin (both serving since 2004 and holding key industry chairmanships including CAOBISCO and BDSI), and CFO Stephan Milde (since 2012), with the general partner being Xaver Fassin International GmbH.

Name

Katjes International

Legal name

Katjes International GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://katjes-international.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Katjes International is a privately held German brand holding company that acquires and develops established Western European consumer brands across confectionery, healthy snacking, oral care, luxury fashion, and cosmetics, operating on a long-term, bond-financed buy-and-develop model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Goods Brand Management

NAICS

Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing (311813), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Cookies & Crackers (2052), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Bakery, Confectionery & Snacks Wholesale (AFAIAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Frozen & Par-Baked Bakery Production (THAFAFAK), Snack Bakery (Cookies, Crackers, Bars) Wholesale (AFAIAFAI)

Keywords

• Brand holding company
• Consumer goods acquisitions
• Confectionery brands
• Luxury fashion portfolio
• Healthy snack brands

Headquarters

HQ city

Emmerich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Brand Portfolio Revenue: Katjes International generates revenue by acquiring and developing established consumer goods brands across confectionery, healthy snacks, fashion, and oral care categories. The company grows brands organically through focused marketing, brand positioning, and operational improvements before potentially integrating them into their broader portfolio.
2. Corporate Bond Financing: The company raises capital through corporate bond issuances (2023/2028 bond at €185 million, 6.75% p.a.) to finance acquisitions and operations. Interest is paid semi-annually to bondholders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Katjes International is a strategic brand holding company that acquires majority stakes in established consumer goods brands across Western Europe (confectionery, healthy snacks, oral care, beauty, and luxury fashion) and develops them for long-term market relevance. The company applies focused brand positioning, marketing, and operational improvements to strengthen portfolio brands such as Bogner, Treets, Sperlari, Candy Kittens, Graze, Theramed, and Missoni.

Product overview

Katjes International is a brand holding company focused on developing strong, established consumer goods brands for the future. The company strengthens its market position through organic growth and targeted acquisitions. Its portfolio spans multiple categories including confectionery (Treets, Sperlari, Piasten, Dallmann's), oral care (Theramed), healthy snacking (Graze, Candy Kittens), luxury fashion (Bogner, Missoni), and beauty (Shirin Beauty). The company also operates a corporate bond (2023/2028) as a financial instrument. Key acquisitions in recent years include Bogner (2025), Graze (2026), and Missoni (2026), expanding the company from confectionery into luxury fashion and lifestyle categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bogner: Germany's largest family-owned luxury fashion brand with unique positioning combining functionality and fashion, sporty & elegant. Part of Katjes International since 2025.
• Treets
• Theramed
• Candy Kittens
• Graze
• Missoni

Products and services

• Bogner Germany's largest family-owned luxury fashion brand with positioning combining functionality and fashion, sporty and elegant. Acquired by Katjes International in 2025.
• Treets

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew from €40M (2011) to €133M (2012) and continued growing 17% (2021), 15% (2022), 28.1% (2023), with record results in 2025

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• MissoniflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Katjes International acquired approximately 27% stake in Missoni through its Katjes Quiet Luxury division, with options to become majority shareholder. FSI acquired 73% to become controlling shareholder. Missoni is a global luxury fashion house known for signature zig-zag knitwear patterns with revenues of around €130 million. The transaction closed in May 2026 pending antitrust approval.
• Graze (Nature Delivered Ltd.)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Katjes International acquired Graze brand from Unilever, including products, manufacturing facility, and employees. The deal completed in February 2026 through subsidiary Future Snacks Ltd. Graze is a UK-based healthy snacking brand integrated into Katjes' Candy Kittens group.
• Willy Bogner GmbHflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Katjes International acquired 60% majority stake in Bogner, Germany's largest family-owned luxury fashion brand. Transaction financed through €70 million bond tap in August 2025 and closed in September 2025. Unique positioning combines functionality and fashion, sporty & elegant.
• Shirin BeautycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint venture with Shirin David, a prominent German influencer/artist, focused on premium cosmetics products.
• Henkel Oral CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2022Acquired Theramed brand and entire Henkel Oral Care business including production site, expanding into oral care segment with 2-in-1 toothpaste and mouthwash products.
• NuudminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2021Investment in plastic-free chewing gum startup Nuud, expanding into sustainable oral care/smoking alternatives category.
• BübchencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2020Through Dallmann's Pharma, acquired Bübchen, the German market leader in kids care segment.
• Candy KittenscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Acquired majority stake in Candy Kittens, vegan gummies brand co-founded by British TV personality Jamie Laing (Made in Chelsea star). Brand positioned as premium vegan confectionery in UK market.
• CPK (Confiserie Peter König)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 December 2018Joint venture with Eurazeo merging Lutti and CPK confectionery operations. Katjes International expects to sell its 23% stake in CPK in 2025.
• SperlaricoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2017Acquired Sperlari, the No. 2 player in Italian sugar confectionery market, expanding Katjes' presence in Italy.
• PiastencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2014Acquired Piasten, Germany's largest producer of dragees (sugar-coated confectionery), strengthening position in German market.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JAB Holding Company: Privately held European brand holding company with a long-term, multi-category consumer goods strategy spanning food, beverage, and luxury. Closest structural analogue to Katjes' brand-holding model.
• Haribo: Privately held German confectionery leader (gummies, dragees) directly comparable to Katjes' Sperlari, Piasten, and Candy Kittens brands. Operates in similar Western European retail channels with a family/founder-ownership model.
• August Storck KG: Privately held German sugar confectionery manufacturer (Werther's Original, Toffifee, Riesen). Closely comparable as a family-owned German confectionery player operating across similar European grocery and pharmacy channels.
• Cloetta: Swedish-listed confectionery group with a pan-Nordic and broader European footprint. Competes head-to-head with Sperlari in the Italian market and with Katjes' other sugar confectionery brands across Europe.
• Perfetti Van Melle: Privately held Dutch-Italian confectionery giant (Menthos, Chupa Chups, Alpenliebe). Directly comparable product overlap with Sperlari, Candy Kittens, and Katjes' Italian confectionery portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Unilever: Global consumer goods incumbent that divested Graze to Katjes in 2026. Comparable as a multi-category consumer brand operator in Western Europe, though vastly larger and publicly listed.
• Ferrero: Italy-based global confectionery incumbent (Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder). Comparable in category leadership in Italian and European confectionery, though much larger and broader in scale.
• Mars, Incorporated: Privately held global confectionery and food giant (M&M's, Snickers, Wrigley). Comparable as a privately held, founder-influenced consumer goods company with strong European confectionery presence.
• Nestlé: Global packaged food and confectionery incumbent with extensive European operations. Comparable as a multi-category branded consumer goods operator across confectionery, health, and adjacent categories.

Emerging players

• L Catterton: Consumer-focused private equity firm with deep holdings in food, beauty, and lifestyle brands. Comparable as an active acquirer of consumer brands, though structured as a financial sponsor rather than a long-term operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Katjes International