Mellifera

What Mellifera does

Mellifera JSC is a Bulgarian publicly traded producer (BSE: MELI) of organic honey-based functional foods and sports nutrition products, headquartered in Sofia with a single manufacturing facility certified to GMP, HACCP, and IFS Food 8 standards. Founded in 2016 by Biljana Lowndes-Nikolova, a food technologist and hobby beekeeper, the company offers four core product lines: MelliGEL (the first 100% organic honey-based energy gel, Informed Sport certified for professional athletes with per-batch WADA-banned-substance testing), MelliJELLI (honey cream flavored with fruit and herbal extracts), MelliTONIC (organic honey-herb food supplement positioned for tone and libido), and gourmet private-label organic honey. The portfolio is differentiated by a heavy layer of third-party validations including BIO-BG-14 organic (SGS), V-label Vegetarian, KLBD Kosher, and FDA registration for US distribution.

The company operates a dual go-to-market: branded direct-to-consumer e-commerce through dedicated product websites (melligel.com, mellijelli.com, mellitonic.com) targeting health-conscious consumers and amateur/professional athletes, and B2B private-label manufacturing of gourmet organic honey blends for international buyers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Mellifera listed on the BEAM market of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange on December 15, 2022 (trading commenced January 17, 2023) and conducted a follow-on capital increase in March-April 2025.

Mellifera is an unusually lean public issuer with disclosed headcount of 1-10 employees and no publicly disclosed revenue, which limits inference about operating scale. Its commercial footprint spans Europe (Bulgaria operations), the Gulf, Southeast Asia, and (via FDA registration) the United States, with brand visibility supported by an unusually dense stack of industry awards from European sports nutrition and natural products bodies (ESSNA, Natural & Organic Awards, Free From Food Awards) between 2021 and 2023.

Name

Mellifera

Legal name

Mellifera JSC

Website

https://mellifera.bg

Company type

Public

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mellifera JSC is a Bulgarian publicly traded producer of organic honey-based functional foods and supplements, including the MelliGEL energy gel, MelliJELLI honey cream, and MelliTONIC supplement, serving professional athletes via DTC e-commerce and international B2B private-label customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Foods and Sports Nutrition

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Apiculture (112910)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Foods & Supplement Formats (Gummies, Chews, Powders, Shots) (CRADAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Value-Added Bee Products Manufacturing (Candles, Cosmetics, Supplements, Mead Ingredients) (AFAEAHAM), Honey & Natural Sweet Spreads Manufacturing (AFAKADAL), Herbal & Botanical Supplements (CRADAGAD), Honey & Apiculture Sweeteners (Honey, Honey Powders) (AFAJAAAL)

Keywords

• Honey-based functional foods
• Organic sports nutrition
• Energy gel supplements
• Private label honey
• Organic food products

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branded Consumer Products: Sale of proprietary branded honey-based functional food products including MelliGEL energy gel, MelliJELLI honey cream, and MelliTONIC food supplement through direct-to-consumer e-commerce channels.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of pure or flavored organic honey products under private label to international customers. Initial business model focused on gourmet honey blends certified organic and sold to customers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
3. Gourmet Honey: Premium quality pure or flavored organic honey production under private label arrangements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mellifera develops, manufactures, and sells honey-based functional foods and nutritional supplements built on organic honey as a primary ingredient. Its flagship MelliGEL is a 100% organic honey-based energy gel certified by Informed Sport for professional athletes, and the portfolio also includes MelliJelli honey cream, MelliTONIC food supplement, and gourmet organic honey produced under private label for international B2B customers.

Product overview

Mellifera operates as a functional foods company offering a portfolio of honey-based products. The core offerings include MelliGEL (award-winning organic energy gel for athletes), MelliJelli (honey cream with fruits and herbs), MelliTONIC (honey-herb food supplement), and Gourmet Honey (private label organic honey). The company develops honey-based functional foods and nutritional supplements for specific consumer needs, positioning itself at the intersection of organic/natural foods and sports nutrition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MelliGEL: Award-winning organic honey energy gel certified for professional athletes, approved by Informed Sport with batch testing for WADA-banned substances.
• MelliJelli
• MelliTONIC
• Gourmet Honey

Products and services

• MelliGEL Energy Gel Award-winning 100% organic honey-based energy gel certified by Informed Sport for professional athletes with batch testing for WADA-banned substances, designed for endurance sports including running, cycling, tennis, swimming, and winter sports.
• MelliJelli Honey Cream Honey cream flavored with real fruits and enhanced with herbal extracts, positioned as a functional food supplement for conscious consumers seeking healthy alternatives.
• MelliTONIC Organic honey and herbs potion marketed as a food supplement, positioned as a booster of tone and libido.
• Gourmet Honey (Private Label) Premium quality pure or flavored organic honey produced under private label arrangements for international B2B customers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Quantifiable outcome

• First 100% organic energy gel approved for professional athletes by Informed Sport with WADA-compliant batch testing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Food & Drink Bulgaria (fooddrink.bg)minorOthersIndustry organization representing food and beverage companies in Bulgaria. Mellifera maintains affiliation and display of Food & Drink Bulgaria membership/logo on company website.
• BESCO (besco.bg)minorOthersBulgarian industry association (possibly energy saving or sustainability-focused based on domain). Mellifera displays BESCO membership/logo on company website indicating industry affiliation.
• Financial Market Services EOOD (Файненшъл Маркет Сървисиз)minorOthersContracted service provider for dissemination of regulated information to the public through X3News information system, as required for publicly listed companies on Bulgarian Stock Exchange.
• SGSminorOthersSGS provides bio/organic certification (BIO-BG-14) for Mellifera's products and manufacturing facility.
• Informed SportcoreOthersInformed Sport provides certification for MelliGEL energy gel, approved for professional athletes. Each batch undergoes analysis testing for substances banned by WADA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Science in Sport (SiS): UK-listed endurance nutrition brand with a broad energy gel, hydration and recovery range serving professional athletes and informed-sport-certified products. Highly comparable to Mellifera on target user (endurance/professional athletes), Informed Sport certification positioning, and product format (energy gels).
• Maurten: Swedish premium hydrogel sports nutrition brand serving elite marathon and cycling athletes. Direct competitor to MelliGEL in the high-end, athlete-grade energy gel category, differentiated by hydrogel technology rather than honey base.
• Huma Nutrition: Real-fruit-based chia gel brand for endurance sports. Comparable to MelliGEL as a "cleaner, real-food" alternative to maltodextrin gels, pursuing the same health-conscious endurance athlete buyer with non-synthetic ingredient positioning.
• GU Energy Labs: GU is the dominant endurance energy gel brand (now owned by Nestlé Health Science). It competes head-to-head with MelliGEL in the same use case — fueling runners, cyclists and triathletes — making it the closest like-for-like peer despite its maltodextrin-based formulation rather than organic honey.
• High5 Nutrition: UK-based sports nutrition brand focused on energy gels, chews and hydration for endurance athletes. Competes with MelliGEL on the same shelf in specialist running and cycling retail, with similar Informed Sport-grade positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Manuka Health: New Zealand mānuka honey health products company selling honey-based functional food, supplements and wound care globally. Comparable to Mellifera in using bee-derived ingredients as a platform for functional health products and in targeting international markets with private-label and branded SKUs.
• Nature's Path Foods: Larger North American organic and non-GMO CPG brand across cereal, granola, bars and functional foods. Relevant broader peer for Mellifera's organic, sustainability-led CPG positioning and the use of BIO/Organic certifications to differentiate in retail, though operating at very different scale.
• Rowse Honey: Major UK honey brand (part of Bonduel Group) with flavored, organic and functional honey-based spreads. Closely comparable to Mellifera's gourmet private-label and MelliJELLI honey cream categories, though operating at significantly larger retail scale.
• Comvita: Large New Zealand mānuka honey health and supplements company with global distribution. Overlaps with Mellifera in honey-based health/functional food and in private-label and branded honey product lines, though much larger and focused on mānuka rather than Bulgarian organic honey.

Emerging players

• Heavenly Organics: US-based certified organic, fair-trade raw honey and honey chocolate brand. Comparable niche/scale positioning to Mellifera — small organic honey brand with D2C and natural food retail — but with a sweeter-snack focus rather than sports nutrition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/melligel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/melligel
• Instagraminstagram.com/energy.melligel

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Mellifera