Zilor

What Zilor does

Zilor Energia e Alimentos, legally Açucareira Quatá S.A. (CNPJ 60.855.574/0001-73), is a privately held Brazilian multinational that has operated in the sugar-energy sector since 1946, headquartered in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo, with approximately 4,400 employees and four industrial units (Barra Grande, São José, Quatá, and Salto Botelho) capable of milling roughly 12 million tonnes of sugarcane annually. The company converts a single raw material — sugarcane — into four product lines: bulk and bagged sugar (VHP/raw crystal and white crystal), anhydrous and hydrated ethanol (including certified biofuel exports to the US, Japan, and Canada), renewable bioelectricity exported to Brazil's National Interconnected System, and biotechnologically produced natural yeast-based ingredients for food and animal nutrition under the Biorigin brand (Brewcell, Nutricell, Hicell). Production is fully mechanized, 100% of energy needs are self-generated from bagasse, and the Quatá unit is carbon-neutral by design.

Zilor monetizes sugar and ethanol exclusively through its significant equity stake in Copersucar — Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol exporter — leveraging Copersucar's logistics, storage, and international trading subsidiaries (Alvean, Evolua Etanol/Eco-Energy). Bioelectricity is sold bilaterally to regulated distributors and free-market traders under ANEEL rules, with tradeable CBIO decarbonization credits earned under Brazil's RenovaBio program. Biorigin ingredients, of which approximately 90% is exported, are sold directly and through distribution centers in Brazil, the United States, and Belgium to industrial food processors and animal-nutrition customers in over 60 countries, with sodium-reduction (up to 70%), sugar-reduction (up to 30%), and clean-label positioning. The value chain is vertically integrated from sugarcane cultivation — managed for over 20 years via an Agricultural Partnerships model covering Zilor-owned and leased land — through processing to finished products.

Zilor holds a deep stack of sustainability and quality certifications (Bonsucro, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, ISO 14001, GMP+, Kosher, Halal, Non-GMO Project Verified, SQF) and has received industry recognition including the Coca-Cola Ingredients Supplier Quality Award (2020). The most significant strategic action in the recent period is the May 2025 joint venture with French fermentation major Lesaffre, in which Lesaffre acquired 70% of the Biorigin unit (renamed Biorigin S.A.); Zilor retained a 30% minority stake while continuing to independently operate its sugar, ethanol, bioelectricity, and levedura businesses. The company is family-owned (founded as Zillo Lorenzetti, rebranded to Zilor Energia e Alimentos in 2007), with Fabiano Zillo serving as CEO, and reports quarterly results on its newly launched investor relations website.

Name

Zilor

Legal name

Açucareira Quatá S.A.

Website

https://zilor.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Zilor is a privately held Brazilian sugar-energy multinational founded in 1946 that mills roughly 12 million tonnes of sugarcane annually across four industrial units to produce sugar, ethanol, renewable bioelectricity, and yeast-based natural ingredients (Biorigin) for food and animal-nutrition markets in over 60 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sugar and Ethanol Manufacturing

NAICS

Cane Sugar Manufacturing (311314), Sugarcane Farming (111930), Sugarcane Farming (11193), Sugar Manufacturing (31131)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Beverages (2080), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Cane Sugar (Raw & Refined) (AFAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grain & Sugar-Based Ethanol Production (EUAAAHAA), Sugarcane Farming (AFAGAEAA), Yeast Products & Fermentation Metabolites (Yeast Culture, MOS/β-Glucans) (AFADALAM), Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing (AFABAEAM)

Keywords

• Sugarcane processing
• Ethanol production
• Bioelectricity generation
• Yeast-based ingredients
• Animal nutrition additives

Headquarters

HQ city

Lençóis Paulista

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sugar Production and Sales: Production of raw crystal sugar (VHP) and bagged white crystal sugar for food, pharmaceutical, and beverage industries. Majority exported through Copersucar. Sugar is a commodity product with pricing tied to international markets.
2. Ethanol Production and Sales: Production of anhydrous ethanol (mixed with gasoline, ~27% blend) and hydrated ethanol (direct fuel use). Sold to fuel distributors and gas stations through Copersucar for domestic market, with certifications enabling export to US, Japan, and Canada.
3. Bioelectricity Generation: Production of electricity from sugarcane biomass. Zilor ensures 100% of energy needs for its plants and exports surplus to the National Interconnected System (SIN). Commercialized through regulated market contracts with distributors and bilateral contracts with independent traders.
4. Natural Ingredients (Biorigin): Production and sale of 100% natural yeast-based ingredients for human food (Food segment) and animal nutrition (Feed segment). Products serve food industry for sodium reduction, sugar reduction, and shelf-life extension. Animal nutrition products enhance livestock and pet health. Majority of production (~90%) exported to over 60 countries.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Zilor processes sugarcane to produce sugar (VHP raw crystal and bagged white crystal), ethanol (anhydrous and hydrated), and bioelectricity from bagasse at four industrial units. Through its Biorigin unit, the company also produces 100% natural yeast-based ingredients for human food and animal nutrition, including Brewcell, Nutricell, and Hicell product lines, with operations in Brazil, the United States, and Belgium.

Product overview

Zilor is a Brazilian sugar-energy company with a diversified portfolio of four main products: Sugar (Açúcar), Ethanol (Etanol), Bioelectricity (Bioeletricidade), and Natural Ingredients through its Biorigin business unit. Sugar and Ethanol are sold via Copersucar, while Bioelectricity is exported to the National Interconnected System. Biorigin produces yeast-based natural ingredients (Brewcell, Nutricell, Hicell) for animal nutrition, serving clients in all continents from production units in Brazil, USA, and Belgium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Biorigin: Biorigin is the natural ingredients business unit of Zilor, specializing in biotechnological production of 100% natural ingredients from yeast and sugarcane derivatives. It serves the human food (Food segment) and animal nutrition (Feed segment) markets. Products include Brewcell, Nutricell, and Hicell. Following the 2025 joint venture with Lesaffre, Biorigin's Quatá unit became Biorigin S.A., in which Zilor retains a 30% stake. Biorigin has operations in Brazil, the United States, and Belgium, and serves customers in over 60 countries.

Products and services

• Sugar (Açúcar) Sugar manufactured from sugarcane, serving food, pharmaceutical, and beverage industries. Produced as bulk raw crystal sugar (VHP - Very High Polarization) for export and bagged white crystal sugar for direct consumption.
• Ethanol (Etanol) Sugarcane ethanol offered as anhydrous ethanol (for gasoline blending, approximately 99% alcohol, 27% blend) and hydrated ethanol (for flex-fuel vehicles, 95-96% alcohol). Reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 90% compared to gasoline.
• Bioelectricity (Bioeletricidade) Renewable electricity generated from sugarcane bagasse biomass after milling for sugar and ethanol production. Zilor meets 100% of its energy needs and exports surplus to Brazil's National Interconnected System (SIN).
• Biorigin Natural Ingredients for Animal Nutrition Natural ingredients produced through biotechnological processes from yeast fermentation (Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains). Includes Brewcell (brewer's yeast), Nutricell (inactive dry yeast from alcoholic fermentation), and Hicell (high-digestible protein with nucleotides) for animal nutrition across all species.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduction of approximately 90% when comparing sugarcane ethanol to gasoline
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LesaffrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2025In May 2025, Zilor and Lesaffre formalized a joint venture through Lesaffre's acquisition of 70% of Biorigin unit in Quatá, creating Biorigin S.A. Zilor retains 30% ownership. Lesaffre, a French multinational with over a century of fermentation expertise, brings complementary capabilities to enhance yeast derivative and savory ingredient solutions for human food and animal nutrition markets globally.
• CopersucarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZilor is a major shareholder of Copersucar, the largest Brazilian sugar and ethanol company and one of the world's largest exporters. All Zilor sugar and ethanol production is delivered and sold through Copersucar, which provides integrated logistics, storage, and global distribution through its ecosystem including Alvean for sugar trading and Evolua Etanol for domestic ethanol sales.
• Agricultural PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZilor's Agricultural Partnerships model has been operating for over 20 years. Partners are responsible for growing and harvesting sugarcane in areas owned by Zilor or leased by the company. All production is destined for Barra Grande and São José units. Partners must adhere to Zilor's Commitment to Socio-environmental Conduct with minimum 85% compliance requirement verified through periodic farm visits and external audits.
• ESALQ/USPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP) for the Environmental Compliance Program, enabling conservation, management, and restoration of permanent preservation areas on agricultural properties.
• UNESPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) for periodic fauna monitoring in agricultural activity regions and native forests. The 2019 Fauna Monitoring Project registered 185 animal species in Zilor's preservation areas, including 8 threatened species.
• UNICAminorOthersZilor is associated with UNICA (União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar), the largest representative organization of the sugar and bioethanol sector in Brazil.
• EcovadisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiorigin participates in the Ecovadis international supplier assessment platform, enabling companies worldwide to access data on Biorigin's compliance and socioenvironmental management.
• SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiorigin participates in SMETA platform for ethical trade audits, providing transparency on labor practices, health and safety, environment, and business ethics.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adecoagro: Latin American agribusiness producing sugar, ethanol, bioelectricity, rice, dairy, and crops across Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay; shares Zilor's vertical integration, multi-product platform, and focus on renewable energy from sugarcane bagasse.
• São Martinho: One of Brazil's largest sugar-ethanol groups with multiple mills in São Paulo state (similar geography to Zilor), producing sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity from sugarcane — a directly comparable operating model and product mix.
• Biosev: Brazilian sugar-ethanol subsidiary of Raízen/LDC, operating numerous mills across São Paulo and other states with a similar sugarcane-to-sugar/ethanol/energy portfolio, making it a close comparable in milling scale and cost structure.
• Tereos: French-headquartered cooperative with major Brazilian sugar-ethanol operations; competes head-to-head with Zilor in international sugar trading and ethanol, including via its own joint venture with Petrobras (Tereos Commodities) and overlapping customer base across food and biofuel markets.
• Raízen: Joint venture between Cosan and Shell, Raízen is Brazil's largest sugar-ethanol producer with comparable operations across sugarcane milling, ethanol, sugar, and bioelectricity, directly competing with Zilor's core platform and Copersucar distribution ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC): Global commodities merchant with major sugar and ethanol origination/trading arms (including Biosev ownership); competes with Zilor in international sugar flows and offers an alternative route to market that competes for Brazilian cane supply.
• Bunge: Global agribusiness and food ingredients major with sugar origination in Brazil and a large-scale food ingredients business; overlaps with Zilor in sugarcane processing economics and serves many of the same food industry customers in sugar and ingredient supply.
• Cosan: Brazilian conglomerate controlling Raízen and with interests across sugar, ethanol, logistics (Rumo), lubricants (Moove), and gas (Compagas); broader portfolio but its sugar-ethanol business unit is a direct competitor to Zilor's Copersucar-mediated volumes.

Emerging players

• Ingredion: Global ingredient solutions provider for food and beverage with a clean-label and sugar-reduction portfolio analogous to Biorigin's Brewcell/Nutricell/Hicell products; comparable as an ingredient-technology platform serving the same food processor customers.
• Lesaffre: French global leader in yeast and fermentation products; the 2025 majority owner of Biorigin S.A., making it directly comparable to Zilor's natural-ingredients business and the most relevant peer for assessing Biorigin's strategic value and trajectory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7JTltypsm2C9yqOelimirA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zilor
• Instagraminstagram.com/zilorenergiaealimentos
• Facebookfacebook.com/zilorenergiaealimentos

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Zilor