What Vitakraft does

Vitakraft is a German pet care manufacturer founded in 1929 and headquartered in Bremen, operating as Vitakraft pet care GmbH & Co. KG. The company designs, produces, and distributes food, treats, and supplements for dogs, cats, small animals/rodents, birds, and wildlife such as hedgehogs, with sub-brands including TREATIES, MENU, Cat Yums, Heimatfutter, Vita Garden, Beef Stick, Kräcker, and Poésie Classique.

Its product portfolio spans species-specific complete feeds (Menu Vital for rodents, Vita Garden Streufutter for birds, Igelfutter for hedgehogs) and a recent wave of functional and premium-positioned treats (Freezies dog ice, Collagen Chews for digestion-sensitive dogs, VITA Goodies functional snacks, Lick & Snack training cream, Lick & Bits and Crispy Crunch dual-texture cat treats). All R&D and quality control are conducted at the company's German site, with marketing positioning built around optimal, species- and individual-specific nutritional matching and avoidance of over-supplementation.

Vitakraft operates a dual-channel go-to-market: broad retail and pet specialty distribution across Europe and the US, plus owned direct-to-consumer sales through shop.vitakraft.com and 20+ country-localized websites spanning DACH, the Nordics, Benelux, France, the UK-adjacent markets, Iberia, Italy, Central and Eastern Europe, and the United States. Revenue is generated through branded pet food and treat sales at multiple price tiers, from mass-market entry snacks (around €5) to functional and premium SKUs, with marketing driven by content on owned digital properties and social platforms alongside community and conservation initiatives such as the Futterfreunde program and the Rhino Revolution species-protection partnership.

Name

Vitakraft

Legal name

Vitakraft pet care GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://vitakraft.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Vitakraft is a Bremen-based German pet care manufacturer founded in 1929 that produces and distributes food, treats, and supplements for dogs, cats, rodents, birds, and wildlife through retail and owned e-commerce across more than twenty countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Food and Treats

NAICS

Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Treats & Chews (AFADAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Animal Food (rabbit/guinea pig/hamster) (CRADAFAJ), Specialty & Condition-Specific Nutraceuticals (e.g., Liver, Eye, Endocrine) (HLAMALAO), Specialty Species Nutrition (Exotics, Zoo, Wildlife) (HLAMAHAG), Vitamins, Minerals & Multivitamin Supplements (HLAMALAF)

Keywords

• Pet food manufacturing
• Pet treats and snacks
• Bird food products
• Small animal nutrition
• Pet supplements

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pet Food and Treats: Vitakraft generates revenue primarily through the sale of manufactured pet food, treats, and care products for dogs, cats, rodents, and birds. Products are sold via owned e-commerce storefront, retail distribution, and multi-country online presence. Revenue is driven by consumer purchases of branded pet nutrition and snack products across multiple price tiers and product lines.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vitakraft manufactures and sells branded pet food, treats, supplements, and species-specific care products for dogs, cats, rodents/small animals, birds, and wild animals (e.g., hedgehogs). Products are developed through the company's own research and development at its German site and are tailored to the actual nutritional requirements of each animal species and life stage. The product portfolio spans sub-brands (TREATIES, Cat Yums, Kräcker, Beef Stick, Poésie Classique, Vita Garden, MENU, Heimatfutter) and functional product lines (Freezies dog ice, Collagen Chews, VITA Goodies, Lick & Snack, Lick & Bits, Crispy Crunch).

Product overview

Vitakraft is a pet care company offering a comprehensive portfolio of pet food and treats for multiple animal categories including dogs, cats, small animals/rodents, birds, and hedgehogs. The product lineup spans both sub-brands (TREATIES for dogs, Cat Yums for cats, MENU for small animals, Vita Garden for birds, Poésie Classique, and Beef Stick) and individual product launches (Freezies ice treats, Collagen Chews, VITA Goodies functional treats, Lick & Snack training cream, Lick & Bits, and Crispy Crunch). The company emphasizes high quality, own research and development in Germany, optimal nutritional matching to animal needs, and products tailored to actual requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TREATIES®: Treaties brand for pet treats and snacks
• MENU
• Cat Yums
• Heimatfutter
• Vita Garden®
• Beef Stick®
• Kräcker®
• Poésie® Classique
• Freezies®
• VITA® Goodies
• Lick & Snack
• Lick & Bits
• Crispy Crunch
• Collagen Chews

Products and services

• TREATIES® Bite-sized treats and snacks for dogs, offered as a sub-brand of Vitakraft's dog treat portfolio.
• MENU (Menu Vital) Menu Vital complete feed product line providing essential nutrition for small pets such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits.
• Cat Yums Cat treats and snacks sub-brand offering various snack options for cats.
• Heimatfutter Pet food brand featuring regional/domestic recipes.
• Vita Garden® Streufutter Premium bird food (scattered seed mix) for wild and pet birds.
• Beef Stick® Beef-stick dog snacks available in various flavors and shapes, including Quadros and the original formulation.
• Kräcker® Original chewing/snack sticks for rodents and small pets, designed for gnawing activity and enrichment.
• Poésie® Classique Premium bird food product line under the Poésie Classique brand.
• Vita Garden® Igelfutter Specialized hedgehog food from the Vita Garden premium line, for wild or pet hedgehogs.
• Freezies® Refreshing dog ice treats for summer, providing a cooling experience for dogs.
• Collagen Chews Collagen-based chewing snacks that are easily digestible, designed for digestion-sensitive dogs.
• VITA® Goodies Functional dog treats designed as everyday helpers supporting the daily well-being of dogs.
• Lick & Snack Soft low-calorie training cream designed for use during dog training sessions.
• Lick & Bits Dual-texture cat treats combining a velvety base with tender pieces to appeal to picky cats.
• Crispy Crunch (Cremig knusprig) Cat treats combining a crispy shell with a smooth, creamy filling for a dual-texture taste experience.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Rhino RevolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVitakraft has entered a long-term partnership with Rhino Revolution focused on education and species protection — 'FROM BIG 5 TO LITTLE FRIENDS — We care. We teach. We protect.' The initiative spans from domestic pets to rhinos, supporting conservation education. The partnership was announced publicly on the Vitakraft website as a flagship brand initiative under the tagline 'Gemeinsam mit Rhino Revolution engagiert sich Vitakraft für Bildung und Artenschutz – vom Haustier bis zum Nashorn.' (Together with Rhino Revolution, Vitakraft is committed to education and species protection — from pets to rhinos.)

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mars Petcare: Global pet care leader operating brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas and Royal Canin. Directly comparable to Vitakraft in dog, cat and broader pet nutrition categories but at vastly larger scale and across many more geographies.
• Hill's Pet Nutrition: Science-led pet nutrition brand owned by Colgate-Palmolive. Comparable to Vitakraft's functional/wellness positioning (Collagen Chews, VITA Goodies) but skewed to veterinary and therapeutic diets rather than mass treats.
• Nestlé Purina: One of the world's largest pet food manufacturers (Purina, Felix, Friskies, Pro Plan). Competes with Vitakraft across dog and cat treats and complete feeds globally with materially greater scale and R&D budget.
• Spectrum Brands (Pet Care): Owns Tetra (aquatics), FURminator and other pet care brands. Comparable to Vitakraft in multi-species pet care but with a broader portfolio that includes aquatics and grooming, served through mass retail in the US and Europe.
• J.M. Smucker (Pet Foods): Owns Milk-Bone, Meow Mix, Kibbles 'n Bits and Rachael Ray Nutrish. Competes with Vitakraft in mass-market dog treats and snacks but operates at significantly larger scale, primarily in North America.

Direct peers

• Affinity Petcare: European pet food manufacturer (Ultima, Brekkies, Advance) serving Southern and broader European markets. Comparable mid-to-large European peer with multi-species dog and cat portfolios and a similar retail-led go-to-market.
• BEWITAL petfood: German family-owned pet food manufacturer producing dog and cat food as well as specialty nutrition. Closely comparable mid-sized European competitor with similar multi-species coverage and premium positioning.
• Versele-Laga: Specialist in bird food, small animal and pet care nutrition (acquired by Laroy Group). Strongly comparable to Vitakraft's MENU, Kräcker, Poésie and Vita Garden sub-brands serving small animals and birds.
• Heristo Aktiengesellschaft: German food and pet food group whose subsidiaries include pet food manufacturing. Comparable to Vitakraft in species breadth and European distribution, with overlapping private/independent ownership structure.
• Butcher's Pet Care: UK-based pet food manufacturer focused on natural and functional dog treats and food. Comparable mid-sized competitor in the European treats/snacks segment with overlapping product positioning to Vitakraft's TREATIES and Beef Stick lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.de/user/vitakraft
• Facebookfacebook.com/vitakraft
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/vitakraft-deutschland
• Instagraminstagram.com/vitakraft.deutschland
• Xx.com/vitakraft

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Vitakraft