What Riclan does

Riclan S.A. is a Brazilian confectionery manufacturer headquartered in Rio Claro, São Paulo, producing approximately 240 tonnes of candy per day across 15+ sub-brands spanning hard candies, chewy candies, drops, lollipops, bubble gums, jelly gums, and milk toffees. The company originated in the 1940s as an artisanal candy operation, was renamed Fábrica de Balas São João in 1963, and was rebranded to Riclan S.A. in the early 2000s as part of a globalization push. It operates a 200,000 m² modern manufacturing and distribution complex in Rio Claro, distributes through traditional retail channels (convenience stores, supermarkets, candy shops) across Brazil, and exports to over 50 countries including the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Czech Republic, Romania, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. The company employs 1,001-5,000 people and is privately held as a Sociedade Anônima (S.A.).

Riclan's commercial strategy is anchored on character licensing (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Hello Kitty, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Paw Patrol, Miraculous, Minions, Trolls, Fast & Furious, Luccas Neto, Luluca, Chaves) applied across multiple sub-brands (Buzzy, Go Jelly, Pop Mania, Lollipop Maxxi) targeting the children and youth demographic. Its broader portfolio also serves refreshment and functional needs: Freegells (respiratory/mouth freshener drops), My Toffee (milk toffee with sugar-free and hazelnut variants), Pocket (compact candy), and the newer Freegells Pro line in the nutraceutical category with menthol, thymol, and eucalyptol for throat relief. Recent launches (Go Play with Liquid Candy Spray, Candy Roll-on, and Surprise Egg formats) signal format innovation aimed at differentiating within a commoditized category. Business model is B2C hardware/goods sales through wholesale and distribution channels, with no disclosed pricing models and no public pricing transparency. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no public shareholders; growth appears to have been organic since founding.

Name

Riclan

Legal name

Riclan S.A.

Website

https://riclan.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Riclan S.A. is a Brazilian confectionery manufacturer headquartered in Rio Claro, São Paulo, producing approximately 240 tonnes per day of hard candies, chewy candies, bubble gums, jellies, and toffees, distributed across Brazil and 50+ export markets. The company targets children and youth through character-licensed brands including Freegells, Buzzy, Go Jelly, and TNT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery Manufacturing

NAICS

Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Chewing Gum & Mints (CRADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fruit Snacks & Dried Fruit (CRADABAJ)

Keywords

• Confectionery manufacturing
• Candy and sweets
• Bubble gum production
• Licensed character products
• Lollipop and toffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio Claro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Candy and confectionery products: Riclan generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of confectionery products including hard candies, chewy candies, drops, lollipops, bubble gums, jellies, and toffees. Products are sold domestically across Brazil and exported to over 50 countries including the United States, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Czech Republic, Romania, Argentina, Peru, and Chile.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Riclan S.A. manufactures and sells a wide range of branded confectionery products including hard candies, chewy candies, drops, lollipops, bubble gums, jelly gums, and toffees. The company operates a 200,000 m² production facility in Rio Claro, Brazil with a capacity of approximately 240 tonnes per day, distributing products across Brazil and to more than 50 countries worldwide. Its portfolio spans core brands (Freegells, Buzzy, TNT, My Toffee, Pocket, Go Jelly, Gomutcho, Pop Mania, Bola 7, Sweet Kiss, Azedinho) and newer innovative formats (Go Play, Freegells Pro), heavily leveraging character licensing partnerships for the children and youth segment.

Product overview

Riclan S.A. is a Brazilian confectionery manufacturer founded in the 1940s, headquartered in Rio Claro, São Paulo, producing approximately 240 tonnes of candy per day distributed across Brazil and more than 50 countries. The company's product portfolio spans a wide range of candy formats including hard candies, chewy candies, bubble gums, jelly gums, lollipops, milk toffees, refreshing drops, tube jellies, and functional nutraceutical products. The portfolio is organized around core brands (Freegells, Buzzy, TNT, My Toffee, Pocket, Go Jelly, Gomutcho, Pop Mania, Bola 7, Sweet Kiss, Azedinho) and newer/innovative brands (Go Play, Freegells Pro, Go Jelly: Tube, Buzzy Croc). Riclan's strategy heavily emphasizes character licensing, with branded products tied to franchises such as Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Paw Patrol, Miraculous (Ladybug), Hello Kitty, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Minions, Fast & Furious, Trolls, Luccas Neto, Luluca, and Chaves, targeting the children and youth demographic. The Freegells line covers drops, gum, and chewy candy; Buzzy focuses on bubble gum with stickers/figurines; TNT offers explosive-energy themed bubble gum with fillings; My Toffee provides milk toffee variants; Pocket offers compact candy; Go Jelly delivers jelly candy in tubes; and the newer Go Play brand experiments with novel candy formats like sprays and roll-ons. Freegells Pro represents the company's entry into the functional/nutraceutical market with products containing Mentol, Timol, and Eucaliptol for throat relief.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Freegells: Drops and refreshing candy brand with various flavors including Menthol, Vit C, Fresh, Choc, Cream, and Pro line with health benefits
• Buzzy
• Buzzy Croc
• TNT
• My Toffee
• Pocket
• Go Play
• Go Jelly
• Gomutcho
• Pop Mania
• Bola 7
• Up Date!
• Sweet Kiss
• Azedinho
• Freegells Gum
• Freegells Pro

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SESI (Serviço Social da Indústria)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2012Partnership for the Vida Leve (Healthy Life) program aimed at promoting healthy eating habits and improving employee well-being. The program includes laboratory exams, lectures, nutrition consultations, weekly weighing, and special menus in the company restaurant.
• CTA/COAS and Programa Municipal DST/AIDS de Rio ClarocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership and support for the PIPA (Programa Interno de Prevenção e Assistência à AIDS) program since its inception. These public health organizations provide expertise and support for HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives.
• CEAIDS (Conselho Empresarial de Prevenção ao HIV/AIDS do Estado de São Paulo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiclan has been a member since 2009. CEAIDS is a business council focused on HIV/AIDS prevention in the workplace across São Paulo state.
• Rede Rioclarense de Combate ao Câncer, Carmem Prudente and Susan G. Komen for the Cure®minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for breast cancer awareness training and awareness campaigns including the October Rosa initiative. These organizations provided training to create multipliers of information on breast cancer prevention and treatment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Arcor: Argentine-founded global confectionery group with comparable scale and product breadth across hard candy, gum, jellies, and toffees, exporting from South America to 100+ countries. The closest direct regional peer to Riclan by category mix, geographic footprint, and mid-sized private/multi-brand positioning.
• Perfetti Van Melle: Global gum and candy manufacturer behind Mentos, Chupa Chups, and Frisk. Direct competitor in bubble gum and mint/drop categories, with overlapping channel coverage in Latin America and a similarly broad emerging-markets export model.
• Haribo: Global gummy/confectionery specialist with strong brand-led positioning. Directly comparable to Riclan in jelly candies (Go Jelly) and licensed/collectible formats, and competes with Riclan in international shelf space.

Broad incumbents

• Mondelez International: Global confectionery and snacks incumbent operating across chewing gum, candy, and chocolate. Competes head-on with Riclan in Brazilian retail through brands like Trident and Cadbury (via Lacta), with materially greater marketing and R&D resources.
• Mars, Inc. Diversified global confectionery and pet care conglomerate whose gum and candy portfolio (Wrigley's, Extra, M&M's, Skittles) competes with Riclan in Brazil and export markets. Significantly larger scale with deep licensed-IP capabilities.
• Nestlé (Brazil confectionery): Through its Brazilian operations and the Garoto chocolate brand, Nestlé is a major shelf competitor to Riclan. Comparable in domestic distribution reach and channel power, with substantially larger R&D and marketing budgets.
• Ferrero: Global confectionery incumbent with a portfolio spanning Kinder, Tic Tac, and Nutella. Adjacent competitor in gum/mints (Tic Tac) and in licensed/collectible formats, with greater scale and global brand reach.

Regional players

• Lacta: Brazilian chocolate and seasonal confectionery brand owned by Mondelez. Competes with Riclan primarily in domestic Brazil across similar price points and channels, though focused more on chocolate than non-chocolate confectionery.
• Garoto: Brazilian chocolate and Easter confectionery brand owned by Nestlé. Direct domestic competitor to Riclan in Brazilian retail, particularly during seasonal peaks, with overlapping mass-market distribution.
• Marilan: Brazilian manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery products. Comparable in mid-sized private/family-controlled industrial food manufacturing profile, domestic distribution depth, and price-tier positioning against Riclan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/freegellsoficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/freegells.oficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riclan-s.a.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Riclan