Fwip

What Fwip does

Fwip is a privately held ice cream technology and consumer products company headquartered in London, founded in 2010 and backed by venture capital partners. The company designs and sells the Portobello, a compact capsule-based ice cream machine that produces gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt in under 10 seconds from pre-portioned, hygienically sealed capsules with a 24-month shelf life. The Portobello and its variants (Premium, Compact, Micro self-serve stations, plus a freezer duo) target B2B customers in retail, convenience, hospitality, leisure, and catering, with IoT-enabled remote diagnostics resolving 85%+ of issues without on-site service.

Fwip operates a razor-and-blade revenue model combining hardware sales of machines (priced against traditional soft-serve alternatives at £7,949–£20,000+) with recurring capsule sales across six SKUs spanning Italian gelato, vegan sorbet, and frozen yogurt lines. Distribution is executed through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Poland (Fwip sp. z o. o) and Germany/Austria (Vi Healthy Living Germany GmbH), complemented by regional distributors in Sweden (Wetact Produkter AB) and other markets, plus franchise opportunities. The company claims over 2 million ice creams served and 1,000+ new business customers added in 2021 across 15+ European countries, with Saudi Arabia listed as a forthcoming market. Leadership comprises Founder and CEO Paul Kali and Global Head of Operations Gareth Mills.

Name

Fwip

Legal name

Fwip sp. z o. o

Website

https://fwip.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fwip designs and sells the Portobello, a compact capsule-based ice cream machine, plus recurring gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt capsules, to retail, hospitality, leisure, and catering businesses across 15+ European countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Ice Cream Equipment

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (31152)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts & Novelties Manufacturing (AFAKAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soft-Serve Ice Cream Mix Manufacturing (AFAHAEAB), Frozen Yogurt Manufacturing (AFAHAEAC), Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE), Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Commercial ice cream equipment
• Capsule-based ice cream
• Self-serve gelato machines
• Italian gelato production
• Frozen dessert vending

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Portobello Machine Sales: Sale of Portobello ice cream machines and self-serve stations (Premium, Compact, Micro units) to businesses.
2. Ice Cream Capsule Sales: Pre-filled capsules containing gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt sold to businesses for use in Portobello machines. Capsules have 24-month shelf life.
3. Franchise Fees: Franchise opportunities mentioned for individual operators seeking to run their own fwip gelateria businesses.
4. Distributor Partnerships: Regional distributors appointed in various countries to distribute fwip products and machines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fwip manufactures and sells the Portobello, a compact, capsule-based, IoT-connected ice cream machine that produces gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt in under 10 seconds, together with self-serve station configurations (Premium, Compact, Micro) and recurring pre-portioned ice cream capsules. The company sells this turnkey ice cream solution to businesses in retail, hospitality, leisure, and catering, supplemented by direct e-commerce, franchise opportunities, and a regional distribution network across 15+ European countries.

Product overview

Fwip is The World's Smallest Gelateria, offering a comprehensive ice cream business solution centered around the Portobello capsule-based ice cream machine. The product portfolio consists of the core Portobello machine paired with four self-serve station configurations (Premium Unit, Compact Unit, Micro Unit) and a freezer duo. Fwip produces six ice cream flavors across three product lines: Italian Gelato (Vanilla, Chocolate, Salted Caramel), Vegan Sorbet (Mango, Strawberry), and Frozen Yogurt (Natural). The Portobello machine uses pre-filled capsules with a 24-month shelf life to produce ice cream in under 10 seconds. The company also provides a Dessert Inspiration recipe gallery with 15 recipes. Target markets include retail, cafes and restaurants, leisure and entertainment venues, and catering operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Portobello: The flagship ice cream machine/product system - a compact, self-serve ice cream station that produces gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt from pre-portioned capsules. Also known as 'The World's Smallest Gelateria.'
• Premium Unit
• Compact Unit
• Micro Unit
• Chill Box
• fwippresso
• fwaffles

Products and services

• The Portobello Ice Cream Machine & Freezer Duo Compact ice cream machine that produces gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt from pre-filled capsules in under 10 seconds. Features plug-and-play setup requiring no plumbing, built-in waste collection, remote diagnostics, and a 200-degree swivel base for self-serve or staff-serve configuration. Designed for retail, hospitality, leisure, and catering businesses.
• Premium Unit Self-Serve Station Full-size self-serve station with space for toppings, cones, and takeaway containers. Features a 24-inch digital TV screen, premium glass door freezer holding 126+ capsules, 'Infinity' bin chute collecting 150 capsules, cup and spoon holder, and 360-degree branded back cover. Designed for high-traffic retail and leisure venues.
• Compact Unit Self-Serve Station Space-efficient self-serve station at 60cm wide with 0.36 sq m footprint. Features 24-inch digital TV screen, premium glass door freezer, flexible price and menu boards, built-in waste collection for 12 capsules, cup and spoon holder with Chill Box support, and 360-degree branded back cover. Designed for space-constrained retail and hospitality venues.
• Micro Unit Countertop Station Countertop unit requiring no floor space (0.30 sq m). Features flexible price and menu boards, premium glass door freezer, cup and spoon holder with Chill Box support. Set-up time of 5 minutes using two standard 13 amp sockets. Functions as self-serve or staff-serve solution.
• Natural Frozen Yogurt Capsules Award-winning frozen yogurt with light, airy texture made from fresh milk sourced from Poland. Contains good gut bacteria, is 69% lower in fat than traditional ice cream, and crafted by chef Paolo Lucchetti. 109 calories per serving. Packaged in pre-filled capsules for use with the Portobello machine.
• Mango Vegan Sorbet Capsules Vegan sorbet made with Alphonso mangoes from India. Awarded 3 Great Taste stars, the highest rating. Contains 30% less fat than traditional ice cream, is dairy-free, and has 79 calories per serving. Packaged in pre-filled capsules for use with the Portobello machine.
• Strawberry Vegan Sorbet Capsules Vegan sorbet made with fresh strawberries from Polish fields. Awarded 1 Great Taste star. Contains 30% less fat than traditional ice cream and has 85 calories per serving. Packaged in pre-filled capsules for use with the Portobello machine.
• Chocolate Italian Gelato Capsules Italian gelato made with single-origin cacao from Togo, West Africa. Gluten-free with 129 calories per serving and 30% lower in fat than traditional ice cream. Packaged in pre-filled capsules for use with the Portobello machine.
• Salted Caramel Italian Gelato Capsules Award-winning Italian gelato balancing sweet caramel with natural sea salt. Won 1 Great Taste star and a 2-star award. Gluten-free with 118 calories per serving. Packaged in pre-filled capsules for use with the Portobello machine.
• Vanilla Italian Gelato Capsules Italian gelato made with vanilla beans sourced from Tahiti, picked ripe and aged in the sun. Gluten-free with 131 calories per serving and 30% lower in fat than traditional ice cream. Packaged in pre-filled capsules for use with the Portobello machine.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings: £6,936-£21,476 per year compared to traditional soft-serve machines
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Climate PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2022fwip partnered with Climate Partner to map out the carbon footprint throughout the value chain. This supports fwip's mission to be a company that 'looks good, tastes good and does good' by monitoring and reducing environmental impact from cow to cone.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Yogurtland: Self-serve frozen yogurt franchise concept. Comparable to fwip's gelateria franchise model and self-serve frozen dessert positioning, though operating consumer-facing storefronts rather than supplying B2B venues.
• Coolhaus: Premium architecturally-inspired ice cream brand with retail and foodservice distribution. Comparable as an award-winning, design-forward ice cream brand pushing into non-traditional retail channels similar to fwip's venue strategy.
• Menchie's Frozen Yogurt: Self-serve frozen yogurt franchise. Comparable consumer-facing self-serve frozen dessert model to fwip's gelateria franchise offering, though without the B2B equipment business.

Broad incumbents

• Nissei: Japanese manufacturer of soft-serve and frozen dessert equipment with strong international distribution. Comparable as a global ice cream equipment incumbent competing for the same venue customers.
• Bravo (Middleby): Ice cream and gelato display/machinery brand owned by Middleby, a large foodservice equipment conglomerate. Overlaps with fwip's equipment value proposition as part of a much broader product portfolio.
• Häagen-Dazs: Global premium ice cream brand with retail and foodservice/gelateria shop presence. Comparable as a premium-positioned ice cream player with gelateria operations overlapping with fwip's franchise model.

Direct peers

• Electro Freeze: Manufacturer of soft-serve, shake, and frozen beverage machines for c-stores and foodservice. Directly competes in the same B2B ice cream equipment space fwip is disrupting with the Portobello.
• Stoelting Food Service Equipment: US-based maker of soft-serve and frozen dessert equipment for foodservice. Direct competitor in the ice cream machine category fwip is targeting, particularly among QSR and convenience-store operators.
• Carpigiani: Italian-founded global leader in gelato and ice cream equipment for foodservice and retail. Directly comparable to fwip as a B2B supplier of ice cream-making machinery, though focused on traditional batch equipment rather than capsule-based self-serve.
• Taylor Company (FCE): Manufacturer of soft-serve, frozen beverage, and ice cream equipment used by QSRs, c-stores, and foodservice operators. A direct competitor in the ice cream equipment category where fwip is positioning Portobello as the modern alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fwipclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/fwipclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fwip

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Fwip