Findus
Findus is an Italian frozen-food manufacturer (founded 1962, Rome-based) producing fish, seafood, vegetables, gluten-free, and convenience meals under brands like Capitan Findus, Green Cuisine, and Sofficini, serving Italian households through retail and digital channels as part of the Nomad Foods Europe group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersRome, Italy
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Findus does
Findus, operating through its legal entity CSI-Compagnia Surgelati Italiana S.p.A., is an Italian frozen-food manufacturer founded in 1962 and headquartered in Rome, with a production facility in Cisterna di Latina. The company produces a broad portfolio of frozen fish, seafood, vegetables, gluten-free meals, chicken products, stuffed pasta (Sofficini), and convenience meals (4 Salti in Padella) under sub-brands including Capitan Findus, Green Cuisine, Carletto, Chicken Station, Fish Bar, and Fish For Good. Its core technology relies on Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) and cryogenic freezing, enabling fish fillets to be frozen within 3 hours of processing to preserve nutritional and sensory quality; premium SKUs include vacuum-packed Fiori (fillets) of salmon, sea bass, sea bream, hake, and tuna.
The company serves Italian households through supermarket and retail chains, with no public pricing disclosure. A defining operational feature is its sustainability stack: Findus is a founding member of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC, 1997), partners with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (joined 2020), and One Ocean Foundation (2024), and claims 97%+ sustainable sourcing with a stated 100% target by 2025. The Fish Finder traceability tool allows consumers to verify provenance via on-pack codes, supporting a transparency-led value proposition in the frozen-seafood category. Packaging materials are FSC and PEFC certified.
Findus operates as a subsidiary of Nomad Foods Europe Limited, the European frozen-food group, and is part of a broader competitive set that includes Nestle, Unilever, McCain Foods, and Dr. Oetker within the European frozen-food market, projected to grow from USD 126.7B (2025) to USD 201.6B (2035). Distribution is domestic Italian via retail and online channels, complemented by an active digital presence on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and a recipe-rich website. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the entity remains private as part of the Nomad Foods group.
Findus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Findus
- Legal name
- CSI-Compagnia Surgelati Italiana S.p.A.
- Website
- https://findus.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Findus is an Italian frozen-food manufacturer (founded 1962, Rome-based) producing fish, seafood, vegetables, gluten-free, and convenience meals under brands like Capitan Findus, Green Cuisine, and Sofficini, serving Italian households through retail and digital channels as part of the Nomad Foods Europe group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Findus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Frozen Foods
- NAICS
- Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412), Frozen Food Manufacturing (31141), Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing (311411), Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing (AFAKACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA), Frozen Fruits & Vegetables Manufacturing (AFAKACAF), Frozen Ethnic & International Meals (CRADADAE)
Keywords
Where Findus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rome
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Findus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Findus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Findus manufactures and distributes frozen food products in Italy, including fish, vegetables, ready meals, and convenience foods under flagship brands such as Capitan Findus, Green Cuisine, and Sofficini. The company operates a manufacturing plant in Cisterna di Latina, Italy, and supplies its products to consumers through major Italian retail chains.
Product overview
Findus is a frozen food company offering a comprehensive portfolio of frozen food products. The product range is organized around multiple sub-brands including Capitan Findus (primary fish and seafood brand), Green Cuisine (vegetarian/plant-based products), Carletto (chicken products), Sofficini (stuffed pasta), and 4 Salti in Padella (convenience meals). The core product lines include Fish Natural (premium fillet portions such as Fiori di Salmone, Fiori di Branzino, Fiori di Orata, Fiori di Merluzzo, Fiori di Tonno), battered and breaded fish products, gratinated fish, recipe fish preparations, seafood, frozen vegetables, gluten-free products, first courses (pasta, rice, minestrone, soups), second courses, and side dishes. Findus positions its products around sustainability certifications (MSC and ASC) and quality attributes such as fresh filleting and freezing within 3 hours. The company is part of the Nomad Foods group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Capitan Findus: Primary fish product brand featuring Captain Findus mascot, includes fish sticks, breaded fish, and natural fish products
- Green Cuisine
- Sofficini
- 4 Salti in Padella
- Carletto
- Chicken Station
- Fish Bar
- Fish For Good
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of products from MSC-certified sustainable fishing and ASC-certified responsible aquaculture (target by 2025)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Findus
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Findus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Findus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- One Ocean FoundationcoreIn 2024, Findus expanded ocean conservation efforts with reforestation of approximately 2,500 Posidonia oceanica seedlings in partnership with One Ocean Foundation. This supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 for ocean conservation.
- Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI)coreGGGI is the world's largest alliance committed to solving ghost gear (lost, abandoned, and discarded fishing equipment) problems. Findus joined in April 2020 to improve fishing practices and minimize gear loss risk. Completed first phase risk assessment of fishing gear loss with 99.6% of catch showing low or medium/low risk.
- Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)coreFindus is a founding member of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) since 1997. MSC is an independent non-profit organization managing the world's leading sustainable fishing certification program. Findus products bearing the blue MSC label meet rigorous sustainability standards.
- Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)coreASC is an independent non-profit organization co-founded by WWF that manages the world's leading responsible aquaculture certification program. Findus uses ASC certification to ensure farmed fish meets environmental and social responsibility standards.
- LifeGateminorItalian sustainability organization collaborating with Findus on ocean conservation and environmental initiatives as part of the Fish For Good program.
- Trident SeafoodscoreTrident Seafoods collaborates with fishing vessels to supply Alaska pollock to Findus. This partnership ensures sustainable fishing practices and quality control in the supply chain.
- Nomad Foods Europe LimitedcoreFindus (CSI-Compagnia Surgelati Italiana S.p.A.) is a company of the Nomad Foods Europe Limited group. Nomad Foods is a major European frozen food company.
- SEABIN ProjectminorFindus supports the SEABIN project for sustainable oceans - an initiative to clean ocean waters using innovative bin technology that collects debris and pollutants.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Findus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Orogel: Italian frozen food manufacturer producing frozen vegetables, fish, and ready meals. Directly comparable as an Italy-focused frozen food CPG with similar product categories (fish, vegetables, prepared meals) competing in the same retail channels as Findus.
- Bofrost: Italian/European direct-to-home frozen food specialist selling frozen meals, fish, and vegetables. Comparable business model and product mix to Findus, with overlapping target consumers seeking convenient frozen meal solutions.
- Bonduelle: Global leader in frozen and canned vegetables with strong European retail presence. Overlaps with Findus's frozen vegetables segment and competes for the same health-conscious consumer occasions in Italy.
- Frosta: European frozen food manufacturer known for clean-label frozen meals, fish, and vegetables. Comparable product mix to Findus with overlapping sustainability positioning and European retail distribution.
- Birds Eye (Nomad Foods UK): UK frozen food brand owned by Findus's parent Nomad Foods. Highly comparable product portfolio (fish fingers, frozen vegetables, prepared meals) and brand architecture, serving as Findus's sister brand in the UK market.
- Iglo (Nomad Foods): German frozen food brand owned by Nomad Foods. Directly comparable product mix including fish fingers, frozen vegetables, and ready meals, serving as Findus's sister brand in German-speaking markets.
Broad incumbents
- McCain Foods: Global leader in frozen potato products and broader frozen food categories. Larger incumbent with overlapping frozen prepared foods portfolio and significant European retail presence competing for the same category budgets as Findus.
- Dr. Oetker (Ristorante): German food company with strong frozen pizza presence in Italy via the Ristorante brand. Competes in overlapping frozen prepared meal occasions and adjacent breaded/baked product categories.
- Nestlé (Frozen Foods Division): Global food conglomerate with frozen pizza and prepared meal brands (Buitoni, Maggi). Operates as a broad incumbent with deeper R&D resources and broader product portfolio competing for Italian frozen food shelf space.
Regional players
- Valfrutta (Conserve Italia): Italian frozen and canned vegetable brand owned by Conserve Italia. Competes with Findus's frozen vegetable line in Italian retail with comparable domestic sourcing and Italian consumer brand affinity.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Findus social profiles
Digital presenceFindus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Findus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Findus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Findus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Findus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Findus
What does Findus do?
Findus manufactures and distributes frozen food products in Italy, including fish, vegetables, ready meals, and convenience foods under flagship brands such as Capitan Findus, Green Cuisine, and Sofficini. The company operates a manufacturing plant in Cisterna di Latina, Italy, and supplies its products to consumers through major Italian retail chains.
Is Findus a public or private company?
Findus is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Findus founded?
Findus was founded in 1962. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Findus based?
Findus is headquartered in Rome, Italy, in the Europe region.
Who are Findus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Orogel, Bofrost, Bonduelle, Frosta, Birds Eye (Nomad Foods UK) and Iglo (Nomad Foods). Broad incumbents are McCain Foods, Dr. Oetker (Ristorante) and Nestlé (Frozen Foods Division). Valfrutta (Conserve Italia) is listed as a regional player.
Does Findus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Findus.
What industry is Findus in?
Findus's product category is Frozen Foods. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKACAG, Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing, with a secondary code of AFAKAHAA, Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 31171 and its SIC code is 2092.