Trolli GmbH

What Trolli GmbH does

Trolli GmbH is a German confectionery manufacturer specializing in branded gummy candy, headquartered in Fürth, Bavaria, and operating as the flagship brand of the privately held Mederer Group. Founded in 1948 by Willy Mederer and now in its third generation of family ownership, the company is run by Managing Directors Robert Mähler (CEO/Sprecher) and Heiner Opdenfeld (COO), with Fabrice Brettnacher as Commercial Director (CFO). Trolli serves the consumer confectionery market across more than 100 countries, addressing demand for leisure snacking, gifting, and themed seasonal occasions such as Halloween, Easter, and summer barbecues, as well as dietary-restricted buyers via vegan (European Vegetarian Union V-label) and halal-certified product lines.

The product portfolio centers on proprietary gummy formulations built around differentiated 3D novelty shapes — Wurrli worms, Saure Glühwürmchen sour glowworms (a 1993 launch that won the Candy Kettle Award), Apfelringe and Pfirsichringe fruit rings, Big Burger, Party Burger Minis, Glotzer, Dracula, Tarantula, Pingummi, Dinorex, and Bytes gaming-themed gummies — supplemented by variety mixes (Multi Mix, Fun For All, Bizzl Mix) and seasonal SKUs (Halloween Sweet & Sour, Hoppla Hopp, Bunny Party, Barbecue Party). Production technology is anchored in IFS Food-certified manufacturing with integrated HACCP, AZO-dye-free and titanium-dioxide-free formulations, and vegan lines that substitute pectin and starch for animal-derived gelatin; halal lines use certified beef gelatin and alcohol-free flavors.

Trolli generates revenue through wholesale of branded gummy products to food retailers, supermarkets, convenience stores, and specialty candy shops worldwide, complemented by three company-owned Trolli Shops in Fürth, Hagenow, and Neunburg vorm Wald for direct consumer sales. The company owns production facilities in Germany (Hagenow, Neunburg vorm Wald), Spain (Valencia), and China (Guangzhou), and re-entered the US market via a sales office in 2002. Marketing is event-driven, combining owned social channels, owned retail, and high-visibility partnerships such as the 2026 Xbox 25th anniversary "Sour Up and Win" program and PAX East 2026 activation. The company is part of the Mederer Group umbrella alongside the efrutti and Herbert's Best brands, with approximately 2,300 colleagues worldwide.

Name

Trolli GmbH

Legal name

Trolli GmbH

Website

https://trolli.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Trolli GmbH is a German privately held gummy candy manufacturer (Mederer Group) producing branded 3D novelty, sour, vegan, and halal confectionery for retail and seasonal gifting across more than 100 countries from facilities in Germany, Spain, and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fürth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gummy Candy Product Sales: Trolli generates revenue through the sale of branded gummy candy products to retail partners and consumers globally. Products are sold through food retail, specialty candy shops, and direct-to-consumer Trolli Shops.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Trolli GmbH is a German confectionery manufacturer that designs, produces, and sells gummy (jelly) candies and marshmallow-based sweets under the Trolli brand. The company operates production facilities in multiple countries and supplies its branded and private-label confectionery to retailers, distributors, and brand-shop consumers worldwide.

Product overview

Trolli GmbH is a German confectionery company and one of the world's most creative gummy candy brands, founded in 1948 and now part of the Mederer Group. The product portfolio is organized as a single unified confectionery line comprising core gummy candy products (including iconic shapes like Wurrli worms, Saure Glühwürmchen sour glowworms, Apfelringe apple rings, and innovative 3D shapes like burgers, sharks, spiders, and animals) and seasonal/variety products (Easter lines like Hoppla Hopp and Bunny Party; Halloween offerings like Halloween Sweet & Sour, Dracula, Tarantula; and BBQ-themed Barbecue Party). Key product categories include sour candies (Sour Strawbies, Spaghettini), novelty shapes (Big Burger, Party Burger Minis, Bytes gaming gummies), seasonal celebrations, and variety mixes (Multi Mix, Fun For All). The brand is known for creative, playful candy designs with certifications including IFS food safety standards, Halal, and vegan options with European Vegetarian Union V-label. Trolli operates production facilities in Germany (Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), Spain, China, and the US, supplying over 100 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• efruitti: Brand under the Mederer Group alongside Trolli and Herbert's Best
• Herbert's Best

Products and services

• Trolli Gummy Candies
• Trolli Marshmallows
• Vegan Gummy Range
• Halal Gummy Range
• Private-Label Gummy Candies

Quantifiable outcome

• Trolli supplies products to over 100 countries globally

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Xbox (Microsoft)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Trolli collaboration with Xbox celebrating Xbox's 25th anniversary. The 'Sour Up and Win' program features limited-edition collectible candy packs with in-game content across World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, and Forza Horizon 6, plus chances to win Xbox prizes. Trolli also hosts PAX East 2026 'Sour House' activation with IGN talent appearances.
• IGNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIGN talent featured at PAX East 2026 'Sour House' Trolli activation for photo opportunities and brand visibility.
• Mederer GroupcoreOthersTrolli GmbH is a subsidiary of the Mederer Group, an international family business headquartered in Fürth, Bavaria. The Mederer Group encompasses Trolli, efrutti, and Herbert's Best brands with 2,300 employees worldwide.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bazooka Candy Brands: Bazooka Candy Brands is a US confectionery company (formerly part of Topps/Mars) producing Ring Pop, Push Pop, and other novelty candy items. It overlaps with Trolli in the novelty-shaped and impulse confectionery category.
• Mars Wrigley: Mars Wrigley is the global confectionery incumbent owning brands like Skittles, Starburst, and various gummy/fruit chew products. It operates at vastly greater scale than Trolli and competes for the same impulse and seasonal confectionery shelf space.
• Mondelez International: Mondelez is a global snacking powerhouse that owns Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, and other sour/fruit chew candy brands. It overlaps with Trolli's sour gummy portfolio and competes for the same retailer shelf and consumer occasions at significantly greater scale.
• Ferrara Candy Company: Ferrara is a large US confectionery manufacturer owning brands such as Brach's, Lemonheads, and Nerds. It competes with Trolli across multiple gummy/fruit chew subcategories at a much larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Haribo: Haribo is the global category leader in gummy and jelly candy (Gold-Bears, etc.) and Trolli's most direct competitor. Both are family-owned German confectionery manufacturers with multi-country production and globally distributed branded gummy portfolios targeting similar consumer segments.
• Katjes Fassin: Katjes is a German family-owned gummy and licorice candy manufacturer with a comparable product mix (sour worms, fruit gums, vegan/vegetarian lines) and similar mid-market European positioning. Directly comparable in scale, geography, and product category to Trolli.
• Perfetti Van Melle: Perfetti Van Melle produces Mentos, Chupa Chups, and a range of gummy/fruit candy brands globally. It competes directly with Trolli in the branded fruit gummy and novelty confectionery category across multiple geographies.
• Jelly Belly Candy Company: Jelly Belly is a US-based manufacturer of jelly beans and gummy/confections including Sour Belly Babies. It is comparable to Trolli as a branded specialty confectionery manufacturer competing in the fruit-flavored and novelty-shaped gummy category.
• Albanese Confectionery: Albanese is a US-based gummy candy manufacturer known for its 12-flavor gummi bears and World Class Gummies. It competes directly with Trolli in the branded sour and novelty gummy space, particularly in the North American market.

Regional players

• Riegelein Confiserie: Riegelein is a German confectionery manufacturer specializing in chocolate and seasonal novelty products (Easter bunnies, Santa figures). It is comparable to Trolli as a German-based, seasonally-driven novelty confectionery manufacturer focused on the European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BDSI.naschenknabberngeniessen

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Trolli GmbH