Ubago Group Mare

What Ubago Group Mare does

Ubago Group Mare is a vertically integrated Spanish seafood processing company operating under the private limited entity UBAGO GROUP MARE, S.L., controlled by YLARA HOLDING since 2011. Headquartered at the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía in Málaga, the group operates six production plants totaling 102,200 m² across Spain (Málaga, La Línea de la Concepción, Barbete), Morocco (Cumarex, Dinay), Cape Verde (SalMar Centre), and Portugal, with a former Russia-based cod plant (Costa de Bacalao) established in 2012. The company processes approximately 55,000 tonnes of raw material annually through three core product lines: Conservas (canned fish including mackerel, sardines, tuna, and frigate tuna), Ahumados (Scandinavian-style smoked salmon, tuna, cod, and pomfret), and Bacalao y Salazones (salted and desalted cod from Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands), supplemented by specialty items such as La Gula del Norte, Langostillo, Concha Fina, and Caviartic under a portfolio of brands including Ubago, Gourmet, Cumarex, Frescomar, and Dinay.

The business model is predominantly B2B, supplying major global supermarket and hypermarket chains under both proprietary brands and white-label/store brand arrangements, complemented by a Horeca channel (hotels, restaurants, catering) and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store in Spain. A US subsidiary (UGM USA INC., Coral Gables, FL) handles American market distribution. The company has pioneered industrial desalting of cod in controlled atmosphere in cooperation with the University of Valencia, and operates a Bio-Protein plant extracting value from fish processing by-products in Spain, Morocco, and Cape Verde. All major plants hold IFS Food and ISO 14001 certifications, and the company describes itself as a leader in foreign markets for canned and glass-jar mackerel, sardines, and tuna. EU Next Generation grants totaling €3.04 million (2023) are funding production efficiency and sustainability modernization across the group's facilities.

The group is privately held under YLARA HOLDING with no evidence of private equity or venture capital involvement. Governance includes a Board of Directors (Consejo de Administración) that defines triennial strategy, and an Internal Reporting System implemented in compliance with Spain's Law 2/2023 on whistleblower protection. Customer concentration is unquantified in the available data, with named customers limited to generic references to global retail chains and the Horeca channel rather than specific retailer logos.

Name

Ubago Group Mare

Legal name

UBAGO GROUP MARE, S.L.

Website

https://ubagogroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ubago Group Mare is a Spanish seafood processor (founded 1920s, HQ Málaga) operating six plants across Spain, Morocco, Cape Verde, and Portugal, producing canned, smoked, and salted fish for global retailers, the Horeca channel, and DTC e-commerce under multiple heritage brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Processed Seafood

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (311710), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Canned & Shelf-Stable Seafood (Tuna, Sardines, Salmon, Retort Pouches) (AFANALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smoked, Cured & Salted Seafood (Lox, Kippers, Bacalao) (AFANADAF), Marinated & Seasoned Seafood (Value-Added Raw/Par-Cooked) (AFANALAE)

Keywords

• Canned seafood
• Smoked fish
• Salted cod
• Seafood processing
• Fish preserves

Headquarters

HQ city

Málaga

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seafood Product Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling processed seafood products including canned fish, smoked fish, salted/cured fish, and specialty seafood. Products sold under proprietary brands (Ubago, Gourmet, Cumarex, Frescomar, Dinay, El Maestro, Havesta, Markiel, Peñón, Marinara) and white label/store brands.
2. Retail Channel Sales: Revenue generated from supplying major supermarket and hypermarket chains globally, both branded and private label products.
3. Horeca Channel Sales: Revenue from supplying hotels, restaurants, and catering businesses with seafood products.
4. E-commerce Direct Sales: Direct consumer sales through company's online store (tienda.ubagogroup.com) for the Spanish market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ubago Group Mare manufactures and distributes processed seafood products — canned fish (mackerel, sardines, tuna, frigate tuna), Scandinavian-style smoked fish (salmon, tuna, cod, pomfret), and salted/desalted cod — across six production plants in Spain, Morocco, Cape Verde, and Portugal. The company sells under its own brands (Ubago, Gourmet, La Gula del Norte, Langostillo, Caviartic) and white-label/store brands to global supermarket and hypermarket chains and the Horeca channel, with a direct-to-consumer online store in Spain.

Product overview

Ubago Group Mare is a diversified seafood processing company with over 90 years of history, operating as a unified platform across multiple product divisions. The core offering consists of three main product categories: Conservas (canned fish including mackerel, sardines, tuna, and frigate tuna), Ahumados (smoked fish featuring Norwegian salmon, tuna, cod, and pomfret), and Bacalao y Salazones (salted and desalted cod from Norway, Iceland, and Faroe Islands). These are complemented by specialty products including La Gula del Norte, Concha Fina shellfish, and Caviartic caviar substitutes. The company also produces premium product lines under the GAMA PREMIUM label and dedicated U.S. market products. With production facilities spanning Spain, Morocco, Cape Verde, and Portugal, the group processes approximately 55,000 tonnes of raw material annually across its combined 102,200 m² footprint.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ubago Gourmet: Premium product line for US market
• Cumarex
• Frescomar
• Dinay
• El Maestro
• Havesta
• Markiel
• Peñon
• Marinara
• La Gula del Norte
• Langostillo
• Concha Fina
• Caviartic

Products and services

• Conservas (Canned Fish) Canned seafood products including mackerel, sardines, tuna, frigate tuna, and seafood specialties packaged in cans and glass jars, with a premium range featuring specialty items.
• Ahumados (Smoked Fish) Scandinavian-style smoked fish products including Norwegian salmon, tuna, cod, and pomfret in various cuts, marinades, and flavored variants, plus smoked fish salads.
• Bacalao y Salazones (Cod and Salted Fish) Traditional salted cod, desalted cod, and salted fish products including loins, fillets, chunks, flakes, and specialty cuts sourced from Norway, Iceland, and Faroe Islands.
• GAMA PREMIUM (Premium Range) High-end product offerings including premium canned fish with superior quality ingredients and premium smoked salmon preparations such as tartare and carpaccio.
• Langostillo (Red Crab / Corruco) Specialty processed shellfish product (Corruco) processed with cutting-edge technology on automated production lines in La Línea de la Concepción.
• La Gula del Norte Premium baby eels (gulas) processed with garlic, a regional specialty product sold as a signature item.
• Concha Fina (Smooth Callista) Premium shellfish product made with fresh seafood (smooth callista clams).
• Caviartic Caviar substitute product available in black and red variants.
• Productos USA (Gourmet/U.S. Market) Products marketed specifically for the American market via the UGM USA INC. subsidiary, including premium canned tuna and sardines in various preparations.
• Natural Salmon (Low-Salt/Frigorifico) Low-salt or unsmoked (natural) salmon options targeted at health-conscious consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55,000 tonnes of raw material processed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of ValenciacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement for the scientific development of industrial desalted cod production in controlled/modified atmosphere. The partnership established pioneering methodology for desalting cod with rigorous scientific standards.
• ANFABASA (National Association of Cod and Salted Fish Processors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUbago is a driving force and founding member of this national association representing cod and salted fish processors in Spain.
• Partner Fleets (Russia, Cape Verde, Spain)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFishing fleets in Russia, Cape Verde, and Spain that catch fish and seafood for Ubago, complementing the company's own vessels.
• Partner Fish Farms (Norway, Scotland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated fish farms in Norway and Scotland providing salmon and other farmed seafood for processing.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pescanova: Spanish vertically integrated seafood group with fishing fleet, processing plants, and frozen/refrigerated product lines. Closely comparable geography, vertical integration, and seafood-product breadth.
• StarKist: U.S. canned tuna brand with major U.S. retailer relationships and pouch/single-serve innovations. Comparable as a branded canned seafood supplier serving supermarket private-label and branded channels.
• Frinsa: Spanish canned seafood and tuna processor with own fleet and international retail brands. Directly comparable Iberian vertical-integration model supplying branded and private-label canned seafood globally.
• Bolton Group: Italian multinational seafood and consumer goods group with canned tuna/sardines/mackerel under Rio Mare, Saupiquet, and Isabel brands. Directly comparable as a European multi-brand, vertically oriented canned seafood producer with global retail reach.
• Jealsa: Spanish canned seafood group behind Conservas Cambados, Rianxeira, and Calvo brands. Direct competitor in Iberian canned tuna, sardines and mackerel with similar multi-country production footprint and white-label capabilities.
• Conservas Garavilla: Basque/Spanish canned seafood maker (Isabel brand) specializing in tuna, sardines, and mackerel. Direct Iberian competitor with overlapping branded and private-label canned seafood products.

Emerging players

• Century Pacific Food: Philippines-headquartered canned seafood (Century Tuna, 555) and shelf-stable food producer. Comparable as a vertically integrated canned seafood brand scaling into export and white-label markets.
• Angulas Aguinaga: Spanish seafood specialist known for La Gula del Norte brand of surimi-based eel products. Direct overlap with Ubago's premium seafood specialties and Spanish retail customer base.
• Connors Bros. (High Liner Foods): North American frozen and value-added seafood processor with branded and private-label retail business. Comparable as a multi-channel, multi-species seafood manufacturer with retail concentration similar to Ubago's white-label model.

Broad incumbents

• Thai Union Group: World's largest canned tuna company (Chicken of the Sea, John West, King Oscar). Comparable as a global multi-brand canned seafood platform with branded and private-label exposure across retailers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ubago-group
• Xx.com/ubagogroupmare

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 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 Ubago Group Mare