Oscorna

What Oscorna does

Oscorna (legal entity: OSCORNA-DÜNGER GmbH & Co. KG) is a German family-owned manufacturer of natural soil conditioners and organic fertilizers, headquartered and producing at a single site in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1935 as a horn mill, the company today operates the only remaining horn mill in Germany, producing horn meal and horn shavings as premium organic nitrogen inputs. Its product portfolio comprises 14 SKUs organized into soil improvement agents (notably Oscorna-BodenAktivator, developed 1985), composting aids (Oscorna-Kompost-Beschleuniger, reducing composting time from ~1 year to 8–12 weeks), and a range of NPK organic fertilizers specialized for lawns, roses, berries, rhododendrons, boxwood, trees/shrubs/hedges, flowers/perennials, and balcony/grave planting. All products are made from 100% natural raw materials with no fillers and are approved for organic agriculture under EU Regulation 2018/848.

The company serves three primary customer groups: hobby gardeners (the dominant end-consumer segment), municipalities and public authorities maintaining parks and green spaces, and professional users including landscape contractors, greenkeepers, and sports facility operators. Products are distributed primarily through specialist garden retailers, garden centers, and DIY chains across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, South Tyrol). A 60-person external field sales force of brand ambassadors (Markenbotschafter) covers the territory in person, delivering 1,000+ seminars and training sessions per year to approximately 40,000 attendees — an education-led, high-touch GTM motion. Revenue is generated through one-time transactional product sales at retailer-determined pricing, supplemented by a small direct-mail book business. No subscription, recurring, or digital revenue stream is disclosed.

The company has held EMAS certification since 1997, carries the Austrian Umweltzeichen, and operates two photovoltaic installations covering approximately 80% of its electricity needs. It is privately held with no external investors or parent company, managed by Geschäftsführer Thomas Mayer. Revenue and ownership structure details beyond this are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Oscorna

Legal name

OSCORNA-DÜNGER GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://oscorna.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oscorna is a German family-owned manufacturer, founded in 1935 and based in Ulm, that produces 100% natural organic fertilizers and soil conditioners for hobby gardeners, municipalities, and professional landscapers across the DACH region via specialist garden retail and a 60-person field sales seminar network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Garden Fertilizers

NAICS

Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing (325314)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Fertilizers for Horticulture & Controlled Environment (Greenhouse, Hydroponic, Nursery) (AFABACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil Health Activators & Biostimulants (Humates, Amino Acids, Seaweed Extracts) (AFABAKAJ), Biostimulant-Enhanced Fertilizers (Humic/Fulvic, Amino Acids, Seaweed Blends) (AFABACAK), Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE)

Keywords

• Organic fertilizers
• Soil conditioners
• Natural plant care
• Composting accelerators
• Garden soil improvement

Headquarters

HQ city

Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Natural Fertilizer Products: Oscorna generates revenue through the sale of its range of organic fertilizers and soil improvement products. These include general-purpose garden fertilizers (Animalin), specialized products for lawns (Rasaflor), roses, berries, boxwood, rhododendrons/azaleas/heath, trees/shrubs/hedges, flowers/perennials, flowers for garden/balcony/grave, and compost accelerator. Products are sold in various pack sizes (0.5 kg to 25 kg) through specialist garden retailers and DIY stores. Revenue is one-time transactional per product unit with no recurring subscription model.
2. Garden Knowledge Products: Oscorna publishes and sells gardening books under the Oscorna brand, including 'Kräuter im Garten' (hardcover, 14.95 EUR) and 'Biologisch Gärtnern' (paperback, 4.50 EUR). These are sold via mail order against invoice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Oscorna manufactures natural soil conditioners and organic fertilizers at its own production facility in Ulm-Jungingen, Germany, using 100% natural raw materials. The portfolio includes specialized fertilizers for lawns, roses, berries, rhododendrons/azaleas, boxwood, trees, shrubs and hedges, flowers and perennials, as well as horn-based fertilizers (Hornspäne/Hornmehl), RinderDung cattle manure, the ORUS-Pflanzenaktiv plant vitalizer, compost accelerators, and the flagship Oscorna-BodenAktivator soil activator.

Product overview

Oscorna is a manufacturer of natural soil improvers and organic fertilizers founded in 1935, headquartered in Ulm, Germany. The company operates a single unified product portfolio organized into three main categories: soil improvement products (Bodenverbesserer), composting agents (Kompostiermittel), and natural fertilizers (Naturdünger). The core flagship product is Oscorna-BodenAktivator, a soil activator developed in 1985 that serves as the foundation for the company's holistic 'healthy soil, healthy plants' philosophy. The product range includes specialized fertilizers for specific applications: Oscorna-Rasaflor for lawns, Oscorna-Rosendünger for roses, Oscorna-Beerendünger for berries, Oscorna-Rhododendren- Azaleen- und Erikadünger for rhododendrons and acid-loving plants, Oscorna-Buchsbaumdünger for boxwood, Oscorna-Baum-, Strauch- und Heckendünger for trees, shrubs and hedges, Oscorna-Blumen- und Staudendünger for flowers and perennials, and Oscorna-Blumendünger for garden, balcony and grave planting. Supporting products include Oscorna-Kompost-Beschleuniger for accelerating composting and Oscorna-Animalin Gartendünger as a general-purpose garden fertilizer. The company also offers ORUS-Pflanzenaktiv as a plant activator. All products are made from 100% natural raw materials without any fillers, suitable for organic farming according to EU Regulation 2018/848.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oscorna-BodenAktivator

Quantifiable outcome

• Compost composting time reduced from ~1 year to 8-12 weeks with Oscorna-Kompost-Beschleuniger
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Photovoltaic Installation PartnersminorOthers · 1 January 2007Oscorna installed two photovoltaic solar installations at its Ulm production facility in 2007. The installations generate approximately 80% of the company's annual electricity needs, representing a significant sustainable energy partnership.
• Just Imagine GmbHminorOthersJust Imagine GmbH is identified as Oscorna's communications agency (Kommunikationsagentur), responsible for PR and communications activities. Located in Germany (www.justimagine.de).
• dsg Datenschutz GmbHminorOthersdsg Datenschutz GmbH provides external data protection officer services for Oscorna, ensuring GDPR compliance for the company's website and business operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cuxin: German organic fertilizer specialist sold via garden retail, with comparable positioning in natural NPK fertilizers and soil activators.
• Neudorff: German family-owned manufacturer of natural gardening products (fertilizers, plant protection, soil activators) sold through DACH garden retail. Directly comparable to Oscorna in product category, natural-input positioning, and DACH channel mix.
• ECOstyle: European organic gardening brand producing natural fertilizers, soil improvers, and biological plant care products, primarily distributed through garden centers and DIY. Closely comparable to Oscorna's organic-only, sustainability-positioned portfolio.
• Beckmann: German family-owned producer of horn-based and organic fertilizers, operating the Beckhorn horn mill. Highly comparable to Oscorna on organic nitrogen input sourcing and product positioning.

Broad incumbents

• COMPO: Large European consumer-brand portfolio of gardening and lawn-care products (fertilizers, substrates, plant protection), distributed across DACH mass retail and DIY. Comparable category overlap with Oscorna but at significantly larger scale and with broader chemical-and-organic mix.
• Substral (K+S): Consumer lawn and garden fertilizer brand owned by K+S, a major European salt and fertilizer producer. Directly comparable to Oscorna's lawn fertilizer (Rasaflor) but operates as one of many brands within a much larger industrial fertilizer group.
• Naturen (Scotts Miracle-Gro): Scotts Miracle-Gro's organic/natural sub-brand sold across European DIY retail. Comparable category overlap with Oscorna and provides a view into how a global incumbent attacks the natural gardening segment.
• WOLF-Garten: European lawn-care brand offering fertilizers, seeds, and tools through garden centers and DIY. Comparable in lawn-fertilizer category (Oscorna Rasaflor) and DACH channel mix, but operates at meaningfully larger scale.

Regional players

• Florissa: Austrian organic and natural garden care brand serving the Austrian/DACH market with similar fertilizer and soil conditioner categories. Comparable as a regional specialist competing for Austrian and DACH shelf space.

Emerging players

• Green24: German specialty supplier of organic and mineral fertilizers and plant-care products for hobby gardeners and professionals, distributed online and via garden retail. Comparable on product category with a more digital-first GTM versus Oscorna's field-sales model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Oscorna