Friosur

What Friosur does

Friosur (legal name Pesquera Friosur) is a vertically integrated Chilean fishing and seafood processing company founded in 1985 in Puerto Chacabuco, Aysén Region. The company operates a three-vessel freezer fleet (Friosur IX, Friosur X, and the 2024-built Friosur XI at 1,345 GT) using midwater trawl nets and runs two processing plants — the main facility in Puerto Chacabuco and the Grimar plant in Coronel (Bío Bío Region) — producing fresh and frozen whitefish products centered on five core species: Merluza Austral (Australis Hake), Hoki, Reineta (Angel Fish), Congrio Dorado (Kingklip), and Cojinova Moteada (Silver Warehou). Quality assurance runs on a HACCP-based program with 100% production compliance, supported by MSC Chain of Custody certification for Southern Hake and BRC food safety certification, enabling access to demanding European and other international markets.

The company serves a dual-channel customer base. Domestically, it leads the Chilean market through its subsidiary Friosur Alimentos del Mar (FAM), supplying supermarkets, foodservice operators, restaurants, hotels, casinos, concessionaires, and institutional buyers, with three company-owned retail stores in Coyhaique, Santiago, and Punta Arenas. Internationally, it exports to Spain, Portugal, Poland, the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, using its wholly-owned trading subsidiary Europacífico Alimentos del Mar (EAM) in Vigo, Spain as the commercial anchor for Iberian markets. Ownership is split between the Friosur Workers' Cooperative (majority, established 2020) and Icelandic fishing company Brim hf (50%, partner since 1992 via Grandi hf), giving the company a distinctive cooperative-strategic ownership structure anchored in Aysén Patagonia.

Name

Friosur

Legal name

Pesquera Friosur

Website

https://friosur.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Friosur is a Chilean vertically integrated fishing and seafood processor founded in 1985, operating a three-vessel fleet and two plants to produce premium whitefish (Merluza Austral, Hoki, Reineta, Congrio Dorado, Cojinova) for Chilean retail, foodservice, and institutional buyers, plus exports to seven countries via its Vigo-based European trading subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Processing and Distribution

NAICS

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

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Finfish Processing (Filleting, Portioning, Trimming) (AFANADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shellfish Wholesale (Crustaceans & Mollusks) (AFAIADAF), Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC)

Keywords

• Frozen seafood products
• Whitefish processing
• Patagonian fishing
• Seafood distribution
• Fish processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Puerto Chacabuco

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seafood Product Sales: Friosur generates revenue through the sale of fresh and frozen seafood products including Merluza Austral, Hoki, Reineta, Congrio Dorado, and Cojinova Moteada. Products are sold to domestic Chilean markets (retail, supermarkets, foodservice, restaurants, institutional) and exported to international markets including Spain, Portugal, Poland, United States, Mexico, and Brazil.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Friosur catches and processes premium whitefish species from Patagonian waters—including Merluza Austral, Hoki, Reineta, Congrio Dorado, and Cojinova Moteada—into fresh and frozen formats (fillets, portions, HGT, whole fish). The company distributes these seafood products through B2B channels to retail chains, supermarkets, foodservice operators, restaurants, hospitality, and institutional buyers in Chile, while exporting to Spain, Portugal, Poland, the United States, Mexico, and Brazil.

Product overview

Friosur is a Chilean fishing and seafood processing company founded in 1985, based in Puerto Chacabuco, Aysén Region. The company produces healthy, high-quality seafood products in both fresh and frozen formats, derived from various marine species from Chilean Patagonia. The core product portfolio includes five main whitefish species: Merluza Austral (Australis Hake), Hoki, Reineta (Angel Fish), Congrio Dorado (Kingklip), and Cojinova Moteada (Silver Warehou). These products are marketed as fillets, portions, HGT (Headed, Gutted, Tailed), and whole fish, serving both domestic (Chile) and international markets including Spain, Portugal, Poland, United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company operates a fishing fleet and processing plants, with quality assurance based on HACCP systems and certifications including MSC and BRC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Merluza Austral (Australis Hake) Merluza Austral (Merluccius australis), a premium white fish considered the queen of its family, caught year-round between parallels 40°S and 55°S. It features very white flesh, firm texture, and delicate flavor, with an average weight of 3.5 kg per unit. Highly sought after in Southern Europe, particularly Spain, Portugal, and France. Sold to B2B retail, foodservice, and export markets.
• Hoki Hoki (Macruronus Magellanicus), a deep-water fish species representing Friosur's largest wild catch volume. Known worldwide, it has white, tender meat with delicate flavor. Inhabits deep waters from 200 to 800 meters and can live up to 20 years. Fishing season runs from June to September with a closed season in August. Sold to retail, foodservice, and international markets.
• Reineta (Angel Fish) Reineta (Brama Australis), also known as palometa or Angel Fish, has its main fishing area between parallels 36°S and 45°S. Characterized by very firm texture and delicate flavor, weighing between 1 and 1.5 kg per unit. Its exploitation in Chilean commerce began in the 1990s. Sold to retail, foodservice, and export buyers.
• Congrio Dorado (Kingklip) Congrio Dorado (Genypterus Blacodes), also known as Rosada or Abadejo, is fished year-round between parallels 35°S and 55°S. Average weight is 3.5 kg. Known for very firm white flesh and fine flavor. Highly appreciated in Chilean, Spanish, and Portuguese markets with strong fillet demand in South America and the U.S. Sold as fillets, HGT, and whole fish to retail, foodservice, and institutional buyers.
• Cojinova Moteada (Silver Warehou) Cojinova Moteada (Seriolella Punctata), also known as Gin Hirasu in Japan, is caught between parallels 35°S and 55°S. Features firm texture and high fat content. Average size is 2 kg. Very white flesh with delicate flavor. Highly sought after in the Japanese market as fillets or HGT, with growing acceptance in other markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of selectivity in catches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 core.

• Europacífico Alimentos del Mar (EAM)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrading company in Vigo, Spain that handles Friosur's commercial activities in Spain and Portugal. Vigo is the center of the Iberian Peninsula's fishing industry.
• Centro de Estudios Pesqueros (CEPES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriosur provides unwavering support for the research work carried out by CEPES aimed at protecting marine resources and understanding sustainable capture levels each season.
• Friosur Alimentos del Mar (FAM)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary positioned as the undisputed leader in the Chilean domestic market, covering segments such as supermarkets, foodservice, restaurants, hospitality, institutional sales, and various distributors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camanchaca: Compañía Pesquera Camanchaca is a vertically integrated Chilean fishing and seafood company with wild-catch, aquaculture, processing, and international distribution — directly comparable to Friosur across species, geography, and business model.
• Blumar: Blumar is a Chilean fishing company operating wild-catch fleets and processing plants producing frozen seafood (hake, jack mackerel, sardines) for export — directly comparable to Friosur on catch, processing, and export activity.
• Pesquera Australis (Multi X / MultiFoods): Multi X is a Chilean seafood group with salmon and trout farming plus processing and international sales — a regional peer with similar scale, vertical integration, and export orientation to Chilean markets and Asia.
• Pescanova: Pescanova is a Spanish vertically integrated fishing and seafood processor with global operations across capture, aquaculture, and processing — comparable to Friosur in catching, processing, and selling whitefish globally, and operating in Iberian Peninsula where Friosur has its EAM arm.
• Orizon (formerly Itata): Orizon is a Chilean fishing and seafood company focused on jack mackerel and anchovy for human consumption and fishmeal — a domestic peer with similar fleet-and-plant operations and overlapping export markets.

Broad incumbents

• High Liner Foods: High Liner Foods is a North American value-added seafood company selling frozen and prepared seafood to retail and foodservice — comparable in product form (frozen, packaged whitefish) and customer base (US/Canadian retail and foodservice).
• Thai Union Group: Thai Union is a global seafood incumbent with branded and B2B seafood products across multiple species — operates at much larger scale than Friosur and competes in similar retail and foodservice channels globally.
• Lerøy Seafood Group: Lerøy is a large Norwegian seafood group with wild catch, aquaculture, processing, and global distribution — broader incumbent with overlapping whitefish and value-added product capabilities versus Friosur's portfolio.
• Austevoll Seafood: Austevoll Seafood is a Norwegian seafood group with wild catch (incl. whitefish through Leroy), processing, and aquaculture — broader incumbent comparable on integrated fishing/processing model.

Others

• Brim hf: Brim hf is the Icelandic fishing company that owns 50% of Friosur and supplies technology/process expertise. It is a partner and parent entity rather than a competitor, but its own fishing/processing operations make it a reference comparable for fleet economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Friosur-SA-1474580949537484
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pesquera-grimar-s.a.
• Instagraminstagram.com/tiendafriosursantiago

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Friosur