Koska

What Koska does

Koska, legally MERTER HELVA SANAYİ VE TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ, is a Turkish confectionery manufacturer founded in 1907 and headquartered in Avcılar, Istanbul, with a workforce of 501-1,000 employees. The company produces traditional Turkish sweets across multiple categories — helva (sesame-based confection), tahini and grape molasses (pekmez) sold both separately and combined as 'Süper İkili', fruit jams, Turkish delight (lokum), natural honey, paper-thin helva, ice cream cones, pişmaniye, krokan, and dragees. Koska also operates three specialty product lines built around dietary-restricted consumers: a clinically-approved diabetic line (endorsed by the Turkish Diabetes and Obesity Foundation, sweetened with sorbitol/maltitol/izomalt), a sugar-free line (using organic grape juice concentrate), and a certified organic line, with multiple categories certified gluten-free and halal. Production combines traditional methods — including stone-mill grinding and continuous in-house tahini lines processing 100% pure sesame — with modern process technology such as vacuum-sealed jam and pekmez processing that keeps temperatures below 80°C to minimize HMF formation and preserve vitamin and mineral content.

Koska generates revenue through two primary streams: consumer packaged goods sold to retail consumers, and B2B/wholesale supply to the food-service and hospitality verticals. Consumer products are distributed through a multi-channel network that includes major Turkish chain supermarkets (Carrefour, Migros, Metro, Tesco, Şok, Real, File), independent grocers, a factory outlet store in Istanbul, branded 'Nazar boncuklu' Koska stores, D2C e-commerce on koska.com.tr and online.koska.com, and a dedicated B2B dealer portal at b2b.koska.com for franchise/bayilik partners and bulk buyers (5-24 kg formats for hotels, restaurants, bakeries). The company claims to be Turkey's largest helva producer and supports its marketing with TV advertising (including Ramadan campaigns), social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and a content-marketing blog focused on health and nutrition topics. Ownership is privately held with no disclosed parent, subsidiaries, or institutional investors, and no public-market listing; revenue, headcount trends, and growth metrics are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Koska

Legal name

MERTER HELVA SANAYİ VE TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ

Website

https://koska.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Koska is a 115-year-old Turkish confectionery manufacturer producing helva, tahini, grape molasses, jams, Turkish delight, and honey, plus diabetic, sugar-free, and organic lines, serving retail consumers and food-service businesses across Turkey via supermarkets, branded stores, e-commerce, and a B2B dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traditional Turkish Confectionery

NAICS

Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033)

akta.pro primary industry

Spreads, Sweeteners & Syrups (Jam, Honey, Nut Butters, Maple) (CRADAAAC)

Keywords

• Turkish confectionery
• Halva production
• Tahini processing
• Diabetic food products
• Organic jams honey

Headquarters

HQ city

Cihangir

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consumer Packaged Goods Retail: Koska generates revenue through the sale of packaged traditional Turkish foods and confectionery products to retail consumers. Products are sold in various pack sizes from small single-serve portions (20g) to family-size packages and bulk containers for commercial use. The company operates B2C e-commerce through koska.com.tr and online.koska.com, as well as physical retail through factory stores and chain supermarkets.
2. B2B/Wholesale: Wholesale distribution to chain grocery stores, independent retailers, and commercial/hospitality businesses (Ev Dışı Ürünler - out-of-home products) including bakeries, hotels, and food service operators. Products are available in bulk formats (5-24 kg for pekmez, 19 kg for tahin). The company maintains a B2B dealer portal at b2b.koska.com.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Koska manufactures and sells traditional Turkish confectionery products including helva (sesame halva), tahini, grape molasses (pekmez), fruit jams (reçel), Turkish delight (lokum), honey, brittle and specialty candies, along with dedicated diabetic, sugar-free, and organic product lines. The company serves both retail consumers through supermarkets, branded stores, and e-commerce, and food-service businesses through bulk "Ev Dışı" formats and a B2B dealer network.

Product overview

Koska is a traditional Turkish confectionery company with over 115 years of history (established 1907), offering a diverse portfolio of halal-certified sweet and savory food products. The core product lines include helva (sesame-based confection), tahini and grape molasses (sold separately and as 'Süper İkili' mixture), fruit jams, Turkish delight (lokum), natural honey, and various sweets. The company serves both consumer (B2C) and food service (B2B/out-of-home) markets with specialized product lines for diabetic consumers (using natural sweeteners like sorbitol and maltitol), sugar-free products (using organic grape juice), and certified organic products. The portfolio also includes specialty items like paper-thin helva, ice cream cones, pişmaniye, and brittle candies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Helvas (Tahini Helva) Traditional Turkish helva made from tahini and sugar, available in multiple varieties including plain, pistachio, cocoa, and seasonal summer versions, sold as Koska's signature product line since 1907.
• Tahin & Pekmez Sesame paste (tahini) and grape molasses (pekmez) sold separately or as the combined 'Süper İkili' (Super Duo), packaged in glass jars and various formats.
• Reçeller (Fruit Jams) Traditional fruit jams in strawberry, apricot, cherry, rose, blackberry, and other flavors, produced in a vacuum closed-system to preserve vitamins.
• Lokum (Turkish Delight) Traditional Turkish delight in pistachio, hazelnut, rose, and lemon flavors, with chocolate-covered varieties.
• Bal (Honey) Natural honey products including pine honey (çam balı) and flower honey (çiçek balı), authenticity-tested and certified by Ege University.
• Diyabetik Ürünler (Diabetic Product Line) Sugar-free helva, jam, Turkish delight, and almond paste sweetened with sorbitol, maltitol, and izomalt, clinically tested and approved by the Turkish Diabetes and Obesity Foundation.
• Şeker İlavesiz Ürünler (Sugar-Free Product Line) Helva, jams, and Turkish delight made without added sugar, sweetened with organic grape juice concentrate.
• Organik Ürünler (Organic Product Line) Certified organic honey, grape molasses, tahini, and jams produced without synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, or hormones, with all raw materials carrying organic certification.
• Kağıt Helva & Dondurma Külahı (Paper Helva and Ice Cream Cones) Paper-thin helva sheets and ice cream cones/wafers, including chocolate-coated varieties and toast-sized portions.
• Şekerleme ve Krokan (Confectionery and Brittle) Confectionery including pişmaniye (floss halva), krokan (brittle) in various nut varieties, dragees, and tahini chocolate.
• Ev Dışı Ürünler (Out-of-Home / B2B Product Line) Bulk-format tahini, pekmez, butter, cocoa hazelnut cream, and honey in 5-24 kg containers for hotels, restaurants, bakeries, and food service operators.
• Süper İkili (Super Duo Tahini & Pekmez) Combined tahini and grape molasses packaged as a healthy energy source rich in vitamins E, C, and B, with no preservatives or additives.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Türk Diyabet ve Obezite Vakfı (Turkish Diabetes and Obesity Foundation)coreOthersKoska's diabetic products were tested and approved by the Turkish Diabetes and Obesity Foundation after clinical testing on diabetic patients. This partnership provides third-party medical endorsement of product safety for diabetic consumers.
• Ege Üniversitesi (Ege University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoney products are tested at Ege University before packaging. Reports are obtained to verify authenticity before production, ensuring Koska honey products are genuine and not at risk of being counterfeit.
• Independent Organic Certification BodiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic products are inspected and certified throughout the production process from raw material to consumption by independent control firms. All raw materials are purchased with organic certification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Karven Gıda (Elvan): Turkish confectionery (Turkish delight, chocolate-covered products) producer with retail presence in major supermarkets, representing an emerging branded competitor in Koska's adjacent confectionery categories.

Direct peers

• Ülker: Turkey's largest packaged confectionery and biscuit maker (part of Yıldız Holding), producing biscuits, chocolate, cakes, and traditional sweets with comparable nationwide distribution across all major Turkish supermarkets.
• Halk Gıda: Turkish helva and tahini producer with a heritage positioning, directly competing with Koska in the helva, tahini, and pekmez categories across Turkish retail.
• Bahçıvan Gıda: Turkish tahini, pekmez, and grape-molasses producer with similar heritage positioning and overlapping retail distribution to Koska in traditional pantry categories.
• ETi (ETi Gıda): Major Turkish packaged-snack and confectionery manufacturer (bisküvi, kek, çikolata, helva) competing directly with Koska in helva and traditional sweets categories through similar supermarket channels.
• Doğan Gıda: Turkish food manufacturer producing jams, tahini-helva, and traditional spreads in the same categories as Koska, competing across mass-market and private-label retail channels.
• Altınmarka (Pınar): Major Turkish chocolate and confectionery manufacturer with similar nationwide supermarket distribution and overlapping Turkish delight, dragee, and chocolate product lines.
• Tadım: Turkish tahini and grape molasses (pekmez) brand owned by Yıldız Holding, directly competing with Koska's tahin/pekmez portfolio in mainstream Turkish grocery retail.
• Pelit Pastacılık ve Gıda: Heritage Turkish confectionery and chocolate maker (founded 1957) producing Turkish delight, helva, and chocolate assortments with overlapping B2C and B2B/HoReCa channels.

Broad incumbents

• Yıldız Holding: Turkey's largest packaged-food conglomerate, parent of Ülker, Tadım, and other confectionery/food brands that collectively compete with Koska across multiple categories with vastly greater scale and capital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helvakoska
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9uHb5v31_ovv2LbVRtO2qQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/koskahelva
• Instagraminstagram.com/helvakoska

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Koska