Costa

What Costa does

Costa SRL is an Italian manufacturer and B2B supplier of professional pharmacy equipment and infrastructure, founded in 1989 by Mauro Costa and headquartered in Castiglione Delle Stiviere (MN), Italy. The company operates as a vertically integrated provider with a 78-product catalog spanning the full pharmacy fit-out: LED pharmacy crosses (manufactured in-house since 2008), electronic shift boards, 24-hour automatic dispensers (PharmaShop 24), pharmacy refrigerators, signage, multimedia/ledwall displays, laboratory furniture, blood pressure monitors, body composition scales, autoanalysis systems, queue management, and pass-through window modules. Costa produces its core LED crosses, lab furniture, and specialty modules in-house while distributing complementary brands such as Piardi refrigerators, Taxom price labelers, Ohaus lab scales, InBody, and Accuniq. The technology stack includes cloud-based WebApp management for digital displays, automatic institutional data updates pulling from official pharmacy shift databases, 1,500 nit/m² high-brightness outdoor displays, and remote monitoring/teleassistance across all installed devices.

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales (e.g., Bacheca Simply LED 2.0 starting from €1,890, Bacheca Elite 15\" from €1,890), bundled installation services, a 24-month managed warranty, optional rental/leasing, and recurring maintenance/ATS compliance checks. Distribution is direct enterprise field sales — a commercial technician conducts a free on-site survey, recommends equipment, and acts as the single point of contact through installation — supplemented by convention agreements with Federfarma Bergamo and Federfarma Vicenza that grant preferential pricing to member pharmacies. Customer segments are vertical: Italian pharmacies (primary) and parapharmacies (secondary), with Costa claiming 7,000+ lifetime installations, 320+ per year, 60+ new pharmacy openings fully managed, and 95% of new pharmacy opening customers entrusting full supply to Costa. The company is family-owned — Mauro Costa remains in leadership with his son Daniele Costa in the business — and has transitioned from S.A.S. to S.R.L. legal structure around 2024, with no evidence of external institutional investment. Operating geography is Italy, with deepest density in Lombardy and Northern Italy.

Name

Costa

Legal name

Costa SRL

Website

https://costasas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Costa SRL is an Italian manufacturer and B2B supplier of pharmacy equipment — LED crosses, electronic shift boards, 24-hour dispensers, refrigerators, signage, and laboratory solutions — serving independent and chain pharmacies across Northern Italy via direct field sales and Federfarma association partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lonato

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware / Equipment Sales: Costa SRL's primary revenue stream is the sale of manufactured and distributed pharmacy equipment — LED crosses, electronic shift boards, 24-hour dispensers, refrigerators, signage, and laboratory furniture. Products are sold directly to pharmacies with installation included. The company has been producing LED crosses, laboratory furniture, passabombole, and passafarmaci since 2008.
2. Installation and Professional Services: Costa provides installation services for all sold equipment, handled by an internal team of technicians. Installation costs are included in the quote under a dedicated line item. The company also offers graphic creation of palinsesti (programming schedules for multimedia displays), and on-request graphic renders for municipal permit applications.
3. Managed Warranty and Maintenance: All products come with a 24-month managed warranty handled directly by Costa's internal technical team. Emergency replacement equipment is provided, and annual ATS (health authority) compliance checks are managed on behalf of clients.
4. Rental and Leasing: Costa offers a rental and leasing service enabling pharmacies to obtain equipment at a fixed monthly rate. This flexible financing option is offered as an alternative to outright purchase, allowing customers to spread costs over time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Costa SRL manufactures and distributes professional electro-medical equipment and pharmacy infrastructure for Italian pharmacies. Its portfolio includes LED pharmacy crosses, electronic shift boards, 24-hour automatic dispensers (PharmaShop 24), pharmacy refrigerators, signage, laboratory furniture, and digital communication solutions. The company provides installation, 24-month managed warranty, daily remote monitoring, and teleassistance as part of a single-source supply model.

Product overview

Costa SRL is an Italian manufacturer and supplier of equipment and solutions for pharmacies, operating since 1989. The product portfolio is organized around core pharmacy infrastructure needs: external visibility (LED crosses, signage), shift information (electronic bulletin boards), customer service (queue management, blood pressure monitors, scales), temperature-sensitive storage (refrigerators with monitoring), 24/7 service (automatic dispensers), laboratory facilities, and digital communication (ledwalls, monitors). The company also produces some products in-house (LED crosses since 2008, laboratory furniture, pass-through modules) while distributing other brands (Piardi refrigerators, InBody scales, Accuniq analyzers). The offering includes both manufactured products and branded distribution lines, with some products certified as Industry 4.0 assets for super-amortization benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Croci a LED (LED Pharmacy Crosses) LED pharmacy crosses for external signage indicating pharmacy location and operating hours. Available in multiple models including ECO, COMBO, GREEN, ELITE, CUSTOM, CIRCOLARE, and Cubo LED with cloud programming, automatic shift scheduling, remote diagnostics, and full-color animations. LEDs retain 80% brightness after approximately 8 years.
• Bacheca SIMPLY LED 2.0

Quantifiable outcome

• 320+ installations per year with more than 7,000 total installations completed
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Federfarma BergamocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCosta SRL signed a convention agreement with Federfarma Bergamo offering exclusive pricing to member pharmacies on bacheche elettroniche and accessories. Benefits include reserved discounts on hardware and subscriptions, free professional installation, free on-site survey, and 24-month warranty on all devices. Products covered include Bacheca ELITE 15" GR and Bacheca SIMPLY LED 2.0.
• Federfarma VicenzacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCosta SRL signed a broader convention agreement with Federfarma Vicenza covering bacheche elettroniche, croci a LED, and datalogger di temperatura. Benefits include preferential pricing (up to 10% discount on LED crosses), free installation and configuration, free on-site survey, 24-month warranty, free LED cross programming for first 24 months, and first year IAR Basic subscription free for temperature monitoring. Bacheca Elite 15" and Simply LED 2.0 available from €1,890; Data Logger Saveris WiFi at €165 (vs. €235 regular).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Others

• CompuGroup Medical (CGM): CompuGroup Medical is a European healthcare IT vendor with significant pharmacy software and workflow tooling presence across Germany and adjacent markets. Comparable to Costa as a supplier of technology infrastructure to pharmacies, but focused on software rather than physical equipment and serving a broader European footprint than Costa.

Direct peers

• ScriptPro: ScriptPro designs and manufactures pharmacy robotics and workflow systems for retail pharmacies worldwide. Comparable to Costa because it sells mission-critical equipment to pharmacy operators as a single point of accountability for supply, installation, and after-sales support, with a similar consultative, equipment-led go-to-market.
• Newline Group (display and signage): Newline Group manufactures interactive displays and digital signage used in retail, education, and commercial settings. Comparable to Costa in the electronic shift board (bacheca elettronica) and ledwall categories where both supply high-brightness LCD/LED displays with cloud management and remote diagnostics to commercial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Omnicell: Omnicell is a major US-listed pharmacy automation and medication management vendor serving retail, hospital, and central-fill pharmacies with dispensing, inventory, and adherence hardware/software. Comparable to Costa as a pharmacy infrastructure supplier, but at much larger scale with a focus on automation rather than signage and exterior equipment.
• BD (BD Rowa / Pharmacy Automation): BD operates BD Rowa, a large pharmacy automation and equipment business supplying dispensing robots, storage systems, and pharmacy workflow solutions globally. Comparable to Costa because both serve pharmacy operators with bundled hardware/services that improve dispensing efficiency and visibility, though BD operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/costasas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Costa