What Digrim does

Digrim (DIGRIM Società Cooperativa) is an Italian cooperative society founded in 1976 and headquartered in Reggio Emilia that operates as the largest purchasing group (gruppo di acquisto) for independent distributors of large-scale foodservice equipment in Italy. The company aggregates purchasing power across its distributor network, maintaining contractual commercial agreements with approximately 150 suppliers that collectively provide access to 160,000+ articles spanning cooking, refrigeration, preparation, storage, washing, and hygiene equipment. The company's distributor network covers the majority of Italian provinces, and end customers are reached indirectly through these distributor partners rather than via direct Digrim sales.

The company's central technology asset is the Open Digrim digital platform suite, comprising Panorama (supplier portal), Company (purchase-order transactions), Menù (sales-representative portal), and D-Catalog (end-customer portal, reported as still in development). Catalog navigation is enabled by D-Tag, a proprietary indexing system that classifies articles by technical specifications. Surrounding the platform, Digrim operates a private-label equipment brand (KiPro), a curated premium sub-brand (Chef Toys, 40 SKUs launched 2024), and the Formula Cucina Superior promotional program in partnership with METRO Italia that layers METRO cash contributions (€800-€3,850) on top of Digrim's contractual 25% discount. Revenue mechanics are anchored in volume-based purchasing arrangements with suppliers and supported by ancillary services including Academy Hub training, Kitchen Tour supplier visits, Live Webinars, and HiKitchen direct-mail campaigns. The company is privately held as a cooperative with €876,000 of fully paid-in share capital and a disclosed headcount range of 11-50 employees; no revenue figure has been publicly disclosed.

Name

Digrim

Legal name

DIGRIM Società Cooperativa

Website

https://digrim.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Digrim is an Italian cooperative founded in 1976 that operates the country's largest foodservice-equipment buying group, aggregating purchasing across ~150 suppliers and 160,000+ SKUs for independent distributors via the Open Digrim digital platform and D-Tag indexing system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Equipment Distribution / B2B Procurement Group

NAICS

Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (425120), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (425)

akta.pro primary industry

Purchase Order (PO) Management & Processing (BPAAAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops (CRAHALAE)

Keywords

• Foodservice equipment distribution
• Buying group services
• Commercial kitchen supplies
• B2B procurement network
• Private label kitchen equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Reggio Nell'emilia

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Buying Group Aggregate Purchasing: Digrim acts as a buying group (gruppo di acquisto) that aggregates purchasing power from independent distributors. The company negotiates contractual commercial agreements with approximately 150 suppliers, offering members discounted pricing (25% discount on list price). Revenue is derived from the volume-based purchasing power and contractual arrangements with suppliers rather than direct fees to distributors.
2. Support Services for Distributors: Digrim provides services including training (Academy Hub, Kitchen Tour, Live Webinar), promotional support systems, consulting services, and a digital platform. These services support the commercial action of the distributor network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Digrim operates a buying group (gruppo di acquisto) that aggregates the purchasing power of independent Italian distributors of large foodservice equipment. The company negotiates contractual commercial agreements with approximately 150 suppliers, providing member-distributors access to more than 160,000 articles (from knives to extraction systems) at a 25% discount on list prices. Its operations are enabled by the Open Digrim digital platform suite, which supports product discovery, ordering, quoting, and supplier relationship management across its domestic network.

Product overview

Digrim is Italy's largest purchasing group (gruppo di acquisto) for the restaurant and foodservice equipment sector. The company operates a digital platform ecosystem called Open Digrim, which includes multiple specialized portals: Panorama for suppliers, Company for purchasing transactions, Menù for sales representatives, and D-Catalog for end customers (in development). The platform is powered by the proprietary D-Tag indexing system to navigate 160,000+ products from approximately 150 suppliers. Digrim's portfolio also includes private label brand KiPro, the Chef Toys premium catalog, and the METRO Formula Cucina Superior promotional program. Services include HiKitchen direct mailing, Academy Hub training, Kitchen Tour supplier visits, and Live Webinar sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chef Toys: A catalog of 40 professional kitchen equipment items featuring top international brands, marketed as where culinary art meets innovation.
• Formula Cucina Superior
• KiPro
• OpenDigrim

Products and services

• Distributor Buying Group Membership
• Open Digrim Digital Platform
• KiPro Private Label Equipment
• Chef Toys Catalog
• Formula Cucina Superior Program
• Academy Hub Training Service
• HiKitchen Direct Mailing Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% discount on list prices through Digrim network agreements
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• METRO ItaliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigrim collaborates with METRO Italia on the Formula Cucina Superior program, offering distributors additional contributions (€800-€3,850) on top of the 25% Digrim discount when meeting incremental purchase targets. This partnership provides competitive equipment financing for the distributor network.
• Fine NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigrim is an official partner of Fine Network, a European network of foodservice equipment buying groups that enables international cooperation and purchasing synergies among member organizations.
• KiProcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerKiPro is Digrim's private label brand of exclusive equipment selected for the distributor network. Digrim works with qualified supplier partners to produce customized equipment under the KiPro brand, offering differentiated products to end customers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Brakes Group:
• Bidfood:

Broad incumbents

• METRO AG: Global cash & carry and foodservice wholesale leader with METRO Italia as a direct Digrim partner. Operates in the same foodservice supply chain but at significantly larger scale, serving hospitality customers directly. Comparable as a broad incumbent in foodservice wholesale that Digrim's distributor network competes against or partners with.
• US Foods: Major US foodservice distributor serving independent restaurants, healthcare, and hospitality customers. Comparable as a broadline foodservice distributor operating in the same downstream end-market (restaurants, hotels) that Digrim's distributor members serve, though focused on consumables rather than equipment.
• Performance Food Group: Large US-based foodservice and consumer products distributor. Comparable as a broadline foodservice distribution incumbent that operates in the same downstream restaurant and hospitality end-markets Digrim's network ultimately serves.
• Sysco Corporation: World's largest broadline foodservice distributor, serving restaurants, hotels, and institutional customers. Comparable as a foodservice distribution incumbent that Digrim's distributor network ultimately competes with for end-customer relationships, though operating at a fundamentally larger scale and integrated model.
• Ali Group:

Direct peers

• Gruppo Selex: Italian retail buying group (centrale d'acquisto) aggregating purchasing power for independent retailers across Italy. Highly comparable in structural terms — a domestic Italian buying group cooperative serving independent members — though focused on grocery retail rather than foodservice equipment.
• Fine Network: European alliance of independent foodservice equipment buying groups, of which Digrim is an official partner. Most structurally comparable to Digrim, as members operate the same buying group model in their respective European markets — direct peer in business model, distribution channel, and target customer base.

Emerging players

• Welbilt (now Middleby): Major commercial foodservice equipment manufacturer (now part of Middleby Corporation). Comparable as a supplier-side participant in the foodservice equipment ecosystem that interacts with Digrim's distributor network, though operating as a manufacturer rather than a buying group aggregator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

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 Digrim