What Fortenova Group does

Fortenova Group is a Croatian food and retail conglomerate headquartered in Zagreb, operating across three core business pillars — retail, wholesale, and food production — in the Adria region (Croatia and Serbia). Founded in its current form in 2019 through a strategic restructuring, the company employs more than 10,000 people and operates under the FORTE SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE corporate brand. Its historical portfolio included edible oils (Dijamant, Serbia's market leader), processed meat (Pik Vrbovec, Croatia's largest), and fruit and vegetable production (Vinka Plus, with 800 hectares of farmland concessions).

The group's technology footprint centers on physical production infrastructure rather than software: technologically advanced sunflower processing at Dijamant's Zrenjanin facility (which doubled capacity with €40M+ investment since 2017), one of Croatia's largest orchards at Borinci, and large-scale meat processing at Pik Vrbovec. Revenue is generated through traditional one-time sales of branded food products, wholesale distribution, and retail operations across the Adria region. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Since 2019, Fortenova has executed a sustained deleveraging and portfolio refocusing program, reducing gross debt from €2bn to €650m and divesting its entire agricultural production footprint. In 2026 alone, the group sold Dijamant to MK Group (completed June 2026), accepted a binding offer from Bosqar Invest for Pik Vrbovec (April 2026), and sold Vinka Plus to Osatina Group (April 2026). A 2025 debt refinancing of approximately $646M led by UniCredit and Zagrebačka banka supported the transition. The residual portfolio is concentrated in retail and wholesale food distribution, with the company positioned as a regional rather than global operator.

Name

Fortenova Group

Legal name

Fortenova grupa d.d.

Website

https://fortenovagroup.hr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Fortenova Group is a Croatian food and retail conglomerate operating across retail, wholesale, and food production in Croatia and Serbia. Since 2019 it has been divesting agricultural assets (Dijamant, Pik Vrbovec, Vinka Plus) to deleverage from €2bn to €650m debt and refocus on retail and wholesale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Production and Processing

NAICS

Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Vegetable Oil Crushing & Refining (Soy, Canola/Rapeseed, Sunflower, Corn, Cottonseed) (AFAKAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Edible Oils & Fats Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAC), Industrial Frying Oils & Foodservice Oil Blends Manufacturing (AFAKAEAI)

Keywords

• Food production
• Food processing
• Edible oils
• Retail distribution
• Agricultural products

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food Production and Processing: Fortenova Group operates in the food sector, producing edible oils, margarine, vegetable fats, and mayonnaise through its subsidiaries in the Adria region.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Fortenova Group operates a diversified food production and processing business in the Adria region (Croatia, Serbia, and southeastern Europe). The group historically produced edible oils, margarine, vegetable fats, mayonnaise, processed meats, fruits, and vegetables through subsidiaries such as Dijamant, Pik Vrbovec, and Vinka Plus, distributing these products through regional retail and food service channels. As of 2026, the group is divesting its agricultural production assets to focus on retail, wholesale, and food distribution.

Product overview

Fortenova Group is a Croatian food and agriculture company operating across southeastern Europe. The company operates a multi-business portfolio structure consisting of various food production units. As of 2026, the company is completing a strategic exit from agricultural production, having divested Dijamant (edible oils), Vinka Plus (fruit and vegetables), and Pik Vrbovec (meat processing). The remaining portfolio appears to focus on food retail and distribution across the Adria region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Edible Oils (Dijamant brand) Sunflower oils and related edible oil products manufactured in Zrenjanin, Serbia. Dijamant was the market leader in Serbia for sunflower oils and a leading producer of margarine, vegetable fats, and mayonnaise. This business was divested to MK Group in 2026.
• Processed Meat Products (Pik Vrbovec) Croatia's largest meat and processed-meat producer with €337 million in revenue and approximately 1,500 employees, serving the Croatian and Adria regional markets. The business was sold to Bosqar Invest's Future Food division in 2026.
• Fruit and Vegetable Products (Vinka Plus) Fruit and vegetable business based in Vinkovci, Croatia, operating the Borinci orchard (one of the largest in Croatia) and holding concessions for approximately 800 hectares of state-owned farmland. The business was divested to Osatina Group in April 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dijamant facility doubled production capacity with €40M+ investments since 2017
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major.

• MK GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026MK Group completed acquisition of 100% of Dijamant from Fortenova Group. Dijamant is the largest producer of edible oils and leading producer of margarine, vegetable fats, and mayonnaise in Serbia, with 2025 revenues of 22.2 billion dinars ($216 million). The transaction represents one of the most significant acquisitions in the food and agricultural sector of the Adria region and marks Fortenova's exit from the agricultural sector. The deal was subject to regulatory approval.
• Osatina GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Osatina Group acquired Vinka Plus from Fortenova Group. Vinka Plus is a fruit and vegetable business based in Vinkovci, holding concessions for approximately 800 hectares of state-owned farmland and operating the Borinci orchard, one of the largest in Croatia. This sale completes Fortenova's exit from the agriculture sector.
• Bosqar InvestmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Bosqar Invest's binding proposal to acquire 100% of meat producer Pik Vrbovec from Fortenova Group was accepted. Pik Vrbovec is Croatia's largest meat and processed-meat producer with €337m in revenue and approximately 1,500 employees. Bosqar will take over through its Future Food division alongside Panvita and Mlinar. Once completed, the combined Future Food platform is expected to generate pro-forma revenues of around €640m and exceed €1bn in annual revenue with €100m in EBITDA by 2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Bunge Limited: Global agribusiness and oilseed processor with significant European footprint including oilseed crushing and refining. Comparable to Fortenova's divested Dijamant business in the edible oils value chain, though at vastly larger scale.
• Spar Croatia: Croatian arm of the international Spar retail group operating supermarkets across Croatia. Comparable to Fortenova's retail operations as a competing grocery retailer in the same local market with broader international backing.
• Lidl Croatia: Discounter arm of Schwarz Group with growing Croatian footprint. Comparable as a competing grocery retailer applying international scale and pricing pressure in Fortenova's core Croatian retail market.
• Cargill: Global food and agriculture conglomerate with extensive European oilseed processing, edible oils, and food ingredients operations. Comparable to the historical Fortenova/Dijamant edible oils profile as a broad incumbent in the same commodity processing categories.

Direct peers

• MK Group: Serbian agri-food conglomerate that acquired Dijamant from Fortenova in 2026. Comparable as a Serbian food conglomerate with overlapping exposure to edible oils, agriculture, and food distribution in the Adria region.
• Atlantic Grupa: Croatian FMCG company producing food (including edible oils and spreads), beverages, and personal care products, with strong distribution across the Adria region. Directly comparable as a regionally anchored branded food producer serving similar customers and channels.
• Bosqar Invest (PPK): Croatian food company building a Future Food platform around acquired meat processing, milling, and bakery assets including Pik Vrbovec from Fortenova. Direct peer in branded food production and Adria-region food consolidation.
• Studenac: Croatian food retail chain with nationwide store footprint. Directly comparable to Fortenova's retail operations (Konzum) in the Croatian grocery market, competing for the same consumer spend and supplier relationships.
• Podravka: Croatian food manufacturer with diversified portfolio including edible oils (olina brand), convenience foods, and pharmaceuticals. Direct comparable as a Croatian/Adria-region branded food company with overlapping categories historically relevant to Fortenova's Dijamant and Pik Vrbovec businesses.

Regional players

• Mercator Group: Slovenian food retail and wholesale operator (now part of Fortenova-related supply chains in the former Yugoslav markets). Comparable as a regional grocery retailer/wholesaler operating in overlapping Adria geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fortenova Group