Proteins
Proteini.si is a privately held Slovenian multi-channel sports nutrition retailer selling 1,000+ SKUs through its own e-commerce platform, franchise retail stores, 300+ fitness center partnerships, and major grocery chains across Slovenia, the Balkans, and Austria.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersJesenice, Slovenia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Proteins does
Proteini.si is a Slovenian sports nutrition retailer founded in 2006 (legal entity registered 2004) and headquartered in Jesenice, Slovenia, operating under the legal name Proteini.si, trgovina, storitve in proizvodnja d.o.o. The company sells more than 1,000 sports nutrition and dietary supplement SKUs — including proteins, amino acids, vitamins, fat burners, pre-workouts, healthy snacks, and accessories — through a hybrid distribution model comprising a 24/7 direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (proteini.si), company-owned and franchise retail stores under the Proteini.si SHOP banner, a partnership network of 300+ fitness centers across Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro, and shelf placements in mainstream grocery chains (Mercator, Lidl, Hofer, Spar, E.Leclerc, DM, Hervis) as well as gas stations and kiosks. The product mix combines third-party brands (USN, Nutrend, Ironmaxx, Battery Nutrition, Olimp Sport Nutrition) with an own-label Proteini.si line (notably Protein Bar and 100% Natural Whey Protein) that has won the regional Product of the Year award in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The technology layer is a standard multi-channel commerce stack: an e-commerce storefront with iOS/Android mobile apps (proteini.si app), a digital loyalty card system branded Točke zvestobe (Loyalty Points, where 1 point equals €0.01 and is redeemable for up to 50% of order value), and a location-based store finder. No proprietary AI/ML capability is disclosed; the website's "Recommended for you" module appears to use lightweight personalization. The business model is B2C product sales (one-time unit purchases with frequent 15-37% promotions and free shipping over €64.99) layered with franchise licensing royalties from Proteini.si SHOP franchisees. Customer segments span professional athletes (supported via ambassador relationships with Kristjan Čeh, Jakov Fak, and Matea Parlov Koštro), recreational fitness users, general health-conscious consumers, and retail/fitness channel partners.
Under the broader Proteins umbrella, the company has executed two notable strategic moves beyond core retail: the acquisition of Atombody on 2024-12-05 (undisclosed) and the April 2026 launch of Proteins.1, a VTT-originated Finnish deep-tech subsidiary commercializing patented single-molecule protein amplification technology for early disease detection in oncology, neurology, and immunology, backed by a €4.7M pre-seed round led by Lifeline Ventures and Cloudberry Ventures. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors and no parent company; ownership is described as concentrated with founders.
Proteins firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Proteins
- Legal name
- Proteini.si, trgovina, storitve in proizvodnja d.o.o.
- Website
- https://proteini.si
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Proteini.si is a privately held Slovenian multi-channel sports nutrition retailer selling 1,000+ SKUs through its own e-commerce platform, franchise retail stores, 300+ fitness center partnerships, and major grocery chains across Slovenia, the Balkans, and Austria.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Proteins industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Nutrition Retail
- NAICS
- Food (Health) Supplement Retailers (456191), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)
- SIC
- Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Nutrition (Protein, Creatine, Pre-Workout/Intra-Workout) (CRADAGAA)
Keywords
Where Proteins is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jesenice
- HQ country
- Slovenia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Proteins business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales - E-commerce: Direct-to-consumer online sales of sports nutrition and dietary supplements through proteini.si e-commerce platform, offering over 1,000 products from various brands plus own-label Proteini.si products.
- Product Sales - Physical Retail: B2C retail sales through owned Proteini.si SHOP stores across Slovenia, former Yugoslav countries, and Austria, as well as through third-party retail partners including Mercator, Lidl, Hofer, Spar, Eleclerc, Hervis, DM, and gas stations.
- Franchise Fees: Franchise partnership model where franchisees operate Proteini.si SHOP stores, with the company providing brand, product supply, and operational support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail pricing for sports nutrition products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Proteins product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Proteini.si sells sports nutrition and dietary supplements through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform and a network of owned and franchised physical retail stores (Proteini.si SHOP) across Slovenia, the Balkans, and Austria. The catalog includes over 1,000 products from third-party brands such as USN, Nutrend, Ironmaxx, and Battery Nutrition, alongside the company's own private-label line of protein bars, whey protein, vitamins, and other supplements.
Product overview
Proteins.1 is a VTT-originated Finnish deep-tech startup that has launched to commercialize patented physics-based technology enabling ultra-sensitive single-molecule protein amplification for early disease detection. The company has secured €4.7 million in pre-seed funding and plans to initially focus on research-use-only applications in oncology, neurology, and immunology before advancing toward regulated clinical diagnostics, targeting the €100 billion global diagnostics market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Proteini.si (own brand): Company's own private label brand of sports nutrition and dietary supplements including protein bars, whey protein, and other sports nutrition products.
- Proteini.si Shop
Products and services
- Proteini.si Protein Bar Own-brand protein bar sold at €1.49 per 55g unit and €34.99 for a 24-pack bundle; awarded Selected Product of the Year 2020 and 2021. Targeted at athletes and active-lifestyle consumers seeking convenient protein supplementation.
- Proteini.si 100% Natural Whey Protein Own-brand whey protein powder recognized as Selected Product of the Year 2022, positioned as a premium natural whey option within the Proteini.si private-label range. Sold through e-commerce, retail stores, and partner outlets for athletes and fitness consumers.
- Proteini.si SHOP Franchise Program Franchise partnership offering under which franchisees operate Proteini.si SHOP sports nutrition retail stores, with the company providing brand licensing, product supply, and operational support. Active across Slovenia, former Yugoslav countries, and Austria.
- Proteins.1 Single-Molecule Protein Amplification Technology Patented physics-based technology enabling ultra-sensitive single-molecule protein amplification for early disease detection, with detection sensitivity up to 1,000 times higher than current gold-standard platforms. Initially targeted at research-use-only applications in oncology, neurology, and immunology, with plans to advance toward regulated clinical diagnostics in the €100 billion global diagnostics market.
Quantifiable outcome
- Best Buy Award 2019/2020 for best price-to-quality ratio in beverages and dietary supplements category
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Proteins
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Proteins technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Proteins partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Pošta Slovenije (Slovenian Post)corePackage delivery partner handling shipment of online orders to customers across Slovenia and internationally.
- DPD SloveniacoreCourier service provider for parcel distribution and delivery of online orders.
- Fitness Centers NetworkcorePartnerships with over 300 fitness centers across Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro where Proteini.si products are promoted and sold, and users are encouraged toward healthy lifestyle.
- Brand SupplierscorePartnerships with major sports nutrition brands including USN, Nutrend, Ironmaxx, Battery Nutrition, Olimp Sport Nutrition, and others for product supply and distribution.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Proteins competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MyProtein: Global D2C sports nutrition brand operating its own e-commerce platform with extensive catalog of proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and supplements. Highly comparable to Proteini.si's product mix, customer base (athletes, fitness enthusiasts), and direct-to-consumer model, though at significantly larger scale.
- Prozis: Portuguese-headquartered sports nutrition and supplements D2C retailer with pan-European reach, own-brand manufacturing, and aggressive international expansion. Comparable in product range, D2C e-commerce focus, and use of own-label as a margin engine.
- ESN (Elite Sports Nutrients / German Sports Nutrition): German sports nutrition brand with own-label protein bars, whey, and supplements distributed across European specialty retail and online. Comparable own-brand-led positioning in sports nutrition retail channels.
- Bulk Powders: UK-based active nutrition brand (formerly Bulk Powders) selling sports supplements, vitamins, and health foods direct to consumers across Europe. Closely aligned with Proteini.si's assortment, multi-brand plus own-label approach, and EU-wide D2C shipping model.
- GymBeam: Central and Eastern European sports nutrition e-commerce retailer with a strong private-label brand and multi-country distribution. Operates an almost identical model to Proteini.si (D2C + own brand + physical retail expansion) and is the most directly comparable peer in the CEE region.
Regional players
- Planet Sport: Central European sports nutrition retailer with both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores. Comparable in product mix and omnichannel approach, but concentrated in a different sub-region (e.g., Czech/Slovak) versus Proteini.si's Slovenian/Balkan core.
- XXL Nutrition: Nordic-focused sports nutrition e-commerce and retail brand with D2C + physical store model. Comparable business model to Proteini.si (D2C + retail), but operates in a different European geography (Scandinavia vs. CEE/Balkans).
Broad incumbents
- Hervis: Austrian sporting goods retailer with significant Central and Eastern European presence, already a Proteini.si retail partner. Competitor in adjacent sporting goods categories and a counterparty in distribution negotiations.
- Decathlon: Global sporting goods mass-market retailer with strong European store footprint, including Slovenia and neighboring countries. Carries sports nutrition and accessories among a much wider sporting goods assortment; a broader incumbent competing for shelf space and consumer share-of-wallet.
- Optimum Nutrition (Glanbia): Global branded sports nutrition manufacturer (Gold Standard Whey, etc.) and a key supplier-brand in Proteini.si's third-party catalog. Relevant as both a brand partner and a benchmark for private-label competitive dynamics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Proteins social profiles
Digital presenceProteins financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Proteins leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Proteins funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Proteins M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Proteins
What does Proteins do?
Proteini.si sells sports nutrition and dietary supplements through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform and a network of owned and franchised physical retail stores (Proteini.si SHOP) across Slovenia, the Balkans, and Austria. The catalog includes over 1,000 products from third-party brands such as USN, Nutrend, Ironmaxx, and Battery Nutrition, alongside the company's own private-label line of protein bars, whey protein, vitamins, and other supplements.
Is Proteins a public or private company?
Proteins is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Proteins founded?
Proteins was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Proteins based?
Proteins is headquartered in Jesenice, Slovenia, in the Europe region.
How does Proteins make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales - E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are product Sales - Physical Retail and franchise Fees.
Who are Proteins's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MyProtein, Prozis, ESN (Elite Sports Nutrients / German Sports Nutrition), Bulk Powders and GymBeam. Regional players are Planet Sport and XXL Nutrition. Broad incumbents are Hervis, Decathlon and Optimum Nutrition (Glanbia).
Does Proteins have an API?
No public API is recorded for Proteins.
What industry is Proteins in?
Proteins's product category is Sports Nutrition Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAGAA, Sports Nutrition (Protein, Creatine, Pre-Workout/Intra-Workout). Its NAICS code is 456191 and its SIC code is 3949.