Demus
Demus is an Italian benefit corporation, founded in 1962 in Trieste, that provides patented water-based decaffeination, dewaxing and DNA traceability services to coffee roasters, importers and agri-food companies across Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersTrieste, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Demus does
Demus S.p.A. is a privately held Italian benefit corporation founded in 1962 in Trieste that operates a single-site industrial facility providing specialised processing services for green coffee, principally decaffeination (including ochratoxin and aroma-stripping treatments), dewaxing, and the production of raw natural caffeine. Its proprietary Demus Aqua system uses water and activated carbon to remove caffeine selectively while preserving water-soluble aromatic compounds, and is protected by industrial patents accumulated over six decades of operation.
The group has expanded vertically into quality assurance and traceability through two wholly-owned subsidiaries incorporated in December 2019: Demus Lab S.r.l., an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited chemical-physical laboratory offering chemical, microbiological and sensory analyses; and DNA Analytica S.r.l., a genetic-traceability laboratory using digital PCR and microsatellite DNA fingerprinting against a database of more than 300 Arabica and Robusta genotypes, and operating the European-registered DNA-Verified certification mark. The High Value Coffee service integrates these capabilities into an end-to-end traceability offering for roasters, importers, agri-food producers and DOP/IGP consortia, while the Cuppin' App extends an SCA-aligned tasting-sheets tool to professionals.
Revenue is generated on a B2B, per-batch toll-processing and professional-services basis with quote-based pricing; the company sells directly to enterprise buyers across the European coffee value chain, led by CEO Massimiliano Max Fabian, who concurrently serves as President of the European Coffee Federation. FY2025 revenue of 11.5 million EUR (+15% YoY) was reported alongside a 1 million EUR industrial capacity-expansion plan for the Demus Aqua process. The group holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and FSSC 22000 certifications, is classified as an Innovative SME, and pursues international distribution through direct sales plus industry association and event channels.
Demus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Demus
- Legal name
- Demus S.p.A.
- Website
- https://demus.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Demus is an Italian benefit corporation, founded in 1962 in Trieste, that provides patented water-based decaffeination, dewaxing and DNA traceability services to coffee roasters, importers and agri-food companies across Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Demus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Coffee Decaffeination Services
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Green Coffee Processing (Hulling, Grading, Decaffeination) (AFAFADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coffee & Tea Concentrates (Liquid, Extracts, Syrups) (AFAFAGAC)
Keywords
Where Demus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trieste
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Demus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Decaffeination Processing Services: Core business revenue from decaffeination and dewaxing of green coffee, and production of raw natural caffeine. Services provided to roasters and coffee companies along the supply chain.
- Laboratory Analysis Services: Accredited laboratory providing chemical, microbiological, and sensory analyses for the coffee and agri-food sector to external clients, with rapid turnaround of 2-4 working days.
- Genetic Analysis and DNA Certification: DNA Analytica provides genetic traceability services and the DNA-Verified certification to food industry operators, offering analytical tools to track products throughout supply chains.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Demus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Demus provides specialized decaffeination, dewaxing, and processing services for green coffee beans, along with production of raw natural caffeine. The company also delivers accredited laboratory analysis (chemical, microbiological, sensory) and genetic traceability certification for the coffee and agri-food supply chain. Its proprietary Demus Aqua water-based decaffeination system preserves aromatic compounds while removing caffeine, serving roasters, food producers, importers, and international traders globally.
Product overview
Demus is a Benefit Corporation operating since 1962 in the decaffeination and dewaxing of green coffee and production of raw natural caffeine. The company operates a unified portfolio consisting of core decaffeination services (Demus S.p.A.) enhanced by a patented water-based decaffeination system (Demus Acqua), supported by two specialized laboratories (Demus Lab for chemical/physical/sensory analysis and DNA Analytica for genetic traceability and authentication). The High Value Coffee project integrates these services into a comprehensive traceability solution combining DNA fingerprinting, chemical profiling, and sensory evaluation. A mobile application (Cuppin' App) extends the offering to professionals for tasting evaluation. In December 2019, Demus incorporated DNA Analytica S.r.l. and Demus Lab S.r.l. as Innovative Companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 15% revenue growth in 2025 reaching 11.5 million EUR
Companies that use Demus
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Demus technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Demus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supportive, core and minor.
- Associazione Caffè TriestesupportiveIndustry association where CEO Massimiliano Max Fabian serves as Vice President. Association brings together Trieste coffee sector companies for industry representation and development.
- ImperatorcorePartnership in the High Value Coffee traceability project. Imperator is a Trieste-based company with 40 years of history in coffee, operating as a key partner in developing integrated traceability solutions combining DNA analysis, chemical profiling, and sensory evaluation. Imperator also founded Bloom Coffee School in 2017 for coffee culture education and training.
- POR FESR 2014-2020 - Regione Friuli Venezia GiuliasupportiveGrant funding of 64,327.67 EUR supporting DNA Analytica's High Value Coffee project for innovation and traceability services in the coffee sector, part of the European Regional Development Fund program.
- European Coffee Federation (ECF)coreEuropean coffee industry federation where CEO Massimiliano Max Fabian serves as President. ECF represents the voice of the coffee sector in Brussels, organizing roundtables with EU institutions, UNIDO, and international organizations on sustainable coffee investments.
- SCA Italy (Specialty Coffee Association)supportiveItalian chapter of Specialty Coffee Association. CEO Massimiliano Max Fabian conducts workshops for AST (Authorised SCA Trainers) on decaffeinated coffee market developments and European coffee associationism.
- Gruppo Italiano Torrefattori CaffèsupportiveItalian roasters association. Demus participates in webinar series and annual assemblies, with Giovanni Bortoli conducting food safety webinars and CEO providing industry insights.
- CIVIFORMminorVocational training institution. Demus hosts students from IFTS FVG 'Tecnico della produzione e commercializzazione del caffè' program for educational visits.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Demus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- illy S.p.A. Italian premium coffee company with its own decaffeinated product line and strong emphasis on quality, sustainability, and supply chain traceability. A premium-roaster customer archetype for Demus and a broader competitor in the Trieste-anchored Italian coffee ecosystem.
- SGS Société Générale de Surveillance: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with agri-food and commodity-coffee testing services. Comparable to Demus Lab in accredited laboratory services and to Demus's certification business for international coffee traders and importers.
- Eurofins Scientific: Global food testing and certification laboratory network with extensive coffee and agri-food testing capabilities. Comparable to Demus Lab in chemical, microbiological, and sensory analysis services, though operating at vastly larger scale across many food categories.
- Lavazza: Italian global coffee major with vertical integration including sourcing, roasting, and decaffeinated product manufacturing. While not a pure decaffeination peer, Lavazza is a potential customer and a broader incumbent that defines quality and certification standards in the European coffee market where Demus operates.
Direct peers
- MZB GmbH (Master Blend): German coffee decaffeination and coffee product manufacturer offering industrial-scale processing of green coffee. Directly competes with Demus in the European market for decaffeinated green coffee supply to roasters and food manufacturers.
- CR3 Coffee Solutions (formerly Coffex): Brazil-based green coffee decaffeination and processing company operating internationally. Comparable to Demus as a specialized decaffeination service provider serving global roasters with industrial-scale processing capacity.
- Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company: Canadian company specializing in 100% chemical-free water-process decaffeination of green coffee. Closest direct technology peer to Demus Aqua, serving similar roaster and importer customers with comparable aroma-preserving claims and patented process.
- Coffein Decaf (Deutsche Extrakt Kaffee / DEK): German decaffeination service provider operating in green coffee processing for European roasters. Comparable to Demus in B2B service model, scale, and use of solvent and water-based decaffeination methods; competes for the same European roaster customer base.
Others
- Intertek Group: Global quality assurance and testing company with food and agricultural commodity services including coffee. An indirect competitor and potential partner for Demus Lab and DNA Analytica in serving large international coffee traders requiring accredited third-party verification.
Emerging players
- Agroisolab: Germany-based company providing DNA-based authenticity testing for food and feed products, including coffee. Direct overlap with Demus's DNA Analytica subsidiary in the genetic traceability and authentication niche serving agri-food supply chains.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Demus social profiles
Digital presenceDemus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Demus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Demus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Demus subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Demus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Demus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Demus
What does Demus do?
Demus provides specialized decaffeination, dewaxing, and processing services for green coffee beans, along with production of raw natural caffeine. The company also delivers accredited laboratory analysis (chemical, microbiological, sensory) and genetic traceability certification for the coffee and agri-food supply chain. Its proprietary Demus Aqua water-based decaffeination system preserves aromatic compounds while removing caffeine, serving roasters, food producers, importers, and international traders globally.
Is Demus a public or private company?
Demus is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Demus founded?
Demus was founded in 1962. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Demus based?
Demus is headquartered in Trieste, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Demus make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Decaffeination Processing Services are the primary driver. The others are laboratory Analysis Services and genetic Analysis and DNA Certification.
Who are Demus's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are illy S.p.A., SGS Société Générale de Surveillance, Eurofins Scientific and Lavazza. Direct peers are MZB GmbH (Master Blend), CR3 Coffee Solutions (formerly Coffex), Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company and Coffein Decaf (Deutsche Extrakt Kaffee / DEK). Intertek Group is listed as an others. Agroisolab is listed as an emerging player.
Does Demus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Demus.
What industry is Demus in?
Demus's product category is Coffee Decaffeination Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAA, Green Coffee Processing (Hulling, Grading, Decaffeination), with a secondary code of AFAFAGAC, Coffee & Tea Concentrates (Liquid, Extracts, Syrups). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.