Società San Marco

What Società San Marco does

Società San Marco is an Italian privately-held (S.r.l.) manufacturer of trace minerals and specialty feed additives for animal nutrition, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Pegognaga, Italy. The company employs between 11 and 50 people and operates with over 30 years of accumulated expertise in chelation chemistry, anchored by founder Giuseppe Picchietti. Its product portfolio spans organic chelated trace minerals (zinc, copper, iron, manganese), a 15-SKU plant-extract additive line, and customized premixes, serving the ruminant, poultry, swine, aquaculture, equine, and pet nutrition segments.

The company's core technical differentiator is its proprietary Full Ring-Real Chelate Technology, deployed across the FORCE (glycine-based) and POWER (methionine-hydroxy-analogue-based) product lines, with claimed bioavailability of 90-95% versus 5-30% for inorganic trace minerals. Manufacturing uses in-house spray drying technology, and R&D is sustained through an ongoing collaboration with the University of Parma. The portfolio includes more than 30 commercial SKUs positioned for both performance and natural/phytogenic feed applications.

The business model is B2B direct sales with no resellers or intermediaries, supplemented by customized premix formulation services. Commercial reach is international, evidenced by an English/Spanish/Russian multi-language website and certifications including GMP+ (feed safety) and Halal (obtained 2022). Customers are feed mills, premixers, and integrated livestock operations; the company is bootstrapped with no funding rounds disclosed and no public revenue figures, consistent with the profile of a privately-held Italian specialty chemicals SME.

Name

Società San Marco

Legal name

Società San Marco S.r.l.

Website

https://societasanmarco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Società San Marco is an Italian manufacturer of chelated trace minerals and specialty feed additives, serving ruminant, poultry, swine, aquaculture, equine, and pet nutrition markets through proprietary Full Ring-Real Chelate Technology and direct B2B sales since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992), All Other Miscellaneous Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (327999)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Minerals & Trace Elements (Chelated Minerals, Selenium, Zinc) (AFADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trace Mineral Premixes (Chelated/Organic & Inorganic) (AFADAGAD), Functional Minerals & Chelates (Trace Mineral Complexes) (AFADAKAJ), Minerals & Trace Elements (Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron; Chelated Minerals) (AFAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Chelated trace minerals
• Animal feed additives
• Livestock premixes
• Organic mineral nutrition
• Plant extract additives

Headquarters

HQ city

Pegognaga

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chelated Organic Trace Minerals: Sale of organic trace minerals (zinc, copper, iron, manganese) in both FORCE (glycine) and POWER (methionine hydroxy analogue) product lines. These are sold as premium-priced chelate products for animal nutrition.
2. Customized Premixes: Tailor-made premixes developed for specific customer needs. Revenue generated from bespoke formulation and production services.
3. Specialty Feed Additives: Specialty additives for ruminants, poultry, swine, and aqua including acidifiers, gut health products, and performance enhancers. Products include Calf Max, RumiBol Dry, Keto Max, Pro Mast, Hoof Max, and others.
4. Plant Extract Additives: Feed additives derived from plant extracts including products like Liquid Proto, Liquid Pro-Immune, Liquid Spiro, Liquid Oregano, Liquid Fresh, Liquid Anti-Mico, Liquid Detox, Calm Farm, Lacto Forte, Rumi Cox, and SIB B Tonic.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Società San Marco manufactures and sells chelated trace minerals (organic trace minerals) produced through its proprietary "Full Ring – Real Chelate Technology," alongside customized premixes, specialty feed additives, and plant-extract additives for ruminants, poultry, swine, and aquaculture. Offerings are organized into two chelate platforms (FORCE glycinate-based and POWER MHA-based) and a broader additive portfolio of liquid and dry products.

Product overview

Società San Marco develops a comprehensive portfolio of chelated zootechnical supplements and feed additives for ruminant, poultry, swine, and aqua production. The core offering is built around the proprietary Full Ring-Real Chelate Technology, which produces organic trace minerals (Full Ring – Real Chelates) with 90–95% bioavailability compared to 5–30% for inorganic minerals. These organic trace minerals are available in two product lines: the FORCE Line (glycine-based chelates: ZincForce, CopForce, IronForce, MangForce) and the POWER Line (methionine hydroxy analogue-based chelates: ZincPower, CopPower, IronPower, MangPower). The company also offers Customised Products (tailor-made premixes), Specialty Feed Additives organized by species (Ruminants, Poultry, Swine, Aqua, Horses), and Plant Extract Additives (15 products in liquid, powder, and bolus formats including Calf Max, Calm Farm, Hoof Max, Lacto Forte, Rumi Cox, RumiBol Dry, Pro Mast, Keto Max, Liquid Detox, Liquid Anti-Mico, Liquid Fresh, Liquid Oregano, Liquid Spiro, Liquid Pro-Immune, Liquid Proto, and SIB B TONIC). The portfolio includes both solid (bolus, powder) and liquid formulations, with recent investment in spray drying technology to convert liquid products to stable powdered formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FORCE Line: Chelated trace minerals using glycine as ligand for zinc, copper, iron, and manganese
• POWER Line

Products and services

• FORCE Line (Glycine-based Chelated Trace Minerals)

Quantifiable outcome

• 90-95% mineral bioavailability vs. 5-30% for inorganic minerals
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of ParmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term research collaboration with University of Parma for chelation technology development and validation. The company claims to be the only one in the market that can provide university tests to prove the quality of their chelation process, establishing scientific credibility for their Full Ring-Real Chelate Technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Titan Biotech: Indian manufacturer of chelated minerals and animal feed supplements serving emerging markets in Asia and Africa. Comparable chelated mineral product portfolio at competing price points, though with less European regulatory and quality positioning.

Direct peers

• Vetagro (VTR BioTech): Italian animal nutrition company specializing in protected feed additives, microencapsulated ingredients, and chelated minerals for ruminants, swine, and poultry. Closest geographic and product peer to Società San Marco with similar premium positioning.
• Zinpro Corporation: The global leader in chelated trace minerals for animal nutrition, with its Performance Minerals line using similar amino acid chelation chemistry (methionine and lysine). Zinpro is the most direct competitor to Società San Marco's FORCE and POWER lines and serves the same livestock species globally.
• Novus International: Produces MINTREX chelated trace minerals (Zn, Cu, Mn) using hydroxy-analog chelation technology targeting the same poultry, swine, and ruminant producers. Direct competitor in the organic trace mineral category with similar bioavailability claims.
• Biochem Zusatzstoffe: German-based manufacturer of feed additives including chelated trace minerals, premixes, and specialty products for livestock. Competes directly with Società San Marco in the European organic trace mineral market with comparable technology positioning.

Broad incumbents

• dsm-firmenich (Animal Nutrition & Health): Major animal nutrition player offering Optimin organic trace minerals alongside vitamins, eubiotics, and mycotoxin binders. Serves the same global livestock producers with overlapping species coverage and competes across Società San Marco's full portfolio.
• Pancosma (ADM Animal Nutrition): Now part of ADM, Pancosma produces chelated trace minerals and specialty feed additives using glycinates and proteinates for global livestock markets. Direct overlap with Società San Marco's glycine-based FORCE chelate line.
• Kemin Industries: Global ingredient manufacturer with animal nutrition division offering chelated minerals, acidifiers, and gut health solutions. Targets the same species verticals (ruminants, poultry, swine, aquaculture) with broader product breadth.
• Phibro Animal Health: Diversified animal health and nutrition company offering mineral nutrition products alongside vaccines and pharmaceuticals. Competes with Società San Marco in trace mineral supplementation for poultry, swine, and cattle.
• Alltech: Global animal nutrition company with Bioplex chelated trace minerals alongside a much broader portfolio of feed additives, premixes, and yeast-based products. Competes with Società San Marco across ruminants, poultry, swine, and aquaculture segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_9Ie1ZniU0B9xQRQd9AHiQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/sanmarcopegognaga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/società-san-marco

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Società San Marco