What Caporaso does

Caporaso AG is a family-owned Swiss importer and distributor of Italian specialty foods, headquartered in Würenlingen and operating nationally since 1982. The company sources directly from more than 80 Italian producers across regions and curates a catalog of over 1,800 SKUs spanning fresh and frozen pasta, cheeses, cured meats, olive oils, wines, canned tomatoes, spices, and desserts. It serves Swiss gastronomy (restaurants, pizzerias, hotels, caterers) and retail (specialty food stores, shops) via a field sales team covering all cantons, supplemented by an online shop (hogashop.ch), telephone, email, and customer-specific system integrations. Exclusive Swiss distribution arrangements include the Biscardo Trilogie wine collection (from Biscardo Vini) and the Surgital fresh pasta line.

The company's core physical asset is a proprietary three-temperature zone logistics fleet (frozen, chilled, ambient) that delivers nationwide, with order cutoff discipline (14:00 prior day for own logistics) and tiered delivery pricing (CHF 50 transport fee below CHF 800 order value, free above). A second warehouse was added in 2009 and the headquarters relocated in 2017 to Industriestrasse 27, Würenlingen, where ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 22000 (food safety) certifications were achieved the same year. Warehouse logistics were digitized in 2019, supporting monthly product additions to the assortment.

Revenue is generated through transactional product markup on B2B distribution, with order economics structured around a CHF 300 minimum order and a CHF 30 small-quantity surcharge. The company employs 45+ people (as of 2023) and is led by owner-CEO Walter Caporaso (second generation) alongside CFO/COO Elena Vena and a department-head structure covering HR, internal sales & purchasing, logistics, IT, external sales & digital sales, and key account management. Ownership remains private and family-controlled; no external funding, M&A, or capital-markets activity is disclosed.

Name

Caporaso

Legal name

Caporaso AG

Website

https://caporaso.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caporaso AG is a family-owned Swiss importer and distributor of Italian specialty foods, sourcing directly from 80+ Italian producers to deliver an 1,800+ SKU assortment to gastronomy and retail customers across Switzerland via its own temperature-controlled logistics fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Food Distribution / Specialty Food Import

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & International Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Ethnic Grocery Wholesale (AFAIABAJ), Ethnic Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Italian food distribution
• Specialty food importer
• B2B food wholesaler
• Gastronomy supply
• Cold chain logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Würenlingen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Italian Food Product Distribution: Import and distribution of Italian food specialties (over 1,800 products) to gastronomy and retail customers across Switzerland. Revenue generated through product markup and distribution fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Caporaso AG imports and distributes Italian specialty food products to gastronomy and retail businesses across Switzerland. The company offers over 1,800 products sourced directly from more than 80 Italian producers, distributed via its own three-temperature zone logistics fleet and a B2B online shop, with personalized consultation and flexible ordering options.

Product overview

Caporaso AG is a family-owned importer and distributor of Italian specialty foods serving the Swiss foodservice and retail sectors since 1982. The company operates a broad portfolio organized around a main product catalog of over 1,800 Italian specialty food items spanning more than 50 product categories, including fresh and frozen pasta, Italian cheeses, cured meats, olive oils, vinegars, wines, canned tomatoes, spices, desserts, and non-food items. Key branded sub-portfolios include the Biscardo Trilogie wine collection (Neropasso, Oropasso, Rosapasso) and the Surgital fresh pasta line featuring products like Bottoni with buffalo stracciatella and basil. Products are sourced through direct partnerships with Italian manufacturers and distributed across Switzerland via the company's own temperature-controlled logistics fleet. Customers place orders through a web shop, telephone, email, or customer-specific system connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caporaso Product Catalog (1,800+ Italian Specialty Items) Over 1,800 Italian specialty food products spanning more than 50 categories including fresh and frozen pasta, Italian cheeses, cured meats, olive oils, vinegars, wines, canned tomatoes, spices, desserts, and non-food items, sourced directly from Italian producers and sold to Swiss gastronomy and retail businesses.
• Biscardo Trilogie Wine Collection A wine collection from Biscardo Vini of Verona comprising three wines: Neropasso (red Cuvée), Oropasso (white from Garganega and Chardonnay), and Rosapasso (rosé from Pinot Nero). Caporaso holds exclusive distribution rights for Switzerland, targeting gastronomy and retail customers.
• Surgital Fresh Pasta Line A range of fresh Italian pasta products from Surgital including filled pasta varieties such as Bottoni with buffalo stracciatella and basil, Divine Creazioni, Fiordiprimi, and Laboratorio Tortellini lines, targeted at foodservice, pizzerias, and take-away businesses.
• hogashop.ch Online Ordering Platform A B2B e-commerce platform (hogashop.ch) that allows registered gastronomy and retail customers to browse the 1,800+ Italian specialty product catalog and place orders online, with delivery scheduled via the company's own three-temperature zone fleet.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deliveries throughout Switzerland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Biscardo VinicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive distribution partner for Switzerland for the Biscardo Trilogie wines (Neropasso, Oropasso, Rosapasso). Caporaso is the exclusive Swiss market partner for this Verona-based family winery with 150+ years of tradition.
• SurgitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian partner for fresh pasta, filled pasta, and frozen Italian specialty products. Regular tasting events and product introductions. Products include Divine Creazioni, Fiordiprimi, Laboratorio Tortellini, and other product lines.
• Italian Producers (80+ brands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect partnerships with over 80 selected Italian producers across all regions of Italy. Includes producers of cheeses (Mussini, Caseificio Palazzo), wines, oils, pastas, meats, and specialty products. Partners listed include: Mussini, Aeschlimann, Alo Puglia, Amalfi Lemon, Base Pizza, Bepi Tosolini, Biscardo, Borghini, Borsari, Busti, Campari, Caputo, Casa Gelato, Casearia Cioffi, Cavalier Pepe, CGM, Ciao, Collesi, Cuboxal, Daidone, De Cecco, Defendi, Delizie di Calabria, Castelli, Effepi, Facino, Fattorie Garofalo, Ferreli, Flea, GECA, Gidis, Granterre, Greci, Grissinificio BO, Inaudi, Kimbo, La Mole, Pasta di Camerino, Latteria Soresina, Latticini Orchidea, Le Chiantigiane, Limonta, Marepi, Muehlebach, Murgella, Novella, Oleificio Coppini, Olitalia, Paschetta, Pastificio Ducato d'Amalfi, Quattro Portoni, Raspini, Riso Margherita, Rocca dei Forti, Rodolfi, Salderiso, San Giorgio, Sardine Pollastrini, Schweitzer Rheinsalinen, SI-FOR, Surgital, Terra del Tuono, Terre dei Trulli, Valcolatte, Zuckermuehle, Zueger, and many others.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Surgital: Italian fresh and frozen pasta manufacturer (Divine Creazioni, Fiordiprimi, Laboratorio Tortellini) that supplies Caporaso and competes with other pasta brands for shelf space in Swiss foodservice. Comparable as an Italian producer whose products Caporaso distributes exclusively in Switzerland.
• Pastificio Lucio Garofalo: Italian premium dry pasta manufacturer with strong presence in foodservice distribution across Europe. Comparable to brands in Caporaso's catalog (e.g., De Cecco) as a competing Italian pasta line on Swiss restaurant menus.
• Giovanni Rana: Italian fresh and filled pasta manufacturer with global distribution including Switzerland. Comparable to Surgital as a competing fresh pasta supplier into the same Swiss pizzeria and restaurant channels that Caporaso serves.
• Pedrazzoli SA: Swiss importer/distributor of Mediterranean and Italian specialty foods to foodservice and retail customers. Highly comparable to Caporaso in target customer, product category, and B2B wholesale model, and a head-to-head competitor for Italian SKUs in Switzerland.

Broad incumbents

• Saviva AG: Migros-owned foodservice distribution company supplying restaurants, hotels, and catering across Switzerland. Comparable as a broad-line Swiss foodservice distributor whose one-stop-shopping model competes directly with single-category specialists like Caporaso.
• Galbani: Lactalis-owned Italian cheese and dairy brand distributed globally including Switzerland. Comparable as a large incumbent Italian dairy brand whose products overlap with Caporaso's cheese assortment and compete for the same foodservice accounts.
• De Cecco: Major Italian premium pasta manufacturer (one of Caporaso's 80+ producer partners) with global foodservice and retail distribution. Comparable as both a partner and a competing Italian pasta brand on the same Swiss customer menus.
• Transgourmet Schweiz: Coop-owned broad-line foodservice distributor serving Swiss gastronomy and retail. Overlaps with Caporaso in Italian specialty distribution but offers a far broader assortment, IT integrations, and chain-account capabilities, positioning it as a competitor for larger foodservice accounts.
• Fratelli Beretta: Italian charcuterie and cured meats producer distributing through foodservice and retail in Europe. Comparable as a broad Italian food brand with overlapping presence in Swiss retail and gastronomy alongside Caporaso's assortment.

Emerging players

• Oleificio Carli: Italian olive oil and condiment producer distributing direct to consumers and foodservice in Europe. Comparable as a smaller Italian branded food producer whose oils and condiments overlap with Caporaso's assortment in Swiss specialty retail and gastronomy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CaporasoAG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caporaso-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/caporaso_ag

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Caporaso