KOTO
KOTO d.o.o. is a Slovenian environmental services company founded in 1947 that holds the national concession for collecting and processing Category 1 and 2 animal by-products, serving food processors, hospitality businesses, and municipalities, while producing biogas, biomethane, rendered proteins, and animal fats from biological waste.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersLjubljana, Slovenia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KOTO does
KOTO d.o.o. is a privately held Slovenian environmental services company, established in 1947 and headquartered in Ljubljana, that operates under a government concession as the sole licensed collector and processor of Category 1 and 2 animal by-products in Slovenia. The company runs an integrated waste-to-value chain that includes own-collection fleet operations, processing of animal by-products into rendered proteins (meat-bone meal), animal fats, and hides, and a proprietary biogas plant that converts biodegradable catering and food waste into green electricity and heat. KOTO is currently upgrading its anaerobic digestion capability toward biomethane production for injection into the natural gas distribution network via a partnership with Energetika Ljubljana, and is co-developing black soldier fly bioconversion and digestate-based soil improvers through EU consortia including Waste4Soil, ECOLE, and EIP ŽuŽ.
The company serves three primary customer segments: registered food-processing establishments (regulated by concession contract), hospitality and food-service businesses (restaurants, catering, hotels), and municipalities/public institutions processing wastewater treatment residuals. Revenue is generated through a combination of concession-based managed service fees for animal by-product collection, transaction-based sales of processed proteins/fats/hides as commodities, energy sales (biogas-derived electricity, heat, and future biomethane), and used cooking oil collection services marketed through a proprietary web portal. KOTO maintains certifications across ISO 9001, ISO 14001 (since 1999), HACCP, SMETA (renewed January 2025), EU ISCC, and Italian CERTIFICATO INS, and has been consecutively awarded the Dun & Bradstreet Golden Creditworthiness Excellence (2021, 2022), placing it in the top 1.11% of Slovenian companies.
KOTO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KOTO
- Legal name
- KOTO d. o. o.
- Website
- https://koto.si
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- KOTO d.o.o. is a Slovenian environmental services company founded in 1947 that holds the national concession for collecting and processing Category 1 and 2 animal by-products, serving food processors, hospitality businesses, and municipalities, while producing biogas, biomethane, rendered proteins, and animal fats from biological waste.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KOTO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Waste Management Services
- NAICS
- Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Waste Collection (56211)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Meat Packing Plants (2011)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bio-based Animal Feed Ingredients & Nutrition Co-products (e.g., DDGS, protein meals, yeast) (EUAAAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Insect & Live Feed (Crickets, Mealworms, Feeder Roaches) (AFADAFAM), Food Safety & Veterinary Public Health (Meat/Milk Inspection) (HLAMAJAJ)
Keywords
Where KOTO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ljubljana
- HQ country
- Slovenia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
KOTO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Animal By-products Processing Services: Collection and processing of animal by-products category 1 and 2 under government concession, providing safe disposal services to registered establishments
- Processed Animal Proteins and Fats: Sale of processed meat and bone meal and rendered animal fats as products to customers
- Biogas/Electricity and Heat Production: Generation and sale of green electricity and heat from biogas produced at own biogas plant
- Biomethane Production: Production of biomethane for supply to natural gas distribution network
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
KOTO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KOTO provides waste management and animal by-product processing services in Slovenia under a government concession. The company collects and safely processes Category 1 and 2 animal by-products from registered establishments, collects biodegradable waste and used cooking oils from the hospitality sector, and processes these materials at its own biogas plant to produce green electricity, heat, and planned biomethane. Additional offerings include processed animal proteins (meat bone meal), animal fats, hides, and participation in EU circular economy research projects.
Product overview
KOTO is a Slovenian waste management and circular economy company operating since 1947. The core offering consists of collection and processing services for animal by-products (Category 1 and 2) under government concession, biodegradable waste management via their own biogas plant, and used cooking oil collection. The product portfolio includes processed animal proteins (meat bone meal), animal fats, and hides. The company produces biogas and is developing biomethane production capability. R&D activities include EU-funded projects for insect bioconversion technology and soil improvers from digestate. A proprietary web application enables customers to order and schedule waste collection services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Collection and Processing of Animal By-Products (Category 1 and 2) Safe collection and processing of Category 1 and 2 animal by-products from registered food processing facilities, ensuring environmental and veterinary regulatory compliance. Performed under exclusive government concession in Slovenia.
- Processed Animal Proteins (Meat Bone Meal) High-quality processed animal proteins including meat bone meal, tailored to specific customer requirements for feed applications.
- Rendered Animal Fats and Fat Mixtures Premium-quality rendered animal fats and fat mixtures, customized to specific customer requirements for further industrial use.
- Animal Hides Collection and processing of animal hides as by-products from rendering operations, sold to commercial customers.
- Used Cooking Oil Collection Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150 tonnes of animal waste processed daily in Slovenia
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use KOTO
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
KOTO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
KOTO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Energetika LjubljanacoreCooperation agreement for biomethane production. KOTO produces biomethane which Energetika Ljubljana supplies to the natural gas distribution network. Jointly enabling locally produced biomethane for charging trucks and automobiles at public charging stations.
- Waste4Soil ConsortiumstrategicOne of 28 European partners in the Waste4Soil project focused on turning food waste into sustainable soil improvers. Project involves Soil Health Living Labs and aims to develop 10 technological solutions for processing food processing residues.
- ECOLE Project ConsortiumstrategicEuropean project with Regional Development Agency Ljubljana Urban Region (RRA LUR) and partners from Italy, Germany, Austria, and France, focusing on strengthening circular economy in industrial zones through used cooking oil collection and valorization.
- EIP ŽUŽ Project Partnersstrategic13 partners including farms, universities (University of Ljubljana), agricultural institutes (KGZS), and companies participating in insect bioconversion technology development for valorizing agricultural by-products.
- RRA LUR (Regional Development Agency Ljubljana Urban Region)strategicPartnership for ECOLE project focusing on circular economy solutions in the Zalog industrial zone, specifically for used cooking oil collection from households.
- SloH2U (Slovenian Hydrogen Initiative)strategicKOTO joined the Slovenian hydrogen initiative to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and explore compressed methane powered vehicle fleet options.
Scale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KOTO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leo Group: UK-based rendering and waste-to-product group operating ABP processing, fats, proteins, and biodiesel. Closely comparable to KOTO across rendering, fat/protein products, and downstream biofuel valorization of waste streams.
- Valley Proteins: Rendering company converting animal by-products into proteins, fats, and yellow grease with a strong used cooking oil collection business. Directly comparable to KOTO's mix of ABP processing, rendered products, and cooking oil collection.
- Darling Ingredients: Global rendering and specialty ingredients company producing proteins, fats, and renewable diesel feedstock from animal by-products. Highly comparable to KOTO's rendering, fat sales, and renewable energy (biogas) revenue streams, though at much larger scale.
- EnviTec Biogas: European operator and builder of biogas plants processing agricultural and organic waste into electricity, heat, and biomethane. Directly comparable to KOTO's anaerobic digestion, biogas-to-energy, and biomethane upgrade strategy.
- Baker Commodities: US-based renderer collecting and processing animal by-products into tallow, meat and bone meal, and used cooking oil products. Directly comparable to KOTO's rendering output, used cooking oil collection, and fat/protein product mix.
- SARIA Group: European market leader in animal by-product rendering and protein recycling, with vertically integrated biodiesel, biogas, and pet food ingredient production. Closely comparable to KOTO in core ABP processing, fat/protein output, and biogas-linked energy generation.
Broad incumbents
- REMONDIS: Major international waste and recycling services group with European-scale collection, treatment, and material recovery operations. Comparable to KOTO's collection and biodegradable waste processing activities, though REMONDIS operates across many waste streams rather than specializing in ABP.
- Veolia: Global environmental services group active across waste collection, treatment, and energy recovery. Overlaps with KOTO's waste management and biogas activities as part of a much broader portfolio, but does not focus on Slovenia's ABP Category 1/2 niche.
Emerging players
- InnovaFeed: Insect protein producer using black soldier fly to convert agricultural by-products into feed ingredients. Directly comparable to KOTO's EIP ŽUŽ insect bioconversion project, though InnovaFeed is more advanced commercially.
- Protix: Dutch insect protein company producing black soldier fly larvae for animal feed and frass for soil improvement. Comparable to KOTO's insect bioconversion R&D direction and to its digestate/soil improver development within the Waste4Soil project.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KOTO social profiles
Digital presenceKOTO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
KOTO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KOTO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
KOTO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KOTO 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 KOTO
What does KOTO do?
KOTO provides waste management and animal by-product processing services in Slovenia under a government concession. The company collects and safely processes Category 1 and 2 animal by-products from registered establishments, collects biodegradable waste and used cooking oils from the hospitality sector, and processes these materials at its own biogas plant to produce green electricity, heat, and planned biomethane. Additional offerings include processed animal proteins (meat bone meal), animal fats, hides, and participation in EU circular economy research projects.
Is KOTO a public or private company?
KOTO is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was KOTO founded?
KOTO was founded in 1947. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is KOTO based?
KOTO is headquartered in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in the Europe region.
How does KOTO make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Animal By-products Processing Services are the primary driver. The others are processed Animal Proteins and Fats, biogas/Electricity and Heat Production and biomethane Production.
Who are KOTO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leo Group, Valley Proteins, Darling Ingredients, EnviTec Biogas, Baker Commodities and SARIA Group. Broad incumbents are REMONDIS and Veolia. Emerging players are InnovaFeed and Protix.
Does KOTO have an API?
No public API is recorded for KOTO.
What industry is KOTO in?
KOTO's product category is Environmental Waste Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAAAIAI, Bio-based Animal Feed Ingredients & Nutrition Co-products (e.g., DDGS, protein meals, yeast), with a secondary code of AFADAFAM, Insect & Live Feed (Crickets, Mealworms, Feeder Roaches). Its NAICS code is 3116 and its SIC code is 4953.