What Serfruit does

Serfruit S.A. is a Spanish industrial automation company headquartered in Náquera (Valencia) that designs and delivers turnkey automation solutions for the fruit and vegetable sector and adjacent industries. Founded in 1990, the company engineers robotic palletizing systems, specialized packaging machinery (net packers, crate tippers, tub unpackers), and electronic calibration/sorting equipment distributed exclusively in Spain through a partnership with Aweta. It also develops custom control and dispatch software for real-time production monitoring and traceability.

The product portfolio targets the handling challenges of heterogeneous, seasonal fresh produce and spans dedicated lines for cucumbers (85% market share in Spain), lettuce (~99%), broccoli (~99%), peppers and citrus (40 tons/hour at the Hortamira flagship), tropical fruit (mango, kiwi, avocado, papaya), melons and watermelons (180 crates/hour), berries (600 boxes/hour), oranges (240 boxes/hour), and potato sacks (5–25 kg palletizing). Each project is custom-engineered, installed, and commissioned by Serfruit's own team, with after-sales support delivered through a 'Lean Maintenance' methodology that bundles corrective, preventive, predictive, proactive, and dedicated-team service modalities.

Serfruit monetizes primarily through one-time turnkey project sales priced per quote on multi-year contracts, supplemented by recurring after-sales maintenance revenue and Aweta hardware pass-through. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales complemented by event-driven demand generation, notably annual presence at Madrid's Fruit Attraction trade fair. The customer base is concentrated in Spanish agrifood (CASI, Hortamira, Primaflor, Verdifresh, Grefusa, Campofrío, Patatas Hijolusa, Patatas Meléndez, Udapa, TROPS, Jeronimo Martins) but the company states presence on five continents. In March 2022, Grupo Giró (a Barcelona-based mesh-packaging leader founded in 1925) acquired a majority stake in Serfruit and its service subsidiary Sersuport, consolidating over €170M in group turnover and approximately 800 employees across Spain, the USA, France, Mexico, Germany, and Italy while retaining original owners as directors.

Name

Serfruit

Legal name

SERFRUIT S.A.

Website

https://serfruit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Serfruit S.A. is a Spanish industrial automation company, headquartered in Náquera (Valencia), that designs turnkey robotic palletizing, packaging, and grading systems for fruit and vegetable processors in Spain and internationally; majority-owned by Grupo Giró since March 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Machinery

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (3333)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Conveying, Feeding & Accumulation Systems (Packaging Lines) (IMAHAOAK)

Keywords

• Industrial automation
• Robotic palletizing
• Fruit processing machinery
• Turnkey automation projects
• Post-harvest handling equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Náquera

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Turnkey automation projects: Custom-designed automation solutions sold as complete projects including engineering, equipment, installation, and commissioning. Revenue recognized from project delivery with significant customization per client requirement.
2. After-sales maintenance services: Ongoing maintenance contracts based on Lean Maintenance philosophy, including remote and on-site support, spare parts sales, and dedicated team services. Provides recurring revenue stream from existing client base.
3. Exclusive distribution (Aweta): Exclusive distribution rights for Aweta calibration and grading equipment in Spain, generating revenue from equipment sales and integration services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Serfruit S.A. designs, manufactures, and installs turnkey industrial automation projects, including robotic palletizing systems, net packing machines, crate tippers, tub unpackers, and electronic calibration/sorting equipment for fruit and vegetable processing facilities. The company delivers custom-engineered solutions covering the entire production process from raw material reception to finished product palletizing and dispatch, complemented by exclusive distribution of Aweta calibration systems in Spain and after-sales maintenance services based on Lean Maintenance methodology.

Product overview

Serfruit is an industrial automation company offering turnkey automation solutions for production processes across multiple sectors. The core offering consists of robotic palletizing systems, specialized processing equipment (net packing machines, crate tippers, tub unpackers), and calibration systems in partnership with Aweta. The company provides both equipment and custom control/dispatch software. Serfruit operates primarily in the fruit and vegetable sector (hortofrutícola) but has expanded to food industries (oil, drinks, meat, dairy, snacks, bakery, fresh-cut, convenience food) and non-food sectors (pharma, cosmetics, cellulose, chemicals, hardware). After-sales maintenance services using Lean Maintenance methodology complement the product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Turnkey Automation Projects (Proyectos Llave en Mano) Comprehensive custom-designed automation solutions covering the entire production process from raw material reception to finished product palletizing and dispatch. Projects include engineering, equipment, installation, and commissioning for industrial clients.
• Robotic Palletizing Systems

Quantifiable outcome

• Patatas Gómez doubled its production and workforce after automation investment of 3 million euros
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Grupo GiróflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Grupo Giró acquired the majority of Serfruit and Sersuport capital in March 2022. The integration creates a world leader in integral solutions for the fruit and vegetable industry, combining Giró's packaging expertise with Serfruit's automation capabilities. Grupo Giró, headquartered in Badalona (Barcelona), founded in 1925, is an inventor and world leader in mesh packaging with production centers in Spain, USA, and France, and commercial subsidiaries in USA, Mexico, Germany, and Italy. Serfruit's owners continue as partners and directors.
• AwetacoreTechnology or IntegrationSerfruit holds exclusive distribution rights for Aweta products in Spain. Aweta is a multinational company and reference in the fruit and vegetable sector, designing graders and calibration systems for precise product classification and quality control. The partnership integrates Aweta's electronic calibrators with computer vision into Serfruit's automation solutions.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JBT Corporation: JBT provides processing equipment and after-sales service for food and air transportation. Through acquisitions including FTNON and ProEx, JBT directly competes in fruit/vegetable handling and packaging automation similar to Serfruit's portfolio.
• Bühler Group: Bühler is a Swiss global plant and equipment manufacturer serving food, feed, and advanced materials. Its food processing, sorting, and handling portfolios overlap with Serfruit's palletizing and grading offerings for fruit, vegetable, and snack customers.
• Marel: Marel is an Iceland-based global leader in food processing equipment for meat, fish, and poultry with growing presence in produce. It is comparable as a broad incumbent offering turnkey automation solutions across fresh and processed food verticals where Serfruit also competes.
• TOMRA: TOMRA is a global leader in optical sorting, grading, and collection solutions across food, recycling, and mining. It competes with Serfruit/Aweta in fresh-produce calibration and is a broad incumbent whose portfolio overlaps with Serfruit's calibration-driven lines.
• GEA Group: GEA is a German global leader in machinery, plants, and process technology for food, dairy, beverage, and pharma. Its processing, separation, and packaging offerings overlap with Serfruit's food/non-food diversification strategy.

Direct peers

• Ellips (Elisam): Ellips develops optical sorting and grading technology for fruit and vegetables — directly competing with the Aweta calibration systems Serfruit exclusively distributes in Spain.
• KRONEN GmbH: KRONEN is a German specialist in salad, vegetable, and fresh-cut processing machinery — directly comparable to Serfruit's lettuce (~99% share), cucumber, and broccoli automation lines for European fresh produce customers.
• FTNON (JBT): FTNON designs and builds processing equipment for fresh-cut fruit, vegetables, and ready meals. Acquired by JBT, it is one of the closest direct peers to Serfruit in fresh-produce automation lines across Europe.
• Turatti Group: Turatti is an Italian manufacturer of customized processing equipment for fruits and vegetables. It is a direct peer with similar turnkey automation offerings for washing, sorting, and packing of fresh produce.
• Sormac: Sormac is a Dutch specialist in machines for cutting, washing, drying, and peeling vegetables. It competes directly with Serfruit in industrial vegetable processing lines for European agrifood customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/serfruit-s-a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Serfruit