Maxsul

What Maxsul does

Maxsul Distribuidora is a Brazilian fuel wholesaler founded in 1994 and headquartered in Chapecó, operating distribution bases across three Brazilian states. The company distributes gasoline (common and additized), ethanol (hydrated and anhydrous), diesel (S10 and S500 grades), and biodiesel (B100) to a network of branded fuel stations and direct fuel resellers. Its core business model combines a franchise program (bandeirados) — where station operators open new or convert existing stations to the Maxsul brand — with a direct reseller channel (revendedores) that purchases wholesale fuel for resale. Franchise investment is structured in tiers ranging from 0-300k up to 800k-1 million BRL under multi-year contracts, and franchisees receive comprehensive operational consulting, financial control support, equipment quality verification, and market trend analysis.

Maxsul is part of the broader Grupo Maxsul, which comprises five companies spanning fuel distribution (Maxsul Combustíveis), energy (Maxsul Energia), real estate (Firme), sports (Arena Max Sports), and appliances (Realce Eletrodomésticos). The company employs 251-500 people and has documented expansion milestones at 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2021. Its go-to-market relies on WhatsApp for direct sales inquiries, a company website for brand presence and franchise recruitment, and franchise/reseller program outreach as the primary B2B acquisition channel. Revenue is generated through fuel distribution margins (transaction-based) across its multi-state network.

Name

Maxsul

Legal name

Maxsul Distribuidora

Website

https://maxsulcombustiveis.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Maxsul is a Brazilian fuel wholesaler founded in 1994, headquartered in Chapecó, distributing gasoline, ethanol, diesel, and biodiesel across three states to franchise-branded stations and direct fuel resellers, with 251-500 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Fuel Distribution

NAICS

Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710), Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (4247), Gasoline Stations (4571), Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers (457)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum Bulk Stations & Terminals (5171), Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500), Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUALAIAB

Branded Fuels Wholesaling & Jobber Distribution

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Refining)/Downstream Fuels Marketing & Retail (Service Stations, Branded Fuels)

SECONDARYEUALAIAA

Retail Service Station Operations (Company-Owned & Dealer-Operated)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Refining)/Downstream Fuels Marketing & Retail (Service Stations, Branded Fuels)

Keywords

• Fuel distribution
• Gasoline wholesale
• Diesel supply
• Ethanol distribution
• Gas station franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapecó

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fuel Distribution: Maxsul generates revenue through the distribution and sale of fuels including gasoline (common and aditized), ethanol, and diesel (S10 and S500) to a network of fuel stations and direct resellers across Brazil.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maxsul Distribuidora is a Brazilian fuel wholesaler that distributes gasoline (common and additized grades), ethanol (hydrated EHC and anhydrous EAC), diesel (S10 and S500 grades), and biodiesel (B100) to a network of gas stations across three Brazilian states. It operates a bandeirado franchise program and direct revendedor (reseller) channel, providing station operators with operational consulting, financial control support, equipment quality verification, pricing strategy guidance, and market trend analysis. Sales are handled primarily through direct contact (WhatsApp) and the company's website, with franchise investments tiered from BRL 0 to 1 million.

Product overview

Maxsul is a Brazilian fuel distribution company operating a diversified portfolio of petroleum products and franchise services. The core offering consists of gasoline (common and additized), ethanol fuels (hydrated and anhydrous), diesel fuels (S10 and S500 grades), and biodiesel. The company operates a franchise program offering gas station owners specialized consulting, training, and operational support. Maxsul also operates as a group of 5 companies spanning fuel distribution, real estate (Firme), sports (Arena Max Sports), appliances (Realce Eletrodomésticos), and energy (Maxsul Energia), with distribution bases serving three states in Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gasolina Comum (Common Gasoline) Standard consumer gasoline (equivalent to Gasolina C, blended with anhydrous ethanol) distributed to gas stations across the company's service area for retail resale.
• Gasolina Aditivada (Additized Gasoline) Consumer gasoline formulated with additive packages for enhanced engine performance and cleaning, distributed to Maxsul-affiliated gas stations.
• Etanol Combustível (Ethanol Fuel) Ethanol fuel for flex-fuel vehicles, distributed as hydrated ethanol (EHC) for direct retail use and anhydrous ethanol (EAC) as a 27% blending component for gasoline.
• Diesel S10 Low-sulfur diesel (10 ppm sulfur) for commercial and passenger vehicles, distributed as finished Óleo Diesel B S10 with additive treatment for retail sale.
• Diesel S500 Diesel fuel with 500 ppm sulfur content, distributed as finished Óleo Diesel B S500 for retail sale to vehicles compatible with higher-sulfur diesel.
• Biodiesel B 100 Pure biodiesel (B100) supplied for blending with petroleum-based diesel in the fuel distribution chain.
• Franchise Program (Franqueado Maxsul / Bandeirado) Full franchise service for entrepreneurs who want to open a new Maxsul-branded gas station or rebrand/convert an existing one, with bundled consulting on operations, financial control, equipment quality verification, pricing strategy, and market trend analysis, plus continuous team training.
• Fuel Reseller Program (Revenda de Combustíveis / Revendedor) Direct B2B wholesale program for fuel resellers who want to purchase quality fuels (gasoline, ethanol, diesel) backed by Maxsul's brand reputation and distribution support, without joining the bandeirado franchise.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shell Brasil: Global oil major operating a large Brazilian downstream network, including the Shell V-Power brand distributed in part through Raízen. Competes with Maxsul for branded station conversion and fuel resale partnerships in Brazil.
• TotalEnergies Brasil: Global energy major with Brazilian downstream fuel and lubricant operations. Comparable to Maxsul as a branded fuel wholesaler in Brazil, but with broader energy portfolio and global backing.
• Vibra Energia (formerly BR Distribuidora): Brazil's largest fuel distributor, formerly Petrobras Distribuidora, with national logistics and a broad portfolio including lubricants and convenience retail. Overlaps with Maxsul's core wholesale distribution and franchise model but at vastly larger scale and as part of a wider portfolio.
• Petrobras: Brazilian state-controlled integrated oil company, the dominant upstream/refining player supplying much of the fuel Maxsul distributes. Indirect competitor/partner given Maxsul relies on Brazilian-sourced refined products, and sets baseline pricing dynamics.

Direct peers

• Ale Combustíveis: Brazilian regional fuel distributor operating branded gas stations and reseller programs across multiple states. Highly comparable to Maxsul in business model (wholesale + franchised retail) and mid-sized regional scope.
• Raízen: Cosan-Shell joint venture and one of Brazil's largest fuel distributors with a branded station network (Shell V-Power). Directly comparable to Maxsul as a wholesale distributor of branded fuels operating franchise/reseller and retail station channels across multiple Brazilian states.
• Ipiranga: Major Brazilian fuel distributor with a national network of branded gas stations and franchise model (Lojas AM/PM convenience stores). Comparable to Maxsul in branded wholesale distribution and franchised retail, but at significantly larger national scale.
• Gran Petro: Regional Brazilian fuel distributor with branded stations and fuel reseller programs. Closely comparable to Maxsul as a wholesale-to-franchised-retail fuel business serving SMB gas station operators in Brazil.

Others

• Ultrapar Participações: Brazilian holding company controlling Ipiranga and Ultragaz. Relevant comparable to Maxsul Group as a parent structure aggregating fuel distribution with other businesses, illustrating scaled multi-vertical Brazilian downstream models.
• Cosan (Raízen parent): Brazilian conglomerate holding Raízen and other energy/logistics assets. Adjacent comparability to Maxsul Group given its multi-vertical holding structure spanning fuel distribution and adjacent businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/firmeimob
• Facebookfacebook.com/maxsulcombustiveis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maxsulcombustiveis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 Maxsul