Zerica

What Zerica does

Zerica (legal entity ZERICA s.r.l.) is a third-generation, family-owned Italian industrial company founded in 1931 as Frigotecnica Zerilli and headquartered at its manufacturing facility in Termini Imerese, Sicily. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures water coolers and beverage dispensers entirely in-house, producing countertop, under-sink, floor-standing, and built-in systems alongside juice dispensers (Sukko 5.0) and an automatic cocktail dispenser (Mix&Go!). Its technology stack rests on multiple patented systems — Silver Turbo Clean, HPDC (High Performance Direct Chill, patented 1987), Twin Chill, Pour Fast, Tap2Drink NFC, and Auxilia Box (2025) — and is unified by the SENSE touch interface and the Auxilia IoT platform for remote monitoring, diagnostics, and management.

The business model combines hardware sales across seven vertical segments (Ho.Re.Ca., offices, residential, industrial, education, wellness, and public spaces) with recurring IoT and consumables revenue. Pricing is opaque but follows a configurator-driven needs assessment, with Auxilia Box offered free of charge under a usage-based IoT billing model. Go-to-market combines a website-based product configurator, trade show presence (Host, Aquatech, Hospitality), an Authorized Service Center network for installation and maintenance, and an active Become a Partner program for distributors and installers, supporting distribution in more than 30 countries from offices in Termini Imerese (manufacturing and R&D) and Palermo (global sales).

Name

Zerica

Legal name

ZERICA s.r.l.

Website

https://zerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zerica is a third-generation, family-owned Italian manufacturer founded in 1931 that designs and produces in-house water coolers, juice dispensers, and cocktail dispensers under patented technologies, serving Ho.Re.Ca., offices, residential, industrial, education, wellness, and public-space customers across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Termini Imerese

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Dispenser Hardware Sales: Zerica manufactures and sells a comprehensive range of water dispensers including countertop, under-sink, floor-standing, and built-in systems. Products are priced through a configurator-based sales process.
2. IoT Services (Auxilia): Remote monitoring and management services through the Auxilia IoT platform. Auxilia Box hardware is provided free, with usage-based billing for connectivity and monitoring services.
3. Juice and Cocktail Dispensing Systems: Specialized dispensers for non-alcoholic beverages (Bevila Natura/Sukko) and cocktails (Mix&Go!) targeting the Ho.Re.Ca. sector.
4. Professional Services: Installation, maintenance, and technical support through a network of Authorized Service Centers (ASC), as well as spare parts and consumables (filters, CO2 cylinders).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zerica designs, engineers, and manufactures in-house at its Sicily facility a comprehensive range of smart water, juice, and cocktail dispensers for residential, hospitality, office, and public environments. The portfolio includes countertop, under-sink, floor-standing, built-in, and specialty beverage systems unified by patented refrigeration, sanitization, NFC, and IoT technologies. Revenue is generated through hardware sales, a partner/Authorized Service Center channel, and the Auxilia IoT subscription platform for remote monitoring and management.

Product overview

Zerica is an Italian company (founded 1931) that designs, engineers, and manufactures refrigeration systems and smart water/beverage dispensers entirely in-house at their Termini Imerese, Sicily headquarters. The product portfolio includes countertop dispensers (Supra SLIM 70/140, Supra 5.0, Supra SENSE, Sikelia mini 5.0, Sikelia mini SENSE, Sikelia 5.0), under-sink systems (You 80/150/260, Bar DROP 45/65/125, Risto 170, YouRo reverse osmosis), built-in units (i-Wall 5.0, i-Wall SENSE), floor-standing/wall-mounted dispensers (Futura, Zerilli, Pensile, Kaura), and specialty beverage products (Sukko 5.0 for juices, Mix&Go! for cocktails). The ecosystem is unified by proprietary technologies including Silver Turbo Clean, Direct Chill Ice Bank, HPDC, Pour Fast, Twin Chill, SENSE interface, and Tap2Drink NFC. IoT connectivity is provided through the Auxilia platform and Auxilia Box device. The company operates in over 30 countries serving residential, office, industrial, educational, hospitality, and public space segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REFRESH: Trademark brand owned by ZERICA s.r.l.

Quantifiable outcome

• Professional purification system capable of filling up to 22,000 water bottles per year per unit
• +4 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Waterlogic (now part of Culligan): Specialist in bottleless water coolers and dispensers with UV purification and IoT telemetry — directly comparable technology stack to Zerica's Silver Turbo Clean and Auxilia platforms across office and hospitality verticals.
• Elkay Manufacturing: Major US manufacturer of water coolers, drinking fountains, and bottle-filling stations — directly comparable to Zerica's floor-standing Zerilli and Pensile products, particularly in education, public spaces, and office segments.
• Brita (Brita SE): Manufacturer of water filtration pitchers, dispensers, and integrated solutions; competes directly with Zerica's residential and small-office dispensing portfolio with a strong consumer brand and global retail presence.
• Culligan International: Global leader in water treatment and dispensing with bottleless coolers, point-of-use filtration, and commercial water systems — directly competes with Zerica in Ho.Re.Ca., offices, and residential segments across multiple geographies.
• Quench (now part of Waterlogic/Culligan): US-focused office water cooler and dispenser specialist with managed service model — directly comparable to Zerica's office segment with similar subscription/usage-based billing approach to Auxilia IoT.
• Oasis International: Specialist in point-of-use water coolers and bottleless dispensers for offices, healthcare, and education — closely comparable product line and target segments to Zerica's office and institutional offerings.

Regional players

• Cosmetal S.r.l. (Celli Group): Italian manufacturer of water coolers and dispensers (part of Celli Group) — directly competes with Zerica across Ho.Re.Ca. and public spaces in Italy and Southern Europe with comparable product range.
• Laica S.p.A. Italian competitor specializing in home water filtration, ionizers, and small countertop dispensers — competes with Zerica's residential Supra and You product lines primarily in the Italian and broader European market.

Broad incumbents

• SodaStream (PepsiCo): Global home carbonation brand now owned by PepsiCo — adjacent to Zerica's sparkling water dispensers and cocktail Mix&Go! product; competes for the same consumer countertop sparkling water occasion with massive marketing scale.

Emerging players

• Bevi: US-based smart water dispenser startup offering IoT-connected, flavored sparkling water machines for offices — overlaps with Zerica's Supra/i-Wall/SENSE products in the modern workplace segment, with stronger software/cloud DNA.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ZERICA1931
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zerica-srl

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Zerica