Gradus

What Gradus does

Gradus AD is a Bulgarian publicly listed holding company (BSE ticker: GR6/GRADUS) that operates a fully vertically integrated poultry production business founded in 1992 and headquartered in Sofia. Through eight wholly-owned subsidiaries, the group controls the complete production cycle: compound feed production (Gradus-3 AD in Nova Zagora), parent flock farming and hatching egg production (Gradus-98 AD in Chervena Voda, Ruse Region), broiler breeding and day-old-chick production (Millennium 2000 EOOD across Stara Zagora, Chirpan, Nova Zagora, and Yambol), meat processing and sales (Gradus-1 EOOD in Stara Zagora), and integrated transport and logistics (Gradus Logistics EOOD). Additional subsidiaries (Lora-2004 EOOD, Zhyuliv EOOD, Gold Farm 91 EOOD) round out the group structure.

The product portfolio spans four categories marketed under the Gradus brand: fresh products (whole chickens, breast fillets), frozen products (chicken wings and cuts), specialties (prepared chicken dishes), and sausages and delicacies (processed poultry items such as krenvirshi and kiofteta). Distribution is primarily direct to Bulgarian retail consumers and food service businesses, complemented by export sales through Gradus-1 EOOD. The company sells through traditional and digital channels, including its own corporate website, recipes portal, and social media presence on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, and maintains an investor relations portal on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange.

Gradus conducted its IPO on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange in 2019 and reported BGN 241.565 million in consolidated revenue and BGN 17.894 million in net profit for 2021. In 2024 the group announced approximately EUR 2.86 million in modernization capex across Millennium 2000 and Gradus-1, targeting automation, upgraded feeding systems, and capacity expansion. The group is a certified supplier following international audits completed in 2022, supporting export and food-service credibility. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the revenue model is unit-based sale of branded poultry products with no software, subscription, or licensing component.

Name

Gradus

Legal name

Gradus AD ("Градус" АД)

Website

https://gradus.bg

Company type

Public

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Gradus AD is a Bulgarian publicly listed, vertically integrated poultry producer founded in 1992. It operates a complete production chain from compound feed and breeding through meat processing and logistics, selling fresh, frozen, and processed chicken products to retail consumers and food service businesses in Bulgaria and selectively abroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poultry Production and Meat Processing

NAICS

Poultry Processing (311615), Broilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (112320)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Primary Poultry Processing (Slaughtering, Evisceration & Chilling) (AFANACAA)

Keywords

• Poultry production
• Meat processing
• Animal feed manufacturing
• Poultry breeding
• Food manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Poultry product sales: Sale of fresh, frozen, and processed poultry products including whole chickens, fillets, wings, sausages, and delicacies. Revenue from both domestic Bulgarian market and export markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gradus is a vertically integrated Bulgarian poultry producer that owns and operates a fodder plant, hatchery, broiler farms, and a meat processing plant. The company produces and sells fresh, frozen, and processed poultry products — including whole chickens, fillets, wings, sausages, and delicacies — under the Gradus brand to Bulgarian retail consumers and food service customers, with additional export capability.

Product overview

Gradus is a Bulgarian poultry production company operating as a vertically integrated agribusiness. The company offers a unified product portfolio of poultry products across four main categories: Fresh Products (whole chickens, fillets), Frozen Products (wings, frozen cuts), Specialties (prepared chicken dishes), and Sausages & Delicacies (processed poultry products). These products are sold under the Gradus brand through retail channels in Bulgaria. The company operates through subsidiaries including Millennium 2000 (hatching eggs, day-old chicks, fattening broilers), Gradus-1 (processing and sales), Gradus-3 (compound feed production), Gradus-98 (hatching eggs production), and Gradus Logistics (transport/logistics).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh Products (Пресни продукти) Fresh poultry product category including whole chickens and chicken fillets, sold to Bulgarian retail consumers and food service customers.
• Frozen Products (Замразени продукти) Frozen poultry category including frozen chicken wings and other frozen chicken parts for extended shelf life.
• Specialties (Специалитети) Specialty poultry products and prepared chicken dishes with higher added value.
• Sausages and Delicacies (Колбаси и деликатеси) Processed poultry sausages and delicacies that extend the portfolio into processed meat products.
• Chicken Wings (Пилешки крила) Featured fresh or frozen chicken wing product.
• Fresh Chicken Fillet (Прясно пилешко филе) Featured fresh boneless chicken breast fillet, positioned as a premium poultry product.
• Fresh Whole Chicken (Прясно пиле) Featured fresh whole chicken, the core Gradus product offering.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Millennium 2000 EOODcoreOthersSubsidiary focused on poultry industry - breeders' production and sale of hatching eggs, day-old chicks, and fattening broilers. Production facilities in Stara Zagora, Chirpan, Nova Zagora, and Yambol.
• Gradus-3 ADcoreOthersSubsidiary active in production of compound feed for own needs and trade in grains and cereals. Fodder plant located in Nova Zagora.
• Gradus-98 ADcoreOthersSubsidiary producing hatching eggs from its own parental flocks. Farm located in village of Chervena Voda, Ruse Region.
• Gradus Logistics EOODcoreOthersSubsidiary integrating the transport activity of the Gradus Group. The company rents vehicles for distribution.
• Gradus-1 EOODcoreOthersSubsidiary that processes and sells poultry products in the country and abroad. Meat processing plant located in Stara Zagora.
• Lora-2004 EOODminorOthersSubsidiary within Gradus Group corporate structure.
• Zhyuliv EOODminorOthersSubsidiary within Gradus Group corporate structure.
• Gold Farm 91 EOODminorOthersSubsidiary within Gradus Group corporate structure.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tyson Foods: Largest US vertically integrated poultry (and broader protein) producer with in-house feed, breeding, processing and distribution. Comparable business model and customer base (retail + food service), though at vastly greater scale.
• Maple Leaf Foods: Canadian vertically integrated protein company with poultry and prepared-meat operations serving retail and food service. Comparable mix of fresh, processed and specialty protein products with strong brand orientation.
• Pilgrim's Pride: Pure-play chicken processor (JBS-controlled) operating integrated poultry assets across the US, UK and Europe. Directly comparable product portfolio of fresh, frozen and prepared chicken sold to retail and foodservice.
• Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF): Thai integrated agri-food company with significant poultry operations spanning feed, breeder farms, hatcheries, processing and cooked/ready-meat products. Closest international analogue for Gradus's closed-loop vertically integrated model.
• PHW Group (Wiesenhof): German vertically integrated poultry group producing feed, breeding, processing and branded fresh chicken (Wiesenhof) for retail and food service across Western Europe. Direct comparable for Gradus's integrated European operations.
• Plukon Food Group: Dutch-based integrated poultry processor with plants across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Eastern Europe serving retail private-label and branded fresh chicken. Comparable geographic reach into Central/Eastern Europe.
• Perdue Farms: US privately held integrated poultry producer focused on premium fresh chicken, prepared foods and pet treats. Comparable premium fresh-product positioning and emphasis on specialty/added-value processed items.
• Amadori: Italian integrated poultry company covering the full chain from feed to processed chicken specialties for retail and food service. Closest size and product-mix analogue within Southern Europe.
• 2 Sisters Food Group: UK-headquartered integrated poultry and prepared-food producer supplying major UK grocers and food-service operators. Comparable branded and private-label fresh and processed poultry business model.

Broad incumbents

• JBS S.A. Global protein giant (beef, pork, poultry) with poultry operations through Pilgrim's Pride and Seara. Larger incumbent with overlapping poultry processing capabilities and similar vertical-integration playbook.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXXI7Z_NYVmyDBGPQaivyqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/GradusChicken
• Instagraminstagram.com/gradus_chicken
• Xx.com/gradus_bg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Gradus