Mealberry GmbH

Name

Mealberry GmbH

Legal name

Mealberry GmbH

Website

https://mealberry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mealberry GmbH is a German specialty pet product manufacturer selling natural, species-specific food, treats, and care products under the RIO (birds), Little One (small mammals), Little One Green Valley (grain-free), and Longside (horses) brands through wholesale and retail distribution in over 40 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Food and Treats

NAICS

Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Bird Food (CRADAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Animal Food (rabbit/guinea pig/hamster) (CRADAFAJ), Pet Food Toppers, Mixers & Broths (AFADAFAN)

Keywords

• Pet food manufacturing
• Bird feed products
• Small mammal nutrition
• Horse bonding treats
• Grain-free pet food

Headquarters

HQ city

Treuen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pet Food and Treats Sales: Manufacturing and sale of pet food, treats, and care products under RIO (birds), Little One (small mammals), Little One Green Valley (grain-free small mammal), and Longside (horses) brands through wholesale and retail distribution channels.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mealberry GmbH manufactures and sells species-specific pet food, treats, and care products at its ISO-certified facility in Treuen, Germany. The portfolio covers birds (RIO brand), small mammals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, and rodents (Little One and Little One Green Valley brands), and horses (Longside brand), distributed through wholesale partners and pet retail outlets across more than 40 countries.

Product overview

Mealberry GmbH is a German pet product manufacturer with a portfolio of four distinct brands. The core products are physical consumables: bird food and treats under the RIO brand (daily feeds, moulting feeds, sticks, rings, biscuits, accessories), small mammal food and treats under Little One (feeds, snacks, hay products, bathing sand, treat-toys), grain-free fibrefood under Little One Green Valley sub-brand, and horse bonding treats under the Longside brand. The RIO brand also includes accessories like sepia shells, bird sand, grit mixtures, and pet carriers. All products are manufactured at the company's facility in Treuen, Germany, with a focus on natural ingredients and quality control including ISO certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RIO: Bird food, treats, care products, vitamin and mineral supplements
• Little One
• Little One Green Valley
• Longside

Products and services

• RIO Brand RIO is a Mealberry brand offering daily feeds, moulting-period feeds, treats (sticks, rings, biscuits), vitamin and mineral supplements, and accessories (sepia shells, bird sand, grit mixtures, pet carriers) for budgies, parakeets, parrots, canaries, conures, quakers, and other bird species.
• Little One Brand Little One is a Mealberry brand offering feeds, treats/snacks, hay products, bathing sand, and treat-toys for hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice, chinchillas, gerbils, degus, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks.
• Little One Green Valley Sub-brand Little One Green Valley is a sub-brand of Little One offering grain-free fibrefood for small animals, including fully edible sticks and grass food made from 60 varieties of meadow grasses.
• Longside Brand Longside is a Mealberry brand of natural bonding treats for horses, grain-free and sugar-free, oven-baked at low temperatures from 60 types of meadow grasses, designed to build trust and emotional connection between humans and horses.
• RIO Daily Feed for Budgies Complete daily feed for budgies containing 11 ingredients including Niger seeds, linseeds, algae, and calcium granules (12% protein, 6% fats).
• RIO Moulting Period Feed for Budgies Specialized moulting-period feed for budgies with 12.6% protein and 8% fat, containing 12 ingredients including black millet, sesame seeds, algae, and linseed.
• RIO Sticks Range RIO Sticks are oven-baked treats for birds available in species-specific formulations covering budgies, parakeets, parrots, canaries, and other pet bird categories.
• RIO Treats in Jars RIO Treats in Jars are convenient jar-format treats designed to complement the daily diet of budgies, parakeets, and parrots.
• RIO Sorghum Sprays RIO Sorghum Sprays are natural hand-harvested treats packaged as a set of three variety sorghum sprays, intended for cockatiels, lovebirds, caiques, African Greys, and cockatoos.
• RIO Happy Ring for Parakeets RIO Happy Ring is a treat-toy with a beech wood base containing seeds and tropical fruit (banana, orange, pineapple, kiwi) designed to stimulate natural foraging behavior in parakeets.
• RIO Eggfood for Parakeets and Parrots RIO Eggfood is a multi-coloured extruded food containing spirulina, chilli, and turmeric (19% protein, 10% oils and fats) using natural coloring agents for parakeets and parrots.
• RIO Sunflower Seeds Natural sunflower seed treat for birds, packaged in 1 kg units, rich in protein and fats.
• RIO Sepia Shell Cuttlefish bone supplement containing over 85% easily absorbable calcium for strengthening birds' beak, bones, plumage, and eggshell density; available in M and XL sizes.
• RIO Grit Mixture for Digestion Mineral feed containing seashells, limestone, redstone, Cambrian clay, cedar nut shells, and charcoal that aids grinding hard seeds and supplies calcium, phosphorus, and sodium for birds.
• RIO Bird Sand with Eucalyptus Extract Sterilized white quartz sand with seashells and eucalyptus oil, providing anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and disinfecting properties while preventing parasites and neutralizing odors.
• RIO Vitamin and Mineral Pellets Vitamin and mineral supplement complex with vitamins A, D3, E, B-group plus iron, zinc, iodine, and selenium, added at 10% to main feed daily for budgies and parakeets.
• RIO Cardboard Pet Carrier Colorful three-layer corrugated cardboard pet carrier with ventilation holes and a wide handle for safe transportation of birds.
• Little One Feed for Guinea Pigs Complete feed for guinea pigs available in 400g, 900g, 2.3kg, and 15kg packaging sizes.
• Little One Green Valley Fibrefood for Guinea Pigs Grain-free fibrefood containing 60 varieties of meadow grasses for guinea pigs, packaged in 750g units.
• Little One Feed for Hamsters Complete feed for hamsters available in a 20kg packaging size.
• Little One Feed for Dwarf Hamsters Specialized feed formulation intended for dwarf hamsters.
• Little One Hay Roll with Aromatic Cornflower Meadow hay twisted into a roll format with cornflower petals for herbivorous pets (rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, degus), packaged in 100g units to support gastrointestinal health.
• Little One Hay Roll with Sweet Red Pepper Meadow hay twisted into a roll format with sweet red pepper topping as a natural source of vitamin C for herbivorous pets, packaged in 100g units.
• Little One Biscuits with Crunchy Gammarus Oven-baked biscuits topped with gammarus for omnivorous small mammals (hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils), packaged as 5 individually wrapped biscuits of 7g each.
• Little One Bathing Sand for Chinchillas Volcanic-ash-based bathing sand formulated for chinchillas and other small pets requiring dust baths.
• Little One Mountain Hay Mountain hay for small herbivorous pets, available plain or with dandelion or camomile variants.
• Little One Treats in Jars Little One Treats in Jars are small-mammal treats packaged in jars (Fruit Mix, Puffed Grains, Vegetable Mix, Vitamin C, Berry Mix variants) with improved recipes.
• Longside Bonding Treats - Healthy Herbs Grain-free and sugar-free oven-baked horse treats made from 60 types of meadow grasses with healthy herbs, crunchy texture for bonding rewards.
• Longside Bonding Treats - Tasty Cherry Grain-free, sugar-free horse treat with cherry flavor, made from 60 types of meadow grasses; approximately 30 treats per pack.
• Longside Bonding Treats - Aromatic Fenugreek Horse treat with nutty-and-spicy fenugreek flavor containing 100% natural ingredients with no sugar, preservatives, artificial colors, or GMOs.
• Longside Bonding Treats - Garden Apple Horse treat with garden apple flavor intended for daily walks, rewards, transportation, and veterinary procedures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% insect eradication rate achieved through CARBO technology

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DistrivetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistrivet serves as the distribution partner for Mealberry in the Iberian market (Spain and Portugal). They presented together at Iberzoo exhibition in Madrid, showcasing RIO, Little One, and Longside brands.
• Tom&CocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTom&Co organized an Inhouse Event for their clients and business partners in Belgium, where Mealberry participated. Represents partnership for Belgian market distribution.
• Federal Center for Biological Research in Agriculture and ForestryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated in testing the CARBO carbonic acid pressure disinfestation equipment for product safety and quality assurance.
• Animal Protection Institute BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the institute for testing and approval of the CARBO pressure disinfestation technology.
• Federal Health Office and Federal Environment Agency of GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARBO equipment developed by a German company was approved by German Federal Health Office and Federal Environment Agency.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Imazo: Polish pet food manufacturer with bird, small mammal, and reptile food lines. Comparable in size and category focus to Mealberry, primarily serving Central and Eastern European markets.

Direct peers

• Horslyx: UK manufacturer of horse licks and treats. Specializes in equine treats and supplementation, directly comparable to Mealberry's Longside product positioning.
• Versele-Laga: Belgian manufacturer of bird food, small mammal food, and pet care products. Closest direct competitor with nearly identical product categories (bird feeds, treats, supplements, small mammal nutrition) and similar European distribution model.
• Spillers: UK equine nutrition brand with horse feed, treats, and horse-specific supplements. Comparable to Longside's positioning at the premium-natural end of the equine treats market.
• Dodson & Horrell: UK-based equine nutrition brand offering horse feed, treats, and supplements. Direct competitor to Mealberry's newly launched Longside horse treats line in the European equine category.
• JR Farm: German family-owned manufacturer of bird, small mammal, and reptile food. Direct competitor offering similar natural-ingredient positioning, treats, and species-specific formulations in the same European markets.
• Padovan: Italian specialty pet food brand focused on birds, small mammals, and reptiles. Part of the same category ecosystem as Mealberry's RIO and Little One brands, with strong Mediterranean distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Beaphar: Dutch manufacturer of pet health, care, and nutrition products including bird and small animal feeds. Larger incumbent with broader pet care portfolio overlapping Mealberry's RIO and Little One brands.
• Hagen: Canadian pet product manufacturer with strong bird food, cage, and accessory portfolio. Overlaps with Mealberry's RIO bird food brand in product category, though geographically focused in North America.
• Vitakraft: Major German pet food manufacturer with broad portfolio across birds, small mammals, dogs, cats, and fish. Same German manufacturing heritage and specialty pet focus as Mealberry, but at much larger scale and broader category coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/clubriobirds
• Instagraminstagram.com/rio.friends.club
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mealberry

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 Mealberry GmbH