What Directo does

Directo is an independent B2B e-commerce marketplace that connects Australian community pharmacies with pharmaceutical suppliers, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The company positions itself as Australia's only independent B2B e-commerce pharmacy marketplace, providing B2C-like price transparency, immediacy, and convenience inside a B2B procurement workflow. The platform supports the full buying journey from promotion and catalogue browsing through order placement, delivery tracking, account reconciliation, and invoice payment, addressing pain points such as time-consuming research, negotiation, POS updates, delivery chasing, and invoicing that pharmacies typically absorb in daily operations.

The underlying technology is a real-time B2B e-commerce marketplace with Point of Sale (POS) system integration, enabling catalogue sync and simplified buying decisions for pharmacy buyers. The product is organised into a For Suppliers module (driving direct sales, catalogue promotion, logistics, debtor consolidation, and sales analytics) and a For Buyers module (order management, fulfilment tracking, invoicing), unified into a single marketplace. AI integration is listed as a proprietary feature and a stated use of the 2024 funding round, though specific AI capabilities are not publicly detailed. The platform is delivered as a self-service web marketplace at directoau.com.

The business model is a two-sided marketplace with revenue likely generated through commissions or transaction fees on sales facilitated between pharmacies and suppliers, supplemented by supplier-side value-added services. Go-to-market is sales-led, with an in-field sales team supporting both buyer and supplier acquisition, complemented by a website, LinkedIn presence, and direct contact channels (phone 1800 463 473 and email enquiry). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is provided on a contact basis. The company has raised approximately AUD 3.73 million across two disclosed rounds (2022 led by Investible, and 2024 from sophisticated investors), and reported a record quarter ending June 2024 ahead of its 2024 capital raise.

Name

Directo

Legal name

Directo

Website

https://directoau.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Directo is an independent B2B e-commerce marketplace based in Melbourne, Australia, connecting community pharmacies with pharmaceutical suppliers to streamline purchasing, fulfilment, and invoicing via POS-integrated technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Pharmacy Marketplace

NAICS

General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers (42441), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (42512)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF)

Keywords

• B2B pharmacy marketplace
• Pharmaceutical procurement platform
• Pharmacy supply chain
• Online pharmacy ordering
• B2B e-commerce platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Platform: Directo operates as a B2B marketplace connecting pharmacies with suppliers. The platform likely generates revenue through transaction fees or commissions on sales facilitated through the marketplace, given its nature as an e-commerce platform serving the pharmacy supply chain.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Directo operates an independent B2B e-commerce marketplace connecting Australian pharmacies with pharmaceutical suppliers. The platform facilitates the entire buying journey from promotion to payment, integrating with Point of Sale (POS) systems to streamline purchasing, fulfilment, invoicing, and account reconciliation between the two sides.

Product overview

Directo operates as a unified B2B e-commerce pharmacy marketplace platform — Australia's only independent e-commerce marketplace connecting pharmacies with suppliers. The platform combines the For Suppliers and For Buyers modules into a single marketplace that facilitates the entire buying journey from promotion to payment. The core marketplace enables price transparency, immediacy, and convenience while streamlining purchasing, fulfillment, and invoicing workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Directo B2B E-Commerce Pharmacy Marketplace Australia's only independent B2B e-commerce pharmacy marketplace that delivers B2C-like price transparency, immediacy and convenience while streamlining logistics and invoicing between pharmacies and suppliers. The marketplace combines supplier-side and buyer-side functionality (For Suppliers and For Buyers modules) into a single platform that facilitates the entire buying journey from promotion to payment, integrates with POS systems, and simplifies complex buying decisions.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sigma Healthcare: Sigma Healthcare is one of Australia's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers, operating a network that supplies community pharmacies across Australia. It is the most direct competitor to Directo's pharmacy B2B marketplace and could expand its digital ordering to compete head-on.
• Wesfarmers Health (formerly Australian Pharmaceutical Industries): Wesfarmers Health, owner of Priceline Pharmacy and a major Australian pharmacy distributor, supplies thousands of community pharmacies. Its distribution arm directly overlaps Directo's buyer-seller marketplace and represents the most established incumbent threat.
• Faire: Faire is a leading B2B wholesale marketplace connecting independent retailers with brands, primarily in North America and Europe. While serving a different vertical, its two-sided marketplace mechanics, take-rate model, and supplier enablement features are highly analogous to Directo's model.
• Tundra: Tundra is a B2B wholesale marketplace enabling buyers and suppliers to transact without middlemen, with a no-fee model and direct supplier relationships. It is comparable to Directo as a digital-first B2B marketplace operator, though focused on different product categories.

Broad incumbents

• EBOS Group: EBOS Group is a leading Australia and New Zealand healthcare and animal care products distributor. Its community-pharmacy and institutional supply business is comparable in scale and customer base to Directo's pharmacy marketplace, though it is broader and more established.
• McKesson: McKesson is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers and distributors, with growing digital and B2B e-commerce tools for pharmacies. It is a broad incumbent demonstrating where Directo could potentially scale its marketplace model.
• Cardinal Health: Cardinal Health operates large-scale pharmaceutical distribution in multiple geographies and has invested in digital tools to support pharmacy ordering and inventory. It is comparable as a wholesale-distribution and digital-procurement incumbent in the pharmacy vertical.
• Cencora (AmerisourceBergen): Cencora is a major global pharmaceutical solutions and distribution company serving retail, hospital, and pharmacy customers. Its scale, supplier relationships, and digital initiatives make it a long-term competitive reference for Directo's marketplace thesis.
• Amazon Business: Amazon Business is the B2B procurement marketplace from Amazon, offering broad business supply purchasing. While not currently a direct pharmacy supplier, it represents the largest generalist B2B marketplace competitor Directo could face if it expands verticals or product mix.

Regional players

• Alibaba Health: Alibaba Health operates pharmaceutical e-commerce and digital health services in China through B2B and B2C channels. It is relevant as a regional B2B health e-commerce player demonstrating the broader opportunity in digital pharmaceutical marketplaces.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/directo-com-au/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Directo