Phytomed

What Phytomed does

Phytomed Medicinal Herbs Ltd is an Auckland-based, privately held manufacturer of liquid herbal extracts, founded in 1998 by Phil Rasmussen and operating for over 25 years with a small team in the 11–50 employee range. Its core offering is a catalogue of more than 200 liquid herbal extract SKUs produced under hydroethanolic extraction processes, alongside an alcohol-free Glycetract line, a practitioner-focused Herbal Dispensary Service priced at approximately NZ$26 per 100 mL, and bundled Start-Up Packages and Dispensary Supplies that equip newly qualified clinicians. The business is dual GMP-certified by NZ Medsafe and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), enabling it to sell into licensed practitioner and trans-Tasman medicine channels.

The company's revenue model combines B2B wholesale supply to naturopaths, medical herbalists, and contract manufacturers with direct e-commerce via Shopify, anchored by a long-tail practitioner customer base. A consumer-facing sub-brand, Kiwiherb, addresses pediatric and OTC retail demand through pharmacies and health stores. Go-to-market is supplemented by partnerships with New Zealand herb growers for raw-material supply and with educational institutions such as the South Pacific College of Natural Medicine (SPCNM) for pipeline development of future practitioners. The firm has remained privately held with minimal disclosed external capital — the only recorded funding event is a small Callaghan Innovation grant — pointing to a capital-light, owner-operated growth profile rather than a venture-scaled trajectory.

Name

Phytomed

Legal name

Phytomed Medicinal Herbs Ltd

Website

https://phytomed.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phytomed is an Auckland-based, GMP-certified manufacturer of 200+ liquid herbal extracts founded in 1998, supplying naturopaths and medical herbalists across New Zealand and Australia, with a consumer sub-brand Kiwiherb and an integrated practitioner dispensary service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Herbal Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Botanical & Herbal Extracts (Adaptogens, Polyphenols, Essential Oils, Standardized Extracts) (AFAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Herbal & Botanical Supplements (CRADAGAD)

Keywords

• Herbal extract manufacturing
• Liquid herbal extracts
• Naturopathic supplies
• GMP-certified medicine
• Practitioner wholesale pharmacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Product Sales: B2B wholesale sales of liquid herbal extracts, Glycetracts, Kiwiherb products, and dispensary supplies to qualified health practitioners. Products sold in 100mL, 200mL and 500mL bottles. Pricing available only to registered wholesale accounts.
2. Herbal Dispensary Service: Dispensing service enabling herbalists and naturopaths to send custom herbal formulas directly to clients. Costs $26.00 per 100mL plus GST and postage. Formulas must contain 2 or more herbs. Surcharges apply for formulas with 8+ herbs and high-value herbs.
3. Start-Up Packages: New practitioner starter packages offering 20% off liquid herbal extracts when spending over $550, plus free dispensary kit including bottles, labels, manuals and catalogue. Extended payment plan options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Phytomed manufactures and supplies liquid herbal extracts (including glycetracts and the Kiwiherb range) wholesale to qualified naturopaths, medical herbalists, and other health practitioners. The company also provides clinical dispensary supplies and a custom-made herbal dispensary service where practitioners specify formulations for individual patient needs.

Product overview

Phytomed is a specialist New Zealand herbal extract manufacturer serving health practitioners for over 25 years. The company offers a portfolio of products comprising core extract lines (Liquid Herbal Extracts and Glycetracts), a retail sub-brand (Kiwiherb focused on pediatric formulations), professional services (Herbal Dispensary Service and Start-Up Package), and supplementary supplies (Dispensary Supplies and Short-Dated Sale products). Phytomed manufactures according to British Herbal Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia guidelines, holds GMP certifications from Medsafe and TGA, and serves practitioners across New Zealand, Australia, and international markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kiwiherb: Premium range of herbal formulations made for the retail market, specializing in products for infants and children
• Glycetract
• Phytomed Start-Up Package

Products and services

• Liquid Herbal Extracts Phytomed's core product line: GMP-certified liquid herbal extracts manufactured for wholesale supply to qualified naturopaths, medical herbalists, and other health practitioners for clinical dispensing.
• Glycetracts Glycerin-based herbal extract range formulated as an alternative to alcohol-based liquid extracts, suitable for patients who cannot tolerate alcohol-based preparations. Sold wholesale to qualified practitioners.
• Kiwiherb Products The Kiwiherb brand range of herbal products sold through retail channels for consumer use, extending Phytomed's quality reputation beyond the practitioner channel.
• Herbal Dispensary Service Custom-made herbal dispensary service where qualified practitioners order formulations tailored to individual patient needs, with Phytomed preparing and supplying the specified remedies.
• Dispensary Supplies Range of clinical dispensary supplies (bottles, labels, jars, and related items) sold wholesale to herbal practitioners and clinics for use in their dispensary operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 liquid herbal extract formulations available
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local NZ Herb Growers and SupplierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhytomed works closely with local growers to ensure highest quality herbs, prioritizing NZ-grown ingredients. They partner with suppliers committed to sustainable cultivation and ethical wildcrafting practices. One supplier highlighted is Stefany Soderling and Sam Williams from Tinopai, Northland, who supply Kūmerahou using sustainable, culturally mindful harvesting practices that respect Rongoā Māori traditional knowledge.
• South Pacific College of Natural Medicine (SPCNM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPCNM is the only tertiary institution in New Zealand offering a Bachelor of Natural Medicine. Phytomed provides educational content and resources for students, while SPCNM trains the next generation of practitioners who become Phytomed customers. Phytomed references SPCNM in their guide to becoming a naturopath.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Standard Process: US whole-food and herbal supplement manufacturer serving health practitioners (especially chiropractors and naturopaths). Comparable in practitioner-only B2B GTM and vertically integrated botanical processing.
• Herb Pharm: US-based liquid herbal extract manufacturer producing hydroethanolic and glycerite extracts following pharmacopoeial standards for health practitioners and retailers. Closely comparable in extract format, GMP-grade production, and practitioner/retail dual-channel distribution.
• Gaia Herbs: US herbal extract and supplement manufacturer with a vertically integrated farm-to-bottle operation and practitioner-grade liquid extracts. Comparable in liquid extract manufacturing focus and traceability emphasis.
• MediHerb (Integria Healthcare): Australian-based manufacturer of liquid herbal extracts and practitioner-only products. Directly comparable to Phytomed in product format (liquid extracts), practitioner B2B model, and GMP-certified botanical manufacturing for the Australasian market.

Broad incumbents

• BioCeuticals: Australian practitioner-only supplement brand offering herbal and nutritional products. Comparable practitioner channel and herbal category, but larger scale and broader portfolio than a focused extract manufacturer like Phytomed.
• Metagenics: Large Australasian practitioner-channel supplement and herbal medicine brand owned by Danone. Comparable end customer (naturopaths, integrative doctors) but materially larger scale and broader product portfolio including nutritionals beyond herbal extracts.
• Blackmores: Leading Australasian natural health company with broad herbal and supplement portfolio. Comparable in region and GMP manufacturing footprint, but primarily consumer/retail rather than practitioner-only.
• Nature's Sunshine Products: Global herbal and nutritional supplement company with practitioner and consumer channels. Comparable in liquid herbal extract manufacturing and herbal category breadth, but operates at significantly larger scale internationally.

Regional players

• Phytocare: Australian contract manufacturer and supplier of botanical extracts to complementary medicine brands. Comparable as a regional herbal extract manufacturer in Australasia serving brand customers via GMP manufacturing capacity.
• Harker Herbals: New Zealand-based herbal tonic and extract manufacturer serving consumer and practitioner markets. Comparable in NZ base and liquid herbal formulations, but primarily retail-focused consumer brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/phytomedNZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/phytomed_nz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phytomed-banner

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Phytomed