Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG

What Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG does

Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG is Austria's only nationwide full-range pharmaceutical wholesaler, distributing medicines and health products from seven logistics centers to all ~1,400+ Austrian pharmacies and processing roughly 100 million individual packages per year. The company holds approximately 45% of the Austrian pharmaceutical wholesale market and operates as the dominant single-source distribution intermediary between pharmaceutical manufacturers and the country's retail pharmacy network. Beyond core drug distribution, Herba operates the public-sector logistics contract for Austria's Öffentliches Impfprogramm (ÖIP) and runs special-distribution and co-marketing programs for pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking Austrian market access.

The company's product architecture is organized as a platform-plus-modules stack built around Herba Point, the B2B ordering portal through which pharmacies procure goods and access marketing and equipment catalogs. Through affiliate Sanodat it provides the AIT2 pharmacy management/ERP system with phonetic article search, electronic controlled-substance tracking, and mobile data capture, and through ApoPoint it delivers a PWA-based web-presence, e-commerce shop, medication planner, and forthcoming digital customer card. Add-on modules include ApoStore automated storage hardware, ApoTV and ApoForte in-store marketing displays, the ApoDeals WhatsApp digital flyer, a Marketingplan digital planning tool, a printed Apothekenkatalog, and the seasonal Herba Impulse customer magazine. SANOVA Logistics 360° delivers warehousing, pest-control, and facility-management services, and Apoplan (launched as v3.0 in July 2025) is a business simulation game used for pharmacist continuing education.

The business model is wholesale-margin-based, primarily on pharmaceutical distribution, supplemented by software-as-a-service, marketing services, training fees (e.g., EUR 600 per participant for the Apoplan 3.0 seminar package), logistics consulting, and event sponsorships. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: direct sales relationships with every Austrian pharmacy combined with flagship annual touchpoints (the Zukunftsforum, the 49th apolounge, the Pharmazieforum with Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, and Austropharm trade-fair participation). Following an initial 2022 Management Buy-Out, the management team completed acquisition of all remaining shares from Invest AG in February 2026, making Herba 100% management-owned with no external parent, public shareholders, or private-equity sponsor.

Name

Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG

Legal name

Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG

Website

https://herba-chemosan.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Herba Chemosan is Austria's only nationwide full-range pharmaceutical wholesaler, distributing medicines from seven logistics centers to all ~1,400+ Austrian pharmacies with 45% market share, complemented by pharmacy software, marketing, and logistics services via affiliates Sanodat and SANOVA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (424210)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Line Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (HLAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO), Pharmacy Front-End & Sundries Distribution (Health & Wellness, Personal Care, Convenience) (CRAOAHAG)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical wholesale distribution
• Pharmacy supply services
• Pharmacy software solutions
• Pharmaceutical logistics Austria
• Pharmacy marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Wholesale Distribution: Herba Chemosan operates as Austria's only nationwide pharmaceutical wholesaler, distributing medicines and health products from seven logistics centers to all Austrian pharmacies. Revenue is generated through the margin earned on the sale of pharmaceutical products to pharmacy customers. The company also handles special distribution for pharma manufacturers with customized marketing and sales concepts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG is Austria's only nationwide-acting full-range pharmaceutical wholesaler, distributing medicines and health products to all ~1,400+ Austrian pharmacies from seven logistics centers with next-day delivery. The company supplements its wholesale core with pharmacy software solutions (Herba Point ordering portal, ApoPoint web platform, Sanodat AIT2 pharmacy management system), marketing tools (ApoTV, ApoForte, ApoDeals), warehouse logistics services (SANOVA Logistics 360°), training programs (Apoplan business simulation), and special distribution services for pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Product overview

Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG operates as a full-range pharmaceutical wholesale distributor serving all Austrian pharmacies from seven logistics centers, with a 45% market share. The company's product portfolio is organized around two core pillars: pharmaceutical logistics and distribution services, and a digital ecosystem of software and marketing tools for pharmacies. The digital product suite is built around Herba Point (the ordering portal for pharmacy procurement) and extends to customer-facing and operational tools: ApoPoint (online presence and e-commerce platform), AIT2 by Sanodat (pharmacy management/warenwirtschaft software), ApoStore (automated storage systems), and a suite of marketing tools including ApoTV, ApoForte, ApoDeals (WhatsApp-based digital flyer), the Apothekenkatalog (catalog), and Marketingplan (annual marketing planner). Training and simulation are delivered through Apoplan (business simulation game). The company also publishes Herba Impulse, a seasonal customer magazine, and organizes the Pharmazieforum as a flagship educational event. SANOVA Logistics handles third-party pharmacy storage and logistics services. The portfolio is characterized by an integrated platform-plus-modules architecture where Herba Point serves as the central access layer, and Sanodat (an affiliated company) provides the underlying IT infrastructure (AIT2, Herba Digital, ApoPoint).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Herba Point: Online service platform for pharmacies providing web presence, webshop functionality, and marketing support
• Apoplan
• ApoDeals
• Herba Impulse

Products and services

• Herba Point Online B2B ordering portal through which Herba Chemosan serves Austrian pharmacies, enabling order management, import article ordering, and access to the company's full product range including the Vienna central warehouse inventory.
• ApoPoint Online service platform providing pharmacies with web presence, online shop with product database, on-call duty display, product availability inquiry, medication planner with reminder function, and upcoming digital customer card for loyalty and invoicing.
• AIT2 (Sanodat) Pharmacy management/warenwirtschaft software by Sanodat offering phonetic article search with intelligent learning function, customizable color schemes, electronic controlled substance records, single-portion documentation, mobile data capture via Android, inventory optimization via WawiPlus, and mobile KPI dashboards via AIT2 eBoard.
• ApoStore Automatic storage systems and software solutions for pharmacies, planned, built, and installed across Europe since 2000, offering cost reduction, process improvement, and time savings with first-class service.
• ApoTV Digital marketing tool for pharmacy window and in-store visual display, enabling effective presentation of products and promotions to attract customers.
• ApoForte Marketing solution used for window display and in-store visual presentation to attract pharmacy customers.
• ApoDeals WhatsApp-based digital flyer service for over-the-counter products, described as Austria's first such platform, delivering purchase incentives and promotional content directly to customers via the messaging channel.
• Herba Digital Digital platform and solution offered through Sanodat that brings essential digitalization and simplification of processes to pharmacy operations, representing a milestone on the path to 'Pharmacy 4.0'.
• Apoplan Analog real-life business simulation game for pharmacies in which participants take over a simulated pharmacy and navigate through multiple economic years, learning strategic planning, business management, and entrepreneurial thinking in a collaborative team setting. Accredited with 14 AFP continuing education points by the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists.
• SANOVA Logistics 360° Warehouse and logistics management service for pharmacies, including storage solutions, order processing, supply chain coordination, process optimization, pest control management, and facility management services delivered from Vienna Simmering.
• Herba Geräte Competence team for pharmacy supplies, prescription preparation equipment, and new pharmacy setups, including visitation consulting with trade fair pricing and new product introductions from brands such as Cashmatic, Bruker, Kern, Liebherr, Samix, and Sartorius.
• Klinger Apothekenbau Pharmacy construction and renovation service covering planning, execution, and installation across Austria, including high-quality fit-outs, new foundations, conversions, commissioning automation integration, and emergency service area planning.
• Marketing Service Comprehensive marketing service for pharmacies with a 20-year track record, offering category management consulting, window display design, ApoTV and ApoForte visual marketing, pharmacy catalog, and ApoTüte printed materials for customer engagement and loyalty.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% market share in Austrian pharmaceutical wholesale market
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PHAGO (Verband der Arzneimittel-Großhändler)coreOthersPHAGO is the voluntary interest representation of Austrian pharmaceutical full-line wholesalers, existing since 1955. Herba is represented by Andreas Windischbauer as PHAGO President and Andreas Janka as Vice President. Herba participates in PHAGO's annual Christmas donation campaign, which has collected 30,000 euros annually for children's charities (now in its 27th consecutive year).
• Leitbetriebe AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerba Chemosan co-hosts expert discussions with Leitbetriebe Austria on supply security (Versorgungssicherheit) in Austria, including a business talk event at Herba headquarters. Leitbetriebe Austria is Austria's leading company certification and networking organization.
• SanodatcoreTechnology or IntegrationSanodat is Herba's IT subsidiary providing pharmacy management software (AIT2), pharmacy web platforms (ApoPoint), and related IT services to pharmacies. Sanodat operates as a separate company within the Herba Group.
• SANOVA (Sanova Group / SANOVA Logistics 360°)coreTechnology or IntegrationSANOVA provides logistics services to pharmacies including warehousing optimization, process improvement, and facility management. Edona Jashari and Doğa Yaycıoğlu are employees working in SANOVA Logistics 360° at the Vienna Simmering location.
• Goethe-Universität Frankfurt (Frankfurter Pharmazieschule)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerba Chemosan co-organizes the annual Pharmazieforum with the Frankfurt School of Pharmacy at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. The event features top pharmaceutical science lectures and is held at Schloss Pichlarn, Austria. Key figures include Prof. Dr. Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz (scientific director, Zentrallaboratorium Deutscher Apotheker) and Prof. em. Dr. Theo Dingermann.
• Klinger ApothekenbauminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKlinger Apothekenbau provides pharmacy construction, renovation, and equipment installation services across Austria. Over 75 years of reliable and precise execution from planning to assembly. Presented at Austropharm as a partner in Herba's full pharmacy service ecosystem.
• Schloss PichlarnminorOthersSchloss Pichlarn (Hotel & Conference Center, Aigen im Ennstal) is the venue for the annual Pharmazieforum. Herba has a long-standing partnership with the venue for this pharmaceutical continuing education event.
• Foodora (Delivery Platform)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHermes-Apotheke (Vienna) piloted a cooperation with foodora delivery service for delivering OTC medicines and nutritional supplements. Herba's CEO Windischbauer cited this as an example of innovative pharmacy cooperation with digital platforms.
• METAStadt ViennaminorOthersMETAStadt Vienna served as the venue for Herba's 2025 Zukunftsforum event. Venue partnership for the company's flagship annual industry event.
• Verkehrsmuseum Remise ViennaminorOthersVerkehrsmuseum Remise Vienna served as the venue for Herba's 2026 Zukunftsforum event. Located in Vienna's transport museum, providing a distinctive event atmosphere.
• Jakob Management Training & Consulting GmbH (The Simulation Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHerba co-developed Apoplan 3.0 with company founder and managing director Mag. Aaron Jakob. Jakob's company specializes in business simulation games and provides the seminar leadership for Apoplan events. The program is accredited with 14 AFP (continuing education) points by the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• McKesson Corporation: McKesson is a global pharmaceutical distributor and healthcare services company with operations across Europe (including Lloyds pharmacy supply and Celesio). Its combination of wholesale distribution, manufacturer services, and pharmacy software (via Celesio's LloydsLink-style offerings) directly parallels Herba's distribution-plus-digital-services approach.
• Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen): Cencora is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical distributors with global full-line wholesale operations and a deep specialty/specialty distribution offering. While its core market is North America, its scale, manufacturer relationships, and pharmacy services portfolio make it a broad comparable to Herba's full-range wholesale plus services model.
• Celesio / Lloyds Apotheken (McKesson Europe): Celesio, now fully part of McKesson, operates pharmaceutical wholesale and retail pharmacy networks across Germany and other European markets through Lloyds Apotheken. Its dual wholesale-plus-pharmacy-retail model and European footprint make it a broad comparable to Herba's integrated wholesale and pharmacy services.

Direct peers

• Phoenix Group: Phoenix Group is Europe's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler, operating full-line distribution across multiple European countries including DACH markets. Like Herba Chemosan, Phoenix combines nationwide pharma distribution with pharmacy services and manufacturer partnerships, making it the most direct European comparable.
• Mediq: Mediq is a European healthcare distributor supplying pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and related services to healthcare providers including pharmacies and hospitals. Its European full-line distribution focus and value-added services for healthcare customers make it a comparable wholesale peer.
• Alliance Healthcare (Walgreens Boots Alliance): Alliance Healthcare is the European pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution arm of Walgreens Boots Alliance, serving pharmacies across multiple European countries with full-line distribution and value-added services. Its combination of physical distribution and pharmacy digital tools (Alphega pharmacy network) closely mirrors Herba's wholesale-plus-services model.

Regional players

• Norsk Medisinaldepot (NMD): NMD is one of Norway's main pharmaceutical wholesalers, distributing medicines to pharmacies and hospitals nationwide. It provides a regional peer benchmark for full-line wholesale economics in a Nordic/European single-country context similar to Herba's Austrian monopoly position.
• Profarma (Lithuania): Profarma is a major pharmaceutical wholesaler serving Lithuania and neighboring markets, distributing medicines and pharmacy-related products. It is a regional wholesale comparable whose single-country dominance pattern mirrors Herba's Austrian market position.
• Tamro (Phoenix Group subsidiary in Nordics): Tamro is a leading Nordic pharmaceutical wholesaler and part of the Phoenix Group, distributing pharmaceuticals and health products to pharmacies in Finland and the Baltics. It serves as a regional peer for full-line pharma wholesale, though it operates in a different geography than Herba.
• Salus Group / Lietuvos Paštas Pharma: Salus is a leading pharmaceutical wholesaler in the Baltic region (Lithuania and other markets), providing full-line distribution to pharmacies and hospitals. As a regional full-line wholesaler, it offers a structural comparable to Herba's nationwide Austria coverage model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/herbachemosan
• LinkedInat.linkedin.com/company/herba-chemosan-apotheker-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/herba_chemosan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Herba Chemosan Apotheker-AG