Phytobiotics

What Phytobiotics does

Phytobiotics is a German family-owned manufacturer of natural, plant-based feed additives headquartered in Neuendettelsau, with additional production in Eltville and direct-sales subsidiaries in the United States and Brazil. Founded in 2000, the company develops and produces phytogenic and trace-mineral-based products for ruminants, swine, poultry, aquaculture, and companion animals, serving commercial feed mills and livestock integrators across Europe, North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and China. With 51-100 employees, it operates under FAMI-QS, QS, ABCert, Halal, and Kosher certifications, and marked its 25th anniversary in 2025.

Its core portfolio spans Sangrovit (a 3rd-generation plant-alkaloid extract with a newly granted European patent), Plexomin (chelated trace minerals), Miracol (essential oil blends for respiratory health), Bigarol (antioxidants), Active D (vitamin D metabolite analog), PetArom (essential oil blends for pet food palatability), PhytoSense 2.5 (saccharin-free natural sweetener positioned ahead of the EU saccharin ban), and Immune Milk (immunoglobulin-fortified dairy ingredients). In 2024 it also launched Chicken Checker, a computer-vision poultry health monitoring tool trained on over 33,000 images and validated on approximately 47,000 commercial-flock images at roughly 90% accuracy. Products are manufactured under proprietary processes with multi-standard certification, supporting premium positioning in regulated feed additive markets.

The business model is B2B direct sales to feed mills and integrators with embedded technical consultation as a key differentiator. Phytobiotics is led by CEO Dr. Hermann Roth and Managing Director Kurt Wegleitner, remains family-owned without external VC or PE investment, and has scaled via product portfolio expansion and geographic buildout (notably Phytobiotics Brasil) rather than acquisition or external capital.

Name

Phytobiotics

Legal name

Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH

Website

https://phytobiotics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Phytobiotics is a German family-owned manufacturer of natural feed additives (Sangrovit, Plexomin, Miracol, PhytoSense, Active D, PetArom) for global livestock and pet food producers across ruminants, swine, poultry, aquaculture, and companion animals, with direct-sales subsidiaries in Germany, the United States, and Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Additives

NAICS

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

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Phytogenics & Botanicals (Essential Oils, Plant Extracts) (AFADAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Phytogenics & Botanicals (Essential Oils, Herbs, Saponins) (AFADALAN), Flavorings, Sweeteners & Palatability Enhancers (AFADALAI), Palatants, Flavors & Sweeteners (Intake Enhancers) (AFADAKAL)

Keywords

• Animal feed additives
• Livestock nutrition
• Organic trace minerals
• Feed palatability enhancers
• Poultry health monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Eltville

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Feed Additive Products: Phytobiotics manufactures and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance feed additives including Sangrovit (isoquinoline alkaloids), Plexomin (organic trace minerals), Miracol/Bigarol (flavours), PhytoSense (sweeteners), Active D (vitamin D solutions), and Immune Milk (colostrum products). Products are sold directly to livestock producers, feed mills, and integrators globally.
2. Technology and Innovation Licensing: The company also licenses its technologies including AI-powered Chicken Checker application, and provides technical consultation services through its expert team. IQ seminars and educational events serve as demand generation while also positioning the company as a thought leader in animal nutrition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Phytobiotics manufactures and distributes high-performance feed additives for livestock including ruminants, swine, poultry, aquaculture, and pets. Core offerings include isoquinoline alkaloid-based feed additives (Sangrovit), organic trace minerals (Plexomin), feed flavors and sweeteners, vitamin D solutions, and an AI-powered poultry health monitoring app (Chicken Checker). The company also offers aromatic and sensory products for companion animals.

Product overview

Phytobiotics is a German manufacturer of high-performance feed additives serving the livestock industry. The company offers a diversified portfolio organized around several core product lines: Sangrovit® (isoquinoline alkaloids from Macleaya cordata for anti-inflammatory and feed intake support), Plexomin® (organic trace mineral glycinates for enhanced bioavailability), Miracol® and Bigarol® (feed flavors and palatants for multiple species), Active D-Bolus (vitamin D and calcium supplement for dairy cow transition period), PetArom (pet food palatability enhancers), and PhytoSense 2.5 (saccharin-free sweetener). Additionally, Phytobiotics has developed Chicken Checker, an AI-powered digital tool for poultry health monitoring. The products serve ruminants, swine, poultry, aquaculture, and pets, with manufacturing located in Neuendettelsau, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sangrovit: Plant-based feed additive derived from Macleaya cordata containing isoquinoline alkaloids for animal health and performance
• Plexomin
• Active D
• Miracol
• Bigarol
• PhytoSense 2.5
• PetArom
• Chicken Checker
• Immune Milk
• Senso Additive

Products and services

• Sangrovit

Quantifiable outcome

• Sangrovit reduces FCR by 14 points in grower-finisher pigs, with 30%+ reduction in medication cost (SPC field trial, Northern Spain)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Milan / DIVAS (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (DIVAS) at University of Milan conducted field study on Macleaya cordata alkaloids (Sangrovit Feed x5) in beef cattle. 30 imported French Aubrac cattle studied over 60 days post-arrival, demonstrating reduced BRD morbidity, improved body temperature regulation, and enhanced growth performance.
• Agritech Capital (Aidan Connolly)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Agritech Capital CEO Aidan Connolly delivered the keynote address at the 2024 IQ Seminar on AI revolution in poultry production. The partnership appears to be advisory and thought leadership-oriented, positioning Phytobiotics within the broader agritech innovation ecosystem.
• Tests & Trials / Dr. Alberto Morillo (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Dr. Alberto Morillo, leading SPC (Statistical Process Control) expert for animal trials. Dr. Morillo arranged and conducted SPC-based field trials in Northern Spain pig integrator, enabling statistically valid evaluation of Sangrovit under real-world commercial conditions.
• University of Applied Sciences Bingen (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Dr. Georg Dusel from the university presented on 'Feed Intake: A Key to Performance-Appropriate Swine Nutrition' at the 2024 IQ Seminar, contributing to scientific exchange and research collaboration.
• University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Professor Hans-Joachim Schuberth contributed to the 2022 IQ Inside Seminar on immune system interactions, providing academic expertise on stress and immunity.
• Prince of Songkla University (Thailand)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Conducted rigorous scientific trials on Sangrovit Extra under heat stress conditions with 720 Ross 308 broilers in tropical climate (33-35C, 70-75% humidity). University researchers evaluated inflammatory markers, gut integrity, stress hormones, and performance metrics, providing peer-reviewed validation of isoquinoline alkaloid efficacy.
• Mississippi State University (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Conducted challenge model trial with live coccidiosis vaccine on broilers to evaluate Sangrovit performance effects. Study demonstrated significantly lower mortality, higher feed intake, and increased leg yield in IQ-supplemented birds.
• Federal Research Center for Poultry Science (Kitzingen, Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Conducted trial with 2,800 Ross 308 broilers demonstrating significant increase in breast muscle percentage and improved feed-to-gain efficiency (1.50 to 1.48) under IQ supplementation.
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Evaluated lipid oxidation in raw breast meat during refrigerated storage at 4C. Birds supplemented with IQs showed moderate oxidative degradation and higher breast muscle protein content, demonstrating enhanced antioxidant protection and meat quality.
• Iowa State University (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Conducted bioavailability trial with 46 lambs evaluating Plexomin Bis-Zn 29 (zinc bisglycinate) vs zinc sulphate. Results demonstrated that organic bisglycinate has higher affinity for absorption channels than inorganic sulphate, with significantly higher plasma Zn increase and liver MT1 gene expression.
• University of Giessen (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Murat Devlikamov, Product Manager for Active D, studied Agricultural Sciences at University of Giessen and conducted Masters thesis on broiler nutrition, representing an academic partnership for talent and research development.
• Royal Veterinary College London (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Professor Dirk Werling contributed as keynote speaker at the 2022 IQ Inside Seminar, presenting on pre- and postnatal immune system programming, and returned in 2025 to present on Vitamin D in livestock nutrition.
• Vetinova (Dr. Ricardo Hummes Rauber)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Vetinova, led by Dr. Ricardo Hummes Rauber, served as the leading expert in validating the Chicken Checker AI application. Dr. Rauber provided statistical validation support and expert consultation for correlating faeces photography results with necropsy findings. The partnership was critical in developing the 90%-accurate gut health detection algorithm using 33,221 training images and subsequent validation with 47,000 commercial images.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Phibro Animal Health: Animal health company offering nutritional specialty products, including trace minerals, medicated feed additives, and palatability enhancers across major livestock species. Comparable as a publicly traded mid-cap competitor with overlapping additive portfolio and similar enterprise field sales model.
• Alltech: Global animal nutrition company headquartered in the US with a strong focus on natural, science-based feed additives including mycotoxin management, organic trace minerals (Bioplex), and yeast-based gut health products. Highly comparable on species coverage, premium positioning, and direct sales-led GTM motion.
• Pancosma (ADM Animal Nutrition): Swiss-based feed additive specialist (now part of ADM) offering phytogenics, organic trace minerals, palatants, and specialty additives for swine, poultry, and ruminants. Closely comparable on product mix (especially flavor and palatant categories), species coverage, and global distribution.
• Novus International: Animal nutrition and health company specializing in feed additives including methionine, organic trace minerals (Mintrex), and gut health solutions. Closely comparable on species coverage, B2B feed mill customer base, and emphasis on scientifically validated functional feed additives.
• Kemin Industries: US-based ingredient manufacturer specializing in animal nutrition and health feed additives, including palatability enhancers, antioxidants, and gut health solutions. Closest direct peer on species coverage, product line breadth (palatants, acidifiers, phytogenics), and global distribution.
• Delacon (Cargill Animal Nutrition): Austrian-based phytogenic feed additive specialist now part of Cargill's animal nutrition business, with a strong focus on essential oils, herbs, and plant-based feed additives for livestock. Direct competitor to Sangrovit, Miracol, and PhytoSense lines; very comparable on species focus and European customer base.

Broad incumbents

• DSM-Firmenich (Animal Nutrition & Health): Global animal nutrition major operating in feed additives, premixes, and performance solutions across all major livestock species. Comparable as the scale leader Phytobiotics competes against; portfolio breadth and R&D budget are far larger, but Phytobiotics positions on phytogenic specialization where DSM also competes.
• Evonik Industries (Animal Nutrition): Major German specialty chemicals company with a defined Animal Nutrition business covering amino acids, probiotics, and feed additives. Direct overlap on trace minerals, gut health, and performance additives for swine and poultry; comparable customer base of feed mills and integrators.
• BASF Animal Nutrition: Diversified chemical major with a sizable animal nutrition portfolio including vitamins, carotenoids, and feed additives. Competes with Phytobiotics in vitamins/trace minerals and on palatability enhancers; comparable in serving global feed mill customers but at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Orffa Additives: European specialty feed additive distributor and formulator offering organic trace minerals, amino acid specialties, and gut health solutions. Comparable as a similarly sized European feed additive specialist with overlapping species focus, though more distribution-led than Phytobiotics' proprietary manufacturing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phytobiotics
• Facebookfacebook.com/BeCuriousBraveGenius
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phytobiotics-futterzusatzstoffe-gmbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Phytobiotics