Farmais

What Farmais does

Farmais is a Brazilian pharmacy franchise network and online marketplace, founded in 1994 as the pioneer of pharmacy franchising in Brazil. The company operates a dual-channel model: a network of over 70 physical pharmacy retail locations operated by independent franchisees across at least seven Brazilian states (including São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Norte), and a centralized e-commerce marketplace at farmais.com.br, complemented by a mobile application offering exclusive app-only discounts. The legal entity operating the franchisor side is Nova Farmais Franchising Ltda (CNPJ 33.834.614/0001-28), headquartered on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo; individual franchise units are separate legal entities with their own CNPJs.

The marketplace is built on the VTEX e-commerce platform and functions as a multi-vendor storefront: the franchisor supplies the technology, brand standards, and customer-facing interface, while each franchise unit ("Unidade Vendedora") retains autonomy over pricing, inventory, and local fulfillment. The product catalog spans medications and health (diabetes, cold and flu, pain and fever, digestive health), beauty and personal care (dermocosmetics, skincare, haircare), mother and baby products, and rehabilitation/longevity items; a "Marca Própria" private-label category signals owned-brand extension. Marketing channels include the website, mobile app, email newsletter, and organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram, with customer support via Central de Atendimento.

Monetization rests on three streams: marketplace commissions and platform fees on transactions routed through the shared storefront; franchise onboarding and recurring royalties via the "Seja um Franqueado" program; and direct product sales through the marketplace. In 2020, a group of franchisees acquired the brand and formed the current management structure under Nova Farmais Franchising, marking a strategic shift toward network expansion, modernization, and platform unification. Customers are individual Brazilian consumers purchasing health, wellness, and personal care products through the franchise store nearest them or via the online marketplace.

Name

Farmais

Legal name

Nova Farmais Franchising Ltda

Website

https://farmais.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Farmais is a Brazilian pharmacy franchise network and multi-vendor e-commerce marketplace, founded in 1994 and headquartered in São Paulo. It connects individual consumers across Brazil with over 70 franchise-operated pharmacy stores via the VTEX-based farmais.com.br platform and mobile app, selling medications, dermocosmetics, and health products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission: Farmais earns revenue by providing the marketplace technology platform to franchise stores. Individual franchise units set their own prices, manage inventory, and handle deliveries. Farmais takes a commission or platform fee from transactions conducted through the marketplace.
2. Direct Product Sales: Some products may be sold directly by Farmais (franquiadora) through the marketplace platform, in addition to franchisee sales.
3. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise network expansion through the 'Seja um Franqueado' (Become a Franchisee) program, offering franchise opportunities to entrepreneurs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Farmais operates a pharmacy franchise marketplace connecting consumers with independent franchise and partner drugstore units (Unidades Vendedoras) across Brazil. The franchisor (Nova Farmais Franchising Ltda) provides the technology platform, brand, and franchise system, while individual franchise stores list products, set their own pricing, manage inventory, and handle fulfillment. Offerings span medications, health, beauty, dermocosmetics, personal care, mother and baby, and rehabilitation products sold through 70+ physical stores and an online marketplace.

Product overview

Farmais is a Brazilian pharmacy franchise network and online marketplace. The core offering is the Farmais E-commerce Marketplace (platform), which aggregates products from independent franchise and partner drugstores. The product portfolio includes: Medications and Health (diabetes supplies, cold/flu medications, digestive health, pain/fever relief), Beauty and Hygiene (dermocosmetics, skincare, haircare), Mother and Baby, and Rehabilitation products. Additional offerings include a mobile app with exclusive discounts, a franchise program for independent pharmacies, a customer service center, and a network of 80+ physical store locations. The platform uses VTEX e-commerce technology and operates on a marketplace model where individual stores manage their own inventory, pricing, and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farmais E-commerce Marketplace An online pharmacy marketplace platform connecting consumers with independent franchise and partner drugstore units (Unidades Vendedoras). The platform aggregates product listings across multiple sellers who set their own prices, manage inventory, and handle fulfillment independently. It spans medications, health, beauty, personal care, dermocosmetics, mother and baby, and rehabilitation products, and is targeted at Brazilian consumers seeking convenient access to pharmacy products.
• Farmais Mobile App

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RD Saúde (Raia Drogasil): Brazil's largest retail pharmacy chain, operating thousands of stores under Raia and Drogasil banners with significant e-commerce. Directly comparable as a Brazilian pharmacy retailer, though substantially larger and vertically integrated rather than franchise-based.
• Pague Menos: Major Brazilian pharmacy retail chain with national presence across multiple states. Comparable to Farmais in OTC, beauty, and personal care assortment, but operates company-owned stores rather than a franchise model.
• DPSPCV (Drogaria São Paulo / Drogarias Pacheco): Large São Paulo and Rio-focused pharmacy chain resulting from the São Paulo + Pacheco merger. Overlaps with Farmais geographically and in product mix, but operates company-owned retail rather than franchising.
• Mercado Livre (Health & Beauty vertical): Latin America's largest e-commerce marketplace, including a significant pharmacy, health, and beauty category. Comparable to Farmais' online marketplace mechanics for OTC and personal care products, though vastly broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Panvel Farmácias: Brazilian regional pharmacy chain with strong presence in southern states including Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Comparable to Farmais as a multi-state pharmacy retailer with both physical stores and e-commerce, though operating company-owned units.
• Ultrafarma: Brazilian online-first pharmacy retailer competing aggressively on price across OTC, beauty, and personal care categories. Comparable to Farmais' marketplace in assortment and digital channel, though lacks a physical franchise footprint.

Regional players

• Drogaria Venancio: Regional pharmacy chain focused on Rio de Janeiro state with strong local brand recognition. Comparable product categories and customer demographic to Farmais, but geographically distinct (RJ vs. multi-state).
• Drogaria Onofre: Brazilian pharmacy chain focused on São Paulo and southeast regions, with growing e-commerce. Comparable as a Brazilian pharmacy retailer offering OTC and dermocosmetics via both physical and online channels.
• Drogaria Catarinense: Pharmacy chain concentrated in Santa Catarina and Paraná, with both physical stores and online operations. Directly comparable to Farmais in southern Brazilian geographies and in customer segments.

Emerging players

• iPitty: Brazilian e-commerce retailer specializing in dermocosmetics, beauty, and health products. Comparable to Farmais' higher-margin beauty and dermocosméticos categories, though operating purely online rather than as a franchise network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RedeFarmais/?locale=pt_BR
• Instagraminstagram.com/farmais/?hl=pt-br
• Xx.com/farmais_pr

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 Farmais