DermNet

What DermNet does

DermNet is a New Zealand-registered nonprofit charitable trust (CC50036) that operates one of the world's largest free online dermatology reference platforms at dermnetnz.org. Founded in 1996 by Dr Amanda Oakley alongside a small team of New Zealand dermatologists and supported by the New Zealand Dermatological Society, the platform has grown to cover 2,500+ skin topics with a 25,000+ clinical image library, attracting 20 million annual readers and over 2 million monthly visitors, of whom 63%+ are doctors or healthcare professionals and approximately one in three are repeat users. Content is produced largely on a volunteer basis by dermatologists, dermatology trainees, and medical writers globally, with editorial review by clinicians.

The product portfolio spans the free core reference site (2,400+ SEO-optimized topic pages), the interactive DermDiag skin symptom checker, the DermNet PRO subscription tier for healthcare professionals (currently with a waitlist), a licensable AI training image dataset, a Student Resource Centre, the PO-PASI clinical scoring tool, CPD-certified quizzes, published dermatology books, and translation services. Watermarked clinical images are distributed free under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license; high-resolution unwatermarked images are sold under quoted one-time commercial licenses. The technology stack is web-based with a custom CMS and image library architecture, and there is no public API or SDK layer.

DermNet's revenue model is diversified across five streams: reader donations (tax-exempt charitable trust accepting multiple currencies via PayPal), corporate sponsorship from pharmaceutical, skincare, and device companies, commercial clinical image licensing, Amazon Affiliate commissions on book sales, and clearly segregated display advertising. There are no outside investors, no funding rounds, and no parent company. The team numbers 11-50 staff based in New Zealand, with operational backup from a global volunteer contributor network.

Name

DermNet

Legal name

DermNet New Zealand Trust

Website

https://dermnetnz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DermNet is a New Zealand nonprofit operating a free global dermatology reference website covering 2,500+ skin conditions with a 25,000+ clinical image library, serving healthcare professionals, medical students, and patients with subscription, clinical image licensing, and AI data products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Private donations from readers; tax-exempt charitable trust in New Zealand accepting contributions in any PayPal-supported currency
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Funding from pharmaceutical companies, skincare companies, and device manufacturers with evidence-based dermatological products
3. Clinical Image Licensing: Sale of high-resolution unwatermarked commercial images for professional publications, textbooks, and commercial use; fees support maintenance and development
4. Amazon Affiliate Fees: Percentage commission from book purchases made through DermNet Amazon Bookstore links
5. Display Advertising: Banner advertisements on the website, clearly separated from editorial content

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DermNet provides free online dermatology information covering 2,500+ skin conditions, supported by a peer-reviewed 25,000+ clinical image library, reaching 20 million annual readers across 100+ countries. The platform also offers a paid DermNet PRO subscription for healthcare professionals, a DermDiag AI-powered skin symptom checker, a PO-PASI clinical scoring tool, educational quizzes, and a commercially licensable AI Image Dataset for machine-learning development.

Product overview

DermNet is a comprehensive online dermatology platform operated by the DermNet New Zealand Trust (registered charity CC50036), providing free authoritative skin information to global audiences since 1996. The platform operates as a non-profit organization funded through donations, corporate sponsorship, clinical image licensing, and Amazon affiliate fees. The core product portfolio includes the free DermNet website featuring 2,400+ dermatology topics and 25,000+ clinical images; the DermDiag skin symptom checker tool; the subscription-based DermNet PRO for healthcare professionals; and a licensable AI-ready image dataset for commercial use. Supporting offerings include a Student Resource Centre, PO-PASI scoring tool, educational quizzes and CPD courses, a published books collection, and translation services. The clinical image library follows a dual model: watermarked images are free under Creative Commons for education, while high-resolution unwatermarked images are available for commercial licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DermNet Dermatology Information Website Free, peer-reviewed dermatology information platform covering 2,500+ skin conditions, supported by a 25,000+ clinical image library, served to patients, clinicians, and students worldwide.
• DermNet PRO Paid professional subscription for healthcare professionals providing additional dermatology reference features, differential diagnosis lists, quizzes, and continuing-education resources on top of the free site.
• Clinical Dermatology Image Library Searchable collection of 25,000+ peer-reviewed clinical dermatology images available free for educational use under Creative Commons and also offered for commercial licensing.
• DermNet AI Image Dataset Commercially licensable dermatology image dataset designed for training, validation, and benchmarking of computer vision and clinical decision-support AI models in dermatology.
• DermNet Dermatology Book Series Authored dermatology reference books authored by DermNet contributors and sold via Amazon to clinicians, students, and patients seeking dermatology education resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 million annual readers from around the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Zealand Dermatological SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDermNet is supported by and closely associated with the New Zealand Dermatological Society (NZDSI). NZDSI provides organizational support and endorsement, validating DermNet's credibility and authority in dermatology information.
• DMD Healthcare Communications NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDermNet is a member of the DMD Healthcare Communications Network, owned and managed by DMD Marketing Corp. This enables medically relevant business communications to authenticated healthcare professionals through registration sharing with HCN members.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VisualDx: VisualDx is a clinical decision support system built around a large dermatology image library and differential diagnosis tool, directly comparable to DermNet's clinical image library and DermDiag symptom checker serving clinicians at the point of care.
• UpToDate: UpToDate is an evidence-based, peer-reviewed clinical reference used by clinicians worldwide, comparable to DermNet's role as a dermatologist-reviewed reference for diagnosis and continuing education, though broader in scope and subscription-based.
• DynaMed: DynaMed is an evidence-based clinical reference tool for physicians, comparable to DermNet as a topic-by-topic medical reference, but commercially licensed to institutions and clinicians rather than free.

Emerging players

• iDoc24: iDoc24 provides online dermatology consultations and image-based triage, comparable to DermNet's diagnostic self-assessment use case but delivered as a paid telehealth service rather than free information.
• First Derm: First Derm offers AI-assisted skin condition triage and connects users to dermatologists, comparable to DermNet's DermDiag symptom checker but adding a teledermatology consultation layer.

Broad incumbents

• Mayo Clinic patient care and health information: Mayo Clinic publishes authoritative, free patient health information including dermatology topics, comparable to DermNet's patient-facing skin condition content but from a globally recognized health system brand.
• American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) resources: The AAD provides dermatologist-reviewed patient education and clinical reference materials, comparable to DermNet's dermatology information offering but anchored to a major US professional society with broader scope.
• Medscape Dermatology: Medscape provides free dermatology reference content and clinical news to a large clinician audience, overlapping with DermNet's free clinician-facing dermatology content and traffic-driven model.

Others

• DermNet NZ Society resources (NZDSI): The New Zealand Dermatological Society is DermNet's strategic partner and supports the platform, providing the dermatologist governance and review backbone that gives DermNet its clinical credibility.

Regional players

• British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) patient resources: BAD provides patient-facing dermatology information primarily for the UK market, comparable to DermNet's patient education content but with a UK-centric geographic and society-anchored distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dermnetnz
• Facebookfacebook.com/dermnetnz
• Instagraminstagram.com/dermnet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dermnet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 DermNet