F.Trenka

What F.Trenka does

F.Trenka chem.-pharm. Fabrik GmbH is an Austrian pharmaceutical company headquartered in Vienna that develops and markets plant-based OTC digestive remedies. Founded in 1909 by pharmacist Franz Trenka and professor Wolfgang Pauli, the company has operated continuously for more than 115 years with the Eucarbon® tablet formulation remaining unchanged since its inception. Its core technology revolves around natural plant-based ingredients combined with non-activated or activated vegetable charcoal to deliver laxative, spasmolytic, carminative, and adsorbent effects for constipation, bloating, flatulence, and diarrheal complaints.

The company's commercial portfolio is narrow but well-defined. Eucarbon®, registered as a pharmaceutical product in Austria in 1950 (the 136th registered product in the country), addresses constipation, bloating, and flatulence. Biocarbon®, introduced in 1994, leverages activated vegetable charcoal for diarrheal complaints and cleansing applications. A herbal variant, Eucarbon® herbal, was registered in Austria in 2002 and launched in Ireland in 2017 as an OTC product with distinct packaging. Both Eucarbon® and Biocarbon® are registered trademarks. The firm sells exclusively through pharmaceutical wholesale distribution channels rather than direct-to-consumer, marketing its products to doctors, pharmacists, and end patients in more than 70 countries via a network of international pharmaceutical partners with which it maintains generation-spanning relationships.

F.Trenka operates as a privately held, brand-and-licensing-oriented business with a lean internal organization (reported at 1-10 employees). Its registered trade classification is "wholesale of pharmaceutical products," and it is a member of Austrian industry bodies WKÖ and Pharmig. After operating as a family business for over a century, the company was acquired by Fabian Strüngmann via Salta Investments GmbH in 2016, and in 2025 was acquired by Dermapharm Holding SE, a listed German pharmaceutical group, positioning it for further international expansion under new strategic ownership. The company is led by co-CEOs Martin Schröckenfuchs and Andreas Mühlegger; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

F.Trenka

Legal name

F.Trenka chem.-pharm. Fabrik GmbH

Website

https://ftrenka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

F.Trenka is a Vienna-based Austrian pharmaceutical company founded in 1909 that develops and markets plant-based OTC digestive remedies (Eucarbon® and Biocarbon®) through wholesale pharmaceutical distribution partners across 70+ countries, serving patients, doctors, and pharmacists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: F.Trenka generates revenue through the sale of its herbal pharmaceutical products (Eucarbon® and Biocarbon®) to pharmacies, healthcare providers, and end consumers through wholesale distribution channels internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

F.Trenka develops, manufactures, and markets plant-based pharmaceutical products for digestive health, primarily the Eucarbon® and Biocarbon® lines of intestinal remedies. Both products use proprietary combinations of medicinal charcoal (activated or non-activated) with herbal ingredients to relieve constipation, bloating, flatulence, and diarrheal complaints. The company sells these products internationally through pharmaceutical wholesale partners in more than 70 countries.

Product overview

F.Trenka is an Austrian pharmaceutical company founded in 1909 that develops and markets high-quality natural remedies internationally. The company operates two core plant-based products: Eucarbon® and Biocarbon®, both intestinal remedies based on charcoal as the active ingredient. Eucarbon®, launched in 1909, is the flagship product with over 100 years of unchanged composition, providing relief for constipation, bloating, and flatulence through laxative, spasmolytic, and carminative effects. Biocarbon®, introduced in 1994, is made from activated vegetable charcoal and focuses on diarrheal complaints with cleansing and detoxifying properties. Both products emphasize natural, plant-based ingredients as alternatives to conventional pharmaceuticals. The company promotes well-being in more than 70 countries worldwide through partnerships with pharmaceutical distributors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eucarbon® Eucarbon® is F.Trenka's flagship plant-based medicinal product that regulates digestion naturally. It relieves discomfort from constipation, bloating, and flatulence through mildly laxative, spasmolytic, and carminative effects. Non-activated charcoal detoxifies and adsorbs intestinal gases, while herbal ingredients facilitate quick evacuation. Doctors, pharmacists, and patients have relied on its regulative effects on the digestive tract since 1909.
• Biocarbon® Biocarbon® is an intestinal remedy made of pure medicinal activated vegetable charcoal from all-natural plant-based sources. It has cleansing and detoxifying properties and is especially effective for the relief of all types of diarrheal complaints.
• Eucarbon® herbal Eucarbon® herbal is a variant of the flagship Eucarbon® product positioned for the herbal/OTC segment, registered for the first time in Austria in 2002 and launched in Ireland in 2017 as an OTC brand with its own distinct packaging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eucarbon® formulation unchanged for over 100 years
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global Pharmaceutical PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorF.Trenka relies on generation-spanning, forward-looking relationships with renowned pharmaceutical partners around the globe. These partnerships enable distribution of products in more than 70 countries through local pharmaceutical distribution networks.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Salus Haus: German manufacturer of herbal medicines, tonics, and natural health products sold through pharmacies and health food stores. Comparable to F.Trenka as a heritage European brand focused on plant-based medicinal products for digestive and general health.
• Bionorica SE: German herbal pharmaceutical company that develops and markets plant-based medicines globally, with focus on respiratory, urological, and gynecological indications. Comparable to F.Trenka as a science-based European herbal medicines manufacturer with international distribution.
• Krewel Meuselbach: German pharmaceutical company specializing in plant-based medicines, herbal extracts, and OTC products distributed through pharmacies. Highly comparable to F.Trenka as a mid-sized European herbal pharmaceutical manufacturer.
• A.Vogel: Swiss manufacturer of herbal medicines and natural health products, including digestive remedies. Comparable to F.Trenka as a European herbal pharmaceutical company with heritage brands sold through pharmacy and health retail channels internationally.
• Engelhard Arzneimittel: German family-owned pharmaceutical company developing and marketing herbal medicines, including products for digestive health. Comparable to F.Trenka in scale, German/Austrian heritage, and plant-based OTC product portfolio.
• Heel: German pharmaceutical company producing herbal and combination medicines, including products for digestive health. Comparable to F.Trenka in the European plant-based medicines market with pharmacy distribution channels.
• Schwabe Pharma: German-based pharmaceutical company specializing in plant-based and herbal medicines, including digestive health products. Highly comparable to F.Trenka as a European herbal pharmaceutical manufacturer with similar product positioning and distribution through pharmacies.

Broad incumbents

• Bayer Consumer Health: Major global pharmaceutical and consumer health company with established herbal OTC brands (e.g., Iberogast for digestive health). Comparable to F.Trenka as a competitor in the plant-based digestive health category with vastly broader scale and resources.
• Dermapharm Holding SE: German pharmaceutical group that acquired F.Trenka in 2025. Comparable as the parent company and a broader pharmaceutical manufacturer with a portfolio of branded generic and OTC products across multiple therapeutic categories.

Emerging players

• Flordis: Specialized company in clinically researched natural medicines with global distribution through healthcare professionals. Comparable to F.Trenka in its positioning of plant-based medicines as legitimate therapeutic options and similar distribution model through pharmacies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/f.-trenka-chemisch-pharmazeutische-fabrik-gesellschaft-m.b.h.

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 F.Trenka