Southern Biological

What Southern Biological does

Southern Biological is an Australian science education distributor headquartered in Alphington, Victoria, operating as a multi-brand e-commerce and direct-sales platform since 1975. The company resells third-party physical products across 15+ categories including anatomical models (human skeletons, organ models, skulls, torso), biological specimens (living cultures, prepared slides, Wisconsin Fast Plants), biotechnology equipment (miniPCR thermocyclers, blueGel electrophoresis), chemistry and physics labware, microscopy, environment testing kits, and medical simulation devices (CPR manikins, clinical procedure trainers, surgical simulators). Core product lines are sourced through authorized and exclusive distribution partnerships with premium international manufacturers, most notably Somso Modelle (exclusive Australian supplier) and 3B Scientific (authorized distributor), with additional supply from Bone Clones, Carolina Biological, miniPCR, Simulab, Euromex, Koken, molymod, and Adam Rouilly.

The underlying technology is a BigCommerce-hosted e-commerce storefront with B2C and B2B account functionality including account creation, order history, wish lists, multiple shipping addresses, and purchase-order acceptance for institutional customers. The company runs a direct sales operation via phone (1300 138 561) and email ([email protected]) supporting quote-based pricing for classroom packs and bulk orders. Product unit pricing ranges from AU$8.50 to over AU$12,703.30, with GST applied to all transactions, and Australia-wide delivery is offered.

The business model is one-time product resale (no subscription or recurring license layer) across three vertical customer segments: educational institutions (secondary schools, universities, medical schools), healthcare professionals (doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors using models for patient education), and hospitals/clinics (medical simulation and training procurement). The company holds a leadership position within the Australian educational and healthcare supplies distribution market through long-standing supplier relationships, brand exclusivity for key German manufacturers, and breadth of catalog spanning secondary school through medical school use cases.

Name

Southern Biological

Legal name

Southern Biological

Website

https://southernbiological.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southern Biological is an Australian multi-brand distributor of anatomical models, biological specimens, biotechnology and medical simulation equipment, serving schools, universities, medical schools, and healthcare facilities through e-commerce and direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scientific Supplies

NAICS

Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42345)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Supplies & Consumables Wholesale (Non-Device) (CRAOAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Laboratory Consumables & Plasticware (Tips, Tubes, Plates, Filters) (HLAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Anatomical models
• Biology specimens
• Laboratory equipment
• Medical simulation
• Biotechnology supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Alphington

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Revenue generated through direct sales of anatomical models, biology specimens, laboratory equipment, biotechnology supplies, and medical simulation products to schools, universities, healthcare providers, and medical professionals. Products are priced individually with GST (AU$8.50 to AU$12,703.30 range observed).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Southern Biological distributes and resells anatomical models, biology specimens, laboratory equipment, biotechnology supplies, chemistry equipment, microscopy, physics instruments, medical simulation devices, living cultures, and educational charts and posters to schools, universities, medical schools, doctors' clinics, hospitals, and healthcare professionals across Australia. The company acts as an authorized Australian distributor for leading international manufacturers such as Somso Modelle, 3B Scientific, Bone Clones, miniPCR, Simulab, Euromex, Koken, and Adam Rouilly. Products are sold individually with fixed AU$ pricing and include GST, with custom quotes available for classroom packs and bulk institutional orders.

Product overview

Southern Biological is an Australian educational and scientific supplies company operating as a multi-brand e-commerce platform (built on BigCommerce) that distributes a comprehensive portfolio of biological, anatomical, and scientific educational products primarily serving schools, universities, medical clinics, and research institutions. The product portfolio spans multiple categories including Anatomy Models (human skeletons, organ models, skulls, torso from brands like Somso, 3B Scientific, Bone Clones), Biology Products (models, specimens, prepared slides), Biotechnology Equipment (electrophoresis systems, PCR thermocyclers, centrifuges), Charts and Posters, Chemicals and Reagents, Chemistry Equipment, Environment Testing Equipment, Physiology Equipment, Labware and Equipment, Living Specimens (bacteria, cultures, Drosophila), Microscopy, Physics Equipment, Medical Simulation devices, and specialized educational kits. The company operates as a distributor/reseller rather than a manufacturer, carrying products from established scientific supply brands including Somso, 3B Scientific, Carolina Biological, Bone Clones, miniPCR, Simulab, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anatomy Models
• Biology Products
• Biotechnology Equipment
• Charts and Posters
• Chemicals and Reagents
• Chemistry Equipment
• Environment Testing Equipment
• Physiology Equipment
• Labware and Equipment
• Living Specimens
• Microscopy
• Physics Equipment
• Medical Simulation
• Wisconsin Fast Plants

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Somso ModellecoreOthersGerman manufacturer of premium anatomical models. Somso is known for high-quality SOMSO-PLAST® models with exceptional detail and durability. Southern Biological is an authorized Australian supplier of Somso products.
• 3B ScientificcoreOthersLeading German manufacturer of anatomical models and scientific equipment. 3B Scientific provides a wide range of educational models including skeletons, organ models, and simulation equipment. Southern Biological is an authorized distributor.
• Carolina Biological Supply CompanyminorOthersMajor American supplier of biological materials, specimens, and educational supplies for science education.
• Bone ClonesminorOthersManufacturer of high-quality osteological specimens and anatomical models, including human and animal skulls used for anthropology education.
• molymod®minorOthersManufacturer of molecular model kits for chemistry education, used for teaching molecular structure and bonding.
• miniPCRminorOthersBiotechnology company providing PCR (polymerase chain reaction) equipment and learning kits for classroom and laboratory use. Southern Biological offers miniPCR thermocyclers and related products.
• SimulabminorOthersManufacturer of medical simulation and training equipment for healthcare education.
• Adam RouillyminorOthersUK-based manufacturer of anatomical models and medical education products.
• EuromexminorOthersManufacturer of microscopes and optical instruments for education and professional use.
• KokenminorOthersJapanese manufacturer of anatomical models, particularly known for histology and pathology specimens.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Somso Modelle: Premium German manufacturer of SOMSO-PLAST anatomical models. Operates as a manufacturer rather than distributor but sells in overlapping channels globally; comparable on product category (anatomical models for education and medical training) and is a core supplier relationship for Southern Biological.
• Livingstone International: Australian wholesale supplier of medical, dental, and laboratory consumables and equipment. Comparable as a domestic B2B distributor serving healthcare and laboratory customers with overlapping SKU categories in labware, consumables, and clinical supplies.
• Haines Medical Australia: Australian medical product supplier focused on patient handling, infection control, and clinical training equipment. Comparable as an Australia-based distributor of medical/lab supplies and training products, though it operates more heavily in clinical consumables rather than science education.

Broad incumbents

• Ward Science (VWR / Avantor): Global distributor of laboratory supplies, chemicals, and life science products serving education and research institutions. Overlaps with Southern Biological's labware, chemicals, and biotech categories and operates in Australia, though from a much broader portfolio angle.
• 3B Scientific: Leading German manufacturer and global distributor of anatomical models and scientific training equipment. As one of Southern Biological's core brand partners, 3B Scientific offers the same product categories direct globally and competes as the upstream supplier whose Australian arm Southern Biological represents.
• Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher): Major global supplier of laboratory equipment, chemicals, and consumables with Australian operations. Overlaps significantly with Southern Biological's labware, microscopy, and biotech equipment categories for university and healthcare customers.

Emerging players

• MiniPCR: Manufacturer of compact PCR thermocyclers and biotechnology learning kits for classroom and laboratory use. A core brand supplier to Southern Biological; comparable on product category (educational biotechnology equipment) and sells direct globally in the same niche.
• Simulab: US manufacturer of medical simulation and training models (surgical trainers, ultrasound trainers, trauma simulators). A core brand supplier to Southern Biological, offering directly comparable medical simulation products at the same price/quality tier.

Direct peers

• Anatomical Chart Company: Specialist publisher and distributor of anatomical charts, models, and educational health science products. Comparable on the anatomical-models-and-charts category that anchors Southern Biological's primary vertical.
• Carolina Biological Supply Company: Major US-based supplier of biological specimens, living cultures, anatomical models, and lab equipment for science education. Southern Biological explicitly partners with Carolina as a brand supplier, indicating directly overlapping product lines and customer segments (schools, universities, medical training).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southernbiological
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-biologicals

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 Southern Biological