Refresh Physio

What Refresh Physio does

Refresh Physio is a privately held, founder-owned physiotherapy practice based in Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand, established in 2000 by Catherine Millar. The practice operates as a single-location clinic with up to 5 employees, offering a focused portfolio of pelvic health and musculoskeletal physiotherapy services delivered primarily by the founder. The clinical offering spans six pelvic health service lines (Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Pessary Management, Pelvic Pain, Gynae Surgery recovery, Urinary Incontinence, Menopause support, and Maternal Birth Injuries), plus sports and musculoskeletal physiotherapy, BradCliff Method breathing therapy, mat-based Pilates classes at Akau Tangi Sports Centre, and telehealth consultations. Catherine Millar brings 30 years of physiotherapy experience with postgraduate training in pelvic health from the University of Melbourne (2023) and University of Adelaide (2024), and is currently pursuing a Masters in Pelvic Health Physiotherapy.

The business model is a direct-to-consumer professional services practice with revenue generated from per-consultation fees and recurring Pilates class fees (with a discount for 10-session prepay). The practice is ACC accredited and registered as a Careway Provider, enabling it to receive ACC-funded referrals for accident-related injuries including maternal birth injuries, and knee, shoulder, and spinal conditions through ACC's escalated care programme. Patients access care via online booking (Gensolve platform), direct contact, GP/specialist referrals, or word-of-mouth. The customer base consists of individual consumers and SMB-type patients across the Greater Wellington region, including Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kapiti Coast, Porirua, and Wairarapa. There is no evidence of external investors, funding rounds, or ownership changes; the practice is wholly founder-operated.

The competitive positioning rests on the unique combination of pelvic health specialisation, sports/musculoskeletal expertise, and BradCliff breathing certification under a single practitioner with three decades of experience. Marketing relies on a regularly updated blog, organic search, and word-of-mouth referrals rather than paid acquisition. The practice holds DAA Group certification under Allied Health Services Sector Standards 8171:2005, adding external quality assurance. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the structural profile is that of a stable, mature solo practitioner operation rather than a scalable business.

Name

Refresh Physio

Legal name

Refresh Physio

Website

https://refreshphysio.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Refresh Physio is a Wellington, New Zealand physiotherapy clinic founded in 2000 by Catherine Millar, offering pelvic health, musculoskeletal, sports, and BradCliff Method breathing services, plus Pilates classes, to individual consumers across the Greater Wellington region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Physiotherapy Consultation Fees: Revenue from in-person and telehealth physiotherapy consultations for pelvic health, musculoskeletal, sports, and breathing services. ACC partially covers treatments for eligible injuries including maternal birth injuries and Careway programme injuries.
2. Pilates Class Fees: Group Pilates mat classes held at Akau Tangi Sports Centre. Discount offered for prepaying 10 sessions. Parents can bring children to join classes for free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Refresh Physio is a Wellington-based physiotherapy practice operated by founder Catherine Millar, delivering specialist pelvic health and musculoskeletal physiotherapy to individual patients. The clinic treats pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, menopause-related conditions, and maternal birth injuries, alongside sports injuries, breathing pattern disorders using the BradCliff Method, and clinical Pilates classes offered both in-person and via telehealth.

Product overview

Refresh Physio is a Wellington-based physiotherapy practice offering a unified service portfolio centered on pelvic health and musculoskeletal physiotherapy. The core offerings include pelvic health services (Pelvic Organ Prolapse & Pessary Management, Pelvic Pain, Gynae Surgery, Urinary Incontinence, Menopause, and Maternal Birth Injuries), sports and musculoskeletal physiotherapy, BradCliff Method breathing therapy, and mat-based Pilates classes. All services are delivered by physiotherapist Catherine Millar through in-person consultations or telehealth appointments, with services such as maternal birth injury treatment partially funded through ACC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Specialist physiotherapy for pelvic organ prolapse, pessary fitting and management, urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, gynaecological surgery recovery, menopause-related changes, and maternal birth injuries, delivered to women across the lifespan.
• Sports & Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Evidence-based assessment and rehabilitation for sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions, including ACC-covered accidental injuries, delivered to active individuals and athletes.
• Breathing Therapy (BradCliff Method)

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 70% of women see improvement with structured pelvic floor muscle training for urinary incontinence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Careway ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered Careway Provider participating in ACC-funded 'escalated care' programme specifically for knee, shoulder, and spinal injuries. Provides faster access to multidisciplinary care for eligible patients with fully funded treatment.
• DAA GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDAA Group provides certification under Allied Health Services Sector Standards 8171:2005, demonstrating effective management systems and commitment to quality care standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Physitrack: New Zealand-founded physiotherapy patient engagement and exercise prescription platform used by clinicians globally. Comparable as a Wellington/NZ-rooted physiotherapy ecosystem participant; not a direct clinical competitor but an enabling technology provider in the same physiotherapy service category.

Broad incumbents

• Habit Health: One of New Zealand's largest physiotherapy and rehabilitation networks with multiple clinics across the country. Comparable as a New Zealand-based physiotherapy provider operating in the same regulatory and funding (ACC) environment as Refresh Physio, but at much greater scale and with a broader generalist service mix rather than pelvic health specialization.
• Hinge Health: Large digital musculoskeletal care platform offering app-based exercise therapy, pelvic health programs, and virtual coaching. Comparable as an alternative delivery model for musculoskeletal and pelvic floor rehabilitation targeting similar patient needs (back pain, joint issues, pelvic health), though operating at scale via technology rather than in-person clinic visits.

Regional players

• Body in Motion Physiotherapy: Wellington-area physiotherapy clinic group offering musculoskeletal, sports, and rehabilitation services. Comparable as a Wellington-region physiotherapy practice competing for the same local patient pool and ACC-funded referrals, though it does not appear to specialize in pelvic health.
• Active Health New Zealand: New Zealand physiotherapy provider operating across multiple clinics with services including musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sports injury management, and rehabilitation. Comparable as a NZ-based outpatient physiotherapy practice serving similar ACC-funded and private-pay patient cohorts, though with a more generalist positioning.

Emerging players

• Mummy MOT: UK-based specialist postnatal assessment and treatment service for mothers, focused on pelvic floor recovery, abdominal rehabilitation, and postnatal physiotherapy. Directly comparable as a specialist pelvic health and postnatal physiotherapy provider, with overlapping scope in pelvic floor muscle training, postnatal recovery, and maternal birth injury rehabilitation.
• The Sydney Pelvic Clinic: Australia-based specialty clinic dedicated to pelvic floor dysfunction, incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain treatment. Directly comparable as a specialty pelvic health physiotherapy practice offering pessary management, pelvic floor muscle training, and men's pelvic health services within a similar Anglosphere healthcare context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refresh-physio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Refresh Physio