The Chia Co
The Chia Co is an Australian, privately held food company founded in 2002 that vertically integrates Kimberley-grown chia into bulk B2B ingredients (seed, oil, flour, ground seed) for food manufacturers and consumer packaged goods such as porridges and boosters sold via e-commerce and retail stockists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersPort Melbourne, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Chia Co does
The Chia Co (legal entity: The Chia Company) is an Australian privately held food company founded in 2002, headquartered in Port Melbourne, Victoria, with commercial offices in New York and Stamford, UK. It is a vertically integrated producer of chia seed (Salvia hispanica) and chia-based ingredients, cultivating chia in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and marketing it under a "Kimberley-grown" provenance story with Non-GMO positioning. The company's core technology is the chia seed itself — a plant-based ingredient with a multi-year shelf life, neutral flavour profile, and high omega-3 ALA, fibre, and protein content — offered in multiple commercial formats including whole seed (10–25kg, with a heat-treated option), cold-pressed oil (20L), flour (up to 50% fibre, 15kg), and ground seed (15kg), as well as consumer SKUs such as Oats + Chia Coconut and Cacao & Coconut porridges, Breakfast Booster, and Salad Booster.
The company operates a two-tier business model. On the B2B side, it sells bulk chia ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers, bakeries, and hospitality operators through direct commercial inquiry ([email protected]), with named enterprise customers including Bakers Delight (Chia & Fruit Bread, Chia Omega-3 Wholemeal Block) and Ballantyne Spreadable (Lighter with Chia Oil). On the B2C side, it distributes consumer packaged goods through its own e-commerce storefront (thechiaco.com), a network of retail stockists (supermarkets and health food stores), with demand generation driven primarily by a content-led marketing engine: a 100+ recipe platform featuring guest contributors (nutritionists, chefs, food bloggers), an email newsletter, organic social, and event sponsorships such as World Digestive Health Day 2020. John Foss is the CEO and founder. The company has 8 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listing.
The Chia Co firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Chia Co
- Legal name
- The Chia Company
- Website
- https://thechiaco.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Chia Co is an Australian, privately held food company founded in 2002 that vertically integrates Kimberley-grown chia into bulk B2B ingredients (seed, oil, flour, ground seed) for food manufacturers and consumer packaged goods such as porridges and boosters sold via e-commerce and retail stockists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Chia Co industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Chia-based food ingredients and consumer packaged goods
- NAICS
- Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing (311423)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Couscous, Bulgur & Other Processed Grain Foods Manufacturing (AFAKABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sweetener & Stimulant Specialty Crop Farming (Stevia, Guarana, Kola) (AFAGAGAM)
Keywords
Where The Chia Co is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Port Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Chia Co business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Consumer Product Sales: The Chia Co sells chia-based consumer products (seeds, oil, flour, ground seed, blended products) directly through its website and through retail stockists (supermarkets, health food stores).
- Commercial / B2B Ingredient Sales: Bulk chia ingredients (seeds, oil, flour, ground seed) sold to food and beverage manufacturers, bakeries, and hospitality businesses in commercial quantities (10-25kg). Heat-treated chia seeds available at request.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Chia Co product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Chia Co grows and distributes chia-based food products across two channels: bulk chia ingredients (whole seeds, cold-pressed oil, flour, ground seed) in 10-25kg formats for food and beverage manufacturers, and consumer packaged goods (Oats + Chia porridges, Breakfast Booster, Salad Booster, black and white chia seeds) sold through retail stockists and the company's own e-commerce site. All chia is cultivated in the Kimberley region of Western Australia with multi-format processing to enable clean-label, neutral-taste integration into bakery, beverage, cereal and yoghurt applications.
Product overview
The Chia Co is an Australian food company specializing in chia seed products, operating with a two-tier business model: commercial/ingredient products and consumer packaged goods. Their commercial division offers bulk chia ingredients including whole Chia Seed, Chia Oil, Chia Flour, and Chia Ground Seed for food manufacturers and commercial applications. Their consumer products include ready-to-eat breakfast porridges (Oats + Chia Coconut and Oats + Chia Cacao and Coconut), dietary boosters (Breakfast Booster and Salad Booster), and bulk chia seeds in black and white varieties. All chia is grown in the pristine Kimberley region of Western Australia and marketed as pure, clean and sun ripened with high fibre, omega-3 and protein content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chia Seed (Commercial Bulk) Whole chia seeds with a shelf life of more than three years and a neutral taste, designed to improve nutrition and texture in breads, baked goods, confectionary, cereals, beverages and yoghurts. Sold in 10-25 kg commercial packaging with an optional heat-treated variant for food and beverage manufacturers.
- Chia Oil (Commercial Bulk) Pure, natural oil cold-pressed from whole chia seeds, providing a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 for enriching salad dressings, yoghurts and beverages without affecting taste. Sold in a 20L commercial format for food and beverage manufacturers.
- Chia Flour (Commercial Bulk) Chia flour comprising up to 50% fibre, designed to increase nutrition in baked products such as breads, muffins and cookies, producing a nutty aroma when baked and capable of replacing fat in cookie or muffin recipes. Sold in 15kg/33lbs commercial packaging.
- Chia Ground Seed (Commercial Bulk) Whole ground chia seed offering high levels of omega-3 ALA, fibre and protein, carefully processed to protect against oxidisation with a neutral taste for adding nutrition and texture to cereals, breads, beverages and yoghurts. Sold in 15kg/33lbs commercial packaging.
- Oats + Chia Coconut Porridge Ready-to-eat breakfast porridge combining oats and chia seeds with coconut, designed for quick preparation as a convenient health-conscious breakfast for individual consumers.
- Oats + Chia Cacao and Coconut Porridge Ready-to-eat breakfast porridge combining oats, chia seeds, cacao and coconut for a chocolate-flavoured breakfast option targeted at individual consumers.
- Breakfast Booster Chia-based dietary supplement designed for boosting breakfast nutrition, used in recipes for added omega-3 and fibre and sold to health-conscious individual consumers.
- Salad Booster Chia-based salad topping combining chia seeds with premium wholefoods for a nutritional boost, targeted at health-conscious individual consumers.
- Chia Seed Black Black variety whole chia seeds for use in recipes and cooking applications, sold to individual consumers for daily nutritional supplementation and baking.
- White Chia Seeds White variety whole chia seeds for use in recipes where visual appearance is important, such as chia pudding and desserts, sold to health-conscious individual consumers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Chia Flour comprises up to 50% fibre
Companies that use The Chia Co
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Chia Co technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Chia Co partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Chia Co competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Health Warrior: Health Warrior is a US chia-based snack and ingredient brand (now owned by PepsiCo) producing chia bars and chia seed products for retail. Directly comparable in core ingredient focus and consumer packaged goods positioning.
- Mamma Chia: Mamma Chia is a US-based chia-focused CPG brand offering chia beverages, snacks, and seeds. It is the most directly comparable competitor, sharing both DTC and retail channels with The Chia Co and operating in the same core ingredient category.
- Nutiva: Nutiva is a US plant-based nutrition brand offering chia seeds, chia oil, and chia flour alongside other superfoods. Comparable across both B2C retail and B2B ingredient channels, with overlapping product format breadth.
- Navitas Organics: Navitas Organics is a US-based superfood ingredients brand offering chia seeds, chia powder, and other plant-based superfoods to retail and wholesale channels. Highly comparable in ingredient format breadth and target customer (health-conscious consumers and F&B manufacturers).
- Carrington Farms: Carrington Farms is a US organic food brand specializing in flax, chia, and coconut oil products in consumer and bulk formats. Comparable product line-up and target health-conscious consumer base.
Broad incumbents
- Bob's Red Mill: Bob's Red Mill is a large US specialty grain, seed, and flour brand offering chia seeds and chia flour among hundreds of SKUs. It is a broader incumbent in the specialty grain/seed category with overlapping B2B and B2C channels.
- NOW Foods: NOW Foods is a large US natural products company offering chia seeds, chia oil, and chia powder as part of an extensive superfood and supplement portfolio. Comparable in chia ingredient offering and B2B/bulk distribution model, but operates as a much broader incumbent.
Regional players
- Chia Bia (via The Pure Food Co / Irish brand): Chia Bia / Pure Food is a European chia-focused brand serving UK and EU retail markets. Comparable in product focus and consumer positioning, but competes regionally with The Chia Co's UK office.
Emerging players
- Organic India: Organic India is a global organic food and supplement brand offering chia seeds and other superfoods through retail and DTC channels. Comparable in clean-label, organic, plant-based nutrition positioning targeting health-conscious consumers.
- Three Farmers: Three Farmers is a Canadian pulse and plant-based food brand offering chia seeds and other specialty crops with vertically integrated Canadian sourcing. Comparable in vertically integrated single-region supply chain model and clean-ingredient positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Chia Co social profiles
Digital presenceThe Chia Co compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Chia Co financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Chia Co leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Chia Co funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Chia Co M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Chia Co
What does The Chia Co do?
The Chia Co grows and distributes chia-based food products across two channels: bulk chia ingredients (whole seeds, cold-pressed oil, flour, ground seed) in 10-25kg formats for food and beverage manufacturers, and consumer packaged goods (Oats + Chia porridges, Breakfast Booster, Salad Booster, black and white chia seeds) sold through retail stockists and the company's own e-commerce site. All chia is cultivated in the Kimberley region of Western Australia with multi-format processing to enable clean-label, neutral-taste integration into bakery, beverage, cereal and yoghurt applications.
Is The Chia Co a public or private company?
The Chia Co is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Chia Co founded?
The Chia Co was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Chia Co based?
The Chia Co is headquartered in Port Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Chia Co make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Consumer Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are commercial / B2B Ingredient Sales.
Who are The Chia Co's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Health Warrior, Mamma Chia, Nutiva, Navitas Organics and Carrington Farms. Broad incumbents are Bob's Red Mill and NOW Foods. Chia Bia (via The Pure Food Co / Irish brand) is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Organic India and Three Farmers.
Does The Chia Co have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Chia Co.
What industry is The Chia Co in?
The Chia Co's product category is Chia-based food ingredients and consumer packaged goods. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKABAJ, Couscous, Bulgur & Other Processed Grain Foods Manufacturing, with a secondary code of AFAGAGAM, Sweetener & Stimulant Specialty Crop Farming (Stevia, Guarana, Kola). Its NAICS code is 311423 and its SIC code is 2090.