Soil Matters

What Soil Matters does

Soil Matters is a Christchurch-based soil consultancy that has served New Zealand farms across pastoral, arable, and viticulture/horticulture sectors since its founding in 2003 by Rob Flynn. Operating under Flynn Holdings Ltd T/A Soil Matters, the company delivers on-farm soil and plant testing, nutrition planning, paddock remediation, farming-system transition support, soil carbon management, and training services to clients who include Ngāi Tahu, New Zealand Merino, KONO, and Lone Star Farms. Its engagement model is sales-led: farm consultants conduct on-site visits, record observations and samples, and collaborate as a team so clients draw on multiple expert perspectives per project.

At the centre of the company's operations is Soil Cloud, a proprietary cloud-based mapping platform with a mobile application used in the field for paddock-level data capture, visual soil assessments, photo and note logging, and sample collection records that sync to a per-paddock data profile. Soil Cloud underpins service delivery and creates longitudinal farm datasets, with soil and plant testing panels executed through a core laboratory partnership with Eurofins Laboratories. Beyond services, the company distributes a portfolio of fertilizers and biological inputs, including the proprietary Viafos range, custom blends, lime and magnesium products, Waikaitu seaweed fertilisers, BioSea biologicals, Effective Microorganisms, FishIT fish fertiliser, and cover crop seeds.

Revenue is generated through a mix of professional consulting fees (hourly rates, monthly retainers based on agreed services, and project-specific quotes) and resale of solid, liquid, and biological fertilizer products. Distribution is single-country (New Zealand) via direct enterprise field sales, supplemented by phone and website contact channels. The company operates with a small named team of six specialists across the three farming verticals, is privately held and founder-controlled with no external investors, and reports no funding rounds, M&A activity, or disclosed revenue.

Name

Soil Matters

Legal name

Flynn Holdings Ltd

Website

https://soilmatters.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Soil Matters is a Christchurch-based soil consultancy serving New Zealand pastoral, arable, and viticulture farms with soil testing, nutrition planning, paddock remediation, and biological inputs. Its proprietary Soil Cloud platform and laboratory partnership with Eurofins underpin a field-consultant delivery model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soil Consultancy Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil Testing & Nutrient Analysis Services (AFACAKAA), Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE), Soil & Terrain Mapping Services (EC/EM Scanning, Topography, Zone Delineation) (AFACACAE)

Keywords

• Soil consultancy services
• Agricultural soil testing
• Fertiliser planning
• Crop nutrition consulting
• Soil health management

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Soil Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including soil and plant testing, nutrition plans, remediation of problem paddocks, transition to different crops or farming systems, soil carbon management and measurement, review of existing information such as soil tests, and training and education.
2. Consulting Fee Structures: Flexible fee structure including charge per hour, monthly fee based on agreed services, and project-specific quotes.
3. Soil Products and Fertilizers: Sale of solid fertilizers (including custom blends, Viafos fertilisers) and liquid fertilisers/nutrient applications. Products include lime, magnesium, phosphate, trace minerals, and biological inputs such as Waikaitu seaweed fertilisers, BioSea biologicals, Effective Microorganisms (EM), and FishIT fish fertiliser.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Soil Matters provides independent soil consultancy, laboratory-based soil and plant testing, and tailored fertiliser and crop nutrition planning for pastoral, arable, viticulture, and horticulture farms across New Zealand. The company operates an on-farm consulting model supported by its proprietary Soil Cloud mapping platform and mobile app for capturing and reviewing paddock observations, and supplies solid fertilisers, liquid fertilisers, biological inputs, and seed and cover crops to complement its advisory work.

Product overview

Soil Matters is a soil consultancy company offering a portfolio of advisory services and physical products for NZ farmers. The core service platform consists of Soil Cloud (cloud-based farm data management software), combined with laboratory-based soil and plant testing services. The company provides sector-specific consulting for pastoral, viticulture/horticulture, and arable farming operations. On the product side, the company sells its own branded biological inputs including Waikaitu plant care products, BioSea biologicals, Effective Microorganisms, and FishIT fish fertiliser. Fertiliser offerings include the Viafos range, custom made blends, and liquid fertilisers. Supporting services include nutrition planning, soil carbon management, remediation, farming system transitions, and training. All services are delivered through a 6-step customer engagement process starting with initial consultation through to recommendations and ongoing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soil Cloud: Cloud-based mapping software system to manage soil related information. Farms can be setup in Soil Cloud with paddocks mapped and relevant information saved. The mobile app is used during on-farm visits for visual soil assessments, photos, notes, and sample collection records.

Products and services

• Soil Cloud Cloud-based paddock mapping and soil data management software used by Soil Matters consultants during on-farm visits. Farms are set up with paddocks mapped and farm-specific information stored; the mobile app is used in the field for visual soil assessments, photo capture, note-taking, and sample collection records that upload directly to the matching paddock record, streamlining the consulting workflow.
• Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory-based soil and plant testing service, delivered with Eurofins Laboratories, providing comprehensive nutrient analysis, carbon testing, petiole and herbage testing, and plant sap testing for diagnosing crop deficiencies and monitoring plant health on New Zealand farms.
• Nutrition Plans Tailored soil and plant nutrition planning service that produces balanced, farm-specific input plans focused on minimising synthetic nitrogen use and optimising nutrient efficiency for pastoral, arable, viticulture, and horticulture operations.
• Soil Carbon Management and Measurement Soil carbon management and measurement service that helps farms enhance carbon sequestration, monitor organic matter levels, and improve long-term soil quality through structured assessment and ongoing review.
• Remediation of Problem Paddocks Assessment and remediation service for paddocks experiencing soil health issues, compaction, nutrient deficiencies, or productivity decline, delivered as a tailored on-farm intervention plan.
• Transition to Different Crops or Farming Systems Expert guidance for farms transitioning between crop types, farming systems, or production approaches, including support for adopting regenerative agriculture and lower-synthetic-input practices.
• Training and Education Educational services and training on soil health, crop nutrition, regenerative and sustainable farming practices, provided to New Zealand farmers and industry partners.
• Pastoral Farming Consulting Sector-specific soil and plant nutrition consulting for sheep, beef, and dairy pastoral farms covering soil health assessment, nutrient use efficiency, pasture production improvement, animal health linkage, and reduced dependence on synthetic nitrogen.
• Viticulture and Horticulture Consulting Sector-specific soil health and plant nutrition consulting for wine grape, orchard, and horticultural producers, focused on fruit quality, sustainability, regenerative viticulture practices, and improving return on investment through soil health.
• Arable Farming Consulting Sector-specific soil nutrition and cropping consulting for arable farms, supporting both conventional and organic diverse cropping operations to achieve stable yields, manage production cost risk, and strengthen soil ecosystems.
• Viafos Fertiliser Range Range of solid fertilisers designed for efficient nutrient delivery with minimal runoff, including slow-release and fast-release combinations for steady nutrient supply to New Zealand farms.
• Custom Made Fertiliser Blends Bespoke solid fertiliser blends tailored to specific farm requirements, incorporating balanced inputs such as lime, magnesium, phosphate, trace minerals, and biological components.
• Liquid Fertiliser Products Water-soluble powder and liquid fertilisers providing nutrients in directly available forms for rapid plant uptake, used when solid fertilisers cannot be utilised fast enough.
• Biological Soil Inputs Range of ocean-derived and biological soil inputs used to feed beneficial soil biology and reduce chemical reliance, including Waikaitu seaweed fertilisers, BioSea biologicals, Effective Microorganisms (EM) combining bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, and FishIT fish fertiliser sourced from Southland coastal waters.
• Seed and Cover Crops Seed supply and agronomic advice for cover crops that improve soil health by increasing organic matter, fixing nitrogen, breaking up compact soil, outcompeting weeds, and preventing erosion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased profits and decreased expenditures for customers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eurofins LaboratoriescoreTechnology or IntegrationSoil Matters partners with Eurofins Laboratories for soil testing services. Together they have selected an array of soil tests to help identify limiting factors in relation to soil health. These tests provide information about nutrient levels and help determine how elements like carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen are cycling for plant health and growth.
• New Zealand MerinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation is shared with New Zealand Merino for research purposes and to support industry players with the sales of farm produce like wool. The partnership aims to achieve goals that benefit the environment and support industry players.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Ravensdown: Large NZ fertiliser and agri-nutrient supplier providing products, testing, and agronomic advice to farmers. Comparable to Soil Matters across the fertiliser, soil testing, and farm advisory value chain, with deeper capital base and broader product offerings.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global testing laboratory group and Soil Matters' named partner for soil analysis. Comparable as the upstream analytical backbone for agricultural testing, but operating at vastly greater scale across multiple industries and geographies.
• Ballance Agri-Nutrients: Major NZ farmer-owned fertiliser co-operative that sells solid and liquid fertilisers and offers agronomic support. Comparable to Soil Matters on the fertiliser distribution and on-farm advice side, with a much larger product portfolio and NZ-wide reach.
• Trimble Ag (Trimble Inc.): Global provider of precision agriculture hardware, software, and data services to farmers. Comparable to Soil Matters where Soil Cloud meets precision agriculture, but with a much broader product suite spanning GNSS, telematics, and farm management software.

Emerging players

• Pattern Ag: US agtech company using soil DNA and machine learning to predict pest pressure and yield risk for row crop farmers. Comparable to Soil Matters in translating soil data into on-farm recommendations, but operating in arable row crops in North America.
• Indigo Ag: US-based agriculture company focused on soil health, biological products, and carbon programs. Comparable to Soil Matters on the regenerative agriculture and biological inputs theme, but at a much larger commercial scale and with proprietary microbial discovery capability.
• Biome Makers: Soil microbiome analysis company using DNA sequencing to characterise soil biology and recommend inputs. Comparable to Soil Matters on the soil testing and biological-fertility advisory axis, but with a technology-led, lab-based delivery model.
• Sound Agriculture: US ag biotech company developing nitrogen-fixing and shelf-life products that reduce synthetic fertiliser reliance. Comparable to Soil Matters on the mission of reducing synthetic inputs through biology, but operates upstream in product R&D rather than on-farm advisory.

Direct peers

• Hill Laboratories: New Zealand's largest independent agricultural testing laboratory, offering soil, plant, water, and food testing. Directly comparable to Soil Matters on the soil and plant testing side, with greater scale and a broader lab-based footprint across NZ.

Others

• AgResearch (NZ): NZ Crown Research Institute focused on pastoral, agri-food, and environmental science. Comparable to Soil Matters through shared focus on soil, pasture, and sustainable farming research, but operating as a public research body rather than a commercial consultancy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flynn-holdings-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Soil Matters