Maui Milk
Maui Milk Limited is a New Zealand sheep milk producer and B2B ingredient supplier, producing whole and skim sheep milk powder, liquid milk and functional dairy ingredients from its proprietary Southern Cross™ dairy sheep breed for global food, infant formula, and nutritional product manufacturers, with anchor customers including Danone and Mengniu Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersHamilton, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Maui Milk does
Maui Milk Limited, founded in 2014 and headquartered at Waikato Innovation Park in Hamilton, New Zealand, produces and supplies sheep milk powder, liquid sheep milk and specialised sheep dairy ingredients from a network of 11 (soon 13) Waikato-region supply farms aggregating approximately 3 million litres of milk per year. The company's technology backbone is the proprietary Southern Cross™ dairy sheep breed — a world-first registered hybrid developed by in-house geneticists combining East Friesian, Coopworth, Awassi and Lacaune genetics, optimised for year-round outdoor pasture-based farming in New Zealand conditions. Average ewe production has risen from 100-150 litres a decade ago to over 400 litres today, with a stated 2030 target of 500 litres. Processing (including a new spray dryer installed in partnership with Waikato Innovation Park in 2019) takes place in Hamilton, with a showcase genetics farm at Waikino Station on Lake Taupo.
Maui Milk operates a dual B2B/B2C revenue model. The B2B channel sells bulk whole and skim sheep milk powder in 25kg bags, plus UHT, pasteurised, concentrated, and frozen cream formats, to food and beverage manufacturers, infant formula producers, sports and medical nutrition companies, and artisan cheesemakers (including Over the Moon, Meyer Cheese, Whitestone Cheese Co., Craggy Range Sheep Dairy, Origin Earth, and AO Cacao NZ Chocolate). Danone's Karicare® Sheep Stage 3 Toddler Milk Drink is a flagship anchor customer product. In April 2025 Maui entered a strategic partnership with China's Mengniu Group, opening Asia-Pacific distribution. The B2C channel was launched in August 2025 via mauisheepmilk.co.nz, selling branded sachets (whole milk powder, BB-12 probiotic, PS+DHA functional). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
Maui Milk holds multiple first-mover certifications: AsureQuality Grass-Fed Certification (94.7% grass-based diet, verified by MPI), AsureQuality AQ Assured™ Transparency Programme licensing (first NZ sheep milk producer), Low-Glycemic Index Certification, FernMark licence, and was a 2025 finalist at the World Dairy Innovation Awards (Dairy Protein Products). The company is privately held under Maui Food Group Limited, with Super Organic Dairy as the controlling shareholder following the 2021 buyout of M\u0101ori trust Waituhi Kuratau's shares. New CEO Malcolm Edward was appointed in October 2025, replacing Greg Hamill.
Maui Milk firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Maui Milk
- Legal name
- Maui Milk Limited
- Website
- https://mauimilk.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Maui Milk Limited is a New Zealand sheep milk producer and B2B ingredient supplier, producing whole and skim sheep milk powder, liquid milk and functional dairy ingredients from its proprietary Southern Cross™ dairy sheep breed for global food, infant formula, and nutritional product manufacturers, with anchor customers including Danone and Mengniu Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Maui Milk industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sheep Milk Powder & Specialty Dairy Ingredients
- NAICS
- Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing (311514), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fluid Milk & Cream Processing (AFAKAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dairy Ingredients (Whey, Lactose, Milk Powders) Wholesale (AFAIAEAG), Infant Formula & Specialized Dairy Nutrition Manufacturing (AFAKAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Maui Milk is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamilton
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices5 records
Markets served
Maui Milk business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Bulk Sheep Milk Powder Ingredients: Sale of bulk whole milk powder and skim milk powder in 25kg bags to B2B food manufacturers, infant formula producers, nutritional product companies, and dairy ingredient buyers worldwide. This is the primary revenue stream, supplying ingredients for products including infant formula (Danone's Karicare® Sheep Stage 3), adult nutrition, sports nutrition, pet nutrition, and cheese.
- Branded Consumer Products: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded Maui Sheep Milk products through the company's online store (mauisheepmilk.co.nz). Product range includes whole milk powder sachets, probiotic sheep milk powder with BB-12® probiotics, PS+DHA fortified sheep milk sachets, and specialty formulated drinks. Revenue from packaged consumer goods sold internationally.
- Functional & Specialty Dairy Ingredients: Sale of concentrated sheep milk, pasteurised frozen sheep cream, UHT liquid milk, and custom blended sheep milk formulations to food manufacturers and private label brands. Includes infant formula base powder, medical powder, and high-protein sports nutrition powders.
- Genetics & Breeding Stock: Southern Cross™ dairy sheep genetics programme provides supply farmers with access to new rams each season. While primarily a supply chain enabler, the genetics programme supports the broader revenue model by ensuring high-quality milk supply. Supply farmers lease teams of sires to access latest genetics without managing rams year-round.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk ingredient pricing for whole and skim sheep milk powder |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Maui Milk product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Maui Milk produces and supplies New Zealand sheep milk powder, liquid sheep milk, and sheep dairy ingredients in bulk (25kg bags) to global food manufacturers, infant formula producers, nutritional product companies, and dairy ingredient buyers. The company also sells consumer-packaged sheep milk products including premium whole milk powder sachets, probiotic sheep milk powder with BB-12 probiotics, and PS+DHA fortified sachets through its direct-to-consumer online store.
Product overview
Maui Milk operates as a B2B ingredient supplier and consumer product company offering sheep milk powder and dairy products. The core portfolio includes Whole Sheep Milk Powder and Skim Sheep Milk Powder in bulk 25kg formats for food manufacturers (infant formula, nutritional powders, functional foods, cheese, yogurts). Consumer-facing products include Premium Whole Milk Powder Sachets, Maui Plus+ Probiotic (50 billion BB-12® probiotics), and PS+DHA sachets for brain health. Special formulations are available for infant, medical, and sports nutrition. The company also supplies white-label products to Danone (Karicare® Toddler Milk) and partners with chocolate makers like AO Cacao for co-branded products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Whole Sheep Milk Powder (Full Cream) Premium bulk whole sheep milk powder made from 100% pure New Zealand grass-fed sheep milk, sold in 25kg format for commercial use in infant formula, nutritional powders, and dairy products.
- Skim Sheep Milk Powder Low-fat sheep milk powder with over 50 grams of protein per 100 grams. Contains 100% A2 beta-casein and natural whey with no additives or artificial fortification.
- Maui Plus+ Probiotic Sheep Milk Powder Consumer-facing sheep milk powder sachets containing 50 billion BB-12 probiotics per 100g, designed to support gut health and digestive comfort. Rich in omega-3, omega-6, omega-9, and conjugated linoleic acid.
- PS+DHA Sheep Milk Sachets Formulated sheep milk powder with Phosphatidylserine (PS) and DHA for gut sensitivity, brain health, and overall wellbeing. Supports memory, sleep, mood, and exercise performance.
- Maui Wellness Boost + Collagen Low-calorie natural vanilla supplemented milk drink for adults, formulated with sustainably sourced marine collagen peptides and vitamin C to boost immunity and skin health.
- Maui Kids Bedtime Restore + DHA Natural vanilla supplemented night-time milk drink for children, formulated with multivitamins, zinc and DHA to support immunity, cognitive development, eye health and bone health.
- Premium Whole Milk Powder Sachets Consumer-packaged whole sheep milk powder in gift set boxes, naturally A2 and packed with nutrition. Rich in essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, suitable as a nutritious drink or food additive.
- Liquid Sheep Milk (Pasteurized, UHT, Concentrated) Various liquid sheep milk formats including pasteurized, UHT, and concentrated forms for food, beverage, and nutritional product manufacturers.
- Infant Formula Base Powder Sheep milk powder suitable for use as a base in infant and toddler nutrition formulas, meeting food-grade standards for infant nutrition.
- Medical Powder Food-grade sheep milk powder suitable for medical nutrition and adult nutrition applications.
- High Protein & Exercise Nutrition High-protein sheep milk powder formulations for sports nutrition, protein shakes, and meal replacements.
- Sheep Cream, Butter, Yogurt, Cheese Various dairy products derived from sheep milk including fresh cream, ice cream, butter, yogurt, and cheese for commercial food production.
- Pasteurized Frozen Sheep Cream 100% pure pasteurized frozen sheep cream, packed and branded for shipping frozen to preserve freshness and quality.
- AO Cacao 42% Sheep Milk Chocolate Premium chocolate product by AO Cacao NZ Chocolate Company featuring Maui Sheep Milk, combining smooth texture, rich creaminess, and gentle flavour. Available in Honey, Yogurt, and Umami variants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average ewe production grew from 100-150 litres to 400+ litres in under a decade through genetics programme
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Maui Milk
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Maui Milk technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Maui Milk partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- New Sheep Dairy Supply FarmerscoreMaui Milk welcomed two new sheep dairy farmers to its supply network in October 2025. The company is actively seeking additional farmers for the 2026/27 season and planning further expansion for 2027/28 season and beyond. Supply farms in Waikato region use Southern Cross™ genetics and pasture-based farming to produce milk for Maui Milk's global customers. Total network comprises more than 11,000 dairy ewes across 13+ farms.
- AO Cacao NZ Chocolate CompanyminorCollaboration announced September 2025 where AO Cacao incorporated Maui Sheep Milk into their new 42% Sheep Milk Chocolate range (Honey, Yogurt, Umami varieties). Founder Thomas Netana Wright described sheep milk as 'beautifully clean-tasting' and noted it 'seasons the chocolate perfectly' due to its natural tones. Collaboration celebrates local innovation and sustainable farming.
- Mengniu GroupcoreStrategic partnership announced April 28, 2025 with Mengniu Group — one of China's largest dairy companies, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Parent company of Yashili New Zealand Dairy Co Ltd. The partnership provides Maui Milk access to China's massive consumer market, leveraging Mengniu's robust distribution network. For Mengniu, the deal provides access to premium A2 sheep milk with high nutritional value and hypoallergenic properties for their high-end dairy portfolio expansion across Asia.
- Danone (Karicare®)coreLongstanding supply arrangement where Danone manufactures Karicare® Sheep Stage 3 Toddler Milk Drink using New Zealand sheep milk from Maui. Maui Milk supplies bulk sheep milk powder as the core ingredient for Danone's premium infant and toddler nutrition products under the Karicare brand. This supply arrangement was described as a key driver of demand and a core part of Maui Milk's business strategy.
- AsureQualitycoreIndependent certification and auditing partner providing Grass-Fed Certification against the AsureQuality Grass-Fed Scheme, verified against NZ Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Grass-Fed Administrative Standard. Also provides AQ Assured™ Transparency Programme licensing for farm-to-table traceability. AsureQuality is owned by the NZ Government and works with primary producers providing food safety, testing, auditing, and certification services.
- Waikato Innovation ParkcoreStrategic manufacturing partnership at Waikato Innovation Park in Hamilton, NZ. Park houses spray drying facilities for milk powder production — a new dryer was installed June 2019 to handle growing sheep milk industry volume. The existing five-year-old spray dryer was operating at capacity prompting the investment.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Maui Milk competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Yili Group: China's largest dairy company and Mengniu's primary competitor. Relevant as a benchmark for the scale and competitive intensity of the Chinese premium dairy market Maui is targeting via the Mengniu partnership.
- Synlait Milk: Large NZ dairy ingredient manufacturer with infant formula capability (including a2 Platinum partnership) and a comparable B2B ingredient-plus-branded-product model in the same Hamilton/Waikato ecosystem.
- a2 Milk Company: Largest A2-protein dairy brand globally. While cow-milk based, it competes head-to-head for the same A2, gut-friendly, premium-paying consumer that Maui targets — particularly in infant nutrition and China.
- Anlene / Fonterra: Fonterra's Anlene brand competes in the adult nutrition/dairy protein segment in Asia. Comparable as a broad incumbent setting pricing benchmarks and distribution norms in the same regional dairy nutrition category.
Emerging players
- Bubs Australia: Australian goat milk infant formula brand competing in the same 'alternative to cow's milk' infant nutrition category, particularly in China. Comparable as a challenger brand in gentle-dairy infant formula.
Direct peers
- Spring Sheep Milk Co. New Zealand sheep milk producer with a similar Taupo/Waikato provenance, premium grass-fed positioning, and B2B ingredients plus consumer nutrition range. Most directly comparable competitor in NZ sheep milk powder.
- Whitestone Cheese Co. NZ cheesemaker producing award-winning sheep cheese (Monte Cristo) using Maui sheep milk. Comparable as a downstream NZ value-added dairy customer and co-marketing partner in the sheep dairy category.
- Blue River Dairy: NZ-based sheep milk product company producing milk powder, infant formula, and skin care. Closely comparable in product mix, channel strategy, and category focus on sheep milk ingredients and consumer products.
- Origin Earth: Havelock North sheep dairy producer using Maui-supplied milk to make award-winning sheep cheese (e.g., Feta Sheep Smoked). Comparable as a NZ sheep-dairy value-added processor anchored in Maui Milk's supply chain.
Others
- Mengniu Group: Strategic partner and one of China's largest dairy companies. Comparable as a channel/distribution incumbent that shapes access to Chinese consumers and benchmarks premium dairy positioning in Asia.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Maui Milk social profiles
Digital presenceMaui Milk compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Maui Milk financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Maui Milk leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Maui Milk subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Maui Milk funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Maui Milk 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 Maui Milk
What does Maui Milk do?
Maui Milk produces and supplies New Zealand sheep milk powder, liquid sheep milk, and sheep dairy ingredients in bulk (25kg bags) to global food manufacturers, infant formula producers, nutritional product companies, and dairy ingredient buyers. The company also sells consumer-packaged sheep milk products including premium whole milk powder sachets, probiotic sheep milk powder with BB-12 probiotics, and PS+DHA fortified sachets through its direct-to-consumer online store.
Is Maui Milk a public or private company?
Maui Milk is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Maui Milk founded?
Maui Milk was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Maui Milk based?
Maui Milk is headquartered in Hamilton, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Maui Milk make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Bulk Sheep Milk Powder Ingredients are the primary driver. The others are branded Consumer Products, functional & Specialty Dairy Ingredients and genetics & Breeding Stock.
Who are Maui Milk's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Yili Group, Synlait Milk, a2 Milk Company and Anlene / Fonterra. Bubs Australia is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Spring Sheep Milk Co., Whitestone Cheese Co., Blue River Dairy and Origin Earth. Mengniu Group is listed as an others.
Does Maui Milk have an API?
No public API is recorded for Maui Milk.
What industry is Maui Milk in?
Maui Milk's product category is Sheep Milk Powder & Specialty Dairy Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAKAA, Fluid Milk & Cream Processing, with a secondary code of AFAIAEAG, Dairy Ingredients (Whey, Lactose, Milk Powders) Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 3115 and its SIC code is 2020.