Handworks

What Handworks does

Handworks is a privately-held, specialised hand and upper limb rehabilitation clinic headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, founded in February 1997 by Julie Rouse and Sarah Waldin. Operating as Handworks Physiotherapy Ltd (DBA Handworks Hand Therapy), the firm runs one main rehabilitation clinic in Greenlane plus four satellite clinics in Mt Albert, St Johns, Botany and Howick, employing 20+ therapists, surgeons and support staff. The service portfolio centres on assessment, diagnosis and treatment of hand and upper limb injuries and dysfunction — including acute trauma (fractures, dislocations, tendon/nerve injuries, burns, replantations), post-surgical rehabilitation, sports injuries, chronic/overuse conditions, arthritis, paediatric and neurological cases — delivered by registered hand therapists who are qualified physiotherapists or occupational therapists with post-graduate hand therapy training, many holding Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) credentials.

The technical capability mix is clinical rather than software-driven: on-site custom hand splint fabrication using rigid thermoplastic and soft neoprene materials, hand and arm casting in POP or Softcast, the DASH outcome measure as a standardised assessment tool, and a telehealth video consultation channel that extends reach nationwide. A distinctive structural feature is the integration of co-located hand surgeon clinics (Mr Murray Beagley, Mr Joshua Saveo, Mr John Mutu-Grigg, Dr Karen Smith and Dr Bruce Peat) running combined surgery/therapy clinics within Handworks' facilities, enabling tight surgeon-therapist liaison for post-operative care.

Handworks' revenue model is fee-for-service clinical care, with four streams: private consultations at $120 per 30-minute appointment (extended time prorated at $240/hour), ACC-funded treatment with a $20 patient co-payment per visit (no co-payment for Community Services Card holders or ACC telehealth), private telehealth at $90 per session, and ancillary product sales (dressings, tapes, strengthening equipment, scar management products and non-ACC splints). Go-to-market is hybrid: a referral-led motion from hand surgeons, GPs, A&M clinics and accident clinics, augmented by direct self-referral and online booking. The customer base is segmented across ACC patients (primary), private self-payers, Southern Cross-insured policy holders, and post-surgical referrals from co-located surgeons; paediatric cases flow via the Starship Hospital Congenital Hand Service. Sarah Waldin serves as Clinic Director following the passing of co-founder Julie Rouse in January 2016.

Name

Handworks

Legal name

Handworks Physiotherapy Ltd

Website

https://handworks.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Handworks Physiotherapy Ltd is an Auckland-based specialised hand and upper limb rehabilitation clinic founded in 1997, operating five locations across central and east Auckland and serving ACC patients, private payers, and post-surgical referrals with therapy, custom splinting, telehealth and co-located hand surgeon consultations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hand Therapy and Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand & Upper Extremity Therapy (OT/CHT) (HSADAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hand & Upper Extremity (HLAKALAF)

Keywords

• Hand therapy services
• Upper limb rehabilitation
• Custom hand splinting
• Hand surgery clinics
• Telehealth physiotherapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Clinical Consultation Services: Fee-for-service model for hand therapy consultations including initial and follow-up appointments. Standard 30-minute appointments, with extended sessions for complex cases charged at hourly rate. Post-operative appointments may run up to 1 hour.
2. ACC- Funded Treatment: Government-funded accident compensation scheme covering work injuries and accidents. Patients pay a co-payment of $20 per visit. Community Services Card holders and telehealth consultations have no co-payment.
3. Private Telehealth Services: Video consultation service for private patients unable to attend physically, charged at $90 per session.
4. Ancillary Products and Materials: Dressings, tapes, strengthening equipment, scar management products and non-ACC splints/braces available for purchase. Pricing determined by therapist at time of consultation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Handworks is a specialised hand and upper limb rehabilitation clinic providing assessment and treatment of hands and upper limbs by registered hand therapists (qualified physiotherapists or occupational therapists with post-graduate hand therapy training). Services include custom splint fabrication, telehealth video consultations, co-located hand surgery clinics, and rehabilitation programmes covering fractures, dislocations, sports injuries, tendon and nerve injuries, overuse conditions, and post-operative care.

Product overview

Handworks is a specialised hand therapy clinic offering a unified service portfolio centred on hand and upper limb rehabilitation. The core offering is Hand Therapy Services provided by registered hand therapists, supported by three integrated service streams: Telehealth for remote consultations, Hand Splinting for custom orthotic fabrication, and Combined Hand Surgery/Therapy Clinics co-locating specialist surgeons with therapists. The company also provides patient-facing digital tools including online booking, referral forms, registration/consent forms, a DASH outcome measure assessment tool, and a feedback form. Treatment techniques include therapeutic intervention, splinting, pain management, wound care, scar management, manual therapy, exercise prescription, acupuncture, and ergonomic advice. The business operates from a main clinic in Greenlane and four satellite locations (Mt Albert, St Johns, Botany, Howick) throughout Auckland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hand Therapy Services Specialized assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of hands and upper limbs by registered hand therapists. Covers fractures, dislocations, sprains, lacerations, tendon and nerve injuries, crush injuries, burns, sports injuries, overuse conditions, post-operative rehabilitation, and chronic conditions such as arthritis.
• Telehealth Consultations

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Murray BeagleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultant Plastic Surgeon at Middlemore Hospital who directs the Congenital Hand Service at Starship Hospital. Runs combined hand surgery/therapy clinics through Handworks facilities. Trained in New Zealand with advanced post-graduate training in UK. Holds European Diploma in Hand Surgery Gold Medal (2002). Accepts referrals from Handworks therapists and the wider community including GPs and A&M clinics.
• Joshua SaveocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHand Surgeon running clinics through Handworks facilities alongside hand therapists for integrated patient care.
• John Mutu-GriggcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHand Surgeon running clinics through Handworks facilities alongside hand therapists for integrated patient care.
• Karen SmithcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHand Surgeon specializing in all surgery of the hand and wrist including trauma, post-traumatic reconstruction, arthritis, Dupuytren's disease, nerve and tumour surgery. Works through Handworks clinic facilities.
• Bruce PeatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultant Plastic Surgeon at Middlemore Hospital working privately through Eastcare Specialist Centre and Handworks clinic. Specializes in hand surgery services.
• Unisports MedicineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-location partnership at Unisports facility in St Johns where Handworks operates a satellite clinic.
• Eastcare Specialist CentreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-location partnership at Eastcare Specialist Centre in Botany where Handworks operates a satellite clinic.
• AUT (Auckland University of Technology)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFounding directors Julie Rouse and Sarah Waldin involved in teaching junior Hand Therapists through the AUT Masters programme. Sarah Waldin continues ongoing involvement lecturing on the Masters programme in Hand and Upper Limb.
• Southern Cross Health InsuranceminorOthersHealth insurer whose policy holders can claim coverage for post-operation hand therapy care when treated by a Registered Hand Therapist at Handworks.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TBI Health: New Zealand-wide rehabilitation provider with strong ACC and insurance contracts. Competes for similar referral sources and patient segments in the broader rehab market, though without the hand-specific clinical depth of Handworks.
• Active+: New Zealand-wide physiotherapy and rehabilitation provider serving ACC patients. Comparable in payer mix and multi-clinic footprint, but operates as a broad rehab generalist rather than a hand therapy specialist.
• Habit Health: Large New Zealand physiotherapy and rehabilitation group with broad service lines across multiple regions. Overlaps with Handworks on outpatient rehab delivery and ACC contracts, but lacks Handworks' narrow hand-and-upper-limb specialty focus.
• Mercy Specialist Centre: Auckland-based private specialist medical facility housing orthopaedic and hand surgeons. Overlaps with Handworks on the surgical side and shares Auckland patient catchment, though operates as a general specialist centre rather than a therapy practice.

Regional players

• Proactive Health: New Zealand physiotherapy and rehab provider with ACC-aligned services and multi-region clinics. Similar ACC-driven revenue mix to Handworks, though concentrated more in the South Island and broader musculoskeletal focus.
• SportsMed Clinic: Christchurch-based multidisciplinary sports medicine and rehabilitation clinic with surgical and therapy services. Comparable integrated surgeon-therapist model and ACC funding mix, but South Island-focused rather than Auckland.

Direct peers

• Action Rehab: Australian network of specialized hand and upper limb therapy clinics offering assessment, custom splinting, and post-surgical rehabilitation — the closest direct peer to Handworks in terms of scope, specialization, and delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HandworksPhysiotherapyLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/handworks-ltd

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 Handworks