Supplements brand JSHealth seeks partner to take it global

Australia-based JSHealth Vitamins is looking to partner with a strategic investor to help take it global, co-founder Jessica Sepel tells Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: DTC supplement brands in the U.S. are having a moment as they raise money and expand into physical retail.

Details: Sepel and her husband, CEO Dean Steingold, have largely bootstrapped the business.

• Now, "we are looking to take our baby global and in a really safe and effective way," Sepel says, adding, "and we know that we need to lean on someone who has done it before."
• The U.S. market, in particular, is a "big task," Sepel points out.
• "My husband and I are humble founders. We have had enough personal success," Sepel says.

By the numbers: Sepel and her husband invested $40,000 of their own money in 2018 — by 2021, the company was valued at $426 million.

• In the U.S., JSHealth saw a 340% increase year over year for total orders made online.
• Total new subscriptions increased 400% in the last year, also in the U.S.
• The company declined to comment further on its financials, including revenue.

Flashback: Sepel, whose passion for supplements as a youth led to a career in nutrition, says she came up with the idea for JSHealth after her struggles with an eating disorder.

• Consumers are often confused by which vitamins are for what, she explains, so the company labels products related to the condition rather than the supplement.

Of note: JSHealth manufactures in Australia, where supplements are regulated as a drug, which means it acts as a listed medicine, she says.

• "That’s who we are and what we’re proud of," Sepel says, adding, "It does give us an advantage in a very crowded space."