Gaia Herbs

About Gaia Herbs

In 1987, herbalist Ric Scalzo started Gaia Herbs with a clear mission: connect people to the healing power of plants. The company began in Massachusetts, initially offering herbal extracts like Ginkgo and Echinacea, distinguishing itself by using fresh plants instead of dried herbs, a novel concept at the time. This commitment to purity and potency would become a core tenet of the business. A key move in the company's journey was relocating to a 250-acre farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina. This enabled Gaia to become vertically integrated, controlling the entire process from seed cultivation in their own organic soil to final extraction and bottling. This 'seed-to-shelf' philosophy was a differentiator in a market where sourcing and quality could be inconsistent. To further build trust, Gaia launched the "Meet Your Herbs" program, an industry-first traceability platform allowing customers to enter a code from their product to see its origin and quality data. Facing flat sales in a growing category, the company took on investment from firms like TBL Capital, Ardara Capital, and One Better Ventures to fuel growth. A significant event in Gaia's history was the acquisition of the company, with founder Ric Scalzo selling the business in 2019 to pursue new regenerative agriculture projects. Today, Gaia Herbs operates as a Certified B Corporation, continuing its focus on sustainability and transparency under new leadership while expanding its reach, including a 2020 merger with German company Via Maris GmbH to grow its European presence.