🟣 Issue No. 69: Cymbiotika

$100M BRAND STORY

Cymbiotika: The Supplement Brand That Grew 100x in 4 Years

Cymbiotika is what happens when visionary branding meets ruthless execution in the wellness space. Built on transparency, formulation-first ethics, and storytelling that resonates, Cymbiotika has gone from a scrappy supplement startup to a $100M+ powerhouse. The brand’s product line spans advanced liposomal nutrients, functional sprays, and even a non-toxic home line—all while staying deeply personal and mission-led. Their strategy? Insourcing everything, betting big on team culture, and treating customers like community, not conversions.

In 2019, they were shipping orders in plastic bags. By 2024, they crossed $100M in revenue. And by 2025, they’re projecting $250M.

Are They Funded or Bootstrapped?

Cymbiotika has been privately funded and self-scaled through most of its growth, only raising $30M in debt financing in October 2024 via RevTek Capital.

Founders Shahab and Durana Elmi had previously bootstrapped four ventures together, and they brought that capital-efficient muscle into Cymbiotika. They knew how to grow scrappily, build teams from scratch, and prioritize profitability over flash.

Where most wellness brands raised tens (or hundreds) of millions in VC, Cymbiotika stayed lean. With under $30M spent total, they’ve built a healthier, stickier business than many competitors with 10x the funding.

Their Origin Story

Shahab and Durana Elmi aren’t first-time founders—they’re serial builders. After exiting a 172-location wireless retail business and co-founding Dash Radio, they were ready for something deeper. That opportunity came in the form of a struggling wellness startup founded by their longtime friend, Chervin Jafarieh.

Chervin had launched Cymbiotika in 2018 with a mission to deliver clean, highly bioavailable supplements. But by 2019, the brand was being run out of a cabin in Big Bear, literally shipping product in plastic bags. There was vision, but no infrastructure.

In January 2019, the Elmis came on as co-founders, brought in operational systems, hired their A-team from past ventures, and rebuilt the brand from the inside out. Their mindset? Run it like a billion-dollar business from Day 1—even if they were making $1K a day.

Core Customer Base

Cymbiotika doesn’t chase mass appeal—it resonates with wellness sophisticates: high-intent, label-reading, whole-body optimizers who care deeply about what they put in and on their bodies.

Roughly 70% of their customers are women. Many are moms. Some are biohackers. But all are united by one thing: they trust Cymbiotika because the brand shows its work. Certificates of Analysis (COAs) are published online, sourcing is transparent, and the brand never dumbs down its formulas.

Subscriptions are a major driver, and their 6+ month average retention stands in stark contrast to the industry norm of 45 days. This isn’t a one-click impulse buy brand—it’s a long-term habit builder.

How Did They Grow So Sustainably? (P&L View)

Cymbiotika’s growth wasn’t fueled by VC blitz or aggressive discounting. It was architected from the inside out. Here’s how:

• Full-Stack Marketing In-House: They built a 35-person internal marketing team that handles all content, creative, and paid media. No agencies, no slowdowns—just alignment and iteration speed.

• Real-Time CRO Engine: With a 9-person dev team, they built proprietary tools to spot conversion drop-offs and patch leaks in hours—not weeks. No waiting on vendors. No stale UX.

• Customer Experience = Retention: Instead of outsourcing CX overseas, they built a domestic team that knows customers by name. This elevated support layer is one reason they’re clocking 6+ month subscriber retention, where most DTC brands lose people in 45 days.

• Own the Ops: Fulfillment is done in-house. Analytics are built in-house. Even product development runs through a cross-functional internal committee. Every part of the customer journey is owned—so every part can be optimized.

• Retail Without the Overhead: While still primarily DTC, Cymbiotika began expanding into retail in 2024 through The Vitamin Shoppe, enabling reach without diluting brand control.

This obsessive control has its tradeoffs. As Shahab has admitted, their margins aren’t amazing—but that’s by design. Prioritizing formulation quality, team ownership, and customer trust has always mattered more than short-term profitability. That long view is what’s compounding their scale.

Key Milestones

• 2018: Cymbiotika founded by Chervin Jafarieh

• Jan 2019: Shahab and Durana join as co-founders

• 2019: $1M in sales

• 2020: $5M

• 2021: $15M

• 2022: $41M

• 2024: $100M+ (1,059% 3-year growth)

• 2025 (projected): $250M

• 2024: $30M debt raise

• Inc 5000: #347 nationally, #31 in Pacific region

Influencer Marketing Mix

Cymbiotika’s approach to influencer marketing is rooted in trust, not trend. They’ve built long-term relationships with micro-influencers who live the lifestyle, not just post about it.

They’re favorites among wellness podcasters—especially repeat appearances on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her. Instead of flashy celebrity collabs, they double down on authenticity and community storytelling.

Their best affiliates aren’t the biggest. They’re the ones who actually use the product—and can explain why it works.

Their Marketing X-Factor

First, they turn transparency into a show of strength. Every product comes with a COA, and they proudly publish them. Most supplement brands hide behind marketing—Cymbiotika leads with science.

Second, they insourced everything. Brand voice, ingredient education, TikTok content, retention emails—it’s all done in-house. That creates speed, cohesion, and clarity most brands only dream of.

Durana Elmi, as co-founder and COO, also leads internal culture—and you feel that externally. The brand isn’t just premium, it’s deeply intentional.

Takeaways for Wellness Operators

1. Insourcing = Speed + Soul: Outsourcing may save short-term cost, but Cymbiotika proves that owning marketing, fulfillment, and dev gives compounding returns.

2. If You’re Not Proud of Margins, You’re Doing It Right: Don’t chase margin at the cost of formulation. Their LTV proves it pays off.

3. Reinvest in Team: They didn’t just scale fast—they built infrastructure, culture, and loyalty along the way.

4. Every Product = Proof Point: Publishing COAs, owning sourcing, and letting customers see behind the curtain builds trust faster than any ad.