Firstup
Firstup provides a SaaS intelligent employee communication and engagement platform that unifies mobile, intranet, email, and digital signage with AI-powered personalization, serving 17 million+ frontline and deskless workers across large enterprises in healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersSan Bruno, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Firstup does
Firstup is a private, San Francisco-based SaaS company (founded 2010) that sells an intelligent employee communication and engagement platform purpose-built for frontline and deskless workers. The platform unifies multiple delivery channels — mobile employee app, employee intranet, employee email, and digital signage — with Journey Orchestration for personalized, automated employee journeys and Engagement Insights analytics. Firstup's flagship go-to-market targets large enterprises with significant non-desk workforces in healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail, and the company reports that its platform connects more than 17 million employees globally across customers including Boeing, Ford, Toyota, Colgate-Palmolive, Clorox, Dow, KraftHeinz, JetBlue, Tesco, Swissport, AGCO, Iron Mountain, Southern Company Gas, Cooper University Health, Providence, and McKee Foods.
The product is delivered as a cloud-native SaaS platform hosted on AWS (42 zones across 16 regions), certified to SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001, and compliant with GDPR and CCPA. Core technical differentiators include role-based behavioral targeting, universal employee profiles, and the Firstup AI suite — covering AI Search (knowledge retrieval across enterprise systems), AI Content Creator (generative drafting), AI Insights (NLP analytics and sentiment), AI Actions (agentic task execution against systems of record), and AI Audience Builder (natural-language segmentation). The platform integrates natively with Workday, ADP, ServiceNow, Microsoft/SharePoint, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, Confluence, Awardco, and UKG Pro, and a forthcoming Microsoft Copilot integration extends reach into Microsoft productivity surfaces.
Revenue is generated primarily through subscription SaaS contracts with large enterprises, supplemented by professional services delivered either directly or through agency partners (Be Frank Communications, Brilliant Ink, Crescenzo Communications). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company operates a direct enterprise field-sales motion, complemented by a channel ecosystem of technology partners (ADP, Atlassian, Box, Dropbox, Awardco) and implementation/consulting partners; it has regional operations in the UK (Firstup UK Limited) and Ireland, and is affiliated with the wholly-owned subsidiary Dynamic Signal, Inc. Firstup has been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions for three consecutive years (most recently 2025) and received the 2026 AI Breakthrough Award for Overall AI Search Platform of the Year.
Firstup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Firstup
- Legal name
- Firstup, Inc.
- Website
- https://firstup.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Firstup provides a SaaS intelligent employee communication and engagement platform that unifies mobile, intranet, email, and digital signage with AI-powered personalization, serving 17 million+ frontline and deskless workers across large enterprises in healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Firstup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Employee Experience and Workforce Communication Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Managed Workplace Services (DaaS/Workplace-as-a-Service) (BPAEAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ)
Keywords
Where Firstup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Bruno
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Firstup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- SaaS Platform Subscription: Subscription-based SaaS model for access to the intelligent communication and engagement platform. Pricing is likely tiered by organization size or feature set.
- Professional Services: Implementation and consulting services offered through partners and directly to help organizations deploy and optimize the platform.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Firstup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Firstup sells a cloud-native intelligent communication and engagement SaaS platform that delivers personalized, role-based workforce communications across mobile apps, employee intranets, email, and digital signage. The platform is purpose-built to reach frontline and deskless workers at large enterprises and includes the Firstup AI suite spanning AI Search, AI Content Creator, AI Insights, AI Actions, and AI Audience Builder. It integrates with enterprise systems such as Workday, ADP, ServiceNow, Microsoft, and SharePoint to unify employee data and execution.
Product overview
Firstup is an intelligent communication and engagement platform delivered as a unified system with modular components. The core platform (Firstup Platform) orchestrates multi-channel workforce communication (Employee App, Employee Intranet, Employee Email, Digital Signage) with Journey Orchestration and Engagement Insights analytics. The Firstup AI module adds five AI-powered capabilities: AI Search (knowledge retrieval), AI Content Creator (generative content), AI Insights (analytics), AI Actions (agentic task execution), and AI Audience Builder (segmentation). Custom Homepage and Focused Content deliver personalized experiences. The platform integrates with Workday, ADP, ServiceNow, Microsoft/SharePoint, Box, Dropbox, Confluence, and Awardco to create a unified workforce communication hub connecting 17 million employees globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Firstup AI: AI suite providing workforce communication capabilities including AI Search, AI Content Creator, AI Insights, AI Actions, and AI Audience Builder
- Firstup COMMunity
Products and services
- Firstup Platform Central intelligent communication and engagement platform that delivers the right message to the right employee at the right time across mobile app, email, intranet, and digital signage channels. Sold to enterprise customers, primarily those with distributed and frontline workforces.
- Firstup AI Comprehensive AI suite spanning five pillars: AI Search (plain-language answers from enterprise systems), AI Content Creator (draft generation and optimization), AI Insights (sentiment analysis and trend surfacing), AI Actions (executing HR/IT tasks via natural language), and AI Audience Builder (natural language audience segmentation). Sold to enterprise customers using the Firstup Platform.
- Employee App Mobile-first communication channel that travels with the workforce wherever they go, enabling targeted messaging to frontline and deskless employees on smartphones. Sold to enterprise customers as a core channel of the Firstup Platform.
- Employee Intranet Centralized personalized workspace where employees can access the information, tools, and resources they need in one location. Sold to enterprise customers as a core channel of the Firstup Platform.
- Employee Email Email communication tool with intelligent timing and targeted relevance designed to break through inbox chaos. Sold to enterprise customers as a core channel of the Firstup Platform.
- Digital Signage Screen-based targeted messaging capability for capturing attention on screens where frontline workers gather (e.g., break rooms, factory floors). Sold to enterprise customers as a core channel of the Firstup Platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 398% ROI over three years for a 10,000-employee organization
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Firstup
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Firstup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability9 records
Feature6 records
Firstup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- ADPcoreADP is a global provider of HCM solutions integrated with Firstup for synchronized employee data, targeted audience building, and access to ADP tasks (time off requests, pay statements) directly within the Firstup platform.
- AtlassiancoreConfluence integration allows employees to find and access information within Firstup without leaving the platform, boosting productivity and enhancing digital experiences.
- AwardcosupportingAwardco partnership highlights employee recognitions within specific topics or channels on the Firstup platform, promoting a culture of appreciation and teamwork.
- BoxcoreBox integration allows employees to find and access documents directly within the Firstup community, minimizing clicks and context-switching for improved digital experience.
- DropboxcoreDropbox integration provides streamlined content discovery and access through integrated search within the Firstup community, reducing unnecessary context-switching.
- Be Frank CommunicationssupportingLeadership advisory and culture-transformation firm for founders and C-suite executives that helps companies build meaningful employee experiences.
- Brilliant InksupportingSenior-level communications consultancy that helps companies navigate change, align teams and engage employees through strategic communication consulting.
- Crescenzo CommunicationssupportingStrategic communication consulting, training, and coaching to help organizations craft clear, compelling, results-driven employee communications.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreCloud infrastructure provider for Firstup's platform. Data hosted on AWS with Amazon's industry-leading security features. Available data centers in 42 zones across 16 geographic regions.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft integration for seamless connectivity. Firstup AI Search integrates with Microsoft ecosystem with an upcoming Microsoft Copilot integration to extend the experience into tools employees already use.
- WorkdaycoreWorkday integration allows AI Search to pull employee data including PTO balances and HR information. AI Actions connects directly to Workday to execute tasks on behalf of employees.
- ServiceNowcoreServiceNow integration allows AI Search to surface information from ServiceNow. AI Actions connects directly to execute IT and HR service tasks through natural language conversation.
- SharePointcoreSharePoint integration allows AI Search to surface documents and content from SharePoint for employees directly within the Firstup platform.
- Google DrivesupportingGoogle Drive integration allows AI Search to pull content and documents from Google Drive for employees to access information without leaving Firstup.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Firstup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Workjam: Workjam is a digital workplace app for frontline and hourly employees covering shift scheduling, task management, communication, and training. It competes with Firstup in the frontline employee experience category, especially in retail and hospitality.
- Poppulo: Poppulo is an employee experience and digital signage platform combining email, mobile, intranet, and signage. It is a direct competitor in workplace communications, intranet, and digital signage for enterprises with distributed workforces.
- Beekeeper: Beekeeper is a frontline employee communication and operations platform for shift-based and deskless workforces in hospitality, manufacturing, retail, and logistics. It directly competes with Firstup's mobile-first, frontline-focused communication and engagement offering.
- Simpplr: Simpplr is a modern intranet and employee experience platform for mid-market and enterprise, named alongside Firstup as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions. It directly competes on intranet, internal communications, and AI-powered employee engagement.
- LumApps: LumApps is a cloud-based employee experience and intranet platform recognized in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions. It directly competes with Firstup on intranet, internal communications, and frontline worker engagement for global enterprises.
Broad incumbents
- Workday (Peakon Employee Voice): Workday provides HCM plus employee listening via Peakon Employee Voice, an adjacent employee experience and engagement solution. It overlaps with Firstup on employee engagement and integrates with Firstup, but is a broader incumbent rather than a frontline-communications specialist.
- Microsoft (Viva): Microsoft Viva is an employee experience platform integrated into Microsoft 365, offering Connections, Engage, Learning, and Insights modules. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Firstup on intranet, communications, and engagement, though it is office-centric rather than frontline-specialized.
- ServiceNow (Employee Experience): ServiceNow's HR Service Delivery and Workplace offerings include employee experience workflows integrated with its Now Platform. It is a core Firstup integration partner but also a competitor in employee service delivery and internal communications.
- Qualtrics (EmployeeXM): Qualtrics EmployeeXM is an employee experience management platform focused on listening, engagement surveys, and action planning. It overlaps with Firstup's engagement insights and journey orchestration capabilities but is broader and survey-centric.
Emerging players
- Workplace from Meta: Workplace from Meta is a social-style enterprise communication platform with news feed, groups, and live video. It overlaps with Firstup's internal communications and engagement functionality, though Meta announced scaling back investment, which affects its long-term competitive intensity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Firstup social profiles
Digital presenceFirstup compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Firstup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Firstup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Firstup subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Firstup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors18 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Firstup M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Firstup
What does Firstup do?
Firstup sells a cloud-native intelligent communication and engagement SaaS platform that delivers personalized, role-based workforce communications across mobile apps, employee intranets, email, and digital signage. The platform is purpose-built to reach frontline and deskless workers at large enterprises and includes the Firstup AI suite spanning AI Search, AI Content Creator, AI Insights, AI Actions, and AI Audience Builder. It integrates with enterprise systems such as Workday, ADP, ServiceNow, Microsoft, and SharePoint to unify employee data and execution.
Is Firstup a public or private company?
Firstup is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Firstup founded?
Firstup was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Firstup based?
Firstup is headquartered in San Bruno, United States, in the North America region.
How does Firstup make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SaaS Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are Firstup's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Workjam, Poppulo, Beekeeper, Simpplr and LumApps. Broad incumbents are Workday (Peakon Employee Voice), Microsoft (Viva), ServiceNow (Employee Experience) and Qualtrics (EmployeeXM). Workplace from Meta is listed as an emerging player.
Does Firstup have an API?
No public API is recorded for Firstup.
What industry is Firstup in?
Firstup's product category is Employee Experience and Workforce Communication Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAIAA, Managed Workplace Services (DaaS/Workplace-as-a-Service), with a secondary code of HDAEANAJ, AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7372.