Charac
Charac is a UK healthcare SaaS platform that provides independent community pharmacies with an NHS-integrated suite for prescription management, consultation booking, delivery management, e-commerce, and e-PGDs, reaching approximately 20% of UK community pharmacies post-PDM acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Charac does
Charac is a UK-based healthcare SaaS company founded in 2020 that provides an integrated, NHS-linked platform for independent community pharmacies. Its modular product suite spans prescription management (NHS Login integration and Electronic Prescription Service workflows), consultation booking, prescription delivery management (via the March 2024 acquisition of Pro Delivery Manager), a commission-free e-commerce module for over-the-counter sales, an electronic Patient Group Directions (e-PGDs) platform enabling private clinical services such as vaccinations and travel health, and Pharmacy First integration for seven NHS-funded minor ailment pathways. The platform runs on AWS (Charac App and Platform) and Microsoft Azure (PDM) and integrates with Royal Mail's delivery API, NHS Login, Stripe, Ryft Pay, Mollie, and Zoho for CRM and live chat. Post-PDM, Charac reaches approximately 20% of UK community pharmacies and over 7.5 million patients.
Charac operates a B2B2C go-to-market model: it sells subscription-based platform access to pharmacies through direct sales (website demos via Calendly and self-serve purchase via Atomic Pricing), channel partnerships (notably the National Pharmacy Association, whose members received priority distribution via the PDM acquisition), and an international expansion partnership with Australia's MedAdvisor covering Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Pricing is modular and tiered, with a Premium bundle priced at £180/month combining repeat prescription, consultation, Royal Mail delivery, PDM, e-PGDs, and e-commerce modules; PGD category packages are annual per-premises licenses; additional training is £30/hour. Patient-side acquisition occurs via iOS and Android apps that connect users to their pharmacy through NHS Login, driving bottom-up engagement. Total disclosed funding is approximately £4 million across four rounds (Royal Mail Group £1m in June 2022; NPA and pharmacy owners £1.2m in September 2023; MedAdvisor £1m in November 2023; Traditum PE in February 2024 at a £4m post-money valuation).
The company is led by three co-founders — Santosh Sahu (CEO), Devaraj Soundararajan (CTO), and Trevor Williams (COO) — with a management team expanded to include heads of Product, Marketing, Commercial, and a Clinical Lead, consistent with multi-market scaling. Charac holds Cyber Essentials certification, NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit registration (organisation code 8KL69), and ICO registration (ZA774372), establishing the compliance baseline required for NHS data handling. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company does not currently evidence meaningful AI/ML capabilities despite its data-rich prescription and consultation workflows.
Charac firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charac
- Legal name
- Charac Limited
- Website
- https://charac.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Charac is a UK healthcare SaaS platform that provides independent community pharmacies with an NHS-integrated suite for prescription management, consultation booking, delivery management, e-commerce, and e-PGDs, reaching approximately 20% of UK community pharmacies post-PDM acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charac industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pharmacy Management Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clinical Document & Data Exchange (C-CDA, CCD, Direct Messaging) (HLACABAI)
Keywords
Where Charac is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Charac business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Fees (Pharmacy SaaS): Charac charges pharmacies a subscription fee for access to its platform modules including prescription management, consultation booking, delivery management, e-commerce, and PGDs. The e-commerce module is explicitly described as 'commission-free' with a 'straightforward subscription fee'. Pricing tiers exist including Premium, Consultation, Delivery, and Standard bundles.
- PGD License Sales: Charac sells access to electronic Patient Group Directions (e-PGDs) enabling pharmacies to provide private clinical services. PGD purchases are non-refundable and one license covers one premises, not per person.
- Delivery Management (PDM): Pro Delivery Manager provides order, fulfilment, and delivery management software to pharmacies and other businesses, generating revenue through subscription or usage fees for delivery operations management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium bundle includes all modules |
| Subscription | Monthly | Commission-free e-commerce subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | PGD category packages |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Training services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Charac product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charac is an NHS-integrated SaaS platform that helps UK independent community pharmacies digitize operations and generate new revenue. It bundles prescription management, consultation booking, delivery management (via the acquired Pro Delivery Manager), e-commerce for OTC products, and electronic Patient Group Directions (E-PGDs) into a single subscription platform, with patient access provided through a mobile app using NHS Login authentication.
Product overview
Charac is a pharmacy technology platform offering a modular SaaS solution for UK community pharmacies. The core platform combines a patient management and repeat prescription system with a consultation booking module. Following the acquisition of Pro Delivery Manager (PDM), the platform integrates delivery management capabilities. Additional modules include E-PGDs for clinical services (travel health, vaccinations, minor ailments), E-commerce for OTC sales, Marketing for Growth services, Hub and Spoke for pharmacy groups, an ROI Calculator, and Pharmacy First service support. Patients access services via the Charac mobile app (iOS/Android) with NHS Login integration, while pharmacies benefit from Royal Mail delivery integration and multiple payment processor options (Stripe, Ryft Pay, Mollie). The platform is NHS-integrated and targets independent community pharmacies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pro Delivery Manager (PDM): All-in-one prescription delivery management solution for pharmacies to streamline delivery operations for small and medium-sized businesses.
- Charac E-PGDs
Products and services
- Prescription Management Module
Quantifiable outcome
- 800 pharmacies served prior to PDM acquisition
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Charac
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Charac technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature7 records
Charac partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Pharmacy Association (NPA)coreThe NPA was a shareholder in Pro Delivery Manager (PDM), which Charac acquired. NPA member pharmacies are a key distribution channel for Charac's expanded service offering post-acquisition, covering 20% of UK community pharmacies.
- Pro Delivery Manager (PDM)coreAcquired Pro Delivery Manager, a prescription delivery management system, from NPA shareholders. The acquisition strengthens Charac's delivery operations capabilities and expands reach to over 7.5 million patients across 20% of UK community pharmacies.
- MedAdvisorcoreMedAdvisor, an Australian medication management platform, invested £1 million in Charac to expand capabilities in Australia, New Zealand, and USA. The deal involves licensing Charac's platform components and transitioning MedAdvisor's UK operations to Charac, aiming to improve digital pharmacy support and eCommerce solutions across multiple markets.
- ECG Training (MECG)minorPartnership with MECG (Medical ECG Training) for PGD services, enabling pharmacies to access electronic Patient Group Directions with associated ECG training support.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Charac competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Healthera: UK-based pharmacy app and SaaS platform connecting patients to local pharmacies for repeat prescriptions and services. Closest direct competitor to Charac in the UK independent pharmacy SaaS space.
- MedAdvisor: Australian medication management and pharmacy SaaS platform; strategic investor in Charac and direct partner/competitor in digital pharmacy workflows across ANZ.
- Pharmacy2U: UK online pharmacy and NHS prescription delivery service. Overlaps with Charac's delivery management and repeat prescription workflows, though operates a direct-to-consumer model rather than SaaS-to-pharmacy.
- Echo by LloydsDirect: NHS-integrated online repeat prescription app owned by Pharmacy2U/LloydsDirect. Competes with Charac's patient-facing app for NHS repeat prescription volume.
Broad incumbents
- Cegedim Rx (Cegedim Healthcare Solutions): Established UK provider of pharmacy management software (PharmaSuite/Titan) serving the majority of UK pharmacies. A broad incumbent whose PMR-plus workflows compete directly with Charac's prescription module.
- Positive Solutions: UK pharmacy software vendor providing PMR and dispensing systems to community pharmacies. An incumbent whose installed base is a competitive constraint on Charac's NHS-integrated prescription management.
- EMIS Health: Major UK clinical and pharmacy IT vendor with NHS-integrated software for primary care. Operates as a broad incumbent across the healthcare SaaS stack, including pharmacy.
- TPP (The Phoenix Partnership): Large UK healthcare IT vendor providing NHS-integrated clinical and pharmacy systems. A broad incumbent whose deep NHS integration parallels and competes with Charac's NHS Login / EPS architecture.
Regional players
- Numark: UK pharmacy services and buying group offering technology and operational support to independent community pharmacies — an adjacent peer serving the same independent pharmacy segment.
Emerging players
- Hubrx: UK pharmacy automation and hub-and-spoke dispensing platform. Comparable to Charac's Hub and Spoke module and relevant to the same pharmacy group's dispensing operations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Charac social profiles
Digital presenceCharac compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Charac financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charac leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Charac subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Charac funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charac M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Charac
What does Charac do?
Charac is an NHS-integrated SaaS platform that helps UK independent community pharmacies digitize operations and generate new revenue. It bundles prescription management, consultation booking, delivery management (via the acquired Pro Delivery Manager), e-commerce for OTC products, and electronic Patient Group Directions (E-PGDs) into a single subscription platform, with patient access provided through a mobile app using NHS Login authentication.
Is Charac a public or private company?
Charac is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Charac founded?
Charac was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Charac based?
Charac is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Charac make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Fees (Pharmacy SaaS) is the primary driver. The others are PGD License Sales and delivery Management (PDM).
Who are Charac's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Healthera, MedAdvisor, Pharmacy2U and Echo by LloydsDirect. Broad incumbents are Cegedim Rx (Cegedim Healthcare Solutions), Positive Solutions, EMIS Health and TPP (The Phoenix Partnership). Numark is listed as a regional player. Hubrx is listed as an emerging player.
Does Charac have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charac.
What industry is Charac in?
Charac's product category is Pharmacy Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLACABAI, Clinical Document & Data Exchange (C-CDA, CCD, Direct Messaging).