Care Sourcer
Care Sourcer is a UK-based two-sided marketplace platform that helps individuals and NHS discharge teams find, compare, and connect with care homes and home care agencies via postcode-based directories integrated with CQC and Care Inspectorate ratings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Care Sourcer does
Care Sourcer, founded in June 2016 in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a UK care marketplace platform that connects individuals seeking elderly care with care home operators and home care (domiciliary) agencies. The product is a postcode-based searchable directory that allows users to compare providers on price, CQC or Care Inspectorate regulatory rating, specialisms, and availability, supplemented by editorial content on care types and funding, a UK telephone-based care expert support line, a Care Concierge service, a Funding Calculator, and a geographic Care Map visualization. The platform spans 16+ UK cities including London (1,071 providers), Edinburgh (251 providers), Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, and Manchester, and has documented adoption by NHS discharge teams (e.g., NHS Gloucester).
The underlying technology is a conventional two-sided web marketplace integrating regulatory body feeds (CQC for England, Care Inspectorate for Scotland, DBS, and Disclosure Scotland) to surface quality and compliance signals on each provider listing. Real-time availability data is the central operational asset; the platform is reported to handle over 85% of Edinburgh's independent care hours through its provider base, giving it unusual supply-side visibility into the UK care market.
The business model is a freemium-to-subscription marketplace: free for care seekers and NHS/hospital discharge teams, with revenue generated from care providers who pay subscription fees for listings and enhanced visibility. The legal entity is KareHero Ltd (company number 14314900), registered in London, operating the Care Sourcer brand. Total disclosed funding since inception is approximately $14.5M across SBRI Healthcare (2016), CodeBase (2016), Business Growth Fund and ADV (2017 seed), Legal & General Capital and ADV (2018 Series A), and Scottish Enterprise (2019), and the company made one disclosed acquisition, Good Care Guide, in October 2019.
Care Sourcer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Care Sourcer
- Legal name
- KareHero Ltd
- Website
- https://caresourcer.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Care Sourcer is a UK-based two-sided marketplace platform that helps individuals and NHS discharge teams find, compare, and connect with care homes and home care agencies via postcode-based directories integrated with CQC and Care Inspectorate ratings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Care Sourcer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Elderly Care Marketplace
- NAICS
- Home Health Care Services (6216), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)
- SIC
- Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live-In Caregiver Placement & Matching (HSABAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Care Navigation, Referral & Digital Front Door Platforms (HLALABAH), Care Management & Care Coordination (Home & Community-Based) (HLAFAEAL)
Keywords
Where Care Sourcer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Care Sourcer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Free care seeker service: Free service for individuals and families searching for care. The platform is free for care seekers to use.
- Provider listings and subscriptions: Care providers pay to list on the platform and gain visibility to care seekers. Provider registration and profile claiming available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free service for care seekers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Provider paid listings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Care Sourcer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Care Sourcer operates a UK-wide online marketplace and comparison platform that lets individuals, families, and NHS discharge teams search for, compare, and contact care home and home care (domiciliary) providers by postcode, filtering on price, regulatory rating (CQC and Care Inspectorate), specialisms, and availability. Care providers list on and claim profiles through the platform via paid subscriptions, while care seekers use the directory and telephone-based care experts free of charge.
Product overview
Care Sourcer is a UK-based care comparison and directory platform that operates as a marketplace connecting care seekers with care providers. The core product consists of searchable directories for care homes and home care agencies, supplemented by educational support content and a Care Concierge service. The platform covers multiple UK regions and offers filtering by care type, regulatory ratings, pricing, and funding options. The offering is a unified platform rather than modular architecture, combining search functionality with expert guidance services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Care Home Search & Directory Searchable UK directory of care homes allowing individuals, families, and NHS discharge teams to filter by location, care type (residential, nursing, dementia, palliative), CQC/Care Inspectorate rating, and funding type.
- Home Care Agency Search & Directory Searchable UK directory of home care (domiciliary care) agencies enabling users to find, compare, and contact providers offering care-at-home services.
- Care Concierge Service Free personalised support service offering consultation with Care Sourcer's qualified care experts, guidance on funding options, and fee negotiation assistance on behalf of care seekers.
- Care Provider Listing & Subscription Paid subscription service for UK care providers to list their services on the Care Sourcer marketplace, gain visibility to care seekers, claim and manage their profile, and receive availability requests.
Quantifiable outcome
- Match within 24 hours for care seekers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Care Sourcer
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Care Sourcer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Care Sourcer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)coreCQC is the independent regulator for all care providers in England. Care Sourcer integrates CQC ratings and inspection reports into provider listings, enabling care seekers to assess quality based on official regulatory assessments.
- Care Inspectorate (Scotland)coreThe Care Inspectorate is the independent regulator for care providers in Scotland. Care Sourcer integrates Care Inspectorate grades into provider listings for Scottish care homes and home care agencies.
- Disclosure ScotlandcoreDisclosure Scotland provides background checks for care workers. Care Sourcer indicates that providers are regulated by Disclosure Scotland as part of quality assurance.
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)coreDBS provides criminal record checks for care workers in England. Care Sourcer indicates that providers are regulated by DBS as part of quality assurance for care seekers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Care Sourcer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- carehome.co.uk: Long-established UK care home directory and review site with comprehensive listings of care homes across the country. Directly comparable directory-and-reviews model with similar geographic coverage.
- Elder: UK live-in care marketplace connecting families with self-employed carers and introducing agencies. Comparable as a digital matching platform for elderly care, though more narrowly focused on live-in care.
- Lottie: UK-focused digital marketplace helping families find care homes and later-life living options. Directly comparable as a care comparison platform serving UK consumers with searchable directories and expert support.
- Autumna: UK care comparison and directory platform listing care homes, home care, and retirement living across the country. Closely comparable business model to Care Sourcer with searchable provider listings and family support content.
- TrustedCare: UK care directory and review platform covering care homes, home care, and specialist services with CQC-integrated data. Directly competes with Care Sourcer in the comparison-and-matching category.
Broad incumbents
- Bluebird Care: National UK home care franchise network providing domiciliary care across many regions. Comparable as a care provider listed on platforms like Care Sourcer while also operating its own customer acquisition channels.
- Helping Hands Home Care: One of the UK's largest home care providers operating its own care finder and lead-generation funnel. Comparable as a broad incumbent in UK home care that competes for the same care seeker demand.
- Prestige Nursing + Care: Established UK home care and nursing agency with national coverage and recognition (referenced in Care Sourcer's Scottish Cares awards history). Comparable as a listed provider with its own care matching infrastructure.
- Bupa: Large UK private health and care provider operating care homes and offering online care search tools. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping care seeker acquisition funnels and significant provider market share.
Regional players
- Care Choices: UK care directory publisher producing regional care guides and online listings. Comparable directory model but historically more focused on printed guides for local authorities and NHS than consumer-facing marketplace.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Care Sourcer social profiles
Digital presenceCare Sourcer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Care Sourcer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Care Sourcer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Care Sourcer 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 Care Sourcer
What does Care Sourcer do?
Care Sourcer operates a UK-wide online marketplace and comparison platform that lets individuals, families, and NHS discharge teams search for, compare, and contact care home and home care (domiciliary) providers by postcode, filtering on price, regulatory rating (CQC and Care Inspectorate), specialisms, and availability. Care providers list on and claim profiles through the platform via paid subscriptions, while care seekers use the directory and telephone-based care experts free of charge.
Is Care Sourcer a public or private company?
Care Sourcer is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Care Sourcer founded?
Care Sourcer was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Care Sourcer based?
Care Sourcer is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Care Sourcer make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Free care seeker service is the primary driver. The others are provider listings and subscriptions.
Who are Care Sourcer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are carehome.co.uk, Elder, Lottie, Autumna and TrustedCare. Broad incumbents are Bluebird Care, Helping Hands Home Care, Prestige Nursing + Care and Bupa. Care Choices is listed as a regional player.
Does Care Sourcer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Care Sourcer.
What industry is Care Sourcer in?
Care Sourcer's product category is Elderly Care Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABAMAD, Live-In Caregiver Placement & Matching, with a secondary code of HLALABAH, Care Navigation, Referral & Digital Front Door Platforms. Its NAICS code is 6216 and its SIC code is 8082.