First Orion
First Orion is a private branded-communications platform serving 16,000+ businesses and major carriers, providing branded caller ID, RCS messaging, and call authentication to restore trust in voice and messaging channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersNorth Little Rock, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What First Orion does
First Orion Corp., founded in 2008 and headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas, operates a branded communications platform that enables businesses to verify caller identity, display branded caller ID (name, logo, call reason) on recipient devices, and protect outbound and inbound voice traffic from spoofing and scam labeling. The company serves over 16,000 businesses — including Fortune 500 enterprises in financial services, healthcare, insurance, retail, and telecommunications — as well as major carriers that embed its technology into consumer-facing scam protection services. Its core platform includes INFORM® branded calling, ENRICH™ branded messaging (RCS-based), AFFIRM® reputation monitoring, SENTRY® call blocking, and PROTECT+ risk detection, and it powers T-Mobile's Scam Shield while participating in a federated US solution with TNS and TransUnion that branded approximately 5 billion calls in 2025.
The underlying technology stack combines call authentication (pairing A and B numbers via encrypted SIP modification), CNAM customization, and a call-traffic analytics engine for anomaly and fraud detection. First Orion holds an extensive granted US patent portfolio spanning call screening, content delivery, and signaling, and is ISO 27001:2022 certified. Distribution is hybrid: enterprise field sales target Fortune 500 and regulated verticals; a self-service portal enables SMB onboarding in roughly 10 minutes; and carrier integrations (T-Mobile in the US, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone Group in Europe via the Global Exchange platform) embed the technology directly into carrier networks across eight connected carriers covering over 55% of UK and Spain subscribers.
The business model is primarily subscription and usage-based recurring revenue, with freemium (free number registration) serving as a top-of-funnel for SMBs, monthly subscriptions for self-serve branded calling, and quote-based annual enterprise agreements for large deployments. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales, carrier channel partners, and a self-service Customer Portal, supported by a developer portal with REST APIs and SDKs for iOS/Android. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, operates offices in North Little Rock, Bellevue (WA), Bristol (UK), and Dubai (UAE), and is expanding into Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands through its European Global Exchange platform.
First Orion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Orion
- Legal name
- First Orion Corp.
- Website
- https://firstorion.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- First Orion is a private branded-communications platform serving 16,000+ businesses and major carriers, providing branded caller ID, RCS messaging, and call authentication to restore trust in voice and messaging channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First Orion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Branded Communications Software
- NAICS
- All Other Telecommunications (517810), Telecommunications (517)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms (BPAMACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- SMS/MMS & Messaging Marketing Services (Text, RCS, WhatsApp/OTT) (MPAAAIAB)
Keywords
Where First Orion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Little Rock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
First Orion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Branded Calling Services (INFORM): Subscription or usage-based fees for branded calling services, with flexible billing options for businesses. Pricing varies by call volume and branding features (basic display vs. logo + reason)
- ENRICH Branded Messaging: Revenue from RCS-based branded messaging services with rich media capabilities, targeting healthcare, insurance, and retail sectors
- Reputation Monitoring (AFFIRM): Monitoring services for businesses to track and manage their outbound call reputation
- Enterprise Portal Access: Self-service Customer Portal access with advanced analytics, flexible billing for businesses of all sizes
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Number Registration - Basic spam protection at no cost |
| Subscription | Monthly | Self-Service Portal - Branded calling for SMBs with quick onboarding |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise Field Sales - Full branded communications suite |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
First Orion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Orion provides branded communications and call authentication software that enables businesses to display verified caller ID information (name, logo, call reason) on recipient devices, increasing answer rates and customer trust. The platform includes INFORM® Branded Calling for voice call branding, ENRICH™ Branded Messaging for RCS-based rich messaging, and supporting tools for reputation monitoring, call blocking, spoof protection, and risk detection, with deep integration into major US and European carrier networks.
Product overview
First Orion offers a branded communications platform focused on trust and security in voice and messaging channels. The core portfolio includes INFORM® Branded Calling for caller ID branding, ENRICH™ Branded Messaging for RCS messaging, and related reputation/security products including AFFIRM® Reputation Monitoring, SENTRY® Call Blocking, and PROTECT+ Risk Detection. The company serves over 16,000 businesses including Fortune 500 companies, integrates with major U.S. carriers, and is expanding internationally with a Global Exchange platform in Europe. A self-service Customer Portal enables businesses to onboard and manage branded calling programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- INFORM®: Branded Calling solution that displays business name, logo, and reason for call on incoming calls
- ENRICH™
- AFFIRM®
- SENTRY®
- PROTECT+
- Global Exchange
Products and services
- INFORM® Branded Calling Branded calling solution that displays business name, logo, and reason for call on recipient's caller ID to increase answer rates and build customer trust. Targeted at businesses for outbound customer outreach.
- ENRICH™ Branded Messaging Secure, interactive RCS messaging platform delivering branded, rich media messages with two-way interactions directly to mobile device native messaging apps. Targets healthcare, insurance, and retail sectors.
- AFFIRM® Reputation Monitoring Monitors how outbound business calls appear to customers and detects mislabeling errors (spam/scam tags) so businesses can take corrective action before performance is impacted.
- SENTRY® Call Blocking Prevents bad actors from spoofing business phone numbers by authenticating calls before they terminate in the carrier network.
- PROTECT+ Risk Detection Real-time inbound call risk analysis that detects suspicious call activity and enables labeling and blocking of high-risk calls.
- Communication Protection for Carriers Scam protection solutions for carrier networks including call labeling, blocking, and authentication services. Powers T-Mobile's Scam Shield service.
- Global Exchange Platform International branded calling platform connecting carriers across borders using CAMARA-standard APIs for cross-border integration, with Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone signed up and eight carriers connected covering over 55% of subscribers in UK and Spain.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5 billion calls branded in 2025 with 40% annual market growth
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use First Orion
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
First Orion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature7 records
First Orion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.
- GliastrategicPartnership announced May 14, 2026 to deliver identity-first approach to securing outbound communications for banks and credit unions. Combines First Orion's Call Authentication and spoof protection with Glia's Banking AI platform to reduce fraud and strengthen customer trust.
- SomosstrategicPartnership announced October 14, 2025 to deliver end-to-end call authentication and spoof protection solution. Combined platform authenticates calls in real time and establishes verified number ownership to restore trust in voice communications.
- Deutsche TelekomcoreMajor European carrier partner for branded calling expansion into Germany and the Global Exchange platform. Deutsche Telekom signed up as the first major European carrier, with coverage expansion plans for additional European markets.
- Vodafone GroupcoreMajor European carrier partner signed up for the Global Exchange platform covering over 55% of subscribers in UK and Spain. Key partner for European branded calling market expansion.
- T-MobilecorePowers T-Mobile's Scam Shield robocall protection service. Core carrier partner in the US market for branded calling services and call authentication.
- TNS (Transaction Network Services)strategicPart of the federated US solution with First Orion and TransUnion, collectively branding approximately 5 billion calls in 2025. Provides carrier network integration services.
- TransUnionstrategicPart of the federated US solution with First Orion and TNS for branded calling. Supplier to major carriers for call branding analytics and identification services.
- Boost Mobile (EchoStar)minorEchoStar's mobile service running on AT&T's network partnered with First Orion for branded calling for enterprises, expanding their existing relationship where First Orion's analytics engine has identified nuisance and scam calls since 2025.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
First Orion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TransUnion (TruContact): Credit bureau with a TruContact communications suite for call authentication, branded caller ID, and reputational analytics. Federated US partner with First Orion and TNS but also a direct competitor in call branding analytics for carriers and enterprises.
- YouMail: Provides call protection, robocall blocking, and branded caller ID services to consumers and enterprises. Comparable to First Orion's SENTRY and AFFIRM offerings and competes for similar carrier and SMB customer relationships.
- Truecaller: Global caller ID and spam-blocking app with a consumer and enterprise offering (Truecaller for Business) that delivers verified branded calling. Competes head-to-head with First Orion's INFORM branded calling solution, especially in international markets.
- Hiya: Direct competitor offering branded calling, spam/scam protection, and caller ID intelligence for carriers and enterprises. Closely comparable to First Orion's INFORM, SENTRY, and PROTECT+ product lines and competing for the same carrier integrations.
- TNS (Transaction Network Services / Call Guardian): Call analytics and branded calling competitor that is also part of First Orion's federated US solution. Overlapping carrier-grade call authentication and labeling services make it both partner and direct competitor.
Others
- Somos: Telecom registry and identity services provider that recently partnered with First Orion for end-to-end call authentication. Relevant as an enabling ecosystem participant (registry, identity, authentication) that complements First Orion's call authentication stack.
Broad incumbents
- Vonage (Ericsson): Cloud communications provider (now part of Ericsson) with voice, messaging, and contact center APIs. Adjacent peer due to enterprise voice APIs and STIR/SHAKEN-supported branded calling features that overlap with First Orion's portfolio.
- Twilio: Large CPaaS incumbent offering voice, messaging, and STIR/SHAKEN-based branded calling APIs to enterprises. Competes with First Orion indirectly through bundled communications APIs and carrier integrations, though Twilio does not specialize in branded calling.
- Bandwidth Inc. Communications platform providing voice, messaging, and 911 services to enterprises and carriers. Relevant peer due to its enterprise voice APIs and STIR/SHAKEN infrastructure that overlap with First Orion's call authentication offerings.
- Sinch: Global CPaaS provider of messaging, voice, and verification APIs. Comparable to First Orion's enterprise communications stack and overlapping in branded messaging and RCS capabilities across carrier networks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
First Orion social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Orion compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
First Orion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Orion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
First Orion subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
First Orion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Orion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about First Orion
What does First Orion do?
First Orion provides branded communications and call authentication software that enables businesses to display verified caller ID information (name, logo, call reason) on recipient devices, increasing answer rates and customer trust. The platform includes INFORM® Branded Calling for voice call branding, ENRICH™ Branded Messaging for RCS-based rich messaging, and supporting tools for reputation monitoring, call blocking, spoof protection, and risk detection, with deep integration into major US and European carrier networks.
Is First Orion a public or private company?
First Orion is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was First Orion founded?
First Orion was founded in 2008. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is First Orion based?
First Orion is headquartered in North Little Rock, United States, in the North America region.
How does First Orion make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Branded Calling Services (INFORM) is the primary driver. The others are ENRICH Branded Messaging, reputation Monitoring (AFFIRM) and enterprise Portal Access.
Who are First Orion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TransUnion (TruContact), YouMail, Truecaller, Hiya and TNS (Transaction Network Services / Call Guardian). Somos is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Vonage (Ericsson), Twilio, Bandwidth Inc. and Sinch.
Does First Orion have an API?
Yes. First Orion offers a REST API for integrating branded communication services. The developer portal provides documentation for ENGAGE REST API, ENGAGE SDKs for iOS, and ENGAGE Push Libraries. The API enables businesses to integrate First Orion's branded calling, call authentication, and real-time engagement capabilities into their applications and contact centers. Developer documentation is at developer.firstorion.com/firstorion-public/reference/getting-started.
What industry is First Orion in?
First Orion's product category is Branded Communications Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMACAF, SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAAAIAB, SMS/MMS & Messaging Marketing Services (Text, RCS, WhatsApp/OTT). Its NAICS code is 517810 and its SIC code is 4899.