bubble app

What bubble app does

Bubble is a UK-based, mobile-first on-demand childcare marketplace founded in 2016 that connects parents with vetted babysitters, nannies, night nannies, after-school nannies, and emergency carers in their local area. Its core technology is a two-sided iOS/Android platform with real-time matching, social-graph overlap (showing which sitters are already trusted within a parent's existing friends, school, or nursery), a multi-step vetting process (1-in-4 sitter acceptance rate, DBS status surfaced), verified parent reviews, secure in-app payments, and full booking insurance supported by a 9am-9pm, 7-days-a-week human support team. At scale the platform reports 3 million+ hours of childcare booked since launch, 300,000 active parents, and 30,000 childcarers, positioning it as the largest on-demand childcare service in the UK.

The company operates a multi-stream revenue model: a transaction commission on each booking made through the marketplace, a recurring Bubble+ premium subscription for enhanced parent features, and an annual B2B subscription via the dedicated Bubble for Work division that sells employer-sponsored backup childcare, eldercare, and family-care benefits to large employers in finance, law, and technology. Distribution is primarily self-serve via the App Store and Google Play (product-led growth) for consumers, complemented by an enterprise field-sales motion targeting HR and benefits buyers. Supporting services include a Night Nanny offering, a Bubble Academy training resource for carers, an Emergency Childcare service, and strategic partnerships with Uber (free childcare for drivers), the NHS (10,000+ hours of free childcare delivered to key workers during COVID-19), and TERN (childcare for female refugee entrepreneurs).

Name

bubble app

Legal name

Bubble

Website

https://joinbubble.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bubble is a UK-based mobile marketplace, founded in 2016, that connects parents with vetted babysitters and nannies via an iOS/Android app, augmented by a Bubble+ premium subscription, a Bubble for Work B2B employer benefits division, and supporting services such as night nannies and emergency childcare.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

On-Demand Childcare Marketplace

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

School Closure & Weather/Emergency Daytime Coverage (HSAAAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Date Night & Evening Babysitting (HSAAAAAA), Overnight / Extended-Hours Home Childcare (EDACAEAH), Weekend / On-Call Nanny Services (HSAAABAH)

Keywords

• On-demand childcare
• Childcare marketplace
• Babysitter booking platform
• Backup childcare benefits
• Vetted nanny services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Transaction/Marketplace Commission: Bubble takes a commission on each childcare booking made through the platform. Parents pay for childcare services through the app with Bubble earning a transaction fee.
2. Enterprise/B2B Subscriptions: Bubble for Work provides employer-sponsored backup childcare as an employee benefit. Employers pay for access to the platform enabling their employees to book childcare.
3. Bubble+ Premium Subscription: Premium subscription tier offering additional features and benefits for enhanced childcare booking experience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bubble operates an on-demand mobile marketplace that connects parents with pre-checked, vetted babysitters, nannies, night nannies, after-school nannies, and emergency childcare providers in the United Kingdom. Parents discover, book, and pay for childcare through the iOS/Android app, which surfaces trusted social connections, verified reviews, DBS status, and insurance coverage. A separate Bubble for Work division delivers employer-sponsored backup childcare and eldercare as an employee benefit.

Product overview

Bubble operates as a unified childcare marketplace platform that connects parents with vetted babysitters and nannies. The core Bubble App serves individual parents seeking flexible childcare, while the Bubble+ premium tier offers enhanced benefits. The Bubble For Work division provides employer-sponsored backup childcare as an employee benefit. Supporting services include the Night Nanny Service for overnight care and Bubble Academy for childcare provider training. Together, these offerings create a comprehensive ecosystem addressing various childcare needs from occasional babysitting to regular nanny placement and emergency coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bubble App On-demand mobile marketplace that connects parents with pre-checked, vetted babysitters and nannies in their local community. Enables parents to find, book, and pay for childcare with verified reviews, DBS checks, and secure in-app payments.
• Bubble for Work B2B employee benefit product that provides backup childcare, eldercare, and on-demand childcare support to employers for their workforce. Targets major employers in law, finance, and technology sectors and engages them through dedicated enterprise sales.
• Night Nanny Service Specialized overnight childcare service providing support for parents during nighttime hours, including newborn care and sleep support.
• Bubble Academy Online learning platform providing training resources and courses for sitters and nannies to improve their childcare skills and professional development.
• Emergency Childcare On-demand, last-minute childcare service for parents needing immediate childcare coverage due to unexpected situations or emergencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 million+ hours of childcare booked since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• NHScoreOthers · 1 January 2020During COVID-19 pandemic, Bubble delivered over 10,000 hours of free childcare for NHS key workers. Expanded childcare access for NHS frontline workers.
• UbermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst-of-its-kind partnership with Uber offering free childcare to Uber drivers. Part of Uber's benefits program for drivers to access flexible childcare support.
• TERN (The Entrepreneur Refugee Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing childcare support for female refugee entrepreneurs to help them get businesses off the ground. Supports TERN's mission of helping refugee entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Care.com: Global marketplace for childcare, senior care, and pet care with tens of millions of users. Operates in the UK and represents the most scaled incumbent that Bubble competes against for both consumers and enterprise benefits contracts.
• Bright Horizons: Large global provider of employer-sponsored childcare, including backup care benefits. Direct competitor to Bubble for Work in the enterprise backup childcare category.

Direct peers

• Childcare.co.uk: Largest UK childcare directory connecting parents with nannies, babysitters, and childminders. Direct competitor in parent-facing childcare discovery, though operates a listings model rather than full marketplace.
• Koru Kids: UK-based on-demand childcare platform connecting parents with vetted local nannies and babysitters. Closest direct competitor with similar trust-and-vetting positioning and B2B employer offering.
• Tinies: UK childcare and nanny agency offering permanent, temporary, and emergency childcare placements. Competes in the same professional nanny and emergency childcare segments Bubble serves.
• Sitters.co.uk: UK babysitting agency and platform offering vetted sitters and nannies to families. Competes in the same occasional and emergency babysitting segment Bubble serves.

Regional players

• Babysits: European babysitting platform with UK operations connecting families with local sitters. Direct marketplace competitor in the UK occasional babysitting segment.
• UrbanSitter: US-based babysitting marketplace using social network connections to build trust between parents and sitters. Conceptually aligned with Bubble's social-graph approach but operates primarily in North America.
• Yoopies: European platform for childcare, tutoring, and household services with UK operations. Comparable marketplace model targeting parents seeking trusted carers, primarily across continental Europe but with UK presence.

Emerging players

• Helpr: US-based backup childcare platform targeting employers as an employee benefit. Emerging player in the same B2B backup childcare category that Bubble for Work serves in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bubblechildcare
• Facebookfacebook.com/bubble.childcare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bubble-app

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about bubble app