BrightStar Care
BrightStar Care is a privately held home healthcare franchise organization operating 420+ locations across 41 states. It sells franchise rights delivering companion, personal, and skilled nursing care, plus medical staffing, to seniors, children with special needs, and healthcare facilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BrightStar Care does
BrightStar Care is a privately held home healthcare franchise organization founded in 2002 by Shelly Sun and headquartered in Bannockburn, Illinois (operating entity: BrightStar Franchising, LLC). It sells and supports franchise rights to entrepreneurs who operate independently owned home care locations under the BrightStar Care brand, with a network of 420+ franchise locations across 41 states supported by 15,000+ caregivers and 5,700 registered nurses. The franchise operates three service brands: the core BrightStar Care home health franchise (companion care, personal care, skilled nursing, and medical staffing), BrightStar Care Homes (8-12 suite residential assisted living/memory care), and BrightStar Senior Living (~40 suite boutique assisted living and memory care communities). End customers include seniors aging in place, children with special needs, and healthcare facilities, served either directly or through a 180+ national account partner referral network comprising large insurers, hospitals, and healthcare systems.
The franchisor's proprietary technology stack centers on the ABS Business Management Platform, an exclusive web-based system that automates scheduling, payroll, billing, and caregiver mobile workflows, paired with a Clinical Data Hub that tracks patient outcomes for sharing with referral partners, and a Business Intelligence Dashboard monitoring qualified leads, caregiver utilization, and revenue streams. The CSO (Dean Ulizio) oversees multi-million-dollar annual technology investment; no AI/ML capabilities, patents, or model disclosures are present in the data. Revenue mechanics for the franchisor combine a $50,000 initial franchise fee with ongoing royalties of 5.25% of monthly net billings (non-national accounts) / 6.25% (national accounts), a marketing fee of $500/month or 2.5% of net billings (greater of), and a technology fee of $250/month or 1% of net billings. Initial franchisee investment ranges from $127,754 to $220,186, and 2025 average unit revenue for first franchise locations was $2,413,076 (top quartile $4,770,311) per the 2026 FDD. Recent strategic activity includes 30+ new locations and 20 new franchisees in 2025 and a March 2026 strategic partnership with Care@Home 4 Life to add home equity-backed financing for seniors.
BrightStar Care firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BrightStar Care
- Legal name
- BrightStar Franchising, LLC
- Website
- https://brightstarfranchising.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- BrightStar Care is a privately held home healthcare franchise organization operating 420+ locations across 41 states. It sells franchise rights delivering companion, personal, and skilled nursing care, plus medical staffing, to seniors, children with special needs, and healthcare facilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BrightStar Care industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Home Healthcare Franchising
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623)
- SIC
- Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Home Care Franchise Network Staffing & Placement (HSABAMAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Private Duty 24/7 Nursing (RN/LPN) In-Home Care (HSABAHAJ)
Keywords
Where BrightStar Care is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
BrightStar Care business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Companion Care Services: Non-medical assistance with daily activities including transportation, general well-being support, and companionship for clients in their homes.
- Personal Care Services: Dressing, grooming, and mobility assistance for seniors and individuals requiring help with daily living activities.
- Skilled Care Services: RN-managed medical services including wound care, medication management, infusion therapy, and other skilled nursing procedures that require clinical oversight.
- Medical Staffing: Provides personnel to hospitals, nursing homes, doctors' offices, labs, and other healthcare facilities. Creates additional revenue opportunities while providing caregivers with more employment options.
- National Accounts: Referrals from 180+ healthcare organizations including insurance assessments, IV infusion therapy, home health services, and flu clinic services for corporate, commercial, and retail patients.
- Franchise Fees and Royalties: Initial franchise fee of $50,000 plus ongoing royalty fees (5.25% of monthly net billings for non-national accounts, 6.25% for national accounts) and marketing fees ($500/month or 2.5% of previous month's net billings).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Standard Size Territory initial investment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Royalty and marketing fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
BrightStar Care product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BrightStar Care is a home healthcare franchise organization that sells and supports franchise rights for delivering the full continuum of in-home care, ranging from non-medical companion and personal care to RN-led skilled nursing and medical staffing. Franchisees are equipped with a proprietary ABS business management platform, Joint Commission accreditation, and access to 180+ national account partners. The franchisor generates revenue through an initial franchise fee, ongoing royalties, marketing fees, and technology fees.
Product overview
BrightStar Care operates as a franchise organization with three distinct service brands under its umbrella: BrightStar Care (core home health care franchise offering companion care, personal care, skilled nursing, and medical staffing with access to 180+ national accounts), BrightStar Care Homes (small residential care communities with 8-12 suites), and BrightStar Senior Living (boutique assisted living and memory care communities averaging 40 suites). The company also provides franchisees with access to its proprietary ABS Business Management Platform for operational management. Revenue streams include companion care, personal care, skilled care, medical staffing, and national accounts programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BrightStar Care Homes: Senior care franchise offering either assisted living or memory care services in a small, residential setting with 8-12 suites on average
- BrightStar Senior Living
Products and services
- BrightStar Care Franchise (Home Health Care) Home health care franchise offering companion care, personal care, skilled nursing, and medical staffing services delivered in clients' homes. Franchisees are equipped with proprietary technology, Joint Commission accreditation, and access to 180+ national account partners.
- BrightStar Care Homes Franchise Senior care franchise offering assisted living or memory care services in a small, residential setting with an average of 8-12 suites per home.
- BrightStar Senior Living Franchise Senior care franchise offering both assisted living and memory care services in boutique communities with an average of 40 suites.
- ABS Business Management Platform Proprietary web-based integrated business management system provided to franchisees for scheduling, payroll, billing, and client care management across the franchise network.
- Medical Staffing Service Franchisee-provided supplemental staffing service placing caregivers, CNAs, and nurses in hospitals, nursing homes, doctors' offices, and labs.
Companies that use BrightStar Care
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BrightStar Care technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
BrightStar Care partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Care@Home 4 LifecoreStrategic partnership to deliver nationwide premium in-home care services. Care@Home 4 Life uses a home equity-backed financial model to help seniors afford in-home care without selling their home or taking on debt. BrightStar Care's network of 420+ locations and clinical expertise will support Care@Home 4 Life's mission to provide senior care through its Care@Home Guarantee policy. Services include hands-on day-to-day care, assistance with daily activities, medication management, and wound care.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BrightStar Care competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Synergy HomeCare: Franchised in-home care provider with a personal care, companion, and skilled nursing continuum plus a dementia program. Direct competitor to BrightStar in the same franchise buyer demographic and service mix.
- Home Instead Senior Care: Operates the largest global franchise network for personal care, companionship, and home helper services for seniors. Most direct competitor to BrightStar Care's core in-home senior care franchise model with comparable multi-revenue-stream positioning.
- Comfort Keepers: Franchised provider of in-home care, personal care, and specialized dementia support for seniors and adults needing assistance. Directly comparable franchise model targeting the same Joint-Commission-style accreditation and skilled care adjacencies as BrightStar.
- Visiting Angels: Franchised home care provider offering companion, personal, and respite care across hundreds of U.S. territories. Closely comparable national franchise system competing with BrightStar in the same SMB owner-operator segment.
- ComForCare: Franchised in-home care provider with a non-medical and skilled care continuum plus dementia programs. Direct competitor with a similar franchised continuum-of-care thesis and Medicare-certified skilled services in select locations.
- Senior Helpers: Franchised senior home care company offering companion, personal, and specialized dementia and Parkinson's care. Overlaps BrightStar's core franchisee buyer profile and senior-focused service mix.
- Right at Home: Franchised provider of in-home care and assistance for seniors and disabled adults, with specialty programs in dementia, Parkinson's, and hospital-to-home transitions. Compares directly to BrightStar's care continuum and transition-of-care national accounts program.
- Interim HealthCare: Franchised home health, hospice, and medical staffing organization with both skilled Medicare-certified and personal care branches. Comparable franchise structure and broader clinical scope than BrightStar's non-clinical dominant mix.
- Amada Senior Care: Franchised senior care company providing in-home care and assisted living placement advisory services. Adjacent comparability given BrightStar's franchise positioning and expansion into care placement-adjacent adjacencies.
Broad incumbents
- BAYADA Home Health Care: Large private (non-franchised) home health and pediatric home care provider with skilled nursing, therapy, and assistive services. Comparable clinical capabilities and referral positioning to hospitals and payors but operates a single corporate footprint, not a franchise system.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BrightStar Care social profiles
Digital presenceBrightStar Care compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
BrightStar Care financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BrightStar Care leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
BrightStar Care subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
BrightStar Care funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BrightStar Care 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 BrightStar Care
What does BrightStar Care do?
BrightStar Care is a home healthcare franchise organization that sells and supports franchise rights for delivering the full continuum of in-home care, ranging from non-medical companion and personal care to RN-led skilled nursing and medical staffing. Franchisees are equipped with a proprietary ABS business management platform, Joint Commission accreditation, and access to 180+ national account partners. The franchisor generates revenue through an initial franchise fee, ongoing royalties, marketing fees, and technology fees.
Is BrightStar Care a public or private company?
BrightStar Care is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BrightStar Care founded?
BrightStar Care was founded in 2002. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is BrightStar Care based?
BrightStar Care is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does BrightStar Care make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Companion Care Services are the primary driver. The others are personal Care Services, skilled Care Services, medical Staffing, national Accounts and franchise Fees and Royalties.
Who are BrightStar Care's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Synergy HomeCare, Home Instead Senior Care, Comfort Keepers, Visiting Angels, ComForCare, Senior Helpers, Right at Home, Interim HealthCare and Amada Senior Care. BAYADA Home Health Care is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does BrightStar Care have an API?
No public API is recorded for BrightStar Care.
What industry is BrightStar Care in?
BrightStar Care's product category is Home Healthcare Franchising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABAMAJ, Home Care Franchise Network Staffing & Placement, with a secondary code of HSABAHAJ, Private Duty 24/7 Nursing (RN/LPN) In-Home Care. Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8082.