Five Good Friends
Five Good Friends is an Australian technology-enabled home care and disability support provider operating the Lookout platform, delivering Support at Home aged care and NDIS services to older Australians and people with disabilities across metropolitan and regional Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Five Good Friends does
Five Good Friends is a Brisbane-headquartered, Australian technology-enabled home care and disability support provider founded in 2015 and operating with 101–250 employees. It delivers in-home aged care under the Support at Home program (formerly Home Care Packages) and registered NDIS disability supports, serving Older Australians and NDIS Participants through two membership models: Full Service Membership, where Five Good Friends coordinates matching, scheduling and care management, and Self-Managed Membership, where the Member retains direct control. The Lookout ecosystem — a Member app for plan/schedule/budget visibility and a Helper app for visit check-in, note capture and invoicing — is the operational backbone, paired with AI Plan Builder, Helper-to-Member matching, Remote Care Monitoring that auto-flags risks from visit notes, and Health & Wellbeing surveys. The business is registered under the Aged Care Act and NDIS, with a curated marketplace of 4,000+ vetted care professionals, an in-house clinical team with 400+ years of combined experience, and an ecosystem of clinical, equipment and monitoring partners (Plena Healthcare, Amplar Health, Aidacare, Tunstall, Independent Living Specialists, Mobile Rehab, Platinum Health and others).
The company monetizes by retaining a Platform Access and Marketing Fee of 20–30% of the Service Fees charged by independent Helper contractors, who set their own rates and net around A$49.60+ per hour for standard visits. Revenue is sourced from government-funded claims against Members' Support at Home and NDIS accounts, from private-pay/self-funded retirees for whom all-inclusive pricing is positioned below incumbent providers, and from Helper-side fees covering training, matching, insurance, administration, invoicing, platform access, marketing and debt collection. Transparent pricing is published (FGF-MAC-Rate-Card.pdf), billing is fortnightly for Helpers and monthly for Members, and a Self-Managed tier offers a lighter-touch, more autonomous experience. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via website, a structured 3-step sign-up flow, a phone-led sales motion (1300 787 581), NDIS Support Coordinator referrals, and emerging care partnerships with retirement village operators.
Five Good Friends is privately held and founder-led (co-founder/CEO Simon Lockyer, co-founder/director Nathan Betteridge) with Tim Russell as Chair of the Governing Body and Tate Johnson as CTO; the company has raised at least one undisclosed round (November 2021) plus an earlier 2016 ticket from Investible. Operational scale is reported at 3 million+ cumulative hours of care, 30,000+ monthly visits, and 9,100–9,900+ families helped. A forward-looking Macquarie University study cited by the company links each weekly hour of in-home help to a ~6% lower risk of entry into residential care, an outcome metric that underpins the value proposition for funders, families and government payors.
Five Good Friends firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Five Good Friends
- Legal name
- Five Good Friends
- Website
- https://fivegoodfriends.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Five Good Friends is an Australian technology-enabled home care and disability support provider operating the Lookout platform, delivering Support at Home aged care and NDIS services to older Australians and people with disabilities across metropolitan and regional Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Five Good Friends industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Home Care Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Social Assistance (624)
- SIC
- Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Companionship & Social Engagement Visits (HSABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical) (HLADAGAB), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)
Keywords
Where Five Good Friends is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Five Good Friends business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Home Care Service Fees: Five Good Friends charges a Platform Access and Marketing Fee of 20-30% of Service Fees charged by Helpers. The remaining amount is passed to Helpers for their service delivery. This applies to both Support at Home (government-funded) and privately funded care.
- Platform and Technology Access: Helpers pay for access to the Five Good Friends platform, technology (App), marketing, training, debt collection assistance, and invoicing system through the Platform Access and Marketing Fee.
- Government Funding (Support at Home & NDIS): As a registered provider under Aged Care Act and NDIS, Five Good Friends claims on Members' government-funded accounts for services delivered. Claims are made against Support at Home Notional Accounts and NDIS budgets.
- Private Pay Members: Self-funded Members pay privately for immediate access and more flexibility without waiting for government approval. All-inclusive service prices are stated to be lower than many providers' rates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Helpers net $49.60+ per hour for standard visits on average |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Fortnightly | Platform Access and Marketing Fee: 20-30% of Service Fees |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Full Service Membership vs Self-Managed Membership |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Five Good Friends product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Five Good Friends is a technology-enabled home care and disability support provider that delivers in-home aged care under the Support at Home program and NDIS-registered disability supports across Australia. Services are rendered by a curated pool of 4,000+ vetted independent contractor Helpers matched to Members via the proprietary Lookout app, with Members able to choose Full Service Membership (coordinated) or Self-Managed Membership (self-directed). Five Good Friends retains a Platform Access and Marketing Fee of 20-30% on Helper service fees, claims against government funding on behalf of Members, and serves self-funded private-pay clients directly.
Product overview
Five Good Friends is a technology-enabled home care and disability support provider offering a unified platform combining coordinated care services with proprietary technology. The core offering consists of Full Service Membership and Self-Managed Membership for aged care (Support at Home program), plus NDIS disability supports. These services are delivered through the Lookout ecosystem — a Member app for care management and scheduling, a Helper app for visit management and invoicing, and AI-powered features including a plan builder, matching technology, remote care monitoring with automated risk flagging, and health surveys. The company positions itself as Australia's first technology-enabled home care provider, with over 400 years of combined clinical experience and a curated pool of over 4,000 vetted care professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lookout: Remote care monitoring app used by Five Good Friends for visit tracking, note analysis, and risk flagging.
Products and services
- Full Service Membership Coordinated in-home aged care membership where Five Good Friends learns Member preferences, matches them with dedicated Helpers, manages scheduling, and coordinates end-to-end service delivery. Designed for Members who prefer a hands-off approach or are coordinating care remotely via family.
- Self-Managed Membership Self-directed in-home aged care membership where Members choose their own Helper team, manage their own schedule, and coordinate directly with Helpers through the Lookout app while retaining platform access and Five Good Friends support.
- Support at Home (Government-Funded Aged Care)
Quantifiable outcome
- 3 million+ total hours of care delivered
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Five Good Friends
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Five Good Friends technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
Five Good Friends partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Plena HealthcarecoreHealthcare partner providing clinical services to Members. Part of the curated network of allied health and service providers accessible through Five Good Friends.
- Amplar HealthcoreHealth services partner offering clinical and healthcare support. Integrated into the Five Good Friends service ecosystem for Members requiring healthcare services.
- AidacarecoreEquipment and assistive technology provider. Members can access products and services to support independent living at home.
- Independence AustraliacoreDisability and aged care service provider offering products and services. Part of Five Good Friends' ecosystem of care partners.
- Platinum HealthcoreHealth services partner providing clinical supports to Members. Integrated into care delivery network.
- TunstallcoreMedical alert and monitoring technology provider. Offers emergency response and safety systems for Members requiring additional safety oversight at home.
- Lite n EasyminorMeal preparation and delivery service. Provides nutritious meal options for Members as part of comprehensive home care services.
- Confidence ClubminorMobility and independence products provider. Offers aids and equipment to support Members' independence at home.
- Independent Living SpecialistscoreEquipment and mobility solutions provider specializing in products that help people live independently. Integrated into Member care planning.
- Mobile RehabcoreRehabilitation services provider offering physiotherapy and exercise physiology. Supports Members' restorative care and independence maintenance.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Five Good Friends competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bolton Clarke: Bolton Clarke is one of Australia's largest not-for-profit aged care and home care providers, delivering in-home support, retirement living, and residential care nationally. As a major incumbent registered under Support at Home, it competes across the entire aged care value chain that Five Good Friends addresses.
- BaptistCare: BaptistCare is a large Australian faith-based aged care and community services provider operating home care, residential aged care, and retirement living across multiple states. It represents a scaled incumbent offering competing services to Five Good Friends' Full Service Membership.
- Bupa Aged Care Australia: Bupa is a global health insurance and care provider with substantial Australian aged care operations including home care packages and residential care. It is a broad incumbent with deep brand recognition and scale advantages that compete with Five Good Friends in the aged care space.
- Silver Chain Group: Silver Chain Group is a major Australian home health and aged care provider delivering nursing, palliative care, and home support services. It is one of the largest in-home care providers in Australia and competes with Five Good Friends for both aged care and complex clinical home care work.
Others
- Plena Healthcare: Plena Healthcare is an Australian allied health provider offering physiotherapy, podiatry, dietetics, and other clinical services. Listed as a strategic clinical partner of Five Good Friends, it sits in the supply ecosystem rather than directly competing for Member relationships.
- CarePage: CarePage is an Australian care navigation and content platform helping families compare aged care options, often as a referral and information resource. It is adjacent to Five Good Friends' business as a complementary navigation layer rather than a direct service competitor.
Direct peers
- Mable: Mable is Australia's leading marketplace connecting NDIS participants and aged care recipients directly with independent support workers. Like Five Good Friends, Mable uses a tech-enabled platform with self-managed options and takes a percentage of service fees, serving an overlapping customer base across Australia.
- Hireup: Hireup is an Australian online platform specifically designed for NDIS participants to find, hire, and manage support workers. It shares Five Good Friends' direct-to-consumer, technology-mediated self-managed model and competes for the same under-65 NDIS segment.
- myHomecare: myHomecare is a registered Australian Home Care Package and NDIS provider delivering in-home aged care and disability supports. It directly competes with Five Good Friends' Full Service Membership and Support at Home offerings across similar geographies.
- Home Instead Australia: Home Instead is a global franchised network of in-home personal care, dementia, and aged care services with established Australia operations. It competes head-to-head with Five Good Friends for older Australians seeking personalized, relationship-led home care, though via a franchise model rather than a tech platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Five Good Friends social profiles
Digital presenceFive Good Friends financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Five Good Friends leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Five Good Friends funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Five Good Friends 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 Five Good Friends
What does Five Good Friends do?
Five Good Friends is a technology-enabled home care and disability support provider that delivers in-home aged care under the Support at Home program and NDIS-registered disability supports across Australia. Services are rendered by a curated pool of 4,000+ vetted independent contractor Helpers matched to Members via the proprietary Lookout app, with Members able to choose Full Service Membership (coordinated) or Self-Managed Membership (self-directed). Five Good Friends retains a Platform Access and Marketing Fee of 20-30% on Helper service fees, claims against government funding on behalf of Members, and serves self-funded private-pay clients directly.
Is Five Good Friends a public or private company?
Five Good Friends is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Five Good Friends founded?
Five Good Friends was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Five Good Friends based?
Five Good Friends is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Five Good Friends make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Home Care Service Fees are the primary driver. The others are platform and Technology Access, government Funding (Support at Home & NDIS) and private Pay Members.
Who are Five Good Friends's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bolton Clarke, BaptistCare, Bupa Aged Care Australia and Silver Chain Group. Others are Plena Healthcare and CarePage. Direct peers are Mable, Hireup, myHomecare and Home Instead Australia.
Does Five Good Friends have an API?
No public API is recorded for Five Good Friends.
What industry is Five Good Friends in?
Five Good Friends's product category is Home Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABAAAA, Companionship & Social Engagement Visits, with a secondary code of HLADAGAB, Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical). Its NAICS code is 62412 and its SIC code is 8082.