1st Formations
1st Formations is the UK's largest online company formation agent, self-serve registering limited companies, LLPs, and non-profits for individual entrepreneurs, freelancers, non-UK residents, and professional partnerships via tiered packages plus recurring address and compliance subscriptions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What 1st Formations does
1st Formations Ltd is the largest UK company formation agent, incorporated in 2014 and headquartered at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, with a staff of approximately 140 company formation experts. The company operates a 100% online, direct-to-consumer self-service platform that registers UK limited companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), and companies limited by guarantee, processing over 1 million formations since inception and serving individual entrepreneurs, freelancers, contractors, non-UK residents, professional partnerships, and non-profits. Core technology is a web-based formation workflow integrated with Companies House filing systems and ACSP-authorised identity verification, supported by a proprietary Online Company Manager dashboard and a library of over 300 legally reviewed business document templates.
The business model combines low-friction one-time formation fees (£2.99 to £99.99 across Digital, Privacy, All Inclusive, Non-Residents, LLP, and Limited by Guarantee packages) with a stack of annual recurring services — Registered Office (£39), Service Address (£26), Business Address (£96), Hassle-Free Compliance (£149.99), Confirmation Statement (£75.99), Dormant Accounts (£49.99), and ICO Registration (£89) — designed to monetise the company across its lifecycle. Go-to-market is digital-first: SEO, content marketing, a YouTube/Vimeo presence, 22,000+ Trustpilot reviews at 98% approval, and 4,899 Google reviews at 4.9 stars. The company is privately held under BSQ Group, is the UK's only B Corp certified company formation agent, holds ACSP status with Companies House, is supervised by HMRC for AML, and is a member of ACRA. CEO Graeme Donnelly leads the business, which has no disclosed external funding rounds.
Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Triangulating formation volume (~100K/year at blended ~£10–£15 each), recurring address and compliance subscriptions on the cumulative customer base, and ~140 UK-based staff, revenue is estimated in the £20M–£35M ($25M–$50M) range with medium confidence. The competitive position is supported by regulatory licences (ACSP, ACRA, HMRC supervision), review-driven brand trust, and a partner ecosystem spanning 7 UK banks, 3 international banking providers, IONOS for domains, Shopify for e-commerce, and an LSE business scholarship. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML capabilities; the platform is functional SaaS built around regulatory integration and document workflows.
1st Formations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 1st Formations
- Legal name
- 1st Formations Ltd
- Website
- https://1stformations.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- 1st Formations is the UK's largest online company formation agent, self-serve registering limited companies, LLPs, and non-profits for individual entrepreneurs, freelancers, non-UK residents, and professional partnerships via tiered packages plus recurring address and compliance subscriptions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where 1st Formations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
1st Formations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Company Formation Packages: One-time fees for company formation packages ranging from £2.99 to £99.99 plus £100 Companies House government filing fee. Packages include Digital, Privacy, All Inclusive, Non-Residents, LLP, and Limited by Guarantee options.
- Annual Address Services: Recurring annual subscriptions for Registered Office (£39/year), Service Address (£26/year), and Business Address (£96/year) services. Includes mail scanning and forwarding.
- Hassle-Free Compliance Service: Annual subscription at £149.99 providing unlimited document templates, confirmation statement filing, compliance support, 50% discount on company changes, quarterly webinars, and ICO registration management.
- Confirmation Statement Service: Annual filing service at £75.99 including Companies House £50 fee. Standard service filed within 3 working days, Express service within 24 hours.
- Dormant Company Accounts Service: Annual dormant company accounts filing service at £49.99 for standard (3 working days) or £79.99 for express (24 hours).
- Company Dissolution Service: One-time company dissolution/strike-off service at £89.99 including £13 Companies House fee.
- Business Banking Referrals: Referral partnerships with 7 UK banks (Barclays, NatWest, Monzo, Lloyds, Anna, Tide, Revolut) and international providers (Wise, Payoneer) for business account referrals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Package - Basic company formation |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Privacy Package - Professional image and privacy |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | All Inclusive Package - Complete business solution |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Non-Residents Package - For international customers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Limited by Guarantee Package - Non-profit organisations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | LLP Package - Limited Liability Partnership |
| Subscription | Annual | Registered Office Address Service |
| Subscription | Annual | Service Address Service |
| Subscription | Annual | Business Address Service |
| Subscription | Annual | Hassle-Free Compliance Service |
| Subscription | Annual | Confirmation Statement Service |
| Subscription | Annual | Dormant Company Accounts Service |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Company Dissolution Service |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Same-Day Incorporation Service |
| Subscription | Annual | ICO Registration Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
1st Formations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
1st Formations is a UK company formation agent that registers limited companies, LLPs, and companies limited by guarantee with Companies House on behalf of customers. It sells tiered formation packages (Digital, Privacy, All Inclusive, Non-Residents, LLP, Limited by Guarantee) alongside recurring address services, annual compliance filings, document templates, and bank account referrals, delivered through an online self-service platform supported by a London-based formation team.
Product overview
1st Formations is a UK company formation agent offering a tiered package model for registering limited companies, LLPs, and limited by guarantee companies. The core product lineup includes: the Digital Package (£2.99) for basic formation, the Privacy Package (£17.99) adding address services and document templates, the All Inclusive Package (£39.99) as the flagship offering with full compliance support, the Non-Residents Package (£99.99) for international customers, the LLP Package (£24.99), and the Limited by Guarantee Package (£19.99). Add-on services include Registered Office, Service Address, and Business Address services (all Covent Garden-based), the Hassle-Free Compliance Service, Confirmation Statement filing, Dormant Company Accounts, Company Dissolution, VAT/PAYE Registration, ICO Registration, Business Document Template Library, Business Banking referrals, Meeting Room hire, and Business Telephone Number services. The company operates as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) for Companies House identity verification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital Package
- Privacy Package
- All Inclusive Package
- Non-Residents Package
- Limited by Guarantee Package
- Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Package
- Registered Office Address Service
- Service Address Service
- Business Address Service
- Hassle-Free Compliance Service
- Confirmation Statement Service
- Dormant Company Accounts Service
- Company Dissolution Service
- Same-Day Incorporation Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Companies typically registered at Companies House within 24 hours
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use 1st Formations
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
1st Formations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
1st Formations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BSQ GroupcoreParent company of 1st Formations. BSQ Group is a certified B Corporation. Logo displayed as part of company group.
- IONOSminorDomain name partner providing free .com or .co.uk domain name for one year with all formation packages. Customers receive link in confirmation email to claim domain.
- WiseminorBusiness banking referral partner for non-UK residents. Wise Business account offers multi-currency support, local bank details in GBP/EUR/USD, and integrations with accounting tools. Free business account referral.
- Revolut BusinessminorBusiness banking referral partner for non-UK residents. Offers multi-currency accounts, physical and virtual cards, expense tracking. Exclusive £100 cashback promotion for 1st Formations customers.
- PayoneerminorBusiness banking referral partner for non-UK residents. Offers local receiving accounts in multiple currencies, widely supported by international marketplaces.
- Barclays BankminorUK business bank account referral partner. Offers business account with no fees for first 12 months, online management, invoicing. Account opened within 6-8 weeks after company formation.
- NatWestminorUK business bank account referral partner. Offers start-up business account with no transaction fees for first 18 months and borrowing options.
- MonzominorUK business bank account referral partner. Offers spending notifications, money pots, FSCS protection, instant UK transfers with no monthly fees.
- Lloyds BankminorUK business bank account referral partner. Offers instant decision on up to £5,000 credit, free accounting software, no monthly fee for first 12 months.
- Tide BankminorUK business bank account referral partner. Business current account with App integrating with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage for accounting and invoicing.
- Anna BankminorUK business bank account referral partner. Online banking with free money transfers, ATM transactions, 1% cashback on business expenses, multiple debit cards.
- ShopifyminorE-commerce partnership offering 3-day free trial plus 3 months at £1/month for new companies. Included in All Inclusive and Non-Residents packages.
- London Stock Exchange (LSE)coreLSE Partnership providing business scholarship program and supporting entrepreneurs. Listed under About section as key partnership.
- Wonder FoundationcoreCharitable partnership focused on empowering women and girls through education. Listed under About section as part of social impact initiatives.
- Race Against DementiaminorCharity recipient of free office space at Covent Garden headquarters (3,000+ sq ft donated to six charities).
- OTS PlusminorCharity recipient of free office space at Covent Garden headquarters.
- Migrate ArtminorCharity recipient of free office space at Covent Garden headquarters.
- Streets of GrowthminorCharity recipient of free office space at Covent Garden headquarters.
- Rainbow CommunitiesminorCharity recipient of free office space at Covent Garden headquarters.
- Naz Legacy FoundationminorCharity recipient of free office space at Covent Garden headquarters.
- ACRA (Association of Company Registration Agents)coreIndustry association membership ensuring company documentation is of highest quality, always up-to-date, and compliant with current regulations.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
1st Formations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- INCfile: INCfile is a US-based online business formation service offering incorporation, registered agent, and compliance services to US SMB founders. Compares to 1st Formations on the online self-serve formation + registered agent + compliance formula, but operates in a different (US) jurisdiction and does not directly compete in the UK.
Direct peers
- Formations House: Formations House is a long-standing UK company formation agent providing limited company, LLP, and limited by guarantee registrations plus registered office and compliance services. Operates the same B2C/B2B self-serve formation model and competes directly with 1st Formations in identical packages and price tiers.
- Healy Consultants: Healy Consultants is an international corporate services firm assisting with UK and global company formation, banking introductions, and ongoing compliance. Overlaps with 1st Formations' Non-Residents package for cross-border founders forming UK entities, and competes for the same international entrepreneur segment.
- Quality Company Formations: Quality Company Formations is a UK formation agent offering limited company registrations, registered office, and compliance services to small businesses. Competes in the same SMB formation niche with overlapping packages, address services, and renewal economics.
- Seed Formations: Seed Formations is a UK company formation agent focused on founders and startups, offering registration packages and ancillary services. Overlaps with 1st Formations' Digital, Privacy and All Inclusive tiers for the early-stage company formation buyer.
- McCabe Ford & Company: McCabe Ford & Company is a UK accountancy and corporate services firm providing company formations, registered office, and statutory compliance alongside accounting services. Comparable to 1st Formations on formation and registered office, but bundled into a broader practice-led service rather than pure online self-serve.
- The Company Formation Company: The Company Formation Company is a UK agent offering online limited company formations and complementary services to startups and small businesses. Direct competitor addressing the same founder cohort with comparable packages and price positioning.
- 1st Contact: 1st Contact is a UK company formation and outsourced business services provider offering company registration, registered office, mail forwarding, and accountancy/tax support. Matches 1st Formations on UK limited company formations and address services, with a slightly broader back-office services tail.
- Rapid Formations: Rapid Formations is a UK online company formation agent offering tiered company registration, address services, and compliance products to UK and international founders. It is the closest direct head-to-head competitor to 1st Formations, with overlapping product structure (digital formations + add-ons), similar D2C funnel, and shared reliance on Companies House filings and ACSP-style verifications.
Broad incumbents
- LegalZoom: LegalZoom is a US-headquartered broad online legal services platform offering business formation, registered agent, and compliance services across multiple jurisdictions. Comparable business formation + registered agent + compliance model to 1st Formations, but operates at much larger scale, across US states primarily, and as part of a wider legal document portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
1st Formations social profiles
Digital presence1st Formations compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
1st Formations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
1st Formations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
1st Formations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
1st Formations 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 1st Formations
What does 1st Formations do?
1st Formations is a UK company formation agent that registers limited companies, LLPs, and companies limited by guarantee with Companies House on behalf of customers. It sells tiered formation packages (Digital, Privacy, All Inclusive, Non-Residents, LLP, Limited by Guarantee) alongside recurring address services, annual compliance filings, document templates, and bank account referrals, delivered through an online self-service platform supported by a London-based formation team.
Is 1st Formations a public or private company?
1st Formations is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was 1st Formations founded?
1st Formations was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is 1st Formations based?
1st Formations is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 1st Formations make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Company Formation Packages are the primary driver. The others are annual Address Services, hassle-Free Compliance Service, confirmation Statement Service, dormant Company Accounts Service, company Dissolution Service and business Banking Referrals.
Who are 1st Formations's main competitors?
INCfile is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Formations House, Healy Consultants, Quality Company Formations, Seed Formations, McCabe Ford & Company, The Company Formation Company, 1st Contact and Rapid Formations. LegalZoom is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does 1st Formations have an API?
No public API is recorded for 1st Formations.