What First Assistance does

First Assistance is a privately held B2B travel and medical assistance services provider operating across Australia and New Zealand under a dual-entity structure (First Assistance Australia Pty Ltd and First Assistance New Zealand Ltd). The company delivers 24/7 multilingual emergency medical, travel, and security assistance to business travellers, expatriates, remote workers, and leisure travellers on behalf of corporate clients — primarily international private medical insurance providers and employers with internationally mobile workforces. Annual case volume disclosed in marketing materials covers 450,000 travellers and 200,000 expatriates across 7,000+ client organisations, with services delivered through a curated global network of more than 75,000 approved and accredited service providers spanning hospitals, medical centres, air ambulance operators, helicopters, ambulances, medical escorts, and cost-containment specialists.

The core product surface is organised around two divisions — Travel and Medical — and a set of integrated modules. Core offerings include Travel Assistance (disruption, lost luggage, theft) and Medical Assistance (inpatient and outpatient case management). Add-on modules extend the platform into Travel Risk Assessment, Medical Repatriation (commercial flights and private air ambulance), Medical Cost Containment, Occupational Health & Safety screening, Telemedicine, Traveller Tracking, Daily Welfare Checks, and Travel Safety Training. Underlying technology is a case management system ingesting email, SMS, chat logs, faxes, and phone recordings, supported by secure data infrastructure with encrypted data at rest and in transit housed in Australia and New Zealand data centres, an information security management system, GDPR-compliant processing of EU personal data via an appointed Article 27 representative, and alignment with Australian and New Zealand Privacy Acts.

The business model is managed-services B2B: First Assistance acts as intermediary, deploying clinical, operational, and logistical resources on behalf of insurance companies and corporate clients under contractual arrangements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct enterprise field sales, supported by a corporate website as top-of-funnel content and Seek for talent acquisition. Senior leadership is long-tenured and clinically anchored: CEO David Burns (since 2013), Head of Operations Ramona Cobb (since 2011), Head of IT & Product Management Reuben Cutfield (since 2011), Chief Medical Officer Dr Brett Gerrard, and Head of Nursing Fran Grieve (since 2014), supported by Medical Consultants including Dr Ben Powell (with the company since 2008) and Dr Gareth Richards (since 2014) with active credentials in emergency medicine, aeromedical retrieval, and travel medicine. The company is independently owned with no disclosed parent, institutional investors, or funding rounds.

Name

First Assistance

Legal name

First Assistance Australia Pty Ltd and First Assistance New Zealand Ltd

Website

https://firstassistance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

First Assistance is a privately held B2B travel and medical assistance provider based in Australia and New Zealand, delivering 24/7 emergency medical, repatriation, telemedicine, and travel risk services to 7,000+ organisations — primarily international PMI insurers and corporate employers — through a global network of 75,000+ accredited providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel and Medical Assistance Services

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991), Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel Insurance & Assistance (Corporate) (THACANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical Assistance & Telemedicine for Travelers (THACANAE), Emergency Response, Assistance & Medical Evacuation Services (THACAEAC), Emergency Assistance & Case Management (Medical, Security, Evacuation) (THALALAG)

Keywords

• Travel assistance services
• Medical assistance services
• Emergency medical repatriation
• Travel risk management
• Duty of care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Assistance Services: First Assistance provides emergency medical, travel and security assistance services to customers on behalf of its corporate clients (insurance companies, employers). Services include medical assistance, travel risk management, telemedicine, and medical repatriation. The company operates as an intermediary managing complex situations through its global provider network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

First Assistance delivers 24/7 global travel and medical assistance services to corporate clients (notably insurance companies and employers) on behalf of travellers, expatriates and remote workers. The company manages complex medical and travel emergencies end-to-end through a global network of 75,000+ approved service providers, covering medical case management, evacuation and repatriation, telemedicine, cost containment, and travel risk management.

Product overview

First Assistance operates as a unified assistance services platform combining Travel and Medical divisions to deliver integrated global travel assistance and travel risk management products. The core offering consists of Travel Assistance and Medical Assistance services, supplemented by specialized modules including Travel Risk Assessment, Traveller Tracking, Travel Risk Management, Daily Welfare Checks, and Travel Safety Training on the travel side, and Medical Repatriation, Medical Cost Containment, Occupational Health & Safety, and Telemedicine on the medical side. The company leverages a global network of 75,000+ approved service providers including hospitals, medical centres, air ambulance providers, helicopters, ambulances, and medical escorts to deliver 24/7 multilingual support to travellers, expatriates, and organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Travel Assistance
• Medical Assistance
• Medical Repatriation
• Medical Cost Containment
• Occupational Health & Safety
• Telemedicine
• Travel Risk Assessment
• Traveller Tracking
• Travel Risk Management
• Daily Welfare Checks
• Travel Safety Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 450,000 travellers and 200,000 expatriates annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global Excel Management Europe LimitedminorOthersFirst Assistance has appointed Global Excel Management Europe Limited as their EU representative in accordance with Article 27 GDPR. This representative can be contacted at [email protected] for GDPR-related matters concerning the processing of personal data of individuals in the European Union.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International SOS: World's largest medical and travel security assistance company, offering integrated travel risk management, medical assistance, evacuation, and telemedicine to multinational corporations and governments. Directly competes with First Assistance across the entire assistance value chain, with broader global reach.
• FrontierMEDEX (now part of International SOS): Former independent medical and security assistance provider now integrated into International SOS; historical peer providing remote site medical services and travel assistance comparable to First Assistance's occupational health and remote worker offerings.
• Cigna Global Health (Cigna Healthcare): Major international health insurer operating global assistance capabilities for expatriate and business traveller insurance plans. Competes with First Assistance at the insurance-client layer, sometimes using First Assistance as a downstream assistance partner.
• Aetna International (CVS Health): Provides international private medical insurance and integrated travel/medical assistance services for expatriates globally. Overlaps with First Assistance's core insurance vertical and target expatriate population.

Direct peers

• MedAire: A leading provider of medical and security assistance for aviation and maritime, plus corporate travel risk management. Competes head-to-head with First Assistance in medical assistance, telemedicine, and inflight/remote medical support, with overlap in aviation medicine expertise.
• Assist America: Operates a global emergency assistance network providing medical, travel, and security assistance to insurance plan members and corporate clients. Closely comparable B2B2C assistance model and provider network structure to First Assistance.
• Global Excel Management: Specialises in healthcare cost containment and travel/medical assistance for insurers and employers worldwide. Already engaged with First Assistance as their GDPR EU representative, and competes directly in cost containment and assistance services.
• Global Rescue: Provides medical, security, and travel risk management services including evacuation and advisory for travellers, expatriates, and corporate clients. Comparable product mix and target customer base to First Assistance.

Emerging players

• Air Ambulance Worldwide: Specialises in international air ambulance medical transport and medical repatriation services, overlapping with First Assistance's repatriation and aeromedical retrieval offerings. Smaller scope but direct competitor on complex evacuation cases.
• REVA Global Air Ambulance: Provides global fixed-wing air ambulance and medical repatriation services with aviation medical crews, directly comparable to First Assistance's aeromedical repatriation and air ambulance coordination capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-rescue

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 First Assistance