What OWNA Childcare Apps does

OWNA Childcare Apps, operated by OWNA Corp Pty Ltd (incorporated in New South Wales, Australia, founded 2016), is a vertically focused SaaS provider of an all-in-one childcare management platform for the Australian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) sector. The platform is delivered as a web and mobile (iOS/Android) application and consolidates enrolments, Child Care Subsidy (CCS) billing and submissions, rostering, timesheets, compliance tracking against the National Quality Framework, learning documentation, and family communication into a single system. The product portfolio extends beyond the core CCMS to include OWNA HQ for multi-site/enterprise operators, OWNA HR & Payroll (with SEEK integration), OWNA Accounts Administration (outsourced back-office), and Penelope QIP (a free bundled NQS self-assessment tool). A sister platform, erly (created from the October 2022 acquisition of Saasu), adds childcare-specific workforce management and accounting functionality.

The company generates revenue primarily through recurring per-service monthly subscriptions, tiered as Lite (from A$89/month), Premium (from A$139/month), and Enterprise (custom pricing, targeting 25+ centre operators), with an optional HR & Payroll add-on at A$8 per employee per month and a one-time A$399 setup fee for enquiry/waitlist/enrolment forms. Transaction-based revenue is also earned on payment processing (1.75% credit card, 75c per direct debit transaction). Go-to-market is direct sales with free trial and demo CTAs, supported by a dedicated onboarding team that has onboarded over 2,000 services to date, free data migration, and no lock-in contracts. The company claims over 4,000 childcare centres as customers and 1.6 million platform users across Australia, making it one of the largest CCMS vendors in the country. Recent strategic moves include the June 2025 acquisition of Enrolment Hub, a 2025/2026 rollout of an AI feature suite (roster building, learning documentation, parent assistant, staff wellness), and the prior 2022 acquisition of Saasu to form erly. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

OWNA Childcare Apps

Legal name

OWNA Corp Pty Ltd

Website

https://owna.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OWNA is an Australian SaaS company providing an all-in-one childcare management platform for over 4,000 ECEC and OSHC services across Australia, integrating enrolments, CCS billing, rostering, payroll, compliance, AI-powered documentation, and family communication in a single web and mobile application.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare Management Software

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244), Child Care Services (624410)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Infant & Toddler Nanny Services (HSAAABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Toddler Home Daycare (18–36 months) (EDACAEAD), Full-Time Nanny Placement Agencies (HSAAALAB)

Keywords

• Childcare management software
• Early childhood education
• OSHC management software
• Childcare administration platform
• Preschool management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Baulkham Hills

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription SaaS (Per Centre/Service): OWNA generates revenue through recurring monthly subscription fees charged per childcare service/centre. Pricing tiers are Lite (from $89/month), Premium (from $139/month), and Enterprise (contact for pricing). Optional add-ons include OWNA HR & Payroll ($8 per employee/month) and a one-time $399 setup fee for enquiry/waitlist/enrolment forms. No lock-in contracts or setup costs for the core subscription. Payment methods include direct debit (75c per transaction) and credit card (1.75% fee).
2. Payment Processing: Revenue is earned from transaction fees on payment processing, including credit card payments (1.75% fee) and direct debit transactions (75c per transaction) processed through the platform for families paying childcare fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

OWNA provides an all-in-one childcare management SaaS platform for Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service providers. The software consolidates CCS billing, enrolments, rostering, payroll, compliance, family communication, learning documentation, and HR management into a single web and mobile platform used by over 4,000 childcare centres.

Product overview

OWNA is Australia's #1 all-in-one childcare management platform consisting of a unified ecosystem of integrated products and modules. The core OWNA platform handles single-centre childcare management (enrolments, CCS billing, documentation, compliance, family engagement, rostering). This is extended by OWNA HQ for enterprise multi-site operators, OWNA HR & Payroll for integrated workforce management, and OWNA Accounts Administration for outsourced back-office services. Penelope QIP (offered free to OWNA customers) provides QIP and NQS self-assessment tools. erly, a sister platform, extends the ecosystem into childcare-specific workforce and accounting management for multi-centre providers. The platform features built-in AI capabilities including AI roster building, learning documentation assistance, a 24/7 parent AI assistant, staff wellness monitoring, and automated CCS/billing workflows. Pricing tiers are Lite (from $89/mth), Premium (from $139/mth with HR & Payroll), and Enterprise (custom API pricing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• erly: All-In-One Business Management Software for workforce management and accounting tailored to the childcare sector. A sister platform to OWNA that feeds information directly from the CCMS into the accounting and workforce management system.
• Penelope QIP

Products and services

• OWNA Childcare Management Software All-in-one childcare management SaaS platform for single-centre early childhood and OSHC service providers in Australia. Manages enrolments, CCS billing, documentation, compliance, family engagement, staff rostering, and parent communications in a unified web and mobile application.
• OWNA HQ Multi-Site Management

Quantifiable outcome

• 37% of centres using OWNA achieve an Exceeding NQS rating vs 21% national average (national average cited as ~24-25% in some sources)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kindicare Childcare DirectoryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKindicare is a childcare directory service whose logo appears in the Partners section of OWNA's website. The relationship appears to be a marketing or referral partnership where Kindicare directs parents and childcare operators to OWNA.
• Firefly HR Childcare RecruitmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirefly HR is a childcare recruitment specialist whose logo appears in the Partners section of OWNA's website. The relationship appears to be a co-marketing or referral partnership targeting the same childcare operator customer base.
• Penelope QIPcoreTechnology or IntegrationPenelope QIP is a QIP (Quality Improvement Plan) and self-assessment app integrated with OWNA. It is offered free for all OWNA customers. Penelope allows directors to co-create QIPs with unlimited collaborators, tagged to NQS standards. The product is accessible as a standalone product listed in OWNA's navigation (penelope.com.au).
• erly (OWNA Corp subsidiary)coreTechnology or Integrationerly is described as a 'sister platform to OWNA' — a workforce management and accounting platform tailored to the childcare sector. It is a separate product under OWNA Corp that integrates with OWNA's CCMS. Named as a competitor comparison in the blog but presented as part of the OWNA Group ecosystem.
• TrendsightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrendsight is a childcare bookkeeping and financial reporting specialist. OWNA co-hosts educational webinars with Trendsight on topics such as budgeting for childcare operators and gender undervaluation changes to the Children's Services Award. Trendsight provides a free childcare budget template linked from OWNA's blog. The relationship is strategic content co-creation targeting shared childcare operator customers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Xplor: Australia's largest childcare and education SaaS platform, serving LDC, OSHC, and family day care. OWNA runs explicit 'OWNA vs Xplor' comparison pages, indicating direct head-to-head competition for the same Australian operator customers across similar CCMS, billing, and family-engagement workflows.
• Storypark: Cloud-based learning documentation, family communication, and planning software used by Australian early childhood services. Overlaps directly with OWNA's Programming & Planning and Family Communication modules and is named by OWNA as a comparison competitor.
• Kidsoft: Long-standing Australian childcare management software covering enrolments, CCS billing, attendances, and family accounts. Targets the same Australian LDC and OSHC operator segment as OWNA with a comparable per-centre subscription model.
• QikkKids: Australian-developed childcare management platform for LDC, preschool, and OSHC services, with CCS/billing, attendance, and parent communication features. Competes for the same Australian operator budget as OWNA's Premium tier.
• Lillio (formerly HiMama): Childcare management platform combining daily reports, family engagement, attendance, billing, and lesson planning for early childhood programs. Direct overlap with OWNA's documentation, family app, and CCS-adjacent billing workflows.
• Famly: UK/EU-based childcare management platform covering attendance, parent communication, billing, and learning documentation. Closely comparable product surface to OWNA, including a parent-facing app and integrated invoicing, though operating in a different geography.
• Procare Solutions: Childcare management software for centre-based programs, family child care, and after-school care with billing, family engagement, and attendance features. Comparable vertical SaaS offering to OWNA serving a similar operator buyer profile in North America.
• Sandbox Software: Childcare management platform for licensed centres with parent engagement, billing, and reporting modules. Competes with OWNA in the same vertical SaaS category for early childhood operators.

Broad incumbents

• brightwheel: US-headquartered childcare and early education SaaS platform serving thousands of providers globally with billing, attendance, family communication, and learning documentation. Comparable product surface to OWNA, with materially broader scale and US capital backing.

Emerging players

• Kangarootime: Childcare SaaS focused on billing, attendance, and family engagement for centre-based programs. Smaller-scale competitor with significant product overlap to OWNA's billing and family-communication modules, primarily serving the North American market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoBvQ25fLqArfxH0CicGqVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ownacomau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/owna
• Instagraminstagram.com/owna.app
• Xx.com/ownacorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about OWNA Childcare Apps