AKW

What AKW does

AKW (AKW Medi-Care Ltd) is a privately held UK manufacturer of accessible bathroom, kitchen, and daily living products, founded in 1988 by Anthony Keith Webb and headquartered in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. The company designs and manufactures in-house a portfolio of over 5,500 products spanning wet-room formers, shower trays, screens, electric and mixer showers, walk-in and assistive baths, grab rails, shower seats, Doc M-compliant sanitaryware, wash-and-dry toilets, wall panels, safety heating, task-focused LED lighting, and accessible kitchens including proprietary ActivMotion rise-and-fall units. Notable technical components include Low Surface Temperature (LST) heating technology controlled at 43°C and the original patented level-access shower tray design that founded the business. AKW operates three national distribution warehouses covering over 3.5 million square feet, a 30+ vehicle delivery fleet, and a Droitwich trade counter with free click-and-collect and next-day UK delivery, alongside showrooms in Droitwich Spa and Middlewich (Cheshire). A relocation to a significantly larger Droitwich facility is planned for 2026.

The company serves a diversified set of buyer segments: social landlords and housing associations, local authorities, care and nursing homes, contractors and installers, architects and specifiers, occupational therapists and technical officers, and private individuals. Distribution combines a direct enterprise salesforce (40 sales representatives and 60+ surveying and maintenance experts), a direct e-commerce platform (orders.akw-ltd.co.uk), national merchant partnerships with Wolseley, Travis Perkins, Tool Station, and a charity partnership with Age UK. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales priced per unit or per made-to-order project, with publicly listed pricing, free delivery above £330, and lifetime warranties on many lines. The Clinical Adaptation Service, launched in 2026 in partnership with The Occupational Therapy Service, layers an integrated end-to-end clinical and technical pathway on top of the product business. Group structure comprises AKW in the UK, DLP (Isle of Man), AKW International (Belgium), and the acquired Contour Showers Ltd brand.

Name

AKW

Legal name

AKW Medi-Care Ltd

Website

https://akw-ltd.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AKW is a privately held UK manufacturer of accessible bathroom, kitchen, and daily living products with 5,500+ SKUs, serving social landlords, local authorities, care providers, contractors, occupational therapists, and individual consumers across the UK and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessible Bathroom and Kitchen Solutions

NAICS

Home Furnishings Retailers (44912)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Incontinence & Urological Supplies (Catheters, Briefs, Ostomy Supplies) (HSABAKAH)

Keywords

• Accessible bathroom products
• Mobility support equipment
• Wet room solutions
• Kitchen accessibility products
• Doc m sanitaryware

Headquarters

HQ city

Droitwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accessible Bathroom Products: Sale of wet room formers, shower trays, screens, baths, sanitaryware, grab rails, shower seats, mobility support products, Doc M compliant sanitaryware packs, safety heating, and lighting. Products are manufactured in-house and sold directly and through trade channels. Products are competitively priced with lifetime warranties on many lines.
2. Accessible Kitchen Products: Sale of accessible kitchen units, worktops, doors, handles, appliances, sinks, taps, and ActivMotion rise & fall units. Kitchens are made-to-order and priced per project/specification.
3. Clinical Adaptation Service: A fully integrated, end-to-end clinical and technical solution for housing adaptations offered jointly with The Occupational Therapy Service, combining independent OT assessments with AKW's design, manufacturing, surveying and supply capability.
4. Trade Counter & Direct Sales: Orders placed online, by phone, or email with a free Click and Collect service at the Droitwich Spa Trade Counter. Next-day UK delivery on orders placed before cut-off times. Professional account services available with credit references.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AKW designs, manufactures and distributes a portfolio of over 5,500 accessible bathroom, kitchen and daily living products for people with reduced mobility, dementia or visual impairment. Core ranges include wet room formers, shower trays and screens, electric and mixer showers, walk-in baths, grab rails, shower seats, Doc M sanitaryware, safety heating, task-focused lighting, and Independence Kitchens with ActivMotion rise & fall units. Products are sold directly to trade, through national merchants and dealers, and to consumers via e-commerce, showrooms and a trade counter.

Product overview

AKW is the UK's leading manufacturer of accessible bathroom, kitchen, and daily living products, offering a portfolio of over 5,500 products. The product portfolio spans wet room formers (Tuff Form, Triform, TuffForm8, ShowerDec), shower trays (Braddan, Sulby, Low Profile, Mullen, Onyx, Swift, Eagle Two), shower screens (Larenco, Level Best, Silverdale, Opulence ranges), electric and mixer showers, walk-in baths, grab rails in multiple series, shower seats (1000-4000 Series, Onyx, Bama), sanitaryware including Doc M compliant solutions (Navlin, Livenza), AKW Bidet, wall panels (Marlbrook, Origins), safety heating (LST Electric Towel Warmer, underfloor heating), task-focused LED lighting, and accessible kitchen solutions including ActivMotion Rise & Fall Units. AKW also provides services including a Clinical Adaptation Service delivered with The Occupational Therapy Service and a Virtual Showroom for digital product exploration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wet Room Formers Level-access shower floor formers (Tuff Form, Triform, TuffForm8, ShowerDec) that create accessible wet room showering areas in residential and care settings.
• Shower Trays Low-profile accessible shower trays across Braddan, Sulby, Low Profile, Mullen, Onyx, Swift and Eagle Two ranges for accessible showering installations.
• Shower Screens and Enclosures Accessible shower screens and enclosures across Larenco, Level Best, Silverdale, Opulence, Standard, Sliding, Made-to-Measure, Portable and Cubicle ranges.
• Electric and Mixer Showers Electric showers and thermostatic mixer showers for accessible bathroom installations, including AKW Smartcare Plus, SmartCare Lever and iTherm ranges.
• Walk-In and Assistive Baths Accessible bathing solutions including walk-in baths, Steel Single Ended Baths, Oulton Walk-in Bath, and bath panels with accessibility features.
• Grab Rails Safety support rails including Plastic Finish, Steel Finish, Onyx 2, Fold-Up Support Rails, Floor-to-Ceiling Support Poles and Grab-a-Rail systems for mobility support.
• Shower Seats Accessible shower seating across 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 Series, Onyx, Bama, Wooden and Freestanding ranges of shower seats and stools.
• Sanitaryware and Doc M Solutions Compliant toilet and washbasin solutions including Navlin Doc M, Navlin, Livenza Plus, Livenza ranges, AKW Bidet, Geberit and Closomat systems built to Document M of UK Building Regulations.
• Wall Panels Waterproof wall panel systems including Foam Backed, Marlbrook (35-year warranty) and Origins ranges for wet environments.
• LST Electric Towel Warmer Low Surface Temperature towel warmer with a fixed heat element delivering controlled 43°C output, glycol-filled for even heat distribution; available in curved or straight designs with chrome or white finish.
• Task Focused Lighting Kit Comprehensive lighting kit including 5x Task Focused 8W LED Lights, 2x Standard 18W LED Lights and a Pull Cord Switch designed to provide sufficient light levels for specific tasks in accessible bathrooms.
• Independence Kitchens (with ActivMotion Rise & Fall Units) Made-to-order accessible kitchen solutions with motorised ActivMotion Rise & Fall Units for adjustable-height wall units and worktops, plus larder/tall units, wall units, base units, doors, worktops and handles for users with reduced mobility.
• AKW Rise & Fall Bidet Adjustable-height toilet pan with integrated bidet functionality for intimate care, available from AKW's wash & dry toilet range.
• Clinical Adaptation Service Integrated clinical and technical housing adaptation service delivered with The Occupational Therapy Service, providing OT assessment, product specification, surveying and supply through a single coordinated pathway for housing adaptations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% customer satisfaction rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• The Occupational Therapy ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026AKW partnered with The Occupational Therapy Service to launch the Clinical Adaptation Service — a unique, fully integrated end-to-end clinical and technical solution for housing adaptations. The partnership combines independent OT assessments and adaptation specifications with AKW's market-leading design, manufacturing, surveying and supply capability, delivered through a single coordinated visit. This removes fragmentation in the adaptation pathway, shortens timescales, ensures clinically appropriate and technically accurate solutions, and reduces pressure on statutory OT services.
• Contour Showers LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContour Showers Ltd was acquired and became part of AKW Holdings Group. AKW now offers Contour shower products alongside its own range. The acquisition expanded AKW's product portfolio and manufacturing capabilities within the accessible bathroom market.
• Age UKmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAge UK is listed as a partner distributing AKW accessible bathroom and kitchen products through its network to elderly customers across the UK.
• WolseleymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWolseley is a national merchant partner distributing AKW products to trade customers throughout the UK.
• Travis PerkinsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravis Perkins is a national merchant partner distributing AKW products to trade customers throughout the UK.
• Tool StationmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTool Station is a national merchant partner distributing AKW products to trade and retail customers throughout the UK.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Closomat: UK specialist in accessible wash-and-dry toilets and bathroom accessibility solutions. Closely comparable to AKW's accessible sanitaryware and Doc M product offerings, serving the same elderly and disabled customer base through OT and housing channels. AKW even distributes Closomat toilet systems.
• Armitage Shanks: UK specialist bathroom brand (part of Ideal Standard) with a focused Doc M compliant sanitaryware range. Directly comparable to AKW's Navlin and Livenza Doc M product lines for the same OT, social housing, and care home specification channels.
• Twyford Bathrooms: UK bathroom fixtures manufacturer with a strong Doc M and accessible bathroom product portfolio. Comparable to AKW in serving social housing, healthcare and care home channels with compliant sanitaryware, grab rails, and accessible bathroom solutions.
• Roman Showers: UK shower enclosures and bath screens manufacturer with accessible showering options. Directly comparable to AKW's Larenco, Level Best, and Silverdale shower screen ranges for accessible bathroom installations in social housing and consumer retrofit projects.
• Lecico: UK and Egyptian bathroom ceramics and shower enclosures manufacturer. Comparable product portfolio to AKW's sanitaryware, shower trays, and bath ranges for the mid-market social housing, new build, and accessibility segments.

Broad incumbents

• Geberit: Swiss global leader in sanitary technology including in-wall systems, wall-hung toilets, and shower toilet solutions (AquaClean) that compete directly with AKW in the accessibility and modern bathroom segment. Significantly larger player with overlapping product categories.
• Ideal Standard: Major UK and European bathroom brand offering Doc M compliant sanitaryware, brassware, and showering solutions. Competes with AKW across multiple accessible bathroom categories for the same housing association, contractor, and care home customer segments.
• Vado: UK-based global bathroom brassware and fittings manufacturer (part of Roper Rhodes Group). Comparable product categories to AKW's taps, mixers, and bathroom fittings offering across residential and accessible bathroom installations.

Emerging players

• Mira Showers: UK shower brand (owned by Kohler) offering electric and mixer showers including accessibility-focused models. Competes with AKW's SmartCare Plus and iTherm electric shower ranges in the UK accessible bathroom and social housing specification market.
• Triton Showers: UK electric shower specialist with accessible options targeting social housing and adaptation projects. Competes with AKW in the electric shower category within the UK accessible bathroom specification market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AKWMedicare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akw-medicare-ltd
• Xx.com/AKW_One

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 AKW