Au Pair Link
Au Pair Link is a New Zealand-based au pair placement agency, founded in 2006, that matches European au pairs with host families across New Zealand. It operates as a licensed home-based ECE provider and has facilitated over 10,000 placements since inception.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Au Pair Link does
Au Pair Link is a New Zealand-based placement agency that matches European au pairs with host families across the country, primarily serving families seeking in-home childcare via the cultural exchange au pair programme. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Auckland, the company operates as a private limited company with 11-50 employees and claims to have facilitated over 10,000 placements since inception. It is the first au pair agency in Australasia to be licensed as a home-based Early Childhood Education (ECE) provider by the New Zealand Ministry of Education and the first to join the International Au Pair Association (IAPA).
The company's core products are two structured placement programmes: the Mate programme (NZD $1,395 for a 6-month placement) and the Whiz programme (NZD $1,695 for a 6-month placement), with an additional NZD $295 application fee per au pair and a Private Support Programme priced at $999+GST. Operationally, Au Pair Link runs a basic online portal for host families and au pairs, supplemented by community-building events such as park days, wine tastings, and ski trips, and maintains WhatsApp groups for ongoing engagement. Recruitment is supported through partnerships with international agencies including AIFS Germany, providing a structured upstream supply of candidates.
The business model is a transactional placement agency relying on a long-tail of small, one-off SMB customers (individual host families) rather than enterprise contracts. Revenue is generated through placement fees, application fees, and premium support services. The company has experienced multiple ownership transitions, including a prior acquisition by Evolve Education Group, a 2019 leadership takeover by Morgan Holyoake, and a subsequent ownership transition to Sasha and Ron.
Au Pair Link firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Au Pair Link
- Legal name
- Au Pair Link Limited
- Website
- https://aupairlink.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Au Pair Link is a New Zealand-based au pair placement agency, founded in 2006, that matches European au pairs with host families across New Zealand. It operates as a licensed home-based ECE provider and has facilitated over 10,000 placements since inception.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Au Pair Link industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Childcare Placement Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Au Pair & Live-In Care Placement Agencies (HSAAALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Au Pair Placement & Matching Services (HSAAAEAA), Au Pair Training, Orientation & Cultural Exchange Programs (HSAAAEAD), Host Family Screening, Onboarding & Training (HSAAAEAC), In-Home Nanny / Au Pair Before/After Care (Early Years) (EDACAHAG)
Keywords
Where Au Pair Link is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Au Pair Link business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Host Family Placement Fees: One-time placement fees charged to host families upon successful matching with an au pair. Fee covers comprehensive screening, matching service, orientation, first aid training coordination, employment agreement support, and ongoing placement support.
- Private Support Programme: For families who have privately found their own au pair, a support programme is offered covering full screening, police checks, orientation, St John first aid course, online resources, family handbooks, emergency support, and event access.
- Au Pair Application Fee: A NZD 295 application fee charged to au pairs, covering airport transfer, orientation accommodation, first aid course, placement in New Zealand, and full support from the placement team.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Mate programme — standard au pair with 200+ hours childcare experience, 20–40 hours/week, 6–12 month placement |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Whiz programme — experienced au pair with 1 year full-time childcare experience or recognised childcare qualification, 20–40 hours/week |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Au pair application fee — covers airport transfer, orientation accommodation, first aid course, placement and full support |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Private Support Programme — for families who have privately found an au pair |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Au Pair Link product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Au Pair Link is a New Zealand au pair placement agency that recruits international young adults (18-30) and matches them with New Zealand host families for 6-12 month in-home childcare placements. The agency delivers an end-to-end service including thorough screening (police, medical, references, English assessments), personalised family matching, Auckland-based orientation with airport transfer and accommodation, certified St John first aid training, employment agreement support, ongoing support through a private login portal, and a replacement-or-money-back guarantee.
Product overview
Au Pair Link operates as a New Zealand-based au pair placement agency offering two primary programmes: Mate and Whiz. The Mate Programme provides standard au pair placements with 200+ hours of childcare experience, while the Whiz Programme offers more experienced au pairs with formal qualifications. The agency also provides a Private Support Programme for families who have independently found an au pair. All programmes include comprehensive screening, matching services, orientation training, St John First Aid certification, ongoing support, and a replacement/money-back guarantee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mate Programme Standard au pair placement programme for host families, providing a screened au pair with 200+ hours of childcare experience for 20-40 hours per week over a 6-12 month placement. Includes comprehensive screening, personalised matching, online account access, training coordination, first aid certification, and employment agreement support. Priced at NZD 1,395 for a 6-month placement.
- Whiz Programme Premium au pair placement programme for host families, providing an experienced au pair with at least one year of full-time childcare experience or a recognised childcare qualification for 20-40 hours per week over a 6-12 month placement. Includes all Mate features with enhanced qualifications. Priced at NZD 1,695 for a 6-month placement.
- Private Support Programme Support service for host families who have privately found their own au pair. Includes full screening, police checks, orientation, St John first aid course, online resources, family handbook, emergency support, and event invitations. Priced at $999 + GST.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 10,000 successful au pair placements in New Zealand since 2006
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Au Pair Link
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Au Pair Link technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Au Pair Link partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Level Playing FieldminorFor every au pair placed with a host family, Au Pair Link donates $25 to Level Playing Field, a New Zealand charity helping make sport accessible to Kiwi children who cannot afford fees. Families can also choose to match or increase this donation.
- Evolve Education GroupminorAu Pair Link was previously acquired by Evolve Education Group, which brought additional resources and expertise to its operations before the current ownership (Sasha and Ron).
- AIFS (Germany)minorAIFS (aifs.de) is a trusted partner in Germany that supports German candidates throughout the application process for the Au Pair Link programme. German nationals are referred to AIFS for more efficient processing of their candidacy.
- St John New ZealandcoreSt John New Zealand provides certified first aid training for all au pairs upon arrival in New Zealand. This is a core programme component included in the au pair placement package, ensuring au pairs are equipped to handle child emergency situations.
- International Au Pair Association (IAPA)coreAu Pair Link is the first au pair agency in Australasia to become a member of IAPA, demonstrating commitment to industry standards and professional practices in the au pair placement sector.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Au Pair Link competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- InterExchange: US non-profit operating au pair and cultural exchange programmes with full-service placement, screening, and orientation. Directly comparable in service scope to Au Pair Link's full-service placement offering.
- AuPairWorld: Large online matching platform connecting au pairs and host families globally, often allowing direct matching. Highly comparable as a peer in the same au pair placement category but operates a marketplace model rather than full-service agency model.
- EF Au Pair (Education First): Au pair programme under Education First focused on cultural exchange and live-in childcare placements. Highly comparable to Au Pair Link's combination of international au pair sourcing, screening, and matching into host families.
- GreatAuPair: Online platform matching au pairs, nannies and host families; offers caregiver profiles, background checks and a similar screening layer. Comparable because it competes for the same families exploring au pair options, including in NZ.
- AuPairCare: US-based au pair placement agency with comparable screening, matching and in-home childcare service model. Operates at significantly larger scale but mirrors Au Pair Link's core offering and customer base.
- GoAuPair: US-focused au pair agency providing screening, matching and host family placement services. Directly comparable service model and target customer, though focused on the US market rather than NZ/Australasia.
- Cultural Care Au Pair: One of the largest US Department of State-designated au pair agencies, operating a near-identical placement model (screening, matching, host family fees, orientation). Comparable in core activity even though it is US-focused rather than NZ.
- Au Pair in America (AIFS): Long-standing US au pair placement agency under the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) - notably also Au Pair Link's German recruitment partner. Operates an essentially identical full-service placement model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Au Pair Link social profiles
Digital presenceAu Pair Link financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Au Pair Link leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Au Pair Link funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Au Pair Link 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 Au Pair Link
What does Au Pair Link do?
Au Pair Link is a New Zealand au pair placement agency that recruits international young adults (18-30) and matches them with New Zealand host families for 6-12 month in-home childcare placements. The agency delivers an end-to-end service including thorough screening (police, medical, references, English assessments), personalised family matching, Auckland-based orientation with airport transfer and accommodation, certified St John first aid training, employment agreement support, ongoing support through a private login portal, and a replacement-or-money-back guarantee.
Is Au Pair Link a public or private company?
Au Pair Link is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Au Pair Link founded?
Au Pair Link was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Au Pair Link based?
Au Pair Link is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Au Pair Link make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Host Family Placement Fees are the primary driver. The others are private Support Programme and au Pair Application Fee.
Who are Au Pair Link's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are InterExchange, AuPairWorld, EF Au Pair (Education First), GreatAuPair, AuPairCare, GoAuPair, Cultural Care Au Pair and Au Pair in America (AIFS).
Does Au Pair Link have an API?
No public API is recorded for Au Pair Link.
What industry is Au Pair Link in?
Au Pair Link's product category is Childcare Placement Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAAALAG, Au Pair & Live-In Care Placement Agencies, with a secondary code of HSAAAEAA, Au Pair Placement & Matching Services. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.