Filestar

What Filestar does

Filestar is a cloud-based document management service operated by KnowledgeWorks Intranet Limited, a privately held UK company founded in 1997 by former Xerox Corporation and OpenText Corporation employees. The Filestar brand was created in 2006, deployed to its first customer in 2008, and broadened into a cloud service in 2012 to serve smaller businesses in addition to large corporates. The company is headquartered in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, with data hosted exclusively on servers in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The core product, Filestar Cloud, converts paper documents into searchable digital archives via optical character recognition (OCR) running through an on-premise Cloud Connect App that uploads scans from copiers and scanners. Differentiating features include Auto-File and Auto-Name (rule-based automated filing), FileWatcher (automated indexing of invoices, dispatch notes, and order acknowledgements), configurable retention policies, access control with audit trails, custom index fields, an MS Office add-in for filing from Word, Excel, and Outlook, and email-to-Filestar capture. The proprietary OCR Template Technology, developed since 2006, is wholly owned IP.

Filestar operates a subscription-based revenue model with quote-based pricing and annual billing cycles. It sells primarily through OEM distribution partnerships with Kyocera Document Solutions Europe (UK and Europe, since 2017), Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK, since 2019), Sharp Business Systems UK (since 2023), and Develop UK (since 2024), supplemented by direct sales via the company website and contact channels. Named customers span manufacturing, retail and distribution, education, food service, and security verticals, including WD Rollings, Bunzl, Dabs.com, High Peak Steels, Ellis Patents, Jesmond Nursery, McDonald's, LG, Sapa, Doncasters, Goldsmiths University, and the University of West England.

Name

Filestar

Legal name

KnowledgeWorks Intranet Limited

Website

https://filestar.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Filestar is a UK-based cloud document management service that converts paper documents into searchable digital archives using OCR, serving small to large businesses across manufacturing, retail, education, and distribution sectors through subscription pricing and OEM channel partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Document Management Software

NAICS

Document Preparation Services (56141), Software Publishers (513210), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

File Storage, Sync & Sharing (BPAMAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cloud Storage Core Services (Object/Block/File Storage as a Service) (HDABAAAK), Document Databases (HDAEAAAI)

Keywords

• Document management software
• Cloud file management
• OCR automation
• Document workflow
• Enterprise content management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bishops Strotford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cloud Document Management Subscription: Subscription-based cloud document management service. Users pay to access Filestar's cloud-based document scanning, indexing, storage, and retrieval platform. Pricing appears to be quote-based with no public pricing listed on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Filestar provides a cloud-based document management system that enables businesses to store, organize, search, and retrieve files online. The platform includes OCR, automated file naming and filing, and FileWatcher folder monitoring, and is complemented by a desktop Connect App that integrates with Microsoft Office applications for streamlined document workflows.

Product overview

Filestar is a cloud-based document management service delivered as a unified single product. The core offering is Filestar Cloud, which provides scan-to-archive functionality with OCR-powered search, automatic filing and naming, custom index fields, flexible access control, and audit trails. A companion desktop application (Filestar Cloud Connect App) is installed on-site to handle scan uploads from copiers and scanners. An MS Office add-in enables direct filing from Word, Excel, and Outlook. Together these components form an end-to-end document capture, processing, storage, and retrieval solution accessible via web browser.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Filestar Cloud A cloud-based document management system for businesses to store, organize, search, and retrieve files online with features including OCR, auto-file/auto-name automation, and FileWatcher folder monitoring.
• Filestar Cloud Connect App A desktop application that connects local PC folders to the Filestar Cloud platform, providing OCR, automated file naming and filing, FileWatcher real-time monitoring, and direct integration with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Quantifiable outcome

• ROI achieved within first year, including cost of additional staff member for scanning
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Develop UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Develop UK became a reseller and distributor for Filestar in 2024, serving their UK channel. This partnership represents Filestar's continued expansion through UK distribution channels.
• Sharp Business Systems UK PLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Sharp Business Systems UK PLC became a reseller and distributor for Filestar in 2023, serving their UK channel. This partnership expands Filestar's reach through Sharp's UK distribution network.
• Konica Minolta Business SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Konica Minolta Business Solutions became a distributor for Filestar in 2019, serving their UK reseller channel. This partnership allows Filestar to access Konica Minolta's UK customer base through their established reseller network.
• Kyocera Document Solutions EuropecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017Kyocera Document Solutions Europe became a distributor for Filestar in 2017, serving their UK and European reseller channel network. This partnership enables Filestar to reach customers through Kyocera's established document solutions distribution network across the UK and Europe.
• KnowledgeWorks Intranet LimitedcoreOthersFilestar is the brand name for cloud-based document management services offered by KnowledgeWorks Intranet Limited, incorporated in 1997. KnowledgeWorks Intranet Limited is the parent company and IPR holder for the Filestar product.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• OpenText: OpenText is a global enterprise information management incumbent offering a broad ECM/DMS suite including capture, archiving, workflow and content services. Co-founders of Filestar are former OpenText employees, and the company's Documentum/Content Suite overlaps substantially with Filestar's document capture and management capabilities across enterprise scale.
• iManage: iManage is a leading document and email management platform primarily for legal, professional services and corporate markets. Overlaps with Filestar's document capture and metadata-based filing, but specialised for legal-sector knowledge management with cloud-native architecture.
• Box: Box is a major cloud content management and collaboration platform offering secure storage, workflow and content lifecycle management for enterprises. Overlaps with Filestar's storage, access control and compliance features, particularly in regulated industries, though Box is much broader in scope.
• Kofax / Tungsten Automation: Kofax (now Tungsten Automation) is a leading provider of intelligent document capture, OCR and process automation solutions. Directly comparable to Filestar in document capture and OCR technology, with broader workflow and IDP product portfolio serving enterprise scale.
• Hyland (OnBase): Hyland's OnBase platform is a broad incumbent in enterprise content management with capture, workflow, records management and cloud delivery. Comparable to Filestar in core scan-and-archive functionality and compliance/retention features, but at far greater enterprise scale and breadth.

Emerging players

• KnowledgeLake: KnowledgeLake provides document management and capture solutions tightly integrated with Microsoft SharePoint and Azure. Comparable to Filestar in cloud capture and indexing, but positioned primarily in the Microsoft-centric enterprise ecosystem.

Direct peers

• M-Files: M-Files is a cloud and on-prem document management vendor focused on metadata-driven intelligent information management for SMB and mid-market. Comparable to Filestar in target buyer (knowledge workers in regulated SMB/enterprise), subscription pricing, and emphasis on metadata-based automatic filing similar to Filestar's Auto-File/Auto-Name features.
• DocuWare: DocuWare is a leading cloud document management platform providing scan-to-archive, indexing, workflow and retrieval for SMB and mid-market customers globally. Direct overlap with Filestar in cloud DMS, OCR-powered capture and subscription delivery targeting business users transitioning from paper to digital.
• Laserfiche: Laserfiche is a cloud and on-premises document management and process automation platform serving SMB through enterprise. Directly comparable to Filestar in feature set (capture, OCR, search, access control, retention) and horizontal mid-market go-to-market.

Regional players

• DocScan / ScanFile (KYOCERA): KYOCERA's own scan-and-archive solutions are distributed through its UK and European reseller channels, directly competing for similar OEM-channel-led deployments as Filestar. Represents the most directly competitive channel-ecosystem peer in the UK/EU scan-to-cloud market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Filestar