What FirstCare does

FirstCare, operating commercially as GoodShape, is a UK-based provider of AI-powered workforce health and absence management services to private and public sector organisations. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in London, the company serves enterprise customers across healthcare, logistics, retail, transport, services, and manufacturing, with named logos including the NHS, Warner Bros Discovery, Philips, Mitie, Bouygues, Compass, CooperVision, Luton Airport, and multiple UK local authorities. The platform operates through a proprietary three-stage AI architecture: Identification (automated absence workflows and data capture), Intervention (personalised digital self-care and referral pathways), and Intelligence (predictive analytics, sector benchmarking, and real-time dashboards). Supporting products include GoodShape Central (an administrative dashboard for HR and managers) and a consumer-facing mobile application available on iOS and Android. The infrastructure runs on Microsoft Azure and the platform holds ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, and JOSCAR certifications, with GDPR-compliant data handling.

The company generates revenue through enterprise SaaS subscriptions sold via a direct field sales motion with custom, organisation-size-based pricing and a 'Request a demo' conversion path. Distribution is supplemented by integrations with existing HR and absence management systems and a strategic partnership with RLDatix extending reach into patient safety and workforce management adjacencies. FirstCare has cumulatively managed over 30M absence days, supported more than 1M employees, and reports an average 24% absence reduction in year one for customers, equating to a 9x return on investment and 18-day faster average return to work. Historical capital activity includes a 2008 funding round with Dawn Capital and the 2009 acquisition of Active Health Partners, indicating prior inorganic expansion alongside the current organic SaaS scaling motion.

Name

FirstCare

Legal name

GoodShape UK Limited

Website

https://firstcare.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FirstCare, operating as GoodShape, is a UK-based AI-powered workforce health and absence management platform serving enterprise organisations across healthcare, transport, manufacturing, and public sector via a SaaS subscription model with demonstrated 24% absence reduction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscription: AI-powered workforce health and absence management platform delivered as a subscription service to enterprise organisations. ROI demonstrated through absence reduction metrics and quantified productivity improvements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FirstCare offers absent (absence) management services to private and public sector clients in the United Kingdom. The company acts as an outsourced partner that handles employee absence referrals, coordinates occupational health interventions, and supports employers in reducing workforce absence and its associated costs. Capability scope was extended by the 2009 acquisition of Active Health Partners.

Product overview

GoodShape is an AI-powered absence reduction and health orchestration platform consisting of three integrated components: (1) the GoodShape Platform for overall workforce health management, (2) GoodShape Central (GSC) providing the administrative dashboard and manager tools, and (3) the GoodShape Mobile App for employee-facing digital self-care and absence management. The platform operates through a three-stage AI architecture—Identification (01), Intervention (02), and Intelligence (03)—that automates absence workflows, delivers personalised health support, and provides predictive analytics to improve workforce performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Absence Management Services Outsourced absence management offering for UK private and public sector clients, covering employee absence handling, occupational health referrals coordination, and supporting employers in reducing absence-related costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24% average absence reduction in year one
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RLDatixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership announced for combining workforce health intelligence with RLDatix's patient safety and workforce management solutions. The partnership aims to enhance employee health support and absence management capabilities.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise cloud hosting partnership using Microsoft Azure for secure, scalable infrastructure. Part of security and compliance architecture.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Health Shield Friendly Society: UK provider of corporate health cash plans and wellbeing services with employer clients and member-facing digital tools. Closely comparable to GoodShape's employer-funded model for routing employees into health and wellbeing services, although Health Shield bundles insurance rather than selling standalone absence software.
• AbsenceSoft: US-headquartered cloud absence and leave management platform serving enterprise HR teams. Directly comparable to GoodShape on absence-management SaaS with employer-focused ROI metrics, although AbsenceSoft leans more on US compliance frameworks (FMLA, ADA) whereas GoodShape emphasises workforce health orchestration.
• Westfield Health: UK health and wellbeing provider offering corporate health cover, mental health and EAP services to employers. Comparable in targeting similar employer buyers and routing employees to third-party health services, though delivery is via health cash plans rather than absence-management SaaS.
• Medicash: UK not-for-profit health benefits provider selling cash plans and wellbeing programmes to employers. Comparable as a UK-focused employee health benefits intermediary serving similar HR/people-ops buyers, though Medicash is benefits-led rather than absence-led.
• BHSF (Health & Wellbeing): UK provider of corporate health cash plans and occupational health services to employers. Similar employer-funded model and member-facing health services, with comparable demographic of large UK employers.

Broad incumbents

• Workday: Global enterprise HCM/HRIS suite that increasingly bundles absence, time-off and workforce planning modules. Comparable on enterprise buyer profile and absence data scope, but Workday is a broad HCM incumbent rather than a health-orchestration specialist.
• HiBob: Global HRIS platform including absence and time-off functionality within a broader people-ops suite. Comparable on enterprise-grade HR buyer and absence workflows, though HiBob does not position around workforce health orchestration or absence reduction analytics.
• Dayforce (Ceridian): Enterprise HCM platform with native absence management, workforce analytics and predictive scheduling modules. Comparable end-buyer (large enterprises with hourly workforces) and overlap on absence data and analytics, though Dayforce is a broad incumbent rather than health-led.
• ServiceNow Employee Experience: Enterprise platform extending workflow automation into HR Service Delivery and employee health case management. Comparable large-enterprise buyer and overlap on automated case routing and health-related workflows, though ServiceNow is a platform-of-platforms rather than a vertical absence specialist.
• Personio: European HRIS platform for SMB and mid-market employers, offering leave/absence management as part of a broader HR suite. Comparable buyer and overlap on absence workflows, though Personio is a generalist HRIS rather than a specialist absence or health platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FirstCareUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goodshapeworks

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 FirstCare