Active Birth Pools Ltd
Active Birth Pools Ltd designs and hand-builds hospital-grade water birth pools in England from its proprietary Ficore® composite, selling direct to NHS hospitals, private hospitals, and birth centres worldwide under a lifetime structural warranty.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersCity Of London, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Active Birth Pools Ltd does
Active Birth Pools Ltd is a UK private limited company founded in 1987 and headquartered in London that designs and manufactures hospital-grade water birth pools and related accessories for hospitals, birth centres and maternity units. The company's core product is a range of hand-built-to-order pools manufactured in England from its proprietary Ficore® composite — a solid, chemically fused and heat-cured composite of eight materials that enables seamless one-piece construction, a hard non-porous surface, heat loss of less than 0.7°C per hour, and a working life exceeding 25 years in demanding hospital environments. Pools incorporate purpose-engineered ergonomic features — a rim-level safety seat, labour support seat, recessed bonded handrails, an extra-wide bullnose rim, and a keyhole-shaped water channel — alongside optional integrated add-ons such as multi-colour LED underwater lighting and a Bluetooth sound system, and a freestanding water column accessory. The company is founder-led (K.D. Brainin), operates with 1–10 employees, has no external institutional investment, and runs an enterprise direct-sales model with quote-based pricing. Customers are predominantly NHS maternity units and trusts, private hospitals, independent birth centres, and NHS capital projects teams across the UK and internationally, with delivery supported by ISPM15-compliant export crates for global shipments. Marketing is content-led via the company website, technical blog aligned with NHS/NICE/HSE guidance, a Buyers Guide PDF, Instagram and LinkedIn, and a flagship YouTube video that has accumulated more than 12 million views.
Active Birth Pools Ltd firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Active Birth Pools Ltd
- Legal name
- Active Birth Pools Ltd
- Website
- https://activebirthpools.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Active Birth Pools Ltd designs and hand-builds hospital-grade water birth pools in England from its proprietary Ficore® composite, selling direct to NHS hospitals, private hospitals, and birth centres worldwide under a lifetime structural warranty.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Active Birth Pools Ltd is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- City Of London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Active Birth Pools Ltd business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Water Birth Pool Sales: Primary revenue from the sale of hospital-grade water birth pools manufactured from Ficore® composite. Pools are hand-built to order in England. Revenue is one-time hardware sales, not recurring. Volume depends on hospital capital expenditure cycles and maternity unit development programmes.
- Installation and Technical Services: Pools are delivered and installed for hospitals. Terms of business indicate installation coordination, delivery scheduling, and technical guidance. Pricing includes carriage and packing at cost. International orders cover collection from factory, paperwork and delivery to nearest port.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom-built hospital-grade water birth pools – quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Active Birth Pools Ltd product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Active Birth Pools designs and manufactures hospital-grade water birth pools hand-built to order in England from a proprietary Ficore® composite material. Pools are sold directly to NHS hospitals, private hospitals, birth centres and maternity units, with optional add-ons including multi-colour LED lighting and a Bluetooth sound system. The company supports installations with a purpose-designed water column for freestanding setups and backs every pool with a lifetime structural guarantee.
Product overview
Active Birth Pools Ltd manufactures a focused portfolio of hospital-grade water birth pools, all hand-built to order in England from its proprietary Ficore® composite material and backed by a lifetime guarantee. The core product line centres on water birth pools designed for hospitals, birth centres and maternity units, with the Ficore® composite material serving as the foundational differentiator across all pool models. Optional add-on systems include multi-colour LED underwater lighting and a Bluetooth sound system (both covered by a 1-year warranty). Freestanding installations are supported by a purpose-designed Water Column accessory, while all pools incorporate integrated features such as a rim-level safety seat, labour support seat, recessed bonded handrails, and a keyhole-shaped water channel. A Buyers Guide PDF resource supports procurement decision-making. The company has been in operation since 1987 and holds multiple design awards including the Design MasterPrize, Building Better Healthcare Awards, and European Design Awards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hospital-Grade Water Birth Pools Award-winning, hand-built-to-order water birth pools manufactured from Ficore® composite in England, designed for hospitals, birth centres and maternity units and backed by a lifetime structural guarantee.
- Multi-colour LED Lighting Add-On
Quantifiable outcome
- Working life exceeding 25 years in demanding hospital environments
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Active Birth Pools Ltd
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Active Birth Pools Ltd technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Active Birth Pools Ltd partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Active Birth Pools Ltd competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stryker: Global medical device manufacturer with significant maternity and hospital capital equipment exposure. Competes for hospital capital budgets and procurement specifications, though not in water birth pools specifically.
- Arjo: Medical device company specialising in patient handling, hygiene, and bathing systems for hospitals and elder care. Overlaps with Active Birth Pools in hospital bathing/hygiene equipment and in the same NHS capital procurement channels.
- Getinge: Global medical technology company with hospital infrastructure, surgical, and ICU/sterile processing portfolios. Competes broadly for the same hospital capital and estates budgets that fund maternity unit fit-outs.
- Hillrom / Baxter: Large diversified medical equipment manufacturer with hospital bed, birthing bed, and maternity capital equipment portfolios. While not specialising in water birth pools, it competes for the same hospital maternity capital budget and specification influence.
Direct peers
- Aquabirths: UK-based manufacturer of water birth pools for hospitals, birth centres and home use. Direct competitor in the same product category, serving overlapping NHS and independent birth centre customers with similar hand-built hospital-grade pools.
- La Bassine: Brand of professional and consumer water birth pools distributed internationally. Competes with Active Birth Pools in the same product category, overlapping in independent midwives and smaller birth centre segments.
- Edel Immersys: Manufacturer of water birth pools serving European maternity units. Direct competitor in the hospital-grade water birth pool category, targeting similar European NHS-equivalent procurement processes.
- The Good Birth Company (Birth Pool in a Box): UK company offering inflatable and rigid water birth pools for home and professional use. Competes in the broader water birth pool category with Active Birth Pools, particularly for independent midwives and home birth customers.
Emerging players
- Birthplace Ltd: Smaller UK-based supplier of water birth and birthing equipment to NHS and independent birth centres. Competes at the lower-price end of the water birth pool category with less hospital-grade specialisation.
Others
- NHS Supply Chain (Capital Equipment): Centralised NHS procurement organisation that frames how hospital capital equipment including maternity unit fit-outs is specified and purchased. Acts as a channel and standards-setter that materially influences Active Birth Pools' commercial environment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Active Birth Pools Ltd social profiles
Digital presenceActive Birth Pools Ltd financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Active Birth Pools Ltd leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Active Birth Pools Ltd funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Active Birth Pools Ltd 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 Active Birth Pools Ltd
What does Active Birth Pools Ltd do?
Active Birth Pools designs and manufactures hospital-grade water birth pools hand-built to order in England from a proprietary Ficore® composite material. Pools are sold directly to NHS hospitals, private hospitals, birth centres and maternity units, with optional add-ons including multi-colour LED lighting and a Bluetooth sound system. The company supports installations with a purpose-designed water column for freestanding setups and backs every pool with a lifetime structural guarantee.
Is Active Birth Pools Ltd a public or private company?
Active Birth Pools Ltd is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Active Birth Pools Ltd founded?
Active Birth Pools Ltd was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Active Birth Pools Ltd based?
Active Birth Pools Ltd is headquartered in City Of London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Active Birth Pools Ltd make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Water Birth Pool Sales are the primary driver. The others are installation and Technical Services.
Who are Active Birth Pools Ltd's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stryker, Arjo, Getinge and Hillrom / Baxter. Direct peers are Aquabirths, La Bassine, Edel Immersys and The Good Birth Company (Birth Pool in a Box). Birthplace Ltd is listed as an emerging player. NHS Supply Chain (Capital Equipment) is listed as an others.
Does Active Birth Pools Ltd have an API?
No public API is recorded for Active Birth Pools Ltd.