Famly buys FirstSteps nursery software company

The deal will see more than 600 FirstSteps users transfer over to Famly, which the company says will lead to it being the largest all-in-one nursery platform in the UK.

Set up in 1994, the husband-and-wife founders Kirit and Kokila Patel of FirstSteps are now planning to retire once the transition to Famly is complete.

Their son Darshan - whose time in nursery inspired the very first FirstSteps database in 1994 - now leads the FirstSteps development team.

The couple started FirstSteps as an administration database made for the nursery attended by their own children. When they first started making early years software it involved installing the program with a floppy disk.

They have since grown to offer a full administration, journal and communication software package to over 600 customers throughout the UK and Ireland.

All FirstSteps staff will officially join Famly to help with the transition for FirstSteps customers. 

Famly was founded in 2013 in Copenhagen by Anders Laustsen and Henrik Møller Rasmussen. They now support more than 3,500 early years settings in 10 countries to connect with families and handle their administration. Their software is used by nursery groups including Kindred, Spring, N Family Club, the Early Years Alliance and Bright Horizons, as well as single-site nurseries.

The deal follows a £14 million investment into Famly last December, largely from Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE), a growth investor based in Philadelphia. 

Famly CEO Laustsen said, ‘At Famly, we want to support shared early childhood, where educators and owners are working in the closest possible collaboration with their children's families - to make sure children have the best possible start to life. I'm so thrilled to finally announce this deal, which has been made possible through a lot of hard graft from our team and the new members of the Famly at FirstSteps.’

Famly CEO Anders Laustsen in Copenhagen (left) and FirstSteps founders Kirit and Kokila Patel and family in Leicester signing the contract

FirstSteps CEO Kirit Patel said, ‘Famly and FirstSteps started the same way, a father who wanted to make things easier for the staff at his childʼs nursery. As we approached retirement, I wanted to make sure we had the right partner to carry that legacy on and Famly is clearly that partner, with their excellent customer focus, great reputation in the sector, and fantastic modern soware.

‘Thank you to all the FirstSteps customers who have put their faith in us for so many years, your loyalty means a lot. Just as I trust Famly to look after my brilliant team here in Leicester, I trust them to look after you.’

Laustsen added, ‘Most of all, I just want to thank Kirit and Kokila for three decades of service to the sector that has provided the foundation for Famly to thrive - and for sharing our vision for better early childhood.’