Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has revolutionised how disability services are funded and delivered, supporting people with disability to gain more time with family and friends, greater independence, access to new skills, jobs, or volunteering, and an improved quality of life.
However, the NDIS is a system wrought with complexity and often overwhelms families.
With over 4.3 million Australians living with some form of disability, the demand for innovative solutions that can enhance the quality of life and independence is more pressing than ever.
Kindship’s AI-powered NDIS care navigation app, Barb, helps NDIS participants and their families make the most of the NDIS funding available. It helps peel the complexity back, empowering families to make decisions around what their care pathway looks like.
A survey by Kindship two years ago of over 1,000 parents found the majority were spending over four hours per week navigating their NDIS journey. That works out to five weeks per year and that doesn’t take into account their carer load. Further, it found children risk losing 30% of their NDIS budget due to underspending — an average loss of $5,000.
Kindship CEO and Co-Founder Summer Petrosius, who brings more than 10 years’ experience as a speech pathologist in the health and disability sector, said:
“We’re really looking to steer the way in privacy, data protection, and putting the end user as the person who we look after in that exchange of data.”
“A lot of parents are giving feedback that they went from feeling like they didn’t know how or where to use their funding to not only understanding the basics but feeling like they could advocate for what their family needs, and that’s often not what they’ve got.
“Most of our families have children with quite complex moderate to quite severe disabilities and they’re plates are already very full.
Barb: AI-Powered NDIS Navigation in your Pocket
Barb was developed with direct input from hundreds of families, ensuring its solutions meet real-world needs with intuitive ease. It offers personalised, 24/7 instant support unmatched in the market
Families can access Barb through an annual subscription of $499 that’s fully claimable under an NDIS plan, making high-quality NDIS navigation support affordable and accessible.
Kindship also runs an NDIS plan management company, which includes Barb as part of the comprehensive service package, that leverages the administrative workload onto Kinship as their NDIS plan manager.
The Kindship Plan Management is available at $1,248 per year. The subscriptions are fully refundable under participants’ NDIS plan and are not paid for out of pocket.
This dual-revenue model ensures families get the tailored support they need while Kindship grows through subscription revenues and plan management fees.
Barb is currently optimising the care of 267 participants and supporting their parents towards more informed and confident decision-making. Its 37% month-over-month organic user growth, demonstrates users increasing trust and reliance.
The business has achieved annual recurring revenue of $320,000, signalling strong demand and a viable, scalable business model. Annual recurring revenue has increased by 15x over the past 10 months, highlighting financial sustainability and market potential.
Tangible Impact
The NDIS represents a market of approximately $36.7 billion annually. It’s a market that’s expected to grow steadily, with projections of a 8% annual increase as more individuals become eligible for NDIS support and existing participants utilise more diverse services.
The current market features a mix of traditional service providers, digital platforms, and emerging tech startups, offering niche solutions focusing on specific aspects of the NDIS journey. Kindship’s comprehensive approach sets it apart by offering a unified platform that addresses multiple pain points for users.
This is from Barb user, Pam: “Kindship, I think I love you!! From tears of frustration and upset less than 2 hours ago to, well, honestly I could cry right now again, but from relief, gratitude and happiness. You got the NDIS to call ME right away and fix the thing!?!
“You’ve already paid an invoice, and I only started with Kindship Plan Management this afternoon!?! And you didn’t just listen to me; you really heard me, and well, really, that just means the world.”
Raising now
Kindship is currently raising a $500,000 Seed round, aimed at bridging the gap to profitability.
“The capital will be allocated towards product development, market expansion, team growth, and operational enhancements. This investment will enable us to accelerate our impact and scale our solutions to meet the needs of families nationwide. Over the next three years we project our annual recurring revenue growth to be 32x as a direct result of this funding.
“Let’s discuss how we can collaborate to create a future where every parent is supported and every child gets the care they deserve.”
The company has already secured support and investment from The Snow Foundation, the South Australian Government Finance Authority’s (SAFA) South Australian Venture Capital Fund, along with Artesian Venture Partners, and Torrens Private Equity.
For more information contact Summer Petrosius at summer@kindship.com.au, or see www.kindship.com.au.