Nuuri, an Edinburgh-based startup creating the UK’s first search and enrolment platform for folks in search of nurseries, has raised €316k in pre-Seed funding to speed up product improvement and enhance the mum or dad journey.
The oversubscribed funding was raised in 90 days, 4 weeks faster than anticipated. The tech startup is a Tech Scaler member, a Scottish Authorities-funded accelerator programme.
Steven Clarke, Nuuri Founder and CEO, mentioned: “In 2023, my spouse and I skilled the complexities of discovering a nursery for our new child daughter. As first-time dad and mom, we had no thought how laborious and time-consuming in search of a nursery could be. I set out on a mission to deal with this downside head on and make sure the course of is much less hectic for future dad and mom and caregivers.
“We’re the UK’s first platform to digitalise search and enrolment in a single place, making life simpler for each dad and mom and nurseries. As a working mum or dad, I absolutely perceive the juggle. That’s why we’re right here – to lighten the load and help dad and mom at each step.”
Based in 2024 and now stay throughout Scotland, England and Wales, Nuuri is spearheaded by Founder Steven Clarke. From struggling to get by means of to nurseries, lack of know-how on-line, cancelled viewings and large ready lists, Clarke says discovering a spot for his new child daughter was rather more troublesome than he may have ever imagined.
Nuuri permits dad and mom to filter nurseries by postcode, most popular begin date and age of kid and contains options akin to digital nursery excursions, room capacities, value calculators, search filtering and an mum or dad recommendation hub.
The recommendation hub solutions frequent questions dad and mom face in relation to in search of a nursery. From tips on how to apply for Authorities funding, to various kinds of nurseries, what to search for when looking for a nursery, how a lot they value, and tips on how to navigate prolonged waitlists.
“We goal to make it as simple as potential for folks and nursery suppliers, so we have now constructed a multi-purpose platform that makes it easy, clear and dependable. I’m excited to see our roadmap of enhanced options come to life over the following few months, fuelled by this exterior funding and backing,” added Clarke.
Nuuri performed a mum or dad survey throughout the UK, which revealed that over 79% of oldsters had been placed on a ready listing for a nursery place, with over 43% stating the ready listing was between 9-12 months lengthy. Over 63% additionally outlined that they’d a poor search and enrolment expertise previous to securing a nursery place, stating lack of transparency and digitalisation as the principle contributing elements.
The platform additionally works carefully with nurseries to assist them deal with one among their largest challenges – pre-enrolment admin overload. By offering a digital shop-front, streamlining enrollment and communication, Nuuri goals to liberate time for nursery workers to do what they do finest – “nurture and educate little ones“.
The funding marks a significant step ahead within the firm’s mission to simplify the search and enrolment course of, permitting dad and mom and caregivers to spend extra high quality time with their kids.
Nuuri will use the funding to speed up product improvement, specializing in AI tooling that can substitute outdated guide paperwork and communications channels. The funding may even be allotted to enhance the mum or dad journey by means of search and enrolment, nursery advertising and onboarding throughout the UK’s personal nursery sector initially.
Nafeesah Rafiq, Proprietor of Vivid Bees Nurseries, mentioned: “Nuuri is bringing the type of digital expertise our sector has waited far too lengthy for. Their platform lets us showcase our nurseries on-line with a stage of polish we may by no means handle alone, guiding dad and mom easily from search to enrolment. By lifting the admin burden, Nuuri frees our staff to spend extra high quality time nurturing the youngsters in our care. We’re thrilled to work with Steven and his staff and excited concerning the optimistic change they’re driving throughout early-years childcare.”
