• The London-based intergenerational childcare service closed its pre-seed round at £400,000
• Founded by Adele Aitchison in 2020, GrandNanny is the first tech-enabled childcare service to focus on the talents of people over 50, bridging the gap and bringing generations closer through childcare.
• Service matches over-50s with childcare experience with parents needing part-time, reliable childcare help
• Benefits are proven to GrandNannies, parents and kids alike
• The new round of funding will help GrandNanny expand its presence across the UK, focusing specifically on Brighton for the immediate future. 

GrandNanny, a new intergenerational childcare service supporting mature job seekers into work and providing vital childcare for working parents, announced today that the company closed its pre-seed round at £400,000. 

The round secured investment from four investors, including 3 Sisters Ventures (3SV) Collective, a London-based angel network pioneering gender-smart investing in Venture Capital in Europe, Childcare entrepreneur Ben Black, founder of ground-breaking companies such as emergencychildcare.co.uk and NannyShare.co.uk, SFC Capital the UK’s most active early-stage investment firm and TwinklHive an investment company and business accelerator, that supports missional founders to scale and disrupt the technology sector.

GrandNanny is the first tech-enabled childcare service to focus on the talents of people over 50, bridging the gap and bringing generations closer through childcare. The company, started in 2020, aims to create age-friendly employment, community connections and rewarding jobs whilst making childcare simpler for parents.

Adele Aitchison, the founder of GrandNanny, comments, “At GrandNanny, we see the value that age diversity brings to children and their families. We are proud to be backed by leading investors who understand and support our vision. Their financial support and expert advice is already proving invaluable.”

Lois Day, Founding Partner of 3SV Collective (www.3sv.co.uk), comments: “At 3SV Collective we back exceptional entrepreneurs who are leveraging the power of technology to create solutions that contribute to a more equitable society, and GrandNanny is undoubtedly aligned with this mission. By simplifying access to and expanding the supply of childcare, GrandNanny helps free up women’s time, which can positively impact the gender leisure gap and improve the gender wealth gap (by allowing women to dedicate more time to advance their careers). In addition, GrandNanny also tackles the gender wealth gap by economically empowering midlife+ adults (typically women) by providing a market for their childcare services.”

Also commenting on the announcement, Childcare Entrepreneur Ben Black says, “I believe that GrandNanny will disrupt the childcare market, and I am delighted to be part of their journey. GrandNanny offers a smart solution for families looking for flexible part-time childcare amid the UK’s childcare crisis whilst creating rewarding job opportunities for the over 50s – driving economic growth. It’s a business model with a lot of potential for UK expansion.” 

GrandNanny sees the value that age diversity brings to children and their families. According to new a new report, the employment rate of people aged between 50 and 64 years has fallen by 0.3 percentage points from 71.0% in 2021 to 70.7% in 2022¹.  Yet there are many benefits that mid-lifers can experience. GrandNanny is a champion of the ‘great unretirement’ and offers mid-lifers flexible hours and a supplement income, whilst wrapping the proven scientific benefits of intergenerational programmes into a practical part-time childcare service. 

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Notes to Editors: 

For more information or interview time with GrandNanny’s founder Adele Aitchison, please contact: [email protected]

Reference: 

¹ https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/economic-labour-market-status-of-individuals-aged-50-and-over-trends-over-time-september-2022/economic-labour-market-status-of-individuals-aged-50-and-over-trends-over-time-september-2022 

2 Research from Office of National Statistics 

About GrandNanny

GrandNanny is a social enterprise established in 2020 to help families find part-time childcare and support over 50s into rewarding childcare jobs. We see the value that age diversity brings to children and their families. At GrandNanny, we wrap the proven scientific benefits of intergenerational programmes into a practical part-time childcare service. We are a social enterprise on a mission to bring generations closer through rewarding childcare jobs. We know intergenerational connections are good for kids, families and GrandNannies.

We match working parents who need childcare support with trusted midlife and older neighbours who have childcare experience. We handle Enhanced DBS checks, safeguarding and first aid training as well admin and payroll. Parents get a local, reliable, ‘seen-it-all-before’ Childcarer who wants to stick with their family for the long-term. In return, mid-life and older Childcarers find paid work that’s local, active and promotes social connection.

3SV (3 Sisters Ventures) Collective 

3SV Collective (www.3sv.co.uk) is a London-based angel network pioneering gender-smart investing in Venture Capital in Europe. Sponsored by FTSE 250 listed investment firm IP Group plc (www.ipgroupplc.com), 3SV Collective backs exceptional entrepreneurs building tech-enabled solutions that empower women and serve their overlooked needs. 

Ben Black, Angel Investor

Ben Black is a serial entrepreneur and investor. He started his career at Ashurst before founding www.tinies.com, now a chain of 30 childcare agencies and the UK’s largest supplier of nannies and nursery staff. He launched the ground breaking www.emergencychildcare.co.uk service in 2003. That service evolved into MFC – the leading provider of support for employers to help their working parents and carers successfully combine work and family. Bright Horizons acquired MFC in 2019 on a multiple of revenues. By then, it had 250 corporate clients (including Facebook, Google, IBM, Barclays, Bank of America, GSK, Deloitte, PwC and KPMG). Along the way, Ben also founded www.nannyshare.co.uk, acquired by Childcare.co.uk, and www.thegoodcareguide.co.uk, acquired by Laing & Buisson in 2018.