Nuuri, an Edinburgh-based startup developing the UK’s first search and enrolment platform for parents looking for nurseries, has raised €316k in pre-Seed funding to accelerate product development and improve the parent journey.
The oversubscribed investment was raised in 90 days, 4 weeks quicker than anticipated. The tech startup is a Tech Scaler member, a Scottish Government-funded accelerator programme.
Steven Clarke, Nuuri Founder and CEO, said: “In 2023, my wife and I experienced the complexities of finding a nursery for our newborn daughter. As first-time parents, we had no idea how hard and time-consuming looking for a nursery would be. I set out on a mission to tackle this problem head on and ensure the process is less stressful for future parents and caregivers.
“We’re the UK’s first platform to digitalise search and enrolment in one place, making life easier for both parents and nurseries. As a working parent, I fully understand the juggle. That’s why we’re here – to lighten the load and support parents at every step.”
Founded in 2024 and now live across Scotland, England and Wales, Nuuri is spearheaded by Founder Steven Clarke. From struggling to get through to nurseries, lack of information online, cancelled viewings and huge waiting lists, Clarke says finding a place for his newborn daughter was much more difficult than he could have ever imagined.
Nuuri allows parents to filter nurseries by postcode, preferred start date and age of child and includes features such as virtual nursery tours, room capacities, cost calculators, search filtering and an parent advice hub.
The advice hub answers common questions parents face when it comes to looking for a nursery. From how to apply for Government funding, to different types of nurseries, what to look for when searching for a nursery, how much they cost, and how to navigate lengthy waitlists.
“We aim to make it as easy as possible for parents and nursery providers, so we have built a multi-purpose platform that makes it simple, transparent and reliable. I am excited to see our roadmap of enhanced features come to life over the next few months, fuelled by this external investment and backing,” added Clarke.
Nuuri conducted a parent survey across the UK, which revealed that over 79% of parents were put on a waiting list for a nursery place, with over 43% stating the waiting list was between 9-12 months long. Over 63% also outlined that they had a poor search and enrolment experience prior to securing a nursery place, stating lack of transparency and digitalisation as the main contributing factors.
The platform also works closely with nurseries to help them tackle one of their biggest challenges – pre-enrolment admin overload. By providing a digital shop-front, streamlining enrollment and communication, Nuuri aims to free up time for nursery staff to do what they do best – “nurture and educate little ones“.
The investment marks a major step forward in the company’s mission to simplify the search and enrolment process, allowing parents and caregivers to spend more quality time with their children.
Nuuri will use the funding to accelerate product development, focusing on AI tooling that will replace outdated manual documents and communications channels. The funding will also be allocated to improve the parent journey through search and enrolment, nursery marketing and onboarding across the UK’s private nursery sector initially.
Nafeesah Rafiq, Owner of Bright Bees Nurseries, said: “Nuuri is bringing the kind of digital experience our sector has waited far too long for. Their platform lets us showcase our nurseries online with a level of polish we could never manage alone, guiding parents smoothly from search to enrolment. By lifting the admin burden, Nuuri frees our team to spend more quality time nurturing the children in our care. We’re thrilled to work with Steven and his team and excited about the positive change they’re driving across early-years childcare.”
