Childcare for the families Britain runs on.

Pre-seed · 2026

A mother reading a picture book to her baby at home

01 / The problem

7:40pm

Nurseries close at 6. Rutendo’s night shift starts at 8.

A day from 6am to 10am the next morning. The nursery is open 8am to 6pm. The night shift runs 8pm to 8am. From 6pm to 8am, 14 hours, there is no childcare. No childcare · 14 hours Nursery · 8am–6pm Her night shift · 8pm–8am 6am 12pm 6pm 12am 6am

Rutendo is a composite of the parents who contact us.

02 / The gap

Out-of-hours childcare barely exists.

22%

of councils have enough childcare outside 9 to 5

−48%

registered childminders in England since 2015

A crime

to leave a child alone if it puts them at risk

Coram Childcare Survey 2025 · Ofsted, March 2026 · NSPCC

03 / The demand

So parents post in WhatsApp groups and hope.

Southampton · 19 Sep

Live-in childminder needed, experienced with newborns.

Peterborough · 20 Sep

Looking for a live-in childminder.

Northampton · 24 Sep

Childminder, just 2 hours for 5 days.

Grays, Essex · 24 Sep

Live-in minder needed, immediate start.

7

requests in 7 days, in one parents’ group.

Demand isn’t the problem. Trust is.

Real messages, 19–25 Sep 2026. Names and details removed.

04 / Our insight

The village already exists. We make it safe.

  1. Parents and carers

    already in the same groups

  2. Checks · Contracts · Payments

    added to what already happens

  3. Safe, legal, paid care

    for every child, every shift

05 / How it works

Match. Verify. Book.

  1. 92% match Your family Vetted caregivers

    01 · Match

    On language, faith, food and hours.

  2. Verification Verified Photo ID Approved Right to work Approved Enhanced DBS Approved Safeguarding Approved References Approved Interview Approved

    02 · Verify

    Every carer fully checked first.

  3. October 4h × £16 £64.00 Fee 5% £3.20 Total £67.20 Confirmed

    03 · Book

    Booked and paid in the app.

06 / The product

Live today. Three apps, one platform.

Team overview on a laptop: new submissions, applications, families to match, payments and safety reports Family home on a tablet: a booking ready to pay, open requests and matches ready Carer home on a phone: approved, new requests, upcoming jobs, payouts and rating
  • LaptopOur teamvets, matches, pays
  • TabletFamiliesask, choose, book
  • PhoneCarersget checked, get paid

07 / For families

Ask. See matches. Pay.

  1. A nanny request with two carers matched by the team, each with a match score and a note

    01 · Matches

    Hand-picked, with reasons.

  2. A carer’s profile with DBS, training and Ofsted badges and why she fits the family

    02 · Profile

    Checks and culture, up front.

  3. A confirmed babysitting booking with a button to pay £67.20 securely

    03 · Pay

    Secure, in the app.

08 / For carers

Checked. Booked. Paid.

  1. A carer’s profile: services, languages and heritage that families search for

    01 · Profile

    Languages and heritage families want.

  2. Verification checklist with every required check approved

    02 · Checks

    All approved before any booking.

  3. Earnings: paid out, payouts due and a breakdown of each session

    03 · Earnings

    Carers keep 90%.

09 / Trust

No check, no booking.

  • Photo ID
  • Right to work
  • Enhanced DBS
  • Two references
  • Interview
  • Safeguarding

Our vetting queue has no override.

Vetting a new carer on a tablet: eight checks outstanding and the rule that approval unlocks only when every check passes

10 / Traction

Carers sign up two to one.

325

sign-ups in our first 24 weeks

Carers191
Families105
Partners and other15
Investors14
  • 23postcode areas
  • £31kfounder money in
  • Livesince Sept 2026

UbuntuCare sign-up records, 13 April – 28 September 2026.

11 / Why now

Four shifts, all at once.

46%

of UK care-worker visas went to Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Ghana

−48%

registered childminders since 2015

30 hrs

funded childcare, only through registered carers

WhatsApp

is where our communities arrange care

Home Office data via PA, 2023–24 · Ofsted · GOV.UK

12 / Market

One family. Then 100,000.

1 family
£3,680
10,000 families
£36.8m
100,000 families
£368m

Bookings a year at 2 days a week, £40 a day. We keep 15%.

13 / Business model

We keep 15% of every booking.

One shared day: a registered childminder, three children

3 children × £40 = £120 a day

  • Village Club
  • Carer plans
  • Training
  • Employers

14 / The Village Club

£3 a month. A whole village behind you.

£3→3 Cowries→£3 of care
  • Pay for care
  • Gift a parent
  • Village Pot
  • Tip your carer

1,000 members = £36,000 a year of pre-paid care.

Cowries are prepaid UbuntuCare credit, not cash or an investment.

15 / Competition

Nobody else is built for them.

Childcare options by how well they are vetted and whether they fit shift work. UbuntuCare is the only option that is both vetted and built for shifts, nights and live-in care. 9 to 5 ← fits the hours → shifts, nights, live-in Vetted and registered Informal, unchecked Nurseries Nanny agencies Babysitting websites WhatsApp groups UbuntuCare

16 / Go to market

We start where the village already talks.

  • Group adminspaid in Cowries
  • Faith groupstalks and sign-up days
  • Carer open daysDBS and training on the spot
  • Night-shift employerscare homes and hospitals

Beachhead

70/93

sign-ups in London and the East Midlands

17 / Team

Built by parents who needed it.

Joyce Mhlanga

Joyce Mhlanga

Co-founder & CEO

NHS mental health nurse, 8+ years. Safeguarding lead.

Rodney Manyepa

Rodney Manyepa

Co-founder, product & technology

Engineer and designer, 15+ years. Built the whole platform.

£31,000 of our own money in. Self-funded to launch.

18 / The ask

We’re raising £250,000.

In 18 months

  • 500vetted carers
  • 300families booking weekly
  • £1ma year in bookings
  • Ofstedregistered childminder agency

Use of funds

People£115k
Growth£60k
Product£45k
Trust£30k

Pre-seed, 18 months’ runway. SEIS: 50% income-tax relief for UK investors, subject to HMRC. Not an offer of shares; capital at risk.

Ubuntu

I am because we are.

Help us rebuild the village.

Talk to us Download the PDF Download the PDF

Joyce Mhlanga & Rodney Manyepa · hello@ubuntucare.uk

A mother and her toddler reading a book together on the floor

Appendix

Sources

  1. Ofsted, Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 March 2026: 24,700 childminders; 7 registered childminder agencies.
  2. Ofsted, as at 31 August 2021: 33,700 childminders, 14,100 fewer than in August 2015.
  3. Coram, Childcare Survey 2025: 22% of councils report enough childcare for at least 75% of children whose parents work atypical hours.
  4. NSPCC guidance on leaving children home alone.
  5. GOV.UK, Become a childminder or nanny: when you must register, and the offence of unregistered childcare.
  6. Home Office data via PA Media, Visas for foreign care workers: 71,046 care-worker visas in 2023–24; Nigeria 19%, Zimbabwe 15%, Ghana 12%.
  7. Migration Yorkshire, The Health and Care Worker visa: dependants allowed until April 2024.
  8. ONS, Ethnic group, England and Wales: Census 2021: 1.5 million Black African people.
  9. GOV.UK, 30 hours free childcare.
  10. HMRC, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.
  11. UbuntuCare sign-up records, 13 April – 28 September 2026, and anonymised community WhatsApp messages, 19–25 September 2026. Market figures: 2 days a week × £40 × 46 weeks per family; revenue at our live 15% take rate.