What Tiney does

Tiney is the largest Ofsted Registered Childminder Agency in England (URN CA000038), operating a marketplace and SaaS platform that connects families with vetted, home-based childminders delivering early years education. Founded in 2019 by Brett Wigdortz OBE (former Teach First CEO), Edd Read (ex-Graze.com CTO), and John Newbold, the company serves three primary customer segments: parents seeking flexible childcare, prospective and existing childminders seeking professional registration and support, and Local Authorities working to improve childcare sufficiency. The platform has scaled to over 2,000 childminders, 1,500+ active homes, and 10,000+ families served, with 98% of parents recommending their Tiney childminder and nearly 50% of all new childminders in England choosing Tiney over direct Ofsted registration in the trailing 12 months.

The core product is an integrated cloud platform comprising mobile applications (iOS/Android), a web backend, and a payments stack. Key technical components include the tiney App (daily communication and learning journals), tiney Wallet (payment processing via Stripe with Modulr as the FCA-regulated E-money institution), Child Passport (digital safeguarding/health records), Learning Journals (EYFS progression tracking), Funded Hours Integration for Local Authorities, and an Auth0-managed identity layer. The stack also incorporates Sendbird for messaging, Zoom/Google Meet for webinars, and Zendesk/Intercom-class support tooling. Revenue is generated through three streams: subscription and training fees paid by childminders, transaction fees on parent-to-childminder payments, and partnership revenue from 130+ Local Authorities across England. The go-to-market combines product-led growth via the app, community-led expansion through WhatsApp groups and a Community Hub, B2G channel partnerships with Local Authorities, and paid acquisition on Meta, Google, and TikTok.

The business has expanded into adjacent verticals including Schools (with £150k setup grants for on-site childminding centres) and Workplace Nursery (corporate childcare benefits), and has built dedicated SEND support infrastructure with partners such as Speech and Language UK and the Early Years Alliance. Tiney raised £7.2M (~$9M) in Series A funding in May 2024 led by Mustard Seed, with prior funding from Index Ventures, LocalGlobe, and JamJar Investments, bringing total disclosed funding to approximately $16.85M.

Name

Tiney

Legal name

Tiney Limited

Website

https://tiney.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tiney is England's largest Ofsted Registered Childminder Agency, operating a platform that connects over 2,000 vetted home-based childminders with families, Local Authorities, schools, and corporate clients for early years childcare across England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare Platform

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nanny Agency / Placement Services (HSAAABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nanny & In-Home Infant/Toddler Care Services (EDACAGAE), Home-Based Infant & Toddler Care (Family Daycare) (EDACAGAD), General Babysitter/Nanny Placement Agencies (HSAAALAA)

Keywords

• Childminder agency
• Early years education
• Home-based childcare
• Childcare technology platform
• Childminder training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Childminder Subscription/Platform Fees: Tiney charges childminders for access to its platform, training, support, and quality assurance services. Childminders pay for pathways, training, and ongoing CPD through free webinars and community resources.
2. Payment Processing: Tiney acts as an intermediary platform for payments between parents and childminders. The company processes transactions through Stripe and Modulr, taking a fee for payment facilitation services.
3. Local Authority Partnerships: Tiney partners with Local Authorities to recruit childminders and provide childcare services. The business model is described as 'completely cost neutral to Local Authorities', suggesting government funding or per-childminders fees may be involved.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tiney operates an Ofsted-Registered Childminder Agency platform that recruits, trains, and quality-assures home-based childminders and connects them with parents seeking early years childcare. Through the tiney mobile app and website, the company delivers payments, daily parent-childminder communication, learning journals, and SEND support, while partnering with over 130 Local Authorities to address childcare sufficiency across England.

Product overview

Tiney is an Ofsted Registered Childminder Agency offering a platform-plus-services model combining a mobile app and web platform for connecting families with quality-assured childminders. The core offering includes the tiney Platform for childcare matching, the tiney App for daily management, Discovery Modules for childminder onboarding, the Community Hub for networking, Help Centre for support, and specialized solutions for Local Authorities, Schools, and Workplace Nurseries. Additional resources include SEND support, training guides, and Child Passport tracking. The company has grown to become England's largest and most popular childminder agency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tiney Platform (Childminder Agency Service) End-to-end Ofsted-registered Childminder Agency service that recruits, trains, vets, and quality-assures home-based childminders and connects them with families seeking early years childcare. Includes onboarding via Discovery Modules, ongoing CPD, safeguarding oversight, and 130+ Local Authority partnerships.
• tiney App Mobile application (iOS and Android) used by parents and childminders to manage payments via tiney Wallet (Stripe/Modulr), daily messaging, learning journals tracking EYFS progress, child passports, and contracts. Built as the day-to-day operating tool for both sides of the marketplace.
• Discovery Modules (Childminder Onboarding Programme) Structured onboarding programme of learning reviews, assessment questionnaires, and qualification completion that takes prospective childminders from initial interest through to Ofsted-approved registration via Tiney. Available to both new and existing childminders.
• Tiney for Local Authorities B2G partnership programme that helps Local Authorities improve childcare sufficiency by recruiting new childminders in their area, integrating with current LA activity, and offering funded hours management tools (used by 25+ LAs). Described as cost-neutral to Local Authorities.
• Tiney for Schools Programme enabling schools to host on-site tiney childminding centres, with a £150k government-backed setup grant available. Designed to expand wraparound childcare provision and create a revenue stream for schools.
• Workplace Nursery (Corporate Childcare Solution) Corporate childcare solution that helps businesses set up and operate nursery facilities for employees, leveraging the tiney childminder network and platform.
• Tiney Community Hub Online community platform that connects Tiney childminders for networking, peer support, resource sharing, and community sessions, complemented by WhatsApp groups and regular CPD webinars.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of parents recommend their tiney childminder
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration39 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Modulr FS LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationTiney is a registered EMD agent of Modulr FS Limited, an Electronic Money Institution authorised and regulated by the FCA. Modulr provides the underlying electronic money and payment services for tiney wallet accounts.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe provides payment processing services for Tiney's platform. Stripe collects and processes credit and debit card details while Tiney handles transaction records.
• TrustpilotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTiney uses Trustpilot to collect customer reviews and feedback about its services, inviting users to leave reviews after their experience.
• U-CheckcoreTechnology or IntegrationU-Check acts as Tiney's third-party processor and manager of DBS checks, handling criminal record verification for childminders and household members.
• Dingley's PromiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSome Local Authorities have funded free access to SEND training through Dingley's Promise. Tiney facilitates access to this training for its childminders.
• Speech and Language UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTiney provides free EYSEND partnership training resources from Speech and Language UK to support childminders in identifying and supporting children with SEND.
• Early Years AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTiney provides free CPD on SEND from the Early Years Alliance to its childminder network.
• 130+ Local Authorities (England)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTiney partners with over 130 Local Authorities across England including Essex, Birmingham, Manchester, Hampshire, Barking & Dagenham, and Isles of Scilly to improve childcare sufficiency, recruit new childminders, and integrate with funded hours systems.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Koru Kids: UK-based childcare platform connecting families with nannies and childminders, with training and ongoing support — the closest direct comparable to Tiney's childminder-agency model.
• Little Ones London: London-based nanny and maternity-agency placing childcare professionals with families — comparable as a UK placement-focused childcare agency, though more concierge-leaning than tech-enabled.
• Bubble (Sitter.com): UK-origin babysitting app connecting parents with vetted sitters, now part of Sitter.com — a marketplace peer operating in the same broader UK childcare-booking category with a tech-led model.

Broad incumbents

• Busy Bees: The UK's largest private nursery group, operating hundreds of nurseries nationwide — a broad incumbent in the same childcare market but delivering through center-based settings rather than home-based childminders.
• Bright Horizons: Global publicly-listed early childhood education and childcare operator (NYSE: BFAM) — a broad incumbent offering overlapping early-years services to families and employers, though predominantly center-based.
• N Family Club: Premium UK nursery group offering full-day early years education and employer-sponsored nursery places — competes for the same high-quality childcare demand, especially in London.
• Childbase Partnership: Large UK employee-owned nursery group with a strong reputation for quality and employer partnerships — comparable as an established scale provider of formal early-years childcare.
• Care.com: Global online marketplace for family care services including childcare, nannies, and babysitters — a broad incumbent demonstrating the marketplace model at scale, though US-centric.

Emerging players

• Winnie: US daycare and preschool marketplace helping parents find childcare providers — comparable as a tech-led childcare marketplace, though US-focused and center-leaning rather than home/childminder.

Others

• PACEY: UK professional association for childcare and early years — not a direct competitor, but a sector-defining body whose training, registration, and community functions overlap with parts of Tiney's childminder-support offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tineyco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tiney-co

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tiney