Tiney

Tiney operates as a technology-enabled childminder agency in the United Kingdom, positioning itself as a solution to the nation's childcare crisis. Founded in 2018 by Brett Wigdortz OBE, Edd Read, and John Newbold, the company was established to address the declining number of childminders and the lack of accessible, high-quality early years education. Wigdortz, the founder of the educational charity Teach First, drew upon his 15 years of experience in tackling educational inequality and his personal challenges as a parent seeking childcare to shape Tiney's mission. He teamed up with tech entrepreneurs Edd Read, co-founder of Graze.com, and John Newbold, to build a platform that supports micro-entrepreneurs in establishing Ofsted-registered childcare settings within their own homes.

The company's business model centers on recruiting, training, and providing ongoing support to a community of self-employed childminders. Tiney functions as a childminder agency (CMA), offering an alternative to direct registration with Ofsted, the UK's regulatory body for childcare. This approach allows Tiney to deliver comprehensive support, including initial training on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, business setup, and continuous professional development. Revenue is generated through a revenue-sharing model, where Tiney takes a percentage of the childcare income earned by its registered childminders. This fee starts at 12% and decreases to 8% after a childminder reaches a lifetime earnings threshold, aligning the company's success with the success of its providers. The model is designed to minimize upfront costs for individuals starting their childminding business.

Tiney's core offering is a proprietary mobile application that serves as an all-in-one tool for both childminders and parents. For childminders, the app streamlines business administration by managing contracts, invoicing, payments, tax assistance, and communication. It also provides educational resources, activity ideas, and a learning journal to track children's development. For parents, the app facilitates communication with the childminder, offers daily updates and progress reports, and simplifies payments. By handling the administrative burden, Tiney enables its childminders to focus on providing high-quality care and education. The company has secured significant investment to fuel its growth, raising a total of $23.8 million over several funding rounds, including a Series A round in May 2024. This funding is aimed at expanding its network of childminders across England to meet the high demand for affordable, localized childcare.

Keywords: childminder agency, early years education, childcare platform, Ofsted registration, home-based nursery, edtech, micro-entrepreneurship, childcare crisis, parent communication app, childminder training, professional development for educators, UK childcare market, Brett Wigdortz, revenue sharing model, EYFS framework, child development tracking, childcare payments, education technology, Teach First, Graze.com