Gladys has raised £1.5m to expand its AI home care platform across the UK and scale support hours by the end of 2026.
The platform connects care seekers with local carers and companions, without intermediaries. It uses conversational AI (chat or voice software that helps plan and manage care) to match needs, book visits and manage routines.
Gladys says it has delivered care across a 20,000 km area and supported tens of thousands of hours of independent living. The company also says carers on the platform can earn 65 per cent more than typical agency rates.
Planned upgrades include AI back-office agents — software bots that handle admin such as scheduling and documentation — to cut paperwork and speed responses. The aim is to serve hundreds of thousands of hours of support by end-2026.
Georgina Robinson, chief executive and co-founder, said: “We all know that Britain’s care system is broken. Re-arranging deck-chairs on a sinking ship will not cut it. People are dying unnecessarily, and brilliant carers are undervalued and underpaid.”
“With this new funding, Gladys will become a national offering, use AI back-office agents and invest in building a trusted network of local care communities across the UK.”
The £1.5m seed round was led by Cornerstone, with participation from Exceptional Ventures, Embryo Ventures, Ufi Ventures, Houghton Street Ventures and the Conduit EIS Impact Fund.
Rodney Appiah, managing partner at Cornerstone VC, said: “Rising care costs, an overstretched social care system, and the demands of daily life can leave families feeling guilty and stretched thin as they think about their elderly loved ones.”
“That’s why I’m thrilled to back George and Alex as they build Gladys, a managed social care platform that makes it easy to find and book trusted caregivers and companions. Their mission is close to my heart: giving families peace of mind and helping everyone grow old with dignity, in the home they cherish, for as long as possible.”
