Young entrepreneurs secure six-figure investment for digital childcare software firm

Daniel Bevan - Senior Journalist

Welsh start-up Lumin Solutions, a spin-out from the Alacrity Foundation, has closed a substantial six-figure pre-seed equity investment to accelerate the development of its digital care platform for child social care providers. The funding round was led by SFC Capital, the Development Bank of Wales, and a syndicate of angel investors headed by Darryl Morton of Summit Venture.

Founded by Piers Oliphant, Ben Gretton, and Ben Miller, three young entrepreneurs all in their 20s, who met through the Alacrity Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme, Lumin Solutions is developing a software platform designed to modernise how care providers record, manage and plan care for vulnerable children.

The company’s flagship product is an outcome-focused case management system equipped with a Digital Care Assistant. The platform aims to improve compliance, reduce costs and enhance decision-making in child social care through features such as care planning tools, assessments, and reporting capabilities. An integrated AI analytics engine offers users actionable insights to enhance care outcomes and prepare for regulatory inspections.

With the UK government requiring all care providers to adopt digital care recording systems by 2025, the market opportunity is significant—especially as 60% of providers remain paper-based or only partially digitised.

“Our technology provides a clear audit trail and a more joined-up, data-driven approach to care management,” said Lumin co-founder and director Piers Oliphant. “This ultimately gives care providers more time to focus on what matters most—delivering high-quality care.”

The pre-seed investment will be used to scale product development, marketing and sales operations as the company prepares for commercial growth.

Lead investor Darryl Morton, a serial tech entrepreneur and founder of Summit Venture, said he was impressed by Lumin’s early traction and market-readiness.

“The child social care market is under-served when it comes to high-quality care management software. Lumin has already developed a solid core platform and validated it with industry partners. With this investment, they’re well-positioned to become a leader in the space,” he said.

The Development Bank of Wales contributed to the round through its Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund and the Wales Technology Seed Fund—a £20 million fund wholly financed by the Welsh Government to support tech companies at the proof-of-concept stage with investments between £100,000 and £350,000.

“Lumin is a dynamic, mission-driven team building solutions that can genuinely improve child welfare,” said Hannah Mallen, Investment Executive at the Development Bank. “We’re pleased to support their growth journey alongside our investment partners.”

Adam Beveridge of SFC Capital added: “Lumin exemplifies the kind of early-stage innovation we look for—solving real-world problems with smart, scalable technology.”

As the digital transformation of the UK’s social care sector accelerates, Lumin Solutions is aiming to position itself as a key enabler of compliance, operational efficiency and improved care outcomes.