London startup wins £3m seed funding for social enterprise

A London social enterprise has announced that it has received £3m in seed funding.

Rest Less, a startup which offers jobs, volunteering and guidance for over 50s, received the funding from an investment round led by QED Investors.

The company launched in December 2018 as an online platform, specifically targeted at the growing population of over 50s to target challenges faced by the demographic in the workplace.

The investment will be used to build the Rest Less platform and expand services to its users.

Stuart Lewis, founder and CEO of Rest Less, commented: “The idea for Rest Less was borne out of personal experience with family, combined with some external inspiration in the form of Channel 4’s Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds.

“We are excited to improve and grow the Rest Less platform so we can help more over 50s in the workplace, but also in other areas of their lives.

“Since launch, we have worked hard to raise awareness of the challenges our audience face, as well as highlighting the many positives they can bring to the workplace and wider society.

``We want to help this under-served, and under-represented group of individuals navigate the challenging and ever changing employment landscape - as well as helping them to find broader mental and financial well being as a result.“

Yusuf Ozdalga, partner at QED Investors, added: “Society is ageing and the employment and financial services landscape for the over 50s is changing with it.

“This demographic is chronically underserved, which brings exciting business opportunities for those who understand the audience, and who are focused on helping them achieve what is important to them.

“Rest Less stood out to QED as a business squarely focussed on championing the needs of its audience and raising awareness of the issues they face.

“With demographic trends on its side, Rest Less offers that perfect intersection of an exciting business opportunity with a strong social purpose at its core.”