An Estonian startup, called Elunow (a wordplay on the Estonian word elu – life – and the word now), is launching in the UK a fully automated, self-service platform that matches people needing care with a selection of qualified, local caregivers with the right skills and availability.
“By offering on-demand in-home care at affordable prices, with no long-term contracts, Elunow enables care seekers to find quality care when they need it, helping build long-term trusted relationships between caregivers and careseekers,” the company said in a statement.
“In a society with an aging population, there is a shortage of quality in-home care available, which is only going to get worse. Older adults want help to stay in their own homes and live fulfilling, independent lives, but as the costs of providing care rise, families and friends are often left bearing the burden,” the founder and the CEO of Elunow Marion Teder, said in a statement.
The company has now raised money from the founder of Bolt, Martin Villig, and the founder of Pipedrive, Timo Rein, to launch in the United Kingdom. Elunow did not disclose the size of the investment.
Promises higher pay to caregivers
The company offers the caregiving matching service on a pay-as-you-go basis.
“Traditional services send you any caregiver available, so you never know who is coming for sure. With Elunow, you get to choose your caregiver or caregiving team based on the schedule, services offered etc. So, if you find someone you like or has high ratings, you can continue to use the same person. There is an internal rating system people can see and choose off of this for trust, transparency etc.”
The company added its goal was to “take care of our caregivers. They are the face our company, so they get treated, paid, trained accordingly.”
Elunow asserts it pays a much higher percentage than anormal agency, “and caregivers can create/set their own schedule like an Uber driver. Whether they use us for full time or part time work those options are there.”
The company was founded in Estonia in 2017.
Cover: Elunow’s team. Images by Elunow.
