Best Startup
Lottie is a digital marketplace that connects care seekers to the UK’s best care homes and at a fair price. Lottie was created to empower care seekers, make the care home search process simpler and to build the later living sector of the future.
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Will Donnelly, and I co-founded Lottie alongside my brother, Chris Donnelly.
After co-founding my own student events business at university (which I sold just before starting Lottie), I quickly discovered that entrepreneurship was an inherent part of who I was. I guess I thrive in environments that I am continually learning, being creative, and doing things differently.
However, after graduating from Durham University, I didn’t feel quite ready to fully dive straight into the world entrepreneurship. Instead, I joined CBRE’s healthcare team on a 3-day work experience placement and ended up staying for 5-years. During that time, I qualified as a Chartered Surveyor, but more importantly established myself as one of the Europe’s leading social care agents.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
While I had a blast at CBRE and really did fall in love with the healthcare sector, I equally become frustrated by just how broken the sector was – there’s zero consumer transparency, it’s digitally backward and currently unsustainable beyond 2025. Equally, I guess I couldn’t ever squash my burning desire to build a business of my own.
I knew something had to change in the sector and ultimately felt Chris and I were the right two people to lead change and do things in a slightly different way.
What is your magic sauce?
The care homes listed on Lottie are handpicked and have been vetted by our team of care experts based on their care quality, home culture and ethical practices. From outstanding care ratings and 5* customer reviews to luxury facilities and thriving home experiences, Lottie partners with the UK’s best care homes that offer an enhanced resident experience and home culture like no other.
Where do you see your company going in 5 years?
Empower a million families and to build the later living sector of the future.
And, a personal goal, to make care homes cool!
What has been your biggest setback so far?
Being a non-technical founder of a Tech start-up, I have had a rude awakening the past year of just how hard it is to build a tech start-up.
What has been your biggest win so far?
Easy. The moment we placed our first resident into one of our partner homes. It was an incredibly surreal and special moment.
What is the next big challenge for your business?
Hiring and finding the right people to help deliver on Lottie’s mission. We’ve currently got a awesome core team, but I am so focused on building an amazing company culture as we continue to scale, where our team really do love what they do and are exciting about coming into work every day.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
Looking for a care home? Meet Lottie✌️→ https://lottie.org/
