Koru Kids is a UK-based childcare company founded in 2016 and headquartered in London. [1] The company provides part-time and full-time nannies and has been covered in national media in connection with childcare policy and family life in the UK. [2] It also attracted political attention after an investment by Akshata Murty, wife of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which led to a 2023 standards inquiry and an apology from Sunak; Murty later transferred her shares to charity in 2024. [3] [4]
Koru Kids was founded by Rachel Carrell, a former healthcare executive, Rhodes Scholar, and WEF Young Global Leader. [5] Carrell has a doctorate from the University of Oxford and is the company’s CEO. [6]
In 2017, the business was shortlisted for Tech Business of the Year and The Start Up Loans Inspiring Entrepreneur of the Year at the Startups Awards. [7]
The business initially focused on providing university students as after-school nannies in London, later expanding across the UK and broadening its recruitment to include older workers and professional childcarers. [8] By 2025, media reports noted that more than 5,000 families were using Koru Kids each month to search for childcare, with most placements involving part-time arrangements of around 13 hours per week. [9]
Koru Kids launched a home nursery scheme in early 2021 to cover training and set up costs to help new childminders run nurseries in their own home. [10] In June 2023, Koru Kids shuttered the service to focus solely on providing their after-school nannies service citing that "regulations are not currently set up to support childminding agencies becoming financially sustainable.". [11]
A 2023 article in The Guardian highlighted the company’s practice of using formal contracts and paying at least the minimum wage, contrasting this with some other childcare platforms in the UK. [12]
Media reporting on Koru Kids’ commissioned research has highlighted issues of childcare access, affordability, and parental leave. A 2024 study found that many parents struggled to access wraparound care, with children spending an average of 1.5 hours on screens after school when provision was unavailable. [13] [14] [15]
In 2023, another survey reported widespread dissatisfaction with UK paternity leave packages, particularly around length of leave, pay, and workplace flexibility. [16]
The company and its founder have also been cited in wider discussions of childcare policy. BBC News covered its analysis of government wraparound childcare plans, [17] while Rachel Carrell has been quoted on family policy in national outlets including The Independent. [18]
In 2019, Akshata Murty, wife of Rishi Sunak, invested in Koru Kids through her venture fund Catamaran Ventures. [19]
In April 2023, after becoming Prime Minister, Sunak faced a parliamentary investigation for failing to declare his wife’s shares when questioned about childcare policy. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards concluded the omission was “inadvertent” but required Sunak to apologise. [20] [21] [22] In January 2024, Murty announced she had transferred her shares to charity. [23]
Koru Kids has also received investment from venture capital funds including AlbionVC, Forward Partners, JamJar, Global Founders Capital, and Atomico. [24] [25] [26]