By Applying The Hotel Model, This Entrepreneur Says Finding A Nursing Home Can Be A Joyful Process

Will Donnelly, the cofounder and CEO of Lottie, wants to make finding and booking a spot in a retirement or care home for an aging family member as easy as finding a hotel stay. In other words, "transform the industry from offline to online," says Donnelly. His biggest challenge? Changing people's perception of long-term care. "I really do want to make care homes cool and something that people are excited about and look forward to," he says. Around 20,000 people seeking care are matched with care homes or other providers for free each month, while organizations pay per qualified enquiry. Donnelly says around 25% of its enquiries come from National Health Service discharge teams and social workers looking to place patients in nursing, dementia and palliative care. But Lottie plans to make the bulk of its revenue through its operating software for senior care providers called Found, which helps those customers manage real-time availability and payment processing, among other functions. Donnelly cofounded the startup in 2021 along with his brother Chris, an alum of the 2020 Forbes Under 30 Europe Media & Marketing list. Lottie has raised $32.5 million in funding from investors including Accel and General Catalyst.

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