London startup incentifi has raised €174,000 in phase one pre-seed funding as it prepares to pilot a wellbeing-focused workplace rewards platform with employers across the UK. The early backing will support product development, customer pilots, and initial market validation ahead of a larger funding round planned for later this year.
Alongside the investment, incentifi has appointed James Hardy as an investor and strategic advisor, bringing experience from scaling high growth consumer businesses in the UK and internationally.
A rewards platform built around healthier behaviour
Founded to address the rising cost of poor health in the workplace, incentifi is developing a platform that rewards employees for adopting healthier habits. The company aims to tackle what it estimates to be a £150 billion annual cost to the UK economy linked to poor health, absenteeism, and reduced productivity.
The platform is designed to encourage everyday activities such as walking, exercise, and workouts by linking them to real world rewards. These rewards are intended to offer genuine lifestyle value rather than points or discounts that fail to drive long term behaviour change.
Early traction and pilot customers
Incentifi is preparing to run pilot programmes with several UK businesses across different sectors. Independently run Specsavers branches are already signed up, exploring how rewarding movement and healthier routines can support staff wellbeing while delivering tangible benefits such as reduced holiday costs.
The pilot phase will allow incentifi to test engagement levels, measure behavioural outcomes, and gather feedback from employers on how wellbeing incentives can fit into existing people and benefits strategies.
Strategic support from James Hardy
As part of the pre-seed round, incentifi has appointed James Hardy as an investor and strategic advisor. Hardy previously held senior finance roles at Deliveroo and is currently co founder and chief operating officer at personalised nutrition company Bioniq, which has scaled through Series B funding with backing from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Commenting on his involvement, Hardy said the strength of the founding team and the clarity of incentifi’s model stood out. He highlighted the company’s ability to align healthier lives with measurable returns for employers, drawing on his own experience of building consumer health and wellbeing businesses.
Funding plans and next steps
The €174,000 raise represents the first phase of incentifi’s pre-seed funding. The company is now preparing a £500,000 round, with SEIS assurance already in place. This next phase will run alongside a closed pilot and soft launch, with a focus on learning, iteration, and employer feedback.
Co founder Paul Kelbie said the team started incentifi with a clear mission to incentivise healthier choices through rewards people actually want. He added that the funding and the appointment of Hardy as an advisor validate both the mission and the commercial model, with the pilot phase now central to refining the platform.
Addressing wellbeing and productivity challenges at work
With rising levels of stress, absenteeism, and presenteeism across the UK workforce, incentifi is positioning its platform as a way to connect individual wellbeing with business outcomes. By rewarding movement and healthy habits with meaningful lifestyle benefits, the company aims to help employees feel better while supporting healthier, more productive teams.
As employers continue to rethink how they invest in wellbeing, incentifi’s pilot phase will be closely watched to see whether incentives tied to real world value can drive lasting change.