incentifi, a well-being-focused workplace rewards startup based in London, has secured €174k (£150k) in phase one pre-seed funding as it prepares to pilot its platform with businesses across the UK. Alongside the investment, the company has appointed James Hardy as an investor and strategic advisor.
Founded to tackle the growing cost of poor health and employee wellbeing, incentifi is developing a rewards platform that incentivises healthier behaviour through real-world value. The company aims to address what it describes as a £150 billion annual cost to the UK economy linked to poor health, absenteeism, and reduced productivity.
James Hardy brings experience from scaling high-growth consumer businesses, having previously held senior finance roles at Deliveroo and currently serving as Co-founder and COO at Bioniq, which has scaled through Series B funding with backing from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Commenting on his involvement, James Hardy said: “What really stood out to me was the strength of the team and the clarity of the model. incentifi is built around improving healthier lives while delivering a clear return for employers and partners. Having seen firsthand at Bioniq how impactful it can be when wellbeing and business objectives truly align, incentifi delivers exactly that. I’m excited to be part of the journey ahead.”
The pre-seed funding will support a pilot programme with several businesses across different sectors. Independently run Specsavers branches are already signed up, exploring how rewarding movement and healthier habits can support staff wellbeing while offering tangible lifestyle benefits, such as reducing the cost of holidays.
Following the close of its phase one round, incentifi is now preparing a £500,000 funding raise, with SEIS assurance in place. This next phase will run alongside a closed pilot and soft launch, with a focus on learning, iteration, and gathering employer feedback.
Paul Kelbie, Co-founder of incentifi, commented: “From our own personal and professional experiences, we started incentifi with one mission and purpose in mind, to incentivise people to prioritise healthier choices through rewards they actually want. This funding and James joining us as an advisor validate both the mission and the model. Our focus now is learning. The pilot allows us to work closely with employers to understand how wellbeing incentives can support healthier, happier teams in a commercially sustainable way.”
With rising levels of stress, absenteeism, and presenteeism across the UK workforce, incentifi positions its platform as a way to align individual well-being with measurable commercial outcomes. By rewarding everyday activities such as steps, exercise, and workouts with meaningful lifestyle benefits, the company aims to help employees move more, feel better, and support healthier, more productive teams.
