December WorkerTech Round-Up

‘Tis the season…for Spotify Wrapped. So we did our own version of this tradition, recapping some of the exciting milestones that Resolution Ventures and our portfolio companies have seen in 2025.  And since we know a lot of founders are gearing up for a fundraise ahead of the new year, we’ve also rounded up funding opportunities for impact-led early-stage startups.

From the whole team at Resolution Ventures, we hope you have a very Happy Christmas and holiday season!

And now, if you’ll allow me the ultimate ‘dad joke’…until next year,

Aish

2025 has been a big year for Resolution Ventures and our portfolio of companies. Here are all the milestones we marked this year:

Following on our investment into Valla

We were pleased to continue supporting our portfolio company Valla as investors into their £2 million Seed round. Valla has been working to democratise access to legal courses at the workplace for millions of workers in the UK who are affected by employment law non-compliance but cannot afford traditional legal support. Founder Danae Shell also won Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Award for 2025!

Mobilise’s exciting new updates

Portfolio company Mobilise launched Dynamic Carer’s Assessments, a tool that helps councils deliver carer assessments at scale, cut waiting lists, and free social workers from admin through automated support plans and safeguarding dashboards. They also announced a strategic partnership with Civica to integrate this proactive carer support with Civica’s case management systems.

Greenworkx recognised as one of the top 100 ventures transforming the way the world works by the Blu Earth Summit

Greenworkx was recognised as one of the top 100 ventures transforming the way the world works by the Blue Earth Summer this year. In doing so, it joins a list of high-impact businesses focused on sustainability and green jobs.

TaskHer continues to build momentum

TaskHer closed off last year with launching their crowdfunding campaign and successfully closed it in 2025, helping them continue expanding their reach across London and beyond. The year that passed also saw their work gain recognition in publications like The Times, Vogue and BBC News!

Announcing the first close of our WorkerTech fund

This year we announced the launch of our £9 million WorkerTech Fund, dedicated to backing start-ups that use technology to improve work in sectors marked by low pay and insecure employment. In September, we announced the fund’s first close, and are looking forward to announcing exciting new investments.Our investment into Clu 
One of our most exciting new investments in 2025 was into Clu, a Cardiff-based company helping employers make more strategic, skills-based decisions about work, people and hiring. We’re excited to back Joseph, Cayelan and the team as they build a platform fit for how work is changing.

Organise workplace wins at John Lewis, Boots, Primark, Uber and G4S

Our portfolio company Organise led a string of successful worker campaigns this year across major employers, including John Lewis, Boots, Primark, Uber, and G4S. We’ve linked each of those stories for those of you who want to learn more.

Our investment in WAC

We are so proud to have invested in WAC this year. Led by Georgina Fairhall, WAC is a Manchester-based scale-up behind a wage-tracking app for hourly-paid workers. The platform serves over 350,000 users, helping them track shifts and earnings with live payslip estimates so they can spot underpayments and challenge incorrect pay.

Industry wins for portfolio company Earlybird AI

Earlybird launched its Employment Supports in the AI Era report this year, among a select few organisations looking at how AI is being deployed in the employability sector. Founder Claudine also capped off the year by winning Fellow of the Year from the Institute of Employability Professionals!

2026 Funding Opportunities

We’ve rounded up some of the most exciting funding opportunities for early-stage impact companies below, with a handy checklist to help you figure out the right fit for you.

Innovate UK Growth Catalyst – Investor Partnerships (Round 2!)
Grant funding that matches your investor commitments.
Checklist:

• Are you a UK SME at Seed to Series A stage?
• Do you have a clearly defined R&D project?
• Can you line up an approved investor partner to back you?

This competition supports UK innovation projects with grant funding to match equity investments from an Innovate UK investor partner. How to unlock this opportunity: you must secure a partner investor before you submit, then the grant and investment run together.

️ Opens: 10 Dec 2025
️ Deadline: 3 Feb 2026 (11:00am UK time)
Full details + apply:
https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2360/overview/37d8f6e1-5600-4e9e-bbfc-11bc320f8808

Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26
This is an opportunity to get non-dilutive funding for women-led companies. You can receive up to £75k in grant funding plus a year of tailored support. It’s a strong option if you’re ready to turn momentum into a step-change.
Checklist 

• Are you a woman founder/co-founder of a UK company?
• Are you building an innovative product or service with real growth potential?
• Are you at the post-Seed stage of your startup’s journey?

️ Deadline: 4 Feb 2026 (11:00am UK time)
Full details + apply:
https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2337/overview/3750b1cd-2080-4a1c-82c0-003fbaafdd2d

Bethnal Green Ventures Accelerator Programme 
BGV backs early “tech for good” companies with £60k in equity investment and a six-week programme and follow-on support.
Checklist:

• Are you building a tech-for-good venture?
• Are you at the pre-seed stage with an MVP and early user research?
• Is a cohort-based accelerator setting right for you?

️ Deadline: 4 Jan 2026 (11:59pm BST)
Full details + apply:
https://www.bethnalgreenventures.com/apply

Impact Shakers Accelerator Programme
Impact Shakers runs a 6-month accelerator for inclusive impact startups, with €250k in investment.
Checklist

• Are you at the pre-seed/seed stage?
• Are you an underrepresented founder?

Full details + apply:
https://www.impactshakers.com/accelerator

VocTech Activate Grant Fund

Ufi’s VocTech Activate fund supports early-stage experimentation in digital vocational learning, typically over 3-12 months.
Checklist:

• Are you testing something new in adult learning / skills / employability?
• Do you need funding to run a real-world pilot?
• Are you open to building evidence before you scale?

️ Stage 1 opens: 6 Jan 2026
️ Stage 1 deadline: 3 Feb 2026 (5pm GMT)
Full details:
https://ufi.co.uk/grant-funding/voctech-activate/

Unrest Impact Investor Office Hours 
This is a way to skip the cold outreach and get an investor conversation booked in. Unrest’s IIOH format matches founders with impact investors for focused, time-boxed conversations. Resolution Ventures will be one of the investors participating!
Checklist:

• Are you an impact-driven founder (concept to Series A)?
• Are you UK-headquartered?
• Are you fundraising?

️ Applications close: 9 Jan 2026
️ Office Hours: 4 Feb 2026 (2–5pm GMT)
Full details + apply:
https://www.unrest.world/impact-investor-office-hours

December Insights from the Resolution Foundation

Care to negotiate? Making a success of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body

This briefing note lays out the case for a new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body and the role it could play in addressing long-standing pay challenges in the sector. Social care pay remains low, fragmented, and poorly linked to skills or progression, contributing to chronic staff shortages and high turnover. Our research finds that without a clearer, more coordinated approach to pay-setting, funding is at risk of being absorbed unevenly or failing to translate into better outcomes for workers.

While pay is central, the paper also recognises that many of social care’s problems sit beyond wages alone. Issues around governance, quality, and worker wellbeing continue to undermine the sector. This echoes the mission of several Resolution Ventures portfolio companies. Equal Care Co-op is tackling structural and governance challenges through a cooperative model, while Mobilise addresses the worsening mental health pressures faced by unpaid carers.

Labour Market Outlook Q4 2025

The Resolution Foundation’s latest Labour Market Outlook paints a picture of a labour market that remains tight, but increasingly uneven. Employment has held up, yet vacancies continue to drift down and hiring momentum has slowed, particularly in lower-paid and public-facing sectors. Pay growth is easing as inflation falls, but real wages are only gradually recovering lost ground.

The outlook highlights a growing divide between workers who remain in strong bargaining positions and those facing insecurity, weak progression, or reduced hours. Inactivity remains elevated, especially among people with long-term health conditions, reinforcing concerns about the supply side of the labour market. The overall takeaway is one of stability without strength: the labour market is no longer overheating, but underlying fragilities remain unresolved.