incentifi Secures £150K Pre-seed Funding and Appoints Ex-Deliveroo and Bioniq Executive James Hardy as Investor and Advisor

incentifi, a wellbeing-focussed workplace rewards platform designed to incentivise healthier behaviour through real-world value, has closed a £150,000 phase one pre-seed funding round and appointed James Hardy as investor and strategic advisor.

James Hardy brings deep operational and financial experience from scaling high-growth consumer businesses. He previously held senior finance roles at Deliveroo and is currently Co-Founder and COO at Bioniq, the tailored supplements company which has scaled through Series B investment, including 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 first-hand 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 phase one pre-seed investment will see incentifi pilot its app and offering to several businesses across industries. This includes with independently owned Specsavers practices, who will explore how rewarding movement and healthier habits can improve staff wellbeing while delivering tangible lifestyle value, such as reducing the cost of holidays.

Following the completion of its phase one pre-seed raise, incentifi is now preparing for the next stage of its funding, with a £500,000 round currently underway and SEIS assurance in place. This next phase is being run alongside a closed pilot programme and soft launch, focused on learning, iteration and 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 validates 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 79% of UK employees experiencing moderate to high stress, over a third reporting impact on their personal lives and sleep, workplace wellbeing has reached a critical point. UK sick leave has hit a 15-year high at 9.4 days per employee, driven largely by mental health issues, while presenteeism accounts for 50–70% of total wellbeing-related costs, undermining productivity, team performance, and innovation.

incentifi’s mission is to help people move more and feel better by rewarding everyday activity such as steps, exercise and workouts with meaningful lifestyle benefits, including travel rewards. The platform is designed to align individual wellbeing with clear commercial outcomes for employers and partners.