Sencillo secures £350k pre-seed to help parents plan schooling
This article covers Sencillo, a fintech startup, which has raised £350k in a pre-seed round led by Fuel Ventures to build a platform that helps parents plan, save for and, where necessary, responsibly borrow to cover children’s education costs. The development aims to support parents and families in the UK by providing planning tools and a marketplace for savings and unsecured credit for childcare, school and university expenses.
Sencillo has raised £350,000 in a pre-seed round led by Fuel Ventures to build a platform that helps parents plan, save for and, where necessary, responsibly borrow to cover the rising costs of children’s education. The fintech startup says the funds will expand the team and develop its planning and marketplace tools ahead of a planned launch in early 2026.
Why it matters
Costs for childcare, school and university are increasing across the UK. Sencillo cites average annual figures ranging from about £3,600–£15,000 for early years childcare, £19,000–£50,000 for independent schooling and more than £22,700 at university when living costs are included. Families also face structural pressures such as VAT on private school fees, limited bursaries and widening accessibility gaps for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Those pressures create demand for clearer financial planning and responsible financing options.
Inside the product
Sencillo’s platform combines planning tools with a marketplace for unsecured credit and savings products. Parents use digital calculators to map the total expected cost of an education journey from nursery to university, allocate savings and family contributions, and identify shortfalls. Where finance is required, the platform routes tailored, unsecured credit solutions via strategic partners and, crucially, ensures funds can be paid directly to a nursery, school or university. The company positions this as a way to give families a single view of costs and simplify payment flows, rather than as a replacement for existing school payment systems or financial advisers.
The initial marketplace focuses on unsecured credit integrated with Sencillo’s proprietary planning tools; the company says it will emphasise responsible lending and transparent illustrations of impact on household budgets.
Who are the investors?
Sencillo’s pre-seed round is led by Fuel Ventures and raised just over £350,000, with the round remaining open to additional investors over the coming months as the company continues product development. The funding will be used to grow the team, expand the platform and prepare for a public launch at the start of 2026. The company says it has attracted interest from both fintech investors and parties active in the education sector.
In the announcement, Mark Pearson, Founder of Fuel Ventures, said:
Adam’s vision for helping parents plan and fund education in a smarter, more accessible way is exactly the kind of ambitious thinking we look for at Fuel. Sencillo is tackling real challenges within the education sector that affect millions of families across the UK and we’re proud to back Sencillo at this early stage.
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Founder perspective
Sencillo was founded by Adam Amos, who brings experience in product design and financial innovation. Amos previously co-founded Pigzbe, a pocket money app aimed at early financial literacy, and led innovation projects at EY across retail banking, wealth and credit lending. He frames the company as “built by parents for parents” and points to first-hand experience of the problem.
In the announcement, Adam Amos, Founder & CEO at Sencillo, said:
Education is one of the biggest investments any parent will make. Yet for most, the process is fragmented, confusing, and stressful. Add in challenges such as the rising cost of childcare, VAT on private school fees, and the growing accessibility gap for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities; it can feel like an impossible journey to navigate. We believe every parent should be able to make informed, confident decisions about their child’s education. Smart planning plus responsible, accessible financial products are key, and Sencillo is here to make that possible, not just for the few, but for every family seeking a clear and secure education journey and future for their children.
Sencillo also lists a group of strategic advisors rather than named institutional co-investors. Those advisors include Emma Steeley, ex-CEO of ARO Finance (acquired by Clearscore in 2025), who brings credit and leadership experience; Andrew Doman, former CEO of Premium Credit, who has experience building responsible financial services; and Jasper Martens, CMO of PensionBee, who brings consumer brand and direct-to-consumer marketing experience. Each advisor’s background aligns with product areas Sencillo is emphasising: credit risk, operational scale and customer acquisition.
The bigger picture
Sencillo sits at the intersection of fintech and education finance, where a handful of startups are trying to make household budgeting and credit more transparent for specific life events. The company’s approach — combining planning tools with third-party credit routed to institutions — mirrors trends in other financial verticals where firms move beyond point products to bundled, contextual services.
For UK policy and regulators, the push towards more accessible, responsible borrowing for households raises familiar questions about affordability assessments, consumer protection and the treatment of education-related payments. For investors, the deal reflects continued appetite for early-stage fintech propositions that address tangible consumer pain points, particularly those that can demonstrate clear risk controls and responsible lending practices.
Sencillo’s progress over the coming year will be a test of whether a planning-led marketplace can convince both families and education providers to change how they budget for and accept payments for schooling and childcare. The funding round and advisory line-up show the kind of cross-sector backing fintech founders often seek when building products that sit between financial services and public‑facing sectors such as education.
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