Finnio - a venture facilitating later-in-life equity release for a better retirement

Interested? Have questions? Sign up to our webinar on Nov 3rd @ 16:00 to find out more!

Role overview

Mission Studio is Nesta’s mission-led venture studio. When we have a validated concept that we believe can become a successful and impactful business we look for a founder to build alongside us and lead the business into the future. As a founder with Mission Studio, you’ll receive a living stipend for our 6 month build process, alongside additional funds to build an MVP and test with real customers. You’ll also have the full support of our team of experienced builders, designers, founders and technologists, and the chance to pitch for £200k in pre-seed funding at the end of the build process.

About Finnio - our latest concept

Many UK homeowners in later life are asset rich but cash poor, and are facing rising costs of living. They want to make their homes more comfortable and energy efficient, but often lack the upfront capital to do so. Finnio exists to change that.

Finnio is a modern platform designed to help older homeowners explore safe, transparent ways to unlock the value tied up in their homes to fund later in life needs - starting with home retrofits - and ensure a comfortable retirement. The platform connects and coordinates key stakeholders - including homeowners, funding partners, and retrofit merchants - creating a smooth, digital experience for all parties.

How it works (initial hypothesis):

1. Engages and educates customers: Finnio identifies and helps homeowners understand their options for accessing home equity in later life and for financing energy upgrades.
2. Simplify the process*: Finnio brings together the data, tools, and third-party services needed to progress from interest to implementation (e.g. data gathering, valuations, eligibility checks, retrofit quotes, etc.)
3. Coordinate Delivery: Where funding is secured via third-party partners, Finnio facilitates a transparent process for payments to verified merchants, alongside project tracking.

*In future, Finnio may evolve to offer or arrange financial products directly, subject to appropriate regulatory permissions.

For Finnio’s founder, we’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience in fintech, lending, climate finance, or green home energy - ideally with a grounding in mortgages, credit products, structured finance or capital markets e.g. as a founder, analyst, or senior product manager.
• Is comfortable with financial modeling, credit risk assessment, and unit economics for loan or asset-backed products.
• Understands the mechanics of lending infrastructure: from loan origination systems and KYC to securitization and capital structuring.
• Has experience setting up or working within regulated environments (FCA, PRA, or equivalent), and can bridge compliance and innovation.
• Is familiar with open banking, data integrations, or API-driven financial products, and how these can enhance credit decisioning and UX.
• Is driven by impact, especially around climate, aging, or financial inclusion.
• Thrives in fast-paced, uncertain environments, transforming challenges into opportunities
• Is scrappy and resourceful – takes initiative and is proactively able to get things done with low resources when needed
• Is exceptional at inspiring and leading teams to achieve shared goals in an inclusive environment
• Is a skilled storyteller, effective at communicating with diverse audiences and stakeholders

At Mission Studio we're focused on working with talented individuals who want to build soaring, impactful ventures. You don't need to have founded a unicorn in a past life to be the perfect person to do this. You may have deep domain knowledge, you may have worked in a startup team before and are ready to take the next step, or you've worked in leadership in a larger organisation and are keen to have the freedom to run at a problem in your own way. Whatever it is, if you care about the problem Finnio is trying to solve and think you have the grit to bring it to life - we want to hear from you.

Our offer to you:

• A de-risked concept with initial inroads into relevant customer and partner networks
• A living stipend of ~£4k per month for up to 6 months whilst you build with us
• 25k of additional funds to support the build and launch of the company
• Dedicated, hands-on operational support from a passionate team specialising in venture design and building, product development, fundraising, tech, and strategic partnerships
• Access to Nesta’s mission-relevant internal and external networks
• The opportunity at the end of 6 months to pitch for an additional £200K investment and establish the venture as an independent company - and receive a majority equity stake in the new company

We want our startups to represent the diversity of the people and communities they serve . This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful. See our EDI commitments for more information.

Making an application

To apply for this role, please submit your application before 21:00 on Sunday 9th November.

Interviews will be held on a rolling basis, but will likely take place from w/c 10th November.

Finnio is part of Mission Studio

Mission Studio is dedicated to creating, launching and scaling startups that address some of the UK’s biggest social challenges. From achieving net zero to tackling obesity to striving for equal outcomes for children born into disadvantage, we’re not just building great businesses, we’re designing impactful solutions for a better future.

Backed by a world-class venture design and building process, dedicated capital, experienced operators providing hands-on support, as well as Nesta’s ecosystem of experts, research and partnerships, we partner with founders to build incredible companies.

Mission Studio is led by Kenny Ewan (ex-Founder of Wefarm, the world's largest farming network, reaching 5 million users and raising over $35mn in VC investment). Kenny and the wider team bring decades of startup experience to support you on your journey, doing whatever it takes to help you and your venture succeed.