illumine Raises $2.5M For AI-Powered Childcare Management Platform

illumine, an AI-first vertical SaaS platform for childcare management, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding led by Prime Venture Partners. The funds will drive product innovation and international expansion, positioning illumine as a global standard in childcare software.

Founded by Navneet Rastogi, Sourabh Agarwal, and Purva Goyal, illumine was inspired by a deeply personal story. Rastogi, the CEO, missed witnessing his son’s first steps while the child was at daycare. “I only found out weeks later,” Rastogi shared. “It was heartbreaking. That’s when I realized how broken communication in childcare really is.”

Out of that emotional disconnect came a bold vision: to empower parents, educators, and centers through an intelligent platform that bridges communication gaps and automates administrative chaos.

Solving a Global Childcare Crisis with AI

As dual-income households rise globally, so does the demand for quality childcare. Yet, most daycare centers still rely on fragmented systems or outdated manual processes. illumine addresses this massive gap with the world’s first vertical AI platform tailored exclusively for the childcare industry.

Already trusted by over 3,000 centers across 56 countries — including the U.S., UAE, Southeast Asia, Europe, and India — the platform digitizes everything from attendance and billing to daily reports, media sharing, and curriculum planning.

“Parents are spending thousands each year on early education, but the experience remains frustratingly analog,” said Shripati Acharya, Partner at Prime Venture Partners. “illumine is changing that with a purpose-built AI solution that simplifies childcare operations while enhancing trust and transparency for families.”

AI That Understands the Nuances of Childcare

Unlike generic school management software, illumine’s SaaS based childcare platform is built from the ground up to address the unique needs of early childhood educators. “At illumine, AI isn’t just about automation — it’s about augmenting human connection,” explained Sourabh Agarwal, CTO. Whether for a single preschool or a multi-location franchise, illumine’s flexible infrastructure ensures every feature adapts to the context of the center.

CPO Purva Goyal emphasized the platform’s global usability: “We’ve designed illumine to work seamlessly across cultures, geographies, and pedagogical styles. From Montessori to play-based learning, it fits.”

L-R – Purva Goyal (Co-founder and CPO), Sourabh Agarwal (Co-founder and CTO), and Navneet Rastogi (Co-founder and CEO)

Future of Early Learning

With the fresh $2.5 million infusion, illumine aims to deepen its AI capabilities, enhance parent-educator communication, and support childcare providers in scaling their businesses. The company is also investing in localized support teams as it expands further into North America, the Middle East, and Europe.