UKTV has announced an investment in Rest Less, the UK’s fastest growing digital platform for people aged 50 and older, using its multi-million-pound investment fund, UKTV Ventures.
With over 1 million members in the UK, Rest Less is a digital platform and advocate designed to support midlifers to get the most out of life. Through a digital platform and mobile app, Rest Less offers a comprehensive range of services and resources specifically tailored to the needs of people aged over 50, covering travel, jobs and careers, money and pensions, health, dating, lifelong learning, and much more.
Founded in 2018 by Stuart Lewis and Sara Stephens in response to seeing their family members experience a lack of support for midlife career moves and transitioning into retirement, Rest Less also champions age inclusion and challenges ageist stereotypes – both in the workplace and in life in general.
UKTV Ventures’ £1.5 million “airtime-for-equity” investment has seen Rest Less launch a TV advertising campaign, running through to 2026, on UKTV’s seven linear channels – U&Dave, U&W, U&GOLD, U&alibi, U&DRAMA, U&YESTERDAY, and U&eden. Rest Less will benefit from access to an audience of over 25 million viewers a month and in return, UKTV will gain an equity stake in the business.
Stuart Lewis, Co-Founder and CEO of Rest Less, said: “The population of people aged 50 and older is growing rapidly and yet is chronically ignored and underserved. Our mission at Rest Less is to change that for our members by providing access to the services, resources and opportunities to get the most out of life. We’re delighted to partner with Brendan and the team at UKTV to launch a new TV campaign so more midlifers hear about the benefits of joining the Rest Less community in 2025.”
Last April, UKTV Ventures made a £1 million investment in online care marketplace Elder. https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2024/04/22/uktv-ventures-agrees-airtime-for-equity-deal-with-online-care-marketplace/
Brendan Kilcawley, Director of UKTV Ventures, added: “Stuart, Sara and their team at Rest Less have created a fantastic platform and resource, bringing countless benefits to their growing community of over 50s, across every area of their lives – from travel, work and finances to health and learning. We’re confident that the Rest Less platform and proposition will resonate with many midlife viewers across the UKTV network, especially as they look to take on new adventures, find new interests, or make life-changes for the new year.”
UKTV Ventures helps companies new to TV advertising build their brand and scale through TV advertising. Similar to venture capital, UKTV Ventures is a funding model which invests airtime, instead of cash, in burgeoning high-growth companies looking to accelerate their growth.
