ACS has three innovation labs in Australia – Harbour City Labs in Sydney, River City Labs in Brisbane, and Bay City Labs in Melbourne.

‘A Look in the Labs’ is an Information Age series profiling the high-growth startups based in our labs – what they do, their ambitions, and the advantages they’ve gained being based at the ACS Innovation Labs.

This week, we speak with Rebecca Dredge, founder and CEO of Kiddo.

Business Kiddo

Established 2019

CEO Rebecca Dredge

Based at River City Labs, Brisbane

Online at Website, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin


What does your business/product do and how does it help people/other businesses?

Kiddo App gives parents more time and freedom by connecting them to local, verified, affordable babysitters and nannies instantly. Our vision is to become the world's leading platform for the provision of in-home care for young and old.

How did the idea for your business come about?

One day when my husband and I were holidaying, we saw people going to dinner while we were prisoners in our hotel room. I thought that there had to be a better way to find a babysitter so parents could enjoy themselves – whether at home or when travelling with children.

We have apps for groceries, ride shares and just about everything else in life. With so much information available on everything, except for babysitting, I knew that this was a service that was needed.

As a working mother, I struggled finding time for myself and finding my ‘village’. Many of my friends had young children and my parents lived far away.

I knew this was a common problem many parents experienced. So, I wanted to create an app that helped parents when it came to finding care for their children.

Was being an entrepreneur always one of your life’s goals and what have you learned about being an entrepreneur?

When I was young I wanted to be an accountant with my own firm. Shortly after finishing uni and working in the field I realised my passion was helping others live better lives.

I don't know if anyone ever sets out to be an entrepreneur, but I always knew inside of me that I had the capacity to run my own business.

It took a career of 15 years to bring together all the professional experience and life experiences I needed to be truly ready.

I have learnt that every day is a roller coaster, there are plenty of highs and lows, but most importantly you never stop learning and the people you meet are just incredible and make it all worth it!

What has been the biggest challenge and the biggest milestone for your business so far?

My biggest challenge was physically launching Kiddo. I started my Kiddo journey with a toddler and no previous tech experience. It was an extremely busy 6 months in the lead up to launch, overseeing the build and design of the Kiddo (on a bootstrapped budget).

I also had ensure we had a Kiddo community of parents and registered carers ready to use the app when we launched. We had sufficient supply and demand and have continued to grow!

Kiddo’s biggest milestone was recently pitching at the conclusion of the River City Labs’ Active Plus Accelerator. It was a time to reflect on how far we had come, share our plan for the future, and open our seed raise round!

Where would you like your business to be in two years?

Kiddo will be a household name, we will serve parents Australia and New Zealand wide.

Our services will have also expanded to Aged Care to ensure we provide customers the full experience when it comes to in-home care.

What is the best business or life advice you’ve ever been given?

To never give up, with hard work and grit anyone can accomplish anything. My mother taught me this at a young age and it has stuck with me with everything I have done since.

What made you decide to move into the ACS Innovation Labs and how has it assisted your business?

I was lucky enough to come into RCL with the June intake of the Activate Plus Accelerator. It has been the best thing that has happened to Kiddo.

Being part of a wider ecosystem has helped us grow, made meaningful connections and really helped amplify our brand and future.

For more information on the ACS Innovation Labs, visit the websites of Harbour City Labs in Sydney, River City Labs in Brisbane, and Bay City Labs in Melbourne. If you're interested in joining successful Australian businesses in the ACS Innovation Labs, email scale@acs.org.au