Working parents of four children Patrick and Julie Menary came to their wits’ end with traditional childcare. They struggled to find a suitable option. And those they did find were inflexible and expensive. So, they combined their skills and experience to build an alternative.
Inside Small Business: Can you tell us briefly about your respective professional backgrounds prior to launching this venture?
Julie Menary: I spent more than a decade building my career across payments, fintech and business development. I also spent several years in cyber security, specialising in identity verification, fraud prevention and secure digital transactions. I learned the importance of building trust in digital platforms and removing friction from customer experiences. Today, many of those same principles underpin NannyLane, particularly our focus on safety and verification.
Patrick Menary: My background spans property, HR technology, banking and payments. I have a strong focus on business development, strategic partnerships and growth. I relish solving real-world problems and identifying opportunities where technology can improve outcomes for everyday people. NannyLane is a natural extension of that philosophy. We are now appliying that mantra to one of the most important and challenging areas of family life – childcare.
ISB: What was the inspiration behind you launching NannyLane?
PM: Our own experience as working parents raising four children. Like many families, we constantly found ourselves juggling work commitments and family responsibilities. We were often surprised by how difficult it was to find trusted care when we needed it most.
The moment that really sparked the idea came when I was unexpectedly delayed at work while Julie was home with our newborn. Our older children needed to be collected from school, family members weren’t available, and there was no way to find trusted help at short notice. I remember thinking, “Why can I organise a ride, order a meal or book accommodation in minutes, but finding trusted childcare is still so difficult?”
The more we spoke to friends, colleagues and other parents, the more we realised that our experience wasn’t unique. That’s when we decided to stop looking for a solution and start building one ourselves.
ISB: When and where did you launch the business?
JM: We launched NannyLane nationally in June 2026. Although our headquarters are based in Sydney, we designed NannyLane from day one to serve families across Australia. Since launch, we’ve welcomed families and nannies from every state and territory, with particularly strong uptake in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Encouragingly, we’re also seeing from regional and coastal communities, where childcare options can often be even more limited.
ISB: Can you give us a brief description of the technology behind the app, and what that tech enables you to offer in terms of service and convenience for parents?
PM: NannyLane combines robust verification technology with a simple user experience designed specifically for busy families. Most Australians are already comfortable booking accommodation through Airbnb, arranging transport through Uber, or hiring services through Airtasker. We designed NannyLane with a similarly intuitive experience, allowing families to search, review, book and pay for childcare.
Parents can book verified nannies directly through the platform, communicate via in-app messaging, track nanny/child location with live GPS, and make secure payments without leaving the app. The platform also incorporates identity verification, Working-with-Children certification, secure payment infrastructure and thorough, manual profile reviews.
ISB: Given that you are arranging for ‘strangers’ to go into families’ homes and look after their kids, what safeguards have you built in to ensure customers’ trust and security?
JM: Trust and safety sit at the heart of everything we do. As parents ourselves, we understand that nothing is more important than knowing that your children are in safe hands. We built NannyLane with child safety as our highest priority from day one.
Every nanny must complete government-issued ID verification and hold valid Working-with-Children certification to be on the platform. We also review, encourage, and display additional credentials such as First Aid certification, CPR training, Police Checks, qualifications, references and verified reviews.
Importantly, our team manually review applications rather than relying solely on automated systems. Families can view a nanny’s experience, credentials and reviews before making a booking, helping them make informed decisions with complete transparency. In addition, NannyLane’s live GPS tracking feature provides an additional layer of visibility during active bookings, giving families real-time insight into where care is being provided.
ISB: What is NannyLane’s USP in terms of providing an affordable service at a time when the general cost of living, and the cost of childcare in particular, is rising sharply?
PM: Australia’s childcare system is under significant pressure. Families are facing rising childcare costs and long waiting lists, with many parents even being forced to reduce work hours or turn down opportunities because they simply can’t access care when they need it.
By connecting families and nannies directly through technology, we’re able to eliminate many of the overheads and placement fees traditionally associated with childcare agencies. This helps keep childcare more accessible for families while allowing nannies to retain more of their earnings.
Beyond affordability, we’re also providing something many families desperately need – flexibility. Whether it’s a few hours after school, evening care, weekend support or childcare while travelling, families can access care that fits around their lives rather than being restricted by traditional models.
