Using digital innovation to give carers time for what matters most

Developed with support from the Foundational Economy Innovation Fund, Wisterias is an AI-assisted care management platform built by people with first-hand experience of the sector. By cutting paperwork and simplifying day-to-day tasks, it’s helping care providers focus more time on person-centred support.

In 2020, Tsitsi Mtasa found herself working in her family’s care business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been furloughed from her HR role, she stepped in to help on the frontline, and saw first-hand the systemic pressures facing care workers.

“There were days when we’d spend over an hour just doing the rota,” she remembers. “Then there were compliance checks, handwritten notes, and lost paperwork. And all the while, you’re trying to be there for people, listening to them and providing proper care.”

One moment stayed with her. After helping an older woman with her daily care tasks, Tsitsi was about to rush off to catch up on admin, but instead paused to ask about the woman’s grandson. “She lit up,” Tsitsi says. “Just that little bit of conversation changed her whole day. And it struck me: how many of these moments are we missing because carers are buried in paperwork?”

That’s when the idea for Wisterias began to take shape – a way to use technology to create space for stronger relationships and better care.

A platform built for real-life challenges

Wisterias is a cloud-based, AI-assisted care management platform designed specifically for nursing homes, supported living services and domiciliary care providers. The system combines key operational functions – from scheduling and medication management to compliance and care planning – into one intuitive, digital platform.

What sets Wisterias apart, says Founder and CEO Tsitsi, is the depth of insight behind it. “We’ve worked in the industry and we know what it’s like to be a carer, a manager, a provider. Every feature we’ve built is grounded in that reality.”

The platform is easy to use, affordable, and accessible on carers’ own mobile devices, which is particularly useful for smaller providers that don’t have the capacity to invest in additional hardware. A new mobile app works even in areas with poor connectivity and provides real-time updates straight to staff.

Thanks to built-in AI tools, users can now digitise paper-based documentation in minutes, significantly reducing manual workloads while improving security and compliance. “With Wisterias, you can automate record-keeping, get instant visibility, and manage care teams more effectively,” Tsitsi explains. “For example, because the system updates in real time, when a carer’s rota changes, they’re notified instantly. It’s a system that’s fast, flexible, and designed to reduce stress for staff on the ground.”

How the Innovation Fund helped

In 2022, initial support from the Foundational Economy Innovation Fund gave Tsitsi’s idea room to grow. A £10,000 grant enabled the team to design and develop a working prototype of the care management software.

Working in collaboration with health professionals, they identified core clinical needs and built features such as daily activity recording, a body map tool, training matrix, dashboard, and a user-friendly rostering system. The funding also supported internal and external testing, including a mini-pilot with local care providers to gather real feedback and make improvements.

“We weren’t just building a product,” says Tsitsi. “We were building something carers would actually want to use. That meant testing, listening, and getting it right from the start.”

In early 2024, the team applied for almost £50,000 to enhance development and prepare for launch. “The Innovation Fund allowed us to scale,” says Tsitsi. “We expanded core features, developed the mobile app, brought in professional testers, and refined the product based on real feedback.” Early users helped the team identify pain points and make meaningful refinements, from interface tweaks to optimised rostering tools that support last-minute changes with ease.

The Innovation Fund also boosted the young company’s credibility: “Being backed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority gave us added legitimacy when approaching local care providers to trial the platform,” notes Tsitsi.

Meeting a clear market need

By mid-2025, Wisterias had hired marketing and sales staff, run dozens of product demos, and begun onboarding customers across Greater Manchester. “We’re ready now,” says Tsitsi. “We’ve got a product that works, a team that believes in it, and a real appetite in the market. Around 30% of UK care providers still rely on paper-based systems, so there’s a massive need out there. A lot of the digital tools on the market just aren’t fit for purpose – they’re too expensive, too complicated, or not built with carers in mind.”

The impact is already showing. Early adopters report significant time savings – up to an hour a day in some cases – and improved visibility across services. And that time, Tsitsi says, is being reinvested where it matters most. “Real care is about connection,” she says. “We’ve built a system that gives time back to the people doing the most important work – and that’s how you make real change.”

Visit the Wisterias website to find out more (external website).