Cubbi App: A Money-Saving Lifeline for Parents
Birmingham sisters Olivia and Tanyka Davson have launched Cubbi, a money-saving app for parents that functions like 'Unidays for parents,' after securing investment from Dragon's Den. The app offers discounts on everything from baby essentials to fitness, beauty, and coffee treats for busy parents.
Origin Story: A Coffee Shop Epiphany
Olivia Davson had a lightbulb moment while sitting in a coffee shop with her eight-week-old son screaming. Looking up at the wall, the Smethwick mum saw a poster offering student discounts and found it odd that similar deals weren't available for this equally crucial time of life. She called her sister Tanyka, and together they created Cubbi.
"Olivia called me with the idea and we both said why doesn't this exist?" said Tanyka. "In fact, it's what everyone has said to us ever since. This is the time when parents are financially much more conscious and emotionally in need of support so why isn't there an app with discounts for new parents?"
Local Impact: Birmingham's Parental Poverty
In Birmingham alone, around 15,000 babies are born each year, with 46% of children living in poverty, highlighting how many families navigate these pressures at a local level. The sisters designed Cubbi to specifically support families throughout pregnancy and the first 18 months of their child's life, drawing on their own experience to help parents save money on things they are already spending on, from feeding products to maternity essentials.
Launch and Viral Growth
Cubbi launched in February 2024 with 30 brands on board, including baby essentials from Mamas and Papas and Silver Cross prams, discounts at Pizza Hut and Currys, and on brands like Cult Beauty and Crocs. Within two weeks, it went viral on Instagram with more than 5,000 downloads in a day. Tanyka realised her homemade app couldn't withstand that much interaction, so they had to rebuild it.
"It's like Unidays for new parents," explained Tanyka, who works with Birmingham Women's Hospital and the West Midlands Combined Authority Accelerator. "We try to offer discounts on everything you might want to buy as a new parent, not just for your baby but for yourself too. People tend to spend a lot on their baby but feel guilty about spending on themselves. Having 10 or 20% off helps a lot of parents feel a bit less guilty. That's our mission."
Current Discounts and Free Coffee
Current Cubbi discounts include 20% off Tommee Tippee feeding products, 15% off Momcozy maternity and breastfeeding items, and savings across Adidas, 35% off Domino's, £5 off Grind coffee, and free coffee for new parents at Boston Tea Party. The app also offers discounts on attractions such as Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, LEGOLAND Windsor, Madame Tussauds, and the London Eye.
Olivia, now a mother of two aged three and one, said: "Parental leave can be one of the most financially challenging periods people face. Your income changes overnight, but your spending often increases just as quickly. What we're seeing is that it's not always the big purchases that have the biggest impact. It's the everyday spending, coffees, lunches, baby essentials, that really adds up over time. Having access to small but consistent savings can make a genuine difference to how manageable that period feels."
Dragon's Den Investment and Future Plans
The sisters appeared on Dragon's Den a week before Olivia gave birth to her second baby. They secured investment from Susie Ma after impressing the panel with the app's focus on supporting new parents through the financial realities of early parenthood. "The reaction from Dragon's Den was incredible," said Tanyka, who now lives in Surrey but spends time in Smethwick working with Olivia. "One of the questions was about why it's only for parents on maternity or paternity leave and why we didn't offer tailored support for parents with older children? It's something we're now looking at doing later this year."
The sisters also plan to roll out a map feature where users can get discounts at small independent businesses in their area, trialling it in Birmingham first.
