Founded in faith in the Lord, our God, humanity flourishes to the glorious future it so righteously deserves, believes Luke Whiting. Recognized today as one of the most visionary faith-tech entrepreneurs, Luke is transforming our congregation of trust―Churches, with the most advanced technology of the modern era―artificial intelligence.
Luke’s most recent endeavor, Hailo, is the personification of that belief. As the founder of this innovative SaaS platform, he is leveraging Hailo to provide data-driven insights and hyper-personalized pastoral care tools that are transforming church leaders’ capacity to serve their congregation, translating a community of trust into technology.
A Tested Record of Delivery: Luke is well-acquainted with achievement in the faith-tech industry. In the last 10 years, his startup activities have been prolific. Together with his team, he has established and exited 11 successful tech startups with a faith-based approach, raising collectively over £100M and registering multiple 8-figure valuations. This extensive network includes more than 10,000 decision-makers in global ministries, providing a solid foundation for Hailo’s launch. The platform already boasts a worldwide presence, with strategic partnerships worth £5.35M of Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) across 1,800 churches. With three continents’ worth of beta testers, Hailo is ready for hyper-growth on a scalable basis.
The Triple-Sided Marketplace: Hailo’s groundbreaking business model is founded on a triple-sided marketplace, forming a unified ecosystem for every stakeholder. The site gives congregants AI-tailored Bible tools, presents pastors with actionable church insights to better know and serve their community, and provides Christian-led businesses with their perfect audience. This distinctive architecture guarantees that Hailo delivers enormous value to all users, creating a successful digital community based on trust and mutual purpose. This model is underpinned by a robust financial strategy of recurring revenue through SaaS subscriptions and affiliate commissions, with cash-positive contracts and long-term retention already in motion.
In an exclusive interview with Insights Success, Luke spoke about his age-transformational idea in detail. Let’s understand it completely.
Luke, take us back to the moment when the idea of blending faith and artificial intelligence first took shape. Was there a specific experience or turning point that set Hailo in motion?
In 2024, I completed 3x startup exits. It was a busy year for me professionally. In September, in our usual Sunday morning Church service, I was praying to God for his direction and to go ahead of me in the next phase of my Kingdom entrepreneurial journey. A week later, a situation presented itself at Church, and the Holy Spirit gave me a gentle nudge to go and find a solution. After many weeks of validating this problem with Church Pastors and Churchgoers, I decided to attend a globally renowned accelerator to help take Hailo from 0 to 1. This was the birth of our divine and God-ordained faith-tech startup.
You’ve described Hailo as revolutionising the Church through AI. What does this mission mean to you on a personal level, and how has your faith influenced the direction you’ve taken?
As Christians, I believe we are called to be stewards. Stewards of the resources and finances God gives to us as his children. This also includes technology. In the new era of AI, we have a duty and obligation to ensure technology is redemptive and serves God’s Kingdom and His people.
1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
On a personal level, I see this is both an opportunity and an ordination – an opportunity to help Churches better serve their congregations and to create opportunities for human flourishing for believers, and an ordination for me to carry the mantle by harnessing technology for God’s glory.
What has been one of the most humbling lessons you’ve learned in this journey—and how has it shaped you as a leader?
Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, God has constantly reminded me that “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Over the past decade, God has been pruning me, refining me, and growing me to be more Christ-like through the trials and tribulations. In the storm, it’s difficult to see a way through, whether it’s been the struggles of raising investment, setbacks when rolling out a new product, or dealing with a difficult team member. But to know that God has gone before me, and that he will make a way where there seems to be no way, leaves me with no choice but to seek Him and his guidance first. I’m thankful for all the tests that have come my way. If Paul and Silas can praise in prison, then I can worship the creator of heaven and earth through my “light and momentary troubles”, as they “are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” – 2 Corinthians 4:17.
Luke, £5.35M ARR and over 1800 churches—those are remarkable numbers. But behind the stats, what’s been the most meaningful conversation or moment you’ve had with a church using Hailo?
That’s easy – I demo’d Hailo to one of the largest Church Groups in the UK a few weeks ago, and the lady on the call began crying, saying, “Imagine how many lives this could save by preventing suicide”. It caught me off guard – and I started crying too, with the overwhelm and realisation of how impactful Hailo could actually be on people’s lives, and the conviction God placed in my heart to see Hailo serve His Church and His people.
My ultimate goal, the acid test, to Hailo’s success – if I see someone walking down the street and they recognise me as the Founder of Hailo, if they come up to me and say something along the lines of “Your app saved my life” or “Your app saved my marriage” then I have the opportunity to say “God did”.
As I get older, the more I realise that titles, standing, and finance become less significant than serving God and His people. God has ordained me as a Kingdom Entrepreneur, and I want to use it all for His glory.
Hailo connects pastors, congregations, and community-led businesses in one ecosystem. How does it feel to be building something that’s not just a tool, but a movement?
When you’re doing God’s work, it doesn’t feel like work. This was a God-given idea; I am merely His steward and servant. I feel privileged that he has chosen and commissioned me to lead this venture. It was only through his divine grace that he impressed on my heart to build something that serves the Church, believers, and Christian-led service providers.
Our ecosystem was built to empower believers, equip church leaders, and elevate service providers. By connecting them, Hailo not only increases insights and communication, but creates opportunities for Human Flourishing – for Pastors, we reduce pressure and stress leading to burnout, for believers, we ensure their needs are more accurately met through hyper-personalised support, scripture and services, and for businesses, we give them direct access to a captive audience who are actively looking for their services.
AI in faith spaces can seem unusual to some. How do you personally view technology’s role in spiritual care, and how do you maintain that balance between innovation and reverence?
First and foremost, we’re not building an app to replace or diminish the importance of the Holy Spirit. As believers, we should always be led by and continue to seek guidance from the holy spirit. Our mandate is to help people seek the word of God and relate it to their current circumstances and challenges. Rather than seeking validation and answers from the world or Chat-GPT, we believe there’s a better way: seek answers from the Holy Bible.
Every founder faces resistance. Was there ever a moment when you questioned this path? If so, what helped you re-align with your mission?
They do indeed, and even more so when you’re a Kingdom Founder. God’s word, in Ephesians 6:12, says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” It’s therefore even harder when you’re rooted in Christ and have committed to doing works for His Kingdom. The devil wants to kill, steal, and destroy what God has ordained me to do through Hailo. So yes, there are many difficulties and challenges I’ve faced, from funding delays to having to defer staff hiring. However, I’ve never questioned this path. Sure, I could likely run a successful secular tech company, and I have plenty of validated ideas that could earn me more money, and I would likely have the same success without the setbacks. But that would be disobeying God, and my place in eternity is too important to compromise. Each day, like Honi did in the 1st Century BC, I circle my prayers. I commit my hands and labour to God, with the confidence that ‘The Lord himself goes before me and will be with me; he will never leave me nor forsake me’ – Deuteronomy 31:8.
As Hailo scales across continents, what’s the personal legacy you hope to leave through this work?
That through Hailo, God’s love dwells upon the lives of our users, and they will be transformed into oaks of righteousness. Just as Isaiah wrote in Chapter 61, of the Messiah bringing good news to the poor and oppressed, I have been anointed by God to build a platform that provides opportunities for human flourishing for His people.
You’re currently raising a Pre-Seed SEIS/EIS round. What kind of individuals or values do you look for in investors—and how important is alignment with your mission?
I am a servant leader, and despite my iniquities and flawed nature, I try to model myself on Christ-like character. Investors are never just investors; they’re shareholders, owners, beneficiaries, and stakeholders. It’s therefore important that there is cultural and missional alignment, and that they operate with the fruits of the Spirit. We’re a commercial company, leading with our purpose and values; therefore, any investor we approach, or who approaches us, should be rooted in combining profit and purpose.
For aspiring founders working at the intersection of faith and technology, what advice would you offer to help them remain both purpose-driven and commercially viable?
For founders at the intersection of faith and technology, remember that purpose and profit are not enemies, but profit must always serve purpose. Anchor your vision in prayer, seeking God’s wisdom for each step, because you should “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3). Build products that solve real problems while reflecting Kingdom values, and let excellence be your witness in the marketplace. When the mission is clear and the heart stays surrendered, commercial viability becomes a byproduct of faithful stewardship.
What’s something you’re still learning—about leadership, about faith, or even about yourself?
To continue seeking God’s guidance on not just the big things, but the small things. I’ve recently been working on my daily rhythm of grace and cadence to ensure that God is at the centre of my life and my working day.
A Call to Investors: With a clear vision and proven traction, Luke is now embarking on a Pre-Seed funding round. Luke is looking for investors who share his passion for faith, tech, and scalable disruption. With offices in the UK but a global orientation, Luke is looking to grow his team, step up development, and scale acquisition to further establish Hailo as a force for transformation in the faith-tech space. He invites investors who are willing to make a substantial difference with quantifiable returns to join him on this endeavor.
