Five GrannyTech startups keeping grandparents fully occupied
LONDON: Startups have to keep foraging for new markets and now a clutch of upstarts has alighted upon the seniors market.
Each of these startups was founded in the last few years, has a cool innovative product or service, and shows promising signs, such as recently raising funding, or growing their team. So let’s get to it:
Colette – Colette, founded in 2019, is a French social impact startup creating a co-living solution for students and young workers, by finding accommodation with seniors’ who have a spare room in their home. The startup offers a mutual benefit for young people and seniors. It helps young people to access affordable housing and also to help seniors combat loneliness. They have launched in Paris with the intention of expanding across France and then eventually to other European cities. Colette recently raised €1 million in funding.
Cutii – Cutii, founded in 2015, is a companion robot dedicated to improve the wellbeing of elderly people at home and in senior living communities. Cutii stands at 1.2m to 1.45m tall (its height varies as it has an adjustable neck) with voice control features. It can also autonomously navigate itself. Through Cutii, seniors in care homes can make video calls to their family and friends, access entertainment through activities like watching videos, games, and readings, and also have teleconsultations with doctors. Cutii is designed in Roubaix, France. The company currently employs 15 people and is also expanding across the US.
KOMP by No Isolation – KOMP is a one-button computer that serves as a communication device for seniors. Through KOMP, families and friends can share photos and messages, and make video calls with elders. KOMP is designed with the fact that seniors today are not typically tech savvy. Seniors were involved in the process of designing KOMP, and it is easy to use with an uncomplicated user interface. KOMP was developed by Norwegian startup, No Isolation (founded in 2015) that is on a mission to reduce social isolation and involuntary loneliness through communication tools.
Alphonse – Alphonse started as “Les Talents d’Alphonse” which was a platform for young retirees to offer their skills to the younger population. After 3 years of running Les Talents d’Alphonse, they have engaged over 60,000+ young retirees and 40,000 hours of knowledge sharing between generations. Last year, they shifted their business to help people transition into retirement. They do this through their training programmes to prepare people for retirement to assist with creating retirement plans and their weekly newsletter with tips on how people can enjoy their retirement. Alphonse was founded in 2016, is based in Paris and has around 20 employees.
Entoureo – Entoureo (founded in 2019) is a French startup that helps people to create a box of memories with seniors in their family. Each Entoureo box comes with recording equipment and thematic interview guides. With the box, people record the conversations that they have with their family. Entoureo transcribes conversations automatically, people can add photos in to digital books through their website then order physical copies of the books. Digital copies of the transcriptions and books are also stored safely on Entoureo’s platform. Entoureo’s box is a wholesome way to bring families together, people to learn more about their families’ history, and preserve seniors’ memories.
