Techstars Future of Longevity Accelerator Announces Class of 2021
Nov 08, 2021
Techstars is delighted to announce the 2021 class of the Techstars Future of Longevity Accelerator, run in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda French Gates to advance social progress in the United States. The Accelerator, which has quickly emerged as the premier ecosystem for supporting early stage innovation in the category, focuses on innovative solutions to address the unmet needs of older adults and their caregivers. Program themes include aging in place, caregiver support, care coordination, financial wellness, preventive health, and social engagement.
The 13-week program, which begins today, marks the culmination of months of sourcing, screening, and interviewing, to select ten of the most promising startups in the category among the hundreds of applicants and thousands of startups reviewed. This class represents the second year of the accelerator, following a successful inaugural program in 2020.
The founding teams of the selected companies will build strong relationships with thought leaders in the longevity space and leverage a mentor network of industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, investors, and prospective partners. Each company will use the program to accelerate the development of their solutions, and by the end of the program the companies will have engaged with over 100 mentors, formed deep relationships across the Techstars and Pivotal Ventures’ global networks, iterated on their product, business model and growth milestones, and mastered the ability to communicate their vision. The class will showcase their progress in a Demo Day the week of February 14, 2022.
“The care management of older adults is broken, and HealthHive’s audacious goal is to create a community of caregiving around the individual by moving them, as well as their caregivers, to the center of care and engagement,” said Stephen Farber, CEO of HealthHive, a 2021 Techstars Future of Longevity company. “We could ask for no greater team to help us refine and fulfill our objectives than the highly complementary combination of Techstars and Pivotal.”
The 2021 Techstars Future of Longevity Class represents the experience, tenacity and deep connection to finding solutions in this space during a time when isolation, financial security, and care navigation have an outsized impact on seniors and caregivers. The class also demonstrates our commitment to invest in diverse-led teams with the majority of the companies being led by underrepresented CEOs, including half by women.
Pivotal Ventures views innovation addressing unpaid caregiving as a huge market opportunity. Pivotal’s goal for this accelerator is to advance solutions empowering older adults to live with greater well-being and dignity, while alleviating the pressures on the people who care for them.
“By advancing innovative solutions in caregiving, we can move toward a future in which everyone has access to quality care solutions, and care is a source of comfort and joy, rather than stress and sacrifice” said Jennifer Stybel, Caregiving Lead at Pivotal Ventures.
Here are the companies that make up the Techstars Future of Longevity Class of 2021:
ABBY by GOGOTECH
ABBY is an all new lightweight, portable, personal electric vehicle for people with reduced mobility. Designed for daily life and loaded with groundbreaking advanced features including power-assist, machine vision & IoT, ABBY makes powered mobility affordable for all those who need it regardless of their insurance coverage or income.
Better Coliving
Better Coliving is the first platform for single-family home coliving for the 55+ demographic in the U.S. Better Coliving enables homeowners to earn income by sharing their homes, and provides guests with naturally affordable housing in neighborhoods they love, all while building community and addressing the challenges of loneliness that many face.
https://www.bettercoliving.com/
BRIGHT
BRIGHT is a health and technology company that designs products and develops habits for brain health. BRIGHT fast-tracks cutting-edge scientific research for families battling Alzheimer’s disease and those who want to prevent it. With BRIGHT BEACON40, users can tap into the benefits of 40Hz light therapy to improve sleep, mental acuity, memory and attention.
HealthHive
HealthHive is a digital platform that creates a “community of caring” around older adults. By integrating into existing clinical systems and workflows and involving a broad care team, HealthHive allows both caregivers and care recipients to feel empowered throughout the care coordination journey, resulting in both improved outcomes and cost savings.
MyFitPod
MyFitPod has built a business in the box solution which includes a platform and Saas marketplace for independent fitness & wellness professionals to serve and connect with the aging population and their caregivers.
OndeCare
OndeCare reinvents in-home dependent care, providing families a flexible solution to their caregiving needs, professional caregivers worthwhile jobs, and businesses a timely employee benefit.
Saeidan
Saeidan’s Ask Claire and Claire's List are digital platforms that transform the Medicare plan-selection process. Saeidan uses data and technology to tailor guidance to beneficiaries' needs and values, enable more confident decisions, and drive change for older adults and those caring for them.
Kinumi (f/k/a The Ilera Companies, Inc.)
Kinumi's LIV™ (Life in View) platform brings the joy back into family caregiving by supporting active, independent older adults in maintaining and improving their health, happiness, and social engagement. LIV™ is a people plus technology solution that combines the personal touch of a CareConcierge™ with the convenience and scalability of a digital platform that allows older adults and their caregivers to more seamlessly request services, manage appointments, and track health goals all in one place.
Vivo
Vivo is an online, live & interactive fitness program for adults 55 and older with a focus on increasing strength and function. Vivo uses assessments to measure progress, includes cognitive training, and creates community and social engagement that drive participation and retention.
Wave Therapeutics
Wave Therapeutics has developed disruptive, affordable smart cushioning technology to prevent bedsores, save lives, and significantly reduce a major healthcare expense for patients and facilities alike.
http://wavetherapeuticsinc.com/
About Pivotal Ventures
Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company, accelerates social progress in the United States. We remove barriers to equality and opportunity through investments, partnerships, and advocacy.
About Techstars
Techstars is the most active pre-seed investor in the world having invested through its accelerators in more than 4,000 companies. Founded in 2006, Techstars believes that entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to invest in an unprecedented number of startups per year enabling more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. www.techstars.com
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