The Academy provides a much needed bridge between best-of-breed startups and the leading organizations and distribution channels in aging and long-term care
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) September 17, 2014
Today Aging2.0 announces the launch of the Aging2.0 Academy (http://www.aging2.com/academy), a new year-long program for the top startups in aging and long-term care globally. The program, which is accepting applications through October 6, 2014, provides structured support, introductions and mentorship to help companies scale into the exploding aging and long-term care markets. The Aging2.0 team is looking for startups who are transforming the aging experience in areas including activities of daily living, memory care, end of life, fall prevention, mobility, care transitions, caregiver support, social engagement and later-life health /wellness.
Together with input from industry partners and older consumers, Aging2.0 will select a cohort of the most promising early stage companies from around the world. The chosen companies will benefit from quarterly in-person meetings with C-level executives from leading long-term care organizations, mentorship from industry experts and tailored strategic support from the Aging2.0 team and partners. Academy members will also be featured prominently at the invitation-only Aging2.0 Global Innovation Summit in May 2015.
In recent years, both the quantity and quality of entrepreneurs in aging has increased exponentially. “Mainstream technology trends such as wearables, internet of things, mobile-enabled services, robotics and big data are being thoughtfully brought to bear to address the challenges and opportunities of aging," said Aging2.0 co-founder, Stephen Johnston. “The Academy provides a much needed bridge between best-of-breed startups and the leading organizations and distribution channels in aging and long-term care.”
The Academy is run in close collaboration with Generator Ventures, Aging2.0's venture arm. Generator Ventures was launched in May 2014 in partnership with Formation Capital, a $4B private equity fund focused on senior housing and post-acute care, and has made 5 investments to date in aging-focused startups. "On the venture side, we look forward to working closely with the Academy companies and are looking for investment opportunities where we can provide not only capital but also unrivaled access to industry leaders and key distribution channels," said Katy Fike PhD, Aging2.0 co-founder.
In addition to Generator Ventures and Formation Capital, the Academy companies will work closely with some of the biggest names in the industry including Home Instead Senior Care, Brookdale, Genesis Rehab, Benchmark Senior Living, Institute on Aging, Stanford Center on Longevity, AgeTech West, ClearCare and many more.
“We’re excited to meet the next batch of startups curated by Aging2.0, and look forward to working with many of them to help take home care to the next level.” said Scott Dingfield, Chief Innovation Officer of Home Instead Senior Care.
The Academy will be based out of Aging2.0’s new headquarters in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco.
About Aging2.0: Aging2.0 (http://www.aging2.com) is a global innovation platform focused on aging and long-term care. Aging2.0 connects, educates and supports innovators through a variety of programs including the Academy, annual Global Innovation Summit, the Leaders Circle corporate partners program, local chapter events, a consumer research panel and the CoverAGE newsletter. Over the past two years, Aging2.0 has hosted more than 60 events in 15 cities across four countries and ran its first startup program (The Generator) from Nov 2013 - May 2014.