It’s important for us to be at the center of the innovation that is happening in healthcare and Plug and Play is the heart of innovation in Silicon Valley
Sunnyvale, California (PRWEB) May 12, 2016
Plug and Play’s Health Innovation Platform in Sunnyvale California continues to gain traction with AARP becoming the latest company to collaborate on the project. Joining healthcare market leaders Johnson & Johnson and Zimmer Biomet, AARP has pledged their support for Plug and Play’s Health Innovation program to advance healthcare innovation addressing our aging population.
At AARP’s April event: Health Innovations@50+ (http://health50.org), Jody Holtzman, AARP Sr. Vice President of Market Innovation declared, "It’s important for us to be at the center of the innovation that is happening in healthcare and Plug and Play is the heart of innovation in Silicon Valley”. The top 5 finalists from over 200 leading health startups in the caregiving space showcased their products, services and solutions. With many hundreds of investors, healthcare professionals, press, and entrepreneurs in attendance, The Health Innovations@50+ Event, hosted by the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale provided a platform for innovative startup companies to show how they’re disrupting healthcare for the benefit of our aging population.
At a later private healthcare seminar, Plug and Play’s Health Innovation Program Director, Alex Foster stated, "We all know there exists an increasingly urgent need for innovation across healthcare and biopharma research and development but addressing the needs of our retired and elderly populations remains a particularly critical challenge. We’re looking to innovators and entrepreneurs to develop these innovative solutions and with the help of our corporate partners we can greatly accelerate the development and market adoption of meaningful solutions. We’re honored and excited to join forces with the AARP to better tap the innovation of Silicon Valley to improve the health of our aging population.”
“We were very impressed with our finalists this year, and how their businesses will improve the lives of caregivers and those they care for,” said Jody Holtzman, senior vice president, Market Innovation, AARP. “Of a great set of companies, Penrose Senior Care Auditors stood out and was recognized by our industry expert judges. SingFit resonated the most with the 400+ people who joined us yesterday. We are now excited to work with all the finalists to support their businesses as they make critical impacts in the “50 and over” health technology sector.”
Much like traditional startup accelerators, Plug and Play's incubation model provides accepted startups office space, logistical support and IT infrastructure and direct mentorship. Plug and Play, however, stands out in the sheer size of its organization, operations, and network. Plug and Play hosts over 350 events annually and maintains an in-house and external network of thousands of mentors and advisors. Further, as an early investor in Dropbox, Paypal and Lending Club; Plug and Play has built relationships with hundreds of angel and venture capital investors. The Health Accelerator currently hosts 14 leading seed-stage and Series-A startups at its 180,000 square foot facility in Sunnyvale, CA.
"We feel the time is coming to focus our early stage investment strategy on those solutions disrupting the inefficiencies we see in HealthCare" said Candace Widdoes, Co-Founder and COO of Plug and Play's Corporate Programs. "There are many technology gaps that can be filled by our startup community and with our robust corporate network, we will make connections and create value for all involved."
About Plug and Play Tech Center
Plug and Play Tech Center is the world's largest global technology accelerator and venture fund. Since inception in 2006, its program has expanded worldwide to include entrepreneurs from 24 countries, providing necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley. With over 2000 startups incubated and 300 corporate partners, Plug and Play has created one of the largest startup ecosystems in the world. Plug and Play provides active investments with 180 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and more than 300 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised many billions in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit: http://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/health
About The AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at http://www.aarp.org.