Seniors, usually defined as individuals over the age of 65, are a key part of the US population. With advancements in technology and healthcare, the life expectancy of individuals has been steadily increasing, resulting in seniors making up a larger portion of the general population and amassing more wealth. With these advancements come opportunities to help seniors age in place or live independently, make healthcare more accessible, find caregivers more easily, make caregiving more straightforward, engage in social activities, and plan their estates. The Age Tech industry focuses on these aspects of seniors’ lives.
Age Tech solutions fall into six categories: independent living, caregiving platforms, healthcare and wellness, caregiver and healthcare provider technology platforms, social and communication platforms, and end-of-life planning solutions. These solutions aim to help seniors enjoy their senior years and make use of ever-evolving technological advancements while maintaining their place in society.
The growth of the Age Tech market is enabled by factors such as technological advancements making these services more accessible, while driven by factors such as the increasing senior population, comparatively high wealth levels of seniors, caregiving shortages leading to a rise in alternatives, and a growing willingness among seniors to lead more active lives. Factors such as a lack of willingness to share personal data and resistance to adopting new technologies, however, pose risks to the industry.
The age tech market primarily includes products that enable seniors to age-in-place. This includes five broad segments: 1) products and services promoting Independence, 2) healthcare and wellness related products, 3) caregiver platforms, 4) social and communication platforms, and 5) end-of-life planning.
In addition to the five segments above, the industry also includes products for caregivers and medical professionals. Notably, among the disruptors and watchlist companies, most of the companies catered to the independence and caregiver and healthcare provider technology platforms segments. Around half of the companies identified were in the go-to-market stage.
The age tech industry comprises a vast range of players, with relatively unique offerings, catering to four broad segments. The broad segments indicate the overall goal of the product; however, companies tend to cater to more niche subsegments in the market. Honor, the largest caregiver platform, enables the elderly and their family to find caregiving professionals, and is the highest funded disruptor across all broad segments.
Leading players in the independence segment are the next highest funded disruptors. This includes innovative hearing-aid manufacturer, Eargo, mobility service provider, WHILL, and digital companionship provider, Intuition Robotics.
Incumbents in the healthcare and wellness related products segments mainly comprise of legacy players in home care or emergency response systems extending their product range to smart wearables, which are often developed in-house. Insurance providers such as Generali Global Assistance and Allianz have entered the space offering bundled senior care products to policyholders.
Acquisitions are common in the caregiver platform segment. Brighter, a Swedish health-tech company delivering smart care solutions for chronic diseases expanded into senior care with its acquisition of Nectarine Health for EUR 1.5 million (approximately USD 1.8 million) in January 2020.
US electronic retail giant Best Buy, has been aggressively expanding its solutions in the space primarily through acquisitions. Amazon has entered the space by leveraging its voice-based assisted living technology, Amazon Alexa.
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