Gerontechnology

Gerontechnology, also called gerotechnology is an inter- and multidisciplinary academic as well as a professional field that combines various disciplines of gerontology and technology.

In short, gerontechnology concerns matching technological environments to health, housing, mobility, communication, leisure, work and also the personality/individual dispositions of older people.

The overall framework of gerontechnology may be seen as a matrix of domains of human activity: (1) health & self-esteem, housing & activities of daily living, communication & governance, mobility & transport, work & leisure, as well as (2) technology interventions or impact levels (enhancement & satisfaction, prevention & engagement, compensation & assistance, care and care organisation).

In the US, startup Aging2.0 launched in 2015 and has since organized 170 meet-up events, opened volunteer chapters in 30 countries and signed up 30 companies for its own accelerator program.

Amongst these, SingFit “makes it easy for everyone to become a music therapist”, WalkJoy is a wearable sensor that measures a person’s gait and alerts caregivers when someone could be about to fall.

The company Honor, which connects seniors, caregivers and their families, recently raised $20 million, the biggest funding in the emerging category so far.

In Europe, London-based AgeTech startup Birdie secured a €7 million Series A to help elderly adults live independently while independent living system Kraydel has raised over £1m in innovation and public sector grants to develop its smart device which sits on top of the TV, linking elderly people to their carers or family members, through their TV screens.