MFA Longevity Market Report
News and insights from thought leaders in the longevity economy
July 2022
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
It is great to be back! Last week, MFA co-hosted a Learning Journey at the USAging conference in Austin, TX. It was a wonderful opportunity for clients to connect and learn together.

Last week I also participated in the virtual roundtable that covered the topic of Network for the Digital Inclusion of Older Persons with AARP and UN thought leaders. Approximately 40 thought leaders participated from around the world.

Next week I am headed to Chicago to participate in the Ziegler Link-Age investor conference and be part of the Women in Investing in Longevity networking event. It is always a favorite, and a place to hear about the latest industry trends.
 
It has been a month of learning key insights from many constituent groups. Strategies are changing as companies are moving back into a hybrid environment. We plan to continue with virtual learning as we bring back a live element to our events. 

Fred Fishkin and I have been busy creating new podcast episodes for our Longevity Deal Talk and Living Longer Better Smarter podcasts. See below for details.

Warmly,
Mary
Table of Contents:
  • MFA Events
  • What's Next Longevity Innovation Summit Dec 7-8
  • MFA Podcasts
  • VoiceFriend/Caremerge
  • Boosting Your Income to Fight Inflation
  • Time for a Checkup
  • Funding News
  • Corporate Updates
  • Events and Opportunities
  • Books, News, and Reports
MFA Events
Mark your calendar: What's Next Longevity Innovation Summit is December 7-8

Traditionally held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, the 2022 What’s Next Longevity Innovation Summit will be a hybrid event comprising two days of speaker panels, keynotes, networking breakouts, and a pitch for distribution session. With the theme of Innovation and Policy in the Care Economy, we will address the crisis of care in senior housing and home care, regulatory issues facing the longevity ecosystem, tools and schema that can help to boost your marketing effectiveness, technology that is advancing the quality of life for older adults, how to raise capital in a tight economy, and additional relevant topics. The full agenda will be posted on the summit website soon!
MFA Podcasts
What’s Next Longevity Deal Talk
Episode 7: VoiceFriend/Caremerge – With the leading senior care communication platform VoiceFriend acquiring the engagement and wellness business of Caremerge, we take you inside the deal in this episode of What’s Next Longevity Deal Talk. VoiceFriend CEO Ryan Galea and Caremerge CEO Nancy Koenig join co-hosts Mary Furlong and Fred Fishkin to chat about the deal and the impact.

What’s Next Living Longer Better Smarter
Episode 32: Boosting Your Income to Fight Inflation – From creating art in India to developing plant-based recipes in New Mexico, you’ll hear about the exciting work of the winners of the GetSetUp 55 Plus Accelerator Program. They’ll answer pressing questions including how they have used the platform and what you can learn to “Boost Your Income to Fight Inflation.”
Episode 33: Time for a Checkup – It's time for a checkup when it comes to your health and your money and benefits. In episode 33 of What’s Next Living Longer Better Smarter, Mary and Fred are joined first by Dr. Florence Comite, co-author of a new study that finds that even mild cases of COVID can make you age faster long after symptoms are gone. Then, we welcome Josh Hodges from the National Council on Aging which has just updated the online Benefits CheckUp tool.
Funding News

  • CareConnectHero, which uses its platform to keep older adults socially connected and improve health outcomes, received $100,000 from the new Google Latino Startup Fund.
  • Amazon is purchasing One Medical, a network of primary care clinics, for $3.9 billion.
  • Tomorrow Health, which makes it easier to get home care equipment, raised $60 million in Series B funding led by BOND. 
  • Hank, which connects older adults with others in their community and provides events for them, raised $7 million in seed funding led by General Catalyst and Resolute Ventures.
  • CareAcademy, which provides training for long-term care workers, raised $20 million led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
  • London-based Bluezone raised £1.5 million in seed funding led by Insurtech Gateway and AV8 Ventures for its life insurance products for people with chronic diseases. 
  • CareBridge, which provides value-based care support for home- and community-based care, raised $140 million led by Oak HC/FT. 
  • Nacuity Pharmaceuticals, which is creating treatments for ocular diseases, raised $16.5 million in Series B funding led by Foundation Fighting Blindness and its venture arm RD Fund. 
  • Dorvie raised $2.6 million in Seed funding through the Quantified Venture Solutions Studio to expand its offering of home services for older adults – such as laundry, home maintenance, and meal delivery – in one monthly bill.
Corporate Updates
AARP Collaborates on New Caregiver Outreach Program

Family caregivers face an abundance of challenges and questions, with many of the answers hidden behind a bureaucratic maze of agencies and programs that are often off-putting and hard to navigate. To make these challenges a little less daunting, AARP has collaborated with United Way Worldwide and 211 on an exciting pilot program called the Caregiver Outreach Program to expand services for a growing list of local 211 networks. The program will help connect users to services and organizations in the community, simplify access to specialized help, and address basic necessities such as housing, food and employment. Learn more about the program in Nancy LeaMond’s, AARP’s Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer, new blog here.
GetSetUp Aligns with Government Programs & Funding Opportunities

GetSetUp has emerged as the preferred virtual learning solution for state governments and Area Agencies on Aging across the country looking to improve the lives of older adults. Their platform is flexible, powerful, and has the capability to reach older adult audiences with specific interests and needs. 

They offer a comprehensive suite of solutions for governments and partners designed to help bridge the digital divide, address food insecurity, support veteran programs, provide economic opportunities, and more. Learn more about these solutions in this digital flipbook and see how programs can be customized for your older adult community.
MeetCaregivers Rapidly Expanding

MeetCaregivers is expanding to new states and business lines. It will begin working in eight additional states. It will also begin working with Medicare Advantage plans to offer supplemental benefits that connect the right caregivers with the right plan members, increasing satisfaction for the member and reducing caregiver turnover. MeetCaregivers is also expanding its offering of webinars. You can view the latest one here about the company’s matching algorithm and Care Portal.
Centaur Robotics Finalist in Aviation X

Centaur Robotics, the designers of a revolutionary self-balancing power chair, have reached the final of the Aviation X Lab incubator which aims to ‘bring back the joy’ to air travel. The company is one of only five from across the world to be shortlisted for the Aviation X Lab, a consortium of airline industry giants including Emirates airlines, GE, Thales and Collins Aerospace. In October, two of these five will be selected for their plans to become reality.
Learn About Intergenerational Communities from Ziegler Link-Age

The benefits of intentional, intergenerational communities have been well documented. Learn about recent examples of intergenerationally-designed communities, as well as some of the strategies senior living communities are using to bridge the gap between generations. 
BrainHQ in the News

Posit Science, maker of the BrainHQ brain health app, has seen an uptick in news coverage. Its NIH grant was highlighted in Alzheimer's News Today. Additionally, the latest study showing the effectiveness of BrainHQ was published in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and written about in Health Matters and in Practical Neurology.
Events and Opportunities

  • The Smart Home Innovation Pitch, hosted by the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP, will be held on August 3. Register now.
  • Applications for the 2nd a2PilotAwards for agetech pilot projects are being accepted between July 1 and August 15, 2022. 
  • Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation is partnering with CABHI to offer the SHRF Focus Innovation and Impact Grants on Virtual Care, which seek to fund innovations that address health needs in Saskatchewan. Applicants must complete the eligibility check by September 29, 2022.
  • The American Society on Aging is accepting session proposals for its annual On Aging conference through August 1, 2022. 
  • Explore National Institute on Aging (NIA) funding opportunities that may be a fit for your business. 
  • Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) is partnering with CABHI to offer SHRF Focus Innovation and Impact Grants on Virtual Care. These grants provide up to $50,000 for 1 year (Innovation Grant) and up to $150,000 for two years (Impact Grant) for innovations that address health needs in Saskatchewan. Learn more.
Books, News, and Reports

  • CABHI released its annual report, highlighting the impact of its investment in the longevity market. 
  • According to the New York Times, investments in US start-ups decreased by 23% over the last three months. 
  • Read Ken Dychtwald’s latest book on the complex and pressing issues surrounding aging – Sages of Aging: A Guide for Changemakers. 
  • A new study found that the average cost of assisted living facilities has surpassed $51,000 per year.
  • A recent HealthDay article highlighted that region and race can influence life expectancy in the US. 
  • Growth in the streaming business is being driven by Americans who are 50 and older.
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