The 2024 What's Next Longevity Venture Summit is right around the corner!

June 11-12 in San Francisco

There are still a few seats left for the What's Next Longevity Venture Summit, taking place June 11-12 at the Fairmont San Francisco. We're excited about the finalists for two of our competitions. The AgeTech After Dark Pitch Challenge finalists (Care Sherpa, Neursantys, PragmaClin Research US inc, Train100, VoiceLove, and Wander Health) will pitch on June 11 during a reception in the Tonga Room at the top of the Fairmont San Francisco. All who register for the Summit are invited to attend. The finalists for the John Hopper Impact Award (Adimika Meadows Arthur of Curb Cut Ventures, Jimmy Zollo of Joe & Bella, and Hannah McKenney of Starling Medical) will be honored on June 12 at the close of the conference. We hope to see you there! Learn more and register today!

Episode 73: Fiscal and Physical Health – Adam Davis, VP of Financial Health, Inclusion, and Liquidity at Capital One joins Mary and Fred to discuss a new free financial online learning course that helps users to improve their online digital banking skills. Mary and Fred then welcome Troy Taylor, head of performance at Tonal to learn about the importance of strength in your overall health.

Check out the full list of What's Next Living Longer Better Smarter episodes.

What's Next Longevity Deal Talk

Episode 26 – In this episode, Mary and Fred highlight startups, entrepreneurs, and investors in age-tech. They are joined first by Amelia Hay, VP of Start-up Programming and Investments at the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP, and then by Allison Sekuler, President and Chief Scientist at CABHI, the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, and Allison Cook, founder of Better Aging and Policy Consulting.

Check out the full list of What's Next Longevity Deal Talk episodes.

Funding News

• 401GO, a platform focused on making retirement planning and investment more accessible, raised $12 million in Series A funding led by Next Frontier Capital.
• India-based kidney care startup VitusCare raised $27 million in Series A funding led by Tomorrow Capital.
• Orthopedic device company Nanochon raised $4 million in series seed prime funding led by The University of Virginia Licensing and Ventures Group Seed Fund. 
• UK-based biotechnology company PlaqueTec raised £6.4 million in equity funding to develop precision treatments for coronary artery disease.
• Benefit navigation platform Auxa Health raised $5.2 million in seed funding led by Monica Chopra and colleagues.
• Longevity clinic Humanaut Health raised $8.7 million in seed funding led by The Kabech Fund. 
• Healthcare Shares and Arkin Digital Health launched healthcare accelerator programs. 
• Elevance Health acquired Centers Plan for Healthy Living, which will significantly consolidate the New York long-term care market.

AARP Helps Lower Prescription Drug Costs

AARP fought hard in 2022 to help secure a law that would lower the cost of prescription drugs for people with Medicare. Already, millions of older Americans are benefiting from the law which allows Medicare to start negotiating the price of certain drugs, penalizes drug companies that increase their prices faster than inflation, caps seniors' annual out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs in Medicare Part D, limits cost-sharing for insulin in Medicare drug plans, and more. Learn more in the latest blog from Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer.

Benefits Access Through AI Concierge Services

GetSetUp introduced its AI Concierge Services, which are available in classes 24/7. This AI concierge tool can be customized for partners to raise awareness among older adults about the benefits and services they provide. Also, GetSetUp continues to work with partners to help them seamlessly align its services with the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, enhancing its commitment to digital inclusivity. The grant deadline is fast approaching on May 28th, so contact them for assistance in claiming a portion of this grant in your state to help solve digital equity for your older adult community.

1843 Capital Portfolio Companies See Funding Wins

1843 Capital portfolio company Midi Health raised $60 million in Series B funding to continue its mission supporting midlife female health. Additionally, portfolio company Kinto was acquired by another portfolio company Rippl to build on its AI-enabled dementia care offerings.

CareYaya Featured on NBC

CareYaya CEO Neal Shah was interviewed on NBC about caregiving in advance of Mother’s Day. “As a son who watched my own mother care for her aging parents, and as a husband who became a caregiver to my wife during her cancer battle, I know firsthand the emotional and physical toll of caregiving,” shared Shah. He further explained how CareYaya’s platform connects families with affordable, compassionate care from college students pursuing healthcare careers.

Toi Labs Featured in Wall Street Journal

Toi Labs was featured in a front-page Wall Street Journal article about the future of smart technology in bathrooms. As shared in the article, “In some senior living facilities, toilet seats with downward-pointing cameras already use artificial intelligence from Toi Labs to monitor urine and stools for potential signs of illness and disease.

Amba Announces New President for North America

Amba Health and Care, a leader in advanced senior care solutions, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Ernie Ianace as President. “We are delighted to welcome Ernie Ianace to our leadership team. His extensive experience in the technology and healthcare sectors will be invaluable as we further expand our customer base in North America,” touts Stuart Hamilton, Founder and CEO of Amba. Ianace’s appointment follows completion of a substantial investment round from strategic investors within the senior care industry. 

Support the Longitude Prize on Dementia Finalists

Challenge Works is seeking a supplier (an organization or consortium) to provide non-financial support services to five finalist innovator teams in the Longitude Prize on Dementia, from September 2024 to November 2025. The deadline to express interest by May 29, 2024.

Vivid-Pix CEO Rick Voight Awarded Maverick of the Year

Vivid-Pix CEO Rick Voight won the Gold Stevie Award® 2024 for Maverick of the Year – Consumer Products & Services in the 22nd Annual American Business Awards. Rick Voight helps older adults reminisce and combat loneliness, conducting free events at libraries, senior living facilities, genealogical and historical societies, and other community locations. Voight guides older adult on how to scan, restore photos, and share stories with Vivid-Pix Memory Station, helping them to document their past for themselves and generations to come.

Botco.ai Offers AI Marketing Masterclass

Register today for Botco.ai’s AI Marketing Masterclass. Unlock the power of AI to transform strategies and enhance resident engagement in your senior living community!

LifeBio Launches Partnership with New York

LifeBio launched a partnership with the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and the Association on Aging in NYS (AANYS) to rollout an innovative life story project to people in hospice care – the first initiative of its kind in the U.S. funded by a state unit on aging. Using the LifeBio Memory app, each participant will receive a Life Story Book with stories, memories, and favorite photos to share with loved ones.

Joe & Bella Partners With Rogens on New Apparel

Joe & Bella, an award-winning adaptive-apparel brand, has partnered with Lauren & Seth Rogen on creating two new clothing items, The Lauren Rogen Everynight Nightgown and The Seth Rogen Vacation Shirt. A portion of the sales from each item will be donated to Hilarity for Charity, Lauren & Seth’s nonprofit that supports families impacted by Alzheimer’s. 

Books, News, and Reports

• The administration released the revised Medicaid Access Rule requiring that 80% of Medicaid payments for home care be spent on workers’ compensation and another rule setting minimum staffing levels for nursing homes. 
• Maddie Dychtwald and Kate Hanley's new book Ageless Aging provides information for women about healthy aging.
• The FDA launched the Home as a Health Care Hub to advance healthcare-at-home technology. 
• Laurie Orlov released a new report on the technology user experience.
• Walmart will be closing Walmart Health centers and the Walmart Virtual Care platform nationwide.
• Supporters of Washington state’s long-term care program are rallying to save it from a ballot initiative in November’s election.