Episode Details

QUOTES

“The idea was, how do we pull together everybody who is in the Agetech ecosystem or who wants to be?” (Rick)

“(Older adults) are very tech savvy compared to, say, 20 years ago. And they demand better products, better services.” (Rick)

“We realized there really isn’t a convening place, a place for everybody to come together and frankly help each other produce better products and services for the market.” (Rick)

“In this environment, we now have well over 600 companies, and we’re charging toward a thousand.” (Rick)

“Let’s take that enthusiasm and expertise and technology and apply it toward older adults. Because frankly, there’s a lot more money there, to be blunt.” (Rick)

“We are here to make aging easier for everyone.” (Rick)

“Through the pandemic, it has driven people to everything from telehealth to just using consumer digital devices and applications like they wouldn’t necessarily have before.” (Rick)

“There’s a huge deficit of caregivers. That, I think, is an area where AI coupled with embodied devices is going to solve a lot of the issues that we’re facing today.” (Rick)

NOTES

Rick Robinson is Vice President and General Manager of the Agetech Collaborative from AARP. With a background in innovation and entrepreneurship, he leads efforts to bring startups, investors, and enterprises together to shape the future of aging.

The Agetech Collaborative from AARP is a growing ecosystem of startups, corporations, investors, and testbed organizations focused on developing technology and solutions for older adults. Launched just two and a half years ago, it now connects more than 600 organizations worldwide.

The collaborative runs an accelerator program, pitch competitions, and provides mentoring and investment opportunities for startups. It also fosters connections between entrepreneurs and large enterprises, supports product testing and co-creation with older adults, and works to ensure inclusivity in innovation. 

The ecosystem is designed to make aging easier through technology, while tackling challenges such as caregiving shortages, social isolation, and healthcare access.

The collaborative exists to connect everyone in the age tech ecosystem and help bring better products and services to market.

Today’s older adults are more tech-savvy than previous generations and expect high-quality solutions tailored to their needs.

By attracting influential investors, the collaborative is shifting entrepreneurial focus toward the large, underserved market of older adults.

Aging innovation should make the technology “disappear,” allowing the experience and value to shine through.

The pandemic accelerated technology adoption among older adults, from telehealth to consumer apps, lowering barriers of concern.

Both organic networking and guided connections through account managers fuel collaboration and even acquisitions within the ecosystem.

Inclusivity is central: startups are coached to test products with diverse groups of older adults to ensure accessibility and usability.

AI and embodied devices hold promise to address pressing challenges like the caregiver shortage within the next five years.