HITLAB and AARP Innovation Labs Select Care. Coach, Grand Prize Winner of the Social Connection Challenge

Industry: Healthcare

Seven finalists presented their digital solutions for the 50-plus to build social connections and better engage with their communities

New York, NY (PRUnderground) July 22nd, 2021

HITLAB and AARP Innovation Labs award Care. Coach as the grand prize winner of the 2021 Social Connections Challenge. Care. Coach will have the opportunity to compete in AARP Innovation Labs’ 2021 Grand Pitch Finale and consideration to become a member of AARP’s startup portfolio. SelfHelp Virtual Senior Center (VSC) and Hank won runner-up prizes of $5,000 and $10,0000 HITLAB sponsorships, respectively.  In addition, Joylux was awarded the Women’s Health Tech Sponsorship of $10,000. The challenge sought out digital innovations to combat loneliness and social isolation an issue that affects many adults as they age.

“We would like to congratulate all of this year’s finalists for presenting their innovative solutions to combat loneliness and social isolation, which affects many adults as they age,” said Jacqueline M. Baker, Vice President of Startup Programming, AARP Innovation Labs. “Our collaboration with HITLAB helped to identify promising ideas that can further address a critical issue that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. We are thrilled to invite Care. Coach to present at this year’s AARP Innovation Labs Grand Pitch Finale.”

“The power of digital health innovation has never been stronger, and most importantly it is reaching ever more broadly into everyone’s lives,” added HITLAB Executive Director John Hammitt. “These seven finalists show the unique ingenuity of solutions and passion of entrepreneurship that is focusing digital health on essential needs across our aging population.”

The seven finalists presented their novel technologies in front of a judging panel which included Nicole M. Cober, Esq, Principal Managing Partner at Cober Johnson RomneyBlair Hirst, CEO and Founder of Digital Health Review, and Nathan Sundheimer, Corporate Innovation, Health at PLUGandPLAY.

Click Here to View Event Recordings.

Prizes

Grand Prize: AARP Innovation Award

·       Opportunity to participate in the AARP Innovation Labs 2021 Grand Pitch Finale

·       Care. Coach

o   Care. Coach is a tech company that supports individuals in the home to improve healthcare delivery by using digital avatars powered by artificial intelligence which enables relationships, coaches’ risk-mitigation, and behaviors to help coordinate care.

2nd Place: Innovator Award

·       HITLAB Innovator Summit Sponsorship valued up to $10,000

·       SelfHelp Virtual Senior Center (VSC) 

o   Selfhelp Virtual Senior Center (VSC) is a virtual center for homebound older adults. Operating 7 days a week, live classes take place year-round online to connect older adults and form a vibrant online community.

3rd Place: Pioneer Award

·       HITLAB Symposia Sponsorship valued up to $5,000

·       Hank 

o   Hank simplifies healthcare delivery for caregivers and enables them to view, manage, and automate tasks and responsibilities for their loved ones as they age

Women’s Health Innovator Bonus Prize

·       HITLAB Women’s Health Tech Sponsorship valued up to $10,000

·       Joylux

o   Joylux focuses on providing better health outcomes for women who are going through menopause using high tech devices and digital tools.

AARP Innovation Labs Grand Pitch Finale Competition:

AARP Innovation Labs’ Grand Pitch Finale Competition will return for a fourth year in Fall 2021. The event in 2020 featured eight cutting-edge startups that won selective competitions throughout the year for their innovative solutions to empower people to live how they want as they age. AARP Innovation Labs’ Grand Pitch Finale spotlights some of the best and brightest startups identifying challenges and solving important issues that impact everyone as we age.

Keynote Speaker

Once the finalist’s pitches concluded, Dilip V. Jeste from University of California San Diego gave the Keynote Address. Dr. Dilip Jeste is a renowned geriatric neuropsychiatrist specializing in wisdom and other positive attributes of the aging brain.

To learn more about HITLAB challenges, events and research visit https://www.hitlab.org/.

About AARP

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.orgwww.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media. 

About HITLAB

HITLAB is an impact-first organization that offers digital health research, teaching, and advisory services to improve health delivery around the world.

At HITLAB, we believe technology and health can work together to improve the quality of health delivery and healthcare worldwide. We use rigorous research and evidence-based methods to identify the best digital health solutions for each of our partners.

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