Thursday, October 13, 2022; the Next Age Demo Day was held: the presentation to investors and corporations of the first accelerator program in Europe dedicated to Silver Economy startups, part of the CDP National Accelerator Network.
In Italy, the percentage of over-65s will exceed 30 percent in 2047 (in 2018 this estimate reached 22.8 %), and the dependency ratio has already reached 3 active people for every elderly person in 2022: the highest in Europe
The gradual aging of the population and the increase in active life expectancy are just two aspects of a demographic transformation that poses momentous challenges to our society and opens up great opportunities that have yet to be considered.
Innovation plays a crucial role in providing answers to both and it is the lever for developing new products, services and business models that are sustainable and capable of responding to the specific needs of this increasingly relevant and growing segment of the population both in our country and globally.
The Silver Economy -the sector of products and services aimed at the over-50 population- is indeed a market with an expected value of 5.7 trillion euros by 2025: equal to one-third of European GDP.
The initiatives developed in this area aim to provide innovative solutions for living more and better: they present great opportunities for value creation by contributing positively to the social sustainability theme of longevity in a global market with enormous potential.
On Thursday 13 October the Demo Day of Next Age was held, the first accelerator program in Europe that invests specifically in startups of the Silver Economy and is part of the CDP National Accelerator Network, a network present throughout the country, with the goal of helping the growth of startups specializing in markets with the greatest potential.
In its first edition the Next Age program received outstanding feedback: the 2022 call saw 247 Silver Economy startups apply (compared to an expected 120 applications), 30% of which were based in Italy and as many as 70% in Europe or the rest of the world testifying the relevance of this theme and its global reach. The 30% of the startups selected in the 2022 edition are foreign.
8 are seed and pre-seed startups that have been selected and accelerated in the last 4 months and have received -before, during, and after- investment, scientific validation, excellence mentorship, direct access to research centers and companies, and a strong and articulate international network.
In addition to an initial investment of €102,000 for each of the selected startups, program assets include capital for two subsequent post-acceleration follow-on rounds totaling up to €1.8 M and €4.25 M earmarked for startups with the highest growth potential.
The startups selected in the first batch of the acceleration program, wich presented to more than 45 investors (including about 15 from abroad), 20 corporate companies and 4 research centers:
- Salute 360 – the marketplace where patients, pharmacists, and healthcare professionals can connect: from 2-hour drug delivery to access to the professionals closest to the patient.
- Diagnostica Medica Veloce (DMV) – Quick and convenient diagnostic examinations performed at home.
- Mysurable – Solution for early diagnosis and prevention of loss of muscle function.
- Bended – Virtual reality rehabilitation solution for neurodegenerative diseases.
- Roble App – App for seniors that enables active, social and healthy aging.
- Justep – The artificial intelligence-powered cane that helps the blind and visually impaired move safely and independently.
- SPARKD – Simultaneous dual motor-cognitive training solution aimed at maintaining and improving mind and body performance.
- MindAhead – A prevention and early detection tool with game logic that helps people with cognitive impairment improve brain health.
