Hi Eynav, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can you tell our readers a little about your business?
We are a new startup called Communi. Communi connects senior adults and their family members with people from their community for on-demand help with daily tasks, errands, technical assistance and the use of digital space.
The Communi application is designed to safely connect seniors with members of their community and easily set up visits that are tailored to their specific needs, with people they know and at an affordable cost.
Communi certainly sounds like something that could have a significant impact on seniors. What specific ageing issues are you most looking to address?
The main benefits and features of Communi are that it:
- Promotes independent living and ageing in place
- Enhances social connectivity
- Improves digital participation and digital literacy
- Helps address and respond to the shortage in full-time caregivers
That’s a fantastic set of features and issues affecting seniors that you’re looking to address. Can you tell us a little more about how you’re aiming to achieve this?
In our vision for the future, as more and more people prefer to age in place, digital transformation will support community based healthy ageing. Digital inclusion of seniors is key, and Communi’s face to face visits are a first step forward. Because everyone needs help sometimes…
I think you’re absolutely right! So what brought you and Communi to where you are today?
I have a broad experience in Cyber Security R&D. Development of highly complex systems with massive impact is my day-to-day environment, it’s what I’m used to. As a start-up nation native, I also have that itch, the constant search for improvement and progress. So, when my parents aged and needed help, especially during Covid, I was looking for fitted technology to support them, and in too many aspects surprisingly there was none. I felt so powerless to help them.
As a first step I developed a cool app for my Mother so she can video call us and watch music videos on her tablet and soon decided to focus on AgeTech, teamed with a former colleague of mine who also shares a passion for this field and a new journey had begun.
Technology has redefined so many aspects of our lives, but the impact for healthy ageing still awaits. We believe that in order to make progress, a better understanding of this domain combined with collaboration of experienced multidisciplinary people is key.
This is not a niche sector anymore.
The World Health Organization’s 3 pillars of active ageing - health, participation and security vision, calls for a giant wave of innovation. A vast amount of smart people is needed in order to innovate and foster an entire ecosystem of tech based services and products, served with top notch design, to be used by and for older adults.
The way we see it, the AgeTech industry is currently at a pre-boom stage, it should and will grow, and there is an audience there that is ready for innovation in the field. As a surfer, I like to say that we are paddling towards a beautiful wave, we want to be part of it, and help to push it higher and further.
Thanks, that’s an inspirational story and vision. So what’s the current status of Communi? Can I tell my older relatives to go and download your app?
We are in a pilot stage in Israel and plan to launch in the UK soon. We are open to contact and connect with the UK Longevity ecosystem and would be happy to hear from people at eynavh@communi.live.
It’s been great speaking with you Eynav, thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you at Longevitech!
Learn more about Communi at https://www.communi.live/en or download the app at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.App.blossomly.
Longevitech TLV 2023 takes place across 13th – 14th February.
