Chance for start-ups to rise to the Active Ageing Challenge
TECHNOLOGY START-UPS and entrepreneurs have just over a week left to enter a new £100,000 fund, designed to support the development of technology that will help people to thrive in older age.
Entries for the first ever Centrica Active Ageing Challenge close on February 5, giving startups in the region just over a week to submit their big ideas.
Successful applicants will be asked to pitch to a team of industry experts in March. As well as a share of the prize fund, winners could also gain access to networking and mentorship opportunities to help their businesses grow.
Sam Salisbury, director at Centrica Innovations, said: “With just a few days to go until the deadline, we’re calling on Yorkshire’s thriving start-up community to enter this challenge.
“Retaining our independence as we get older is one of the biggest issues facing our society, and research we recently carried out told us that many over 60s believe smart tech could help them stay active and connected as they age.
“That’s why we launched our Active Ageing Challenge, and we’re hoping that more than 50 start-ups and entrepreneurs from across the region will apply. Research we conducted recently found that many over 60s believe smart technology can improve their lives, but, despite this, they are often overlooked by companies that produce and market this tech. That’s why we’ve launched our Active Ageing Challenge.”
A poll by Ipsos MORI for the energy company that a third of people aged over 60 either own or are interested in buying a smart connected home device.
Centrica, which owns British Gas, says it is committed to providing support to people and technology that can change the world. Over the next five years the firm has committed to investing £100m in start-ups, incubation and accelerator programmes.
For more information on the Active Ageing Challenge, or to apply, visit: https://www.centrica. com/innovation/active-ageing