Wearable Device That Tracks and Treats Balance Problems Wins AARP-Sponsored Start-Up Competition

A company behind wearable technology that helps doctors track and correct age-related balance problems won the $10,000 grand prize at the annual What’s Next Longevity Venture Summit Business Plan Competition, which was cosponsored by AARP. Alberta, Canada-based Neursantys bested six other finalists in a competition for companies working to boost quality of life for older adults by helping manage chronic diseases, improve mobility and make caregiving easier.

The Neursantys technology allows doctors to screen for balance problems in older adults and then apply stimulation to help correct them. “Until now, there have been no widely available therapeutic treatments for these impairments,” Neursantys CEO John Ralston said in a news release published Thursday. “So the only solution available to most older people is a mechanical balance aid such as a walker.”

Among the other entries in the competition were lightweight foldable wheelchairs, clothing modified to make dressing easier for people with mobility challenges and activity sensors to let loved ones know if an older adult may have fallen.

The event was cosponsored by AgeTech Collaborative from AARP, which helps connect start-ups, entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts to meet the needs of older adults. It’s one of several similar competitions we’re involved in. Another was a recent pitch competition won by a company that develops picture phones for people with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.

Read more about Neursantys, and learn about the latest tech innovations for older adults through the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP.