GreatCall, the mobile technology developer best known for its Jitterbug phones for seniors, has acquired Lively, a startup maker of a home health monitoring platform for the same demographic. Terms were not disclosed.
Lively, of San Francisco, combines a series of wireless sensors for the home, a data-collection hub and a smartwatch-type device that incorporates a personal emergency response system. The “safety watch,” as the company calls it, includes medication reminders and a step counter, much like a wearable activity tracker. A forthcoming version will include automatic fall detection, according to Lively’s website.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
An online dashboard that accompanies the monitoring system serves as kind of a social network for seniors, their family members and their caregivers.
The company was founded in 2012, and launched its platform in 2013 with a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. “We want something that’s beautiful that doesn’t stigmatize you as old and frail,” CEO Iggy Fanlo said two years ago.
This deal will help San Diego-based GreatCall expand its offerings in connected health and home monitoring. “As GreatCall looks at consolidating the fragmented active aging space, we see this acquisition as a strategic move for our connected health platform,” CFO Brian Berning said in a company statement.
