Pioneering startup programme brings ageing tech innovators to Newcastle

Newcastle has become a magnet for businesses catering to the ageing population of the UK, thanks to a highly influential program operating in the city. The “Internet of Caring Things” programme, which has the goal of positioning the North of Tyne area as a global leader in products and services for seniors, has attracted the attention of several enterprises.

Six companies have either already relocated to Tyneside or are seriously contemplating the move as a result of their involvement with this programme. Keepl, a technology firm specialising in life administration has recently made the move from Sunderland, while Airify, an energy efficiency company that chose to relocate from Ireland to Newcastle, and Hazel, a tech provider focused on house-moving services, whose founders are actively considering setting up a base in the region.

Hazel co-founder Mark Whitcroft described the programme as a “game changer” for his business and said the experience had opened his eyes to the talent pool available in the region. The firm made use of the Internet of Caring Things’ ‘Voice’ platform, which gives market research access to a panel of older people of the type that Hazel wants to target . Through surveying, interviewing and product testing with the group, Mr Whitcroft and his team have been able to hone their tech product.

 He explained: “The worst thing you can do as a start-up founder is build in isolation. You need to deeply understand your customers’ needs and challenges before you even start to build products and solutions. As older adults are not as easy to reach when compared to building a product for younger people. The Internet of Caring Things programme and their platform Voice, gives us access to our target customers for insights and feedback, so is very useful in terms of being able to do structured market research. We could target people who are prospective customers of ours and really look into their needs. The grant that allowed us to do that means we had an on-ramp in launching a new business that is affordable and meant that we started at the right place.”

Based out of Helix’s The Catalyst building, the funded programme offers its participants three levels of support across categories called innovation lab, diagnostic lab and bespoke project. The first two of these levels is essentially free, while bespoke project is paid for but with 70% subsidised by the programme. But, with research and development tax incentives, the Internet of Caring Things team says this can end up being free.

Companies have been drawn to Newcastle’s Helix site, where they gain access to an array of resources, including market research tools, the extensive expertise of Newcastle University and the National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA). Moreover, they are provided with valuable contacts to assist them in becoming market-ready to enter the expanding markets related to aging and longevity. It’s important to note that eligibility for participation in this program requires a presence in the North of Tyne area, and the city’s impressive credentials in aging research and data access have proven to be a compelling attraction for these businesses.

Jennine Jonczyk, Internet of Caring Things programme manager, said: “We are delighted to play a huge part in the advancement of innovation in our region. To know that the expertise and support we offer is now attracting people to set up in Newcastle is just the icing on the cake. We have a number of businesses who have relocated to access our programme already, with more coming at the end of the month – it’s great to see.

“Innovative businesses bring more jobs and more value to our economy and closely align with our ambitions to position the North East of England as the global hub for Ageing Intelligence. We can’t wait to see more like-minded businesses moving here.”