Microsoft Innovation Center Brussels

From 27th of February to 1st March took place in Brusselas a new weekend to develop new products or services that improve the lives of older people. Organized at the coworking space Transforma BXL at Boitsfort, this Startup Weekend dedicated to the elderly was supported by the Lifetech.brussels cluster, the King Baudouin Foundation, Partena, the EAHSA network (European Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing) BNP Paribas Fortis, Microsoft Innovation Center Brussels and Microsoft.

The 13th Startup weekend in Brussels brought together about 60 participants. Even if the public of the Startup Weekend was a little older than the average (35 years is the average age of the 60 participants, against generally between 28 and 30), there was an increase in female participation (30% female).

Friday evening was the moment for the participants to present their fresh new ideas, were 7 projects were selected on the basis of 10 ideas presented. Number of participants realize that the most difficult is not so much to find a “good idea” either to form a multidisciplinary good team:

• Shuber: the idea to create social link through shopping.
• Babeljam: online platform to connect elderly with young people.
• Energaid: offers personal coach for a healthier life.
• Roomix: is an accessible platform to find and share a room.
• Browcast: offers a virtual meetings platform to make doctors and patience life easier.
• Simpl.it: is a design solution for an easier navigation for elderly people.
• SpacefitGuru: offers an app to stay fit wherever you are.

Over the activities during the weekend, participants get valuable advices, inspiration, coaching, and new contacts. The goal is to develop a “working prototype” and a “business model” to present on Sunday evening to a jury of experts.

Among the “needs” of the elderly that are designed to meet the projects, some constants are obvious: the need to keep fit (physical coaching program and customized exercises), the need to come out of isolation (sharing solution transgenerational housing), the need to fight against the digital divide, the need to find suitable products online, etc.

1st Prize was awarded to Simpl.it a project for Web site managers and developers who want to standardize and simplify the structure of their site for elderly people. The 2nd and 3rd prizes went to Energaid and SpacefitGuru, two projects of applications and / or services in the sphere of physical personal coaching to give the urge seniors to continue to do exercises regularly and controlled manner.

Photos of the event: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.994574653899672.1073741833.177374128953066&type=3