It’s time to shift focus to solutions that will not just aid in getting by for a few months, but rather those to make us successful during this pandemic or any other crisis we may face going forward. I call it “acting tactically but thinking strategically.”
By: F. Scott Moody
August 3, 2020
The human component is a powerful part and cannot be forgotten in this rush to technology. It involves the sense or feeling of connectedness among members, where residents are engaged with their community and with each other and their families. This also is extending the connectivity to caregiver team members, integrating them with other providers and vendors, giving them the ability to reach a variety of groups with different messages or programs, quickly and at scale.
Infrastructure
A truly connected community addresses the unique needs of each stakeholder but does so in the most efficient way. The digital component can make this far easier; in fact, it is almost impossible in today’s world to do without. Of course, having the right Wi-Fi infrastructure for connectivity in all areas of a building or campus is foundational. Also, developing a multi-channel strategy for communication to all types of residents, no matter the acuity or technical ability, and providing tools and devices that integrate across the community structure.
COVID-19 has elevated telehealth to new value and importance. Having the digital infrastructure in place to connect vulnerable residents with the medical and mental health providers while remaining in the safety of their home truly has been a lifesaver. As more services move to this tele format, collecting and sharing vital signs, social behavior patterns or other assessment data will be key to supporting resident wellness and well-being.
Our K4Community solutions with Allbridge’s network expertise ensures the highest quality digital experiences for the senior living communities we serve.
By: Seth Thomas Gulledge
July 30, 2020
In the midst of an unprecedented rise in demand for its services, a Raleigh-based technology firm has a new partnership with another Triangle company that will further spread its platform across the nation.
On Tuesday, K4Connect announced its partnership with Raleigh’s Allbridge, a leading provider of data, video and voice solutions for senior living, hospitality and health care properties. Under the terms of the partnership, Allbridge will deliver K4’s leading product, K4Community, to its senior-living operators. K4Community is designed to provide engagement and wellness features for the residents and staff of senior-living communities. The company, led by CEO and founder Scott Moody, has experienced a windfall opportunity amid the pandemic as staying home has become the norm.
“This is a powerhouse partnership,” said Ian Sanders, K4’s vice president of business development. “Joining our K4Community solutions with Allbridge’s network expertise ensures the highest quality digital experiences for the senior living communities we serve.”
Sanders said the partnership will allow K4 to reach “even more communities with these technologies” while also adding Allbridge’s technical expertise. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. For its part, Allbridge said adding K4 Connect to its services will create a more desirable package of content.
“Together with K4Connect, we are able to reach senior living communities with dynamic digital solutions that empower residents and transform the work day for staff teams,” said Craig Snelgrove, the company’s executive vice president of sales, in a prepared statement. “Combining the K4Community senior living resident and staff solutions alongside our industry-leading data network, video, and voice products, makes for a seamless package of enterprise digital solutions these communities need now.”
According to Allbridge, the company serves more than 1 million different rooms across properties in the U.S. Already this year, K4 has reported nearly 500 percent growth, due to the demand for its product stemming from the pandemic. That success has its investors excited, and the partnership with Allbridge comes after K4 managed to close a $21 million Series B earlier this month.
“There are over 2 million older adults living in senior care communities throughout the U.S,” the companies said in a joint release announcing the news. “The technology needs of this demographic are rising in smartphone adoption, social media use, and more. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated the need to reach seniors with digital tools that keep them informed, connected, and engaged while experiencing longer periods of isolation during quarantine.”
K4Connect currently counts over 800 continuing care, independent living and assisted living communities across the country as clients. Earlier this year, the company also announced a deal with Amazon to distribute more than 8,000 Echo Dots – Amazon’s smart speaker – loaded with the company’s K4Community program designed for residents and staff of senior-living communities.
Digital Product Engineering Company Donates Development Support to Help Launch Smart Applications for Older Adults and Senior Living Communities Ahead of Schedule
SAN JOSE, Calif.—July 29, 2020— GlobalLogic Inc., a leader in Digital Product Engineering, announced its collaboration with K4Connect, a mission-driven technology company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and those living with disabilities. GlobalLogic initially partnered with K4Connect’s in-house app team in 2019 to support development of its new K4Community Plusresident-facing application that is part of the company’s holistic Smart Senior Living Community solution. K4Community Plus helps community residents and staff use technology to stay connected, enhance overall engagement, stay informed and improve wellness. The partnership quickly evolved in March 2020 when, responding to COVID-19, GlobalLogic invested additional engineering capacity in kind to speed project completion. As a result, K4Connect was able to launch critical features of the K4Community Plus resident and guest app two months ahead of schedule.
Unique Technology Solutions for an Underserved Community
K4Community Plus offers user interfaces and feature sets tailored to the comfort levels and specific needs of older adults such as:
Wellness: event reminders, meal services, connected health, family connection.
Communication: messaging, video calling (resident to guest, resident to resident), voice-activated dialing.
Community Engagement: concierge services, group games, community directories.
Responsive, Reliable Engineering Services
COVID-19’s onset as well as its significant health and social impact on senior living community residents caused K4Connect to reprioritize features and dramatically shorten K4Community Plus’ development schedule. This would bring a wealth of new features to people that needed them most at a crucial time.
“The pandemic really underscores the importance of our technologies as the communities we serve immediately went into strict lockdown and continue to experience those challenges,” said Scott Moody, CEO and Co-founder, K4Connect. “We understood K4Community Plus’ critical role in helping people safely maintain their physical and mental health. We aligned with GlobalLogic on revised, aggressive roadmaps that cut more than two months from our original release plans and got to work. Supplementing our engineering team with GlobalLogic’s engineering talent, who demonstrated commitment to our cause, has been an incredible experience. We deeply value this partnership and the capabilities we were able to bring to our customers.”
GlobalLogic worked with K4Connect’s Bay Area and Salt Lake City, Utah teams to deliver important timely K4Community Plus COVID response functions such as:
Friends & Family App: keeping friends and family connected to residents, especially while under lockdown.
Community Social Feed: keeping residents constantly informed of community news, updates, and activities in the style of popular social media feeds.
Video Calling: seamlessly connecting residents to family members and other residents through video.
Video Streaming: simplifying access to entertainment via YouTube content.
Advanced Amazon Alexa Integration: introducing new and expanded capabilities and controls.
“GlobalLogic’s mission aligns well with K4Connect’s. Both companies understand the transformative impact digital solutions can have when designed to the inherent nature of its end users,” said Nitesh Banga, COO, GlobalLogic. “We felt it our duty to contribute the best we have to offer to quicken the delivery of the K4Community apps as they can make a tremendous difference in fragile time. Given the project scope, we quickly ramped our Argentina team and were able to meet K4Connect’s new launch objectives—demonstrating that different time zones and distance are no challenges for our engineers. We were honored to receive this opportunity and look forward to our continued partnership.”
K4Connect is a mission-driven technology company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities together with the people, communities and organizations that also serve them. We believe the future of senior living is in enabling Smart Senior Living Communities through tech-based solutions that truly impact the lives of older adults, wherever they live. Its premier solution, K4Community, provides smart products and features across Home, Wellness and Engagement for residents and Productivity, Building and Insight for staff and operators.
Based in Raleigh, N.C., K4Connect currently serves tens of thousands of senior living residents and staff at over 800 continuing care, independent living, assisted living and memory care communities across the nation. For more information, please visit www.k4connect.com.
About GlobalLogic
GlobalLogic (www.globallogic.com) is a leader in digital product engineering. We help our clients design and build innovative products, platforms, and digital experiences for the modern world. By integrating strategic design, complex engineering, and vertical industry expertise—we help our clients imagine what’s possible and accelerate their transition into tomorrow’s digital businesses. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic operates design studios and engineering centers around the world, extending our deep expertise to customers in the communications, financial services, automotive, healthcare, technology, media and entertainment, manufacturing, and semiconductor industries.
GlobalLogic is a trademark of GlobalLogic. All other brands, products or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Activity coordinators and wellness leaders are limiting their class or event size to ensure there is enough room to provide this safe space. But how can you do that more easily?
As you re-open your communities, capacity management and physical distancing is a must for the safety of residents and staff. Activity coordinators and wellness leaders are limiting their class or event size to ensure there is enough room to provide this safe space. But how can you do that more easily?
In the K4Community dashboard, when you set up an activity through Event Management, you can set a limit to the event attendance (see screenshot) and this will only allow that number of residents to sign up and it automatically creates a waitlist for any additional sign-ups.
Even if you are entering sign-ups for the residents without access to the App, it will allow you to track the total and print out the final attendee roster for check-in.
We recommend you use this feature for recording the actual attendees in case you would need to do contact tracing in the event a resident or staff tests positive for COVID-19.
If you need more details on how to utilize this feature of K4Community, it is referenced in our Learning Center Course – Creating and Managing Community Events. Unfamiliar with our Learning Center? Please reach out to your Customer Success Manager for access.
Industry innovators partner to deliver an unmatched digital experience for senior living residents and staff
RALEIGH, N.C. July 28, 2020 — Allbridge, the leading provider of data, video, and voice solutions for hospitality, senior living, and healthcare properties, and K4Connect, today announced a partnership to bring seamless digital experiences to thousands of senior living communities across the nation. Allbridge will deliver K4Connect’s flagship solution, K4Community, to senior living operators to better connect residents with family, friends, and care providers through advanced digital communication and information tools. Allbridge customers will also have access to K4Community Team Hub, the comprehensive community management tool for staff teams.
There are over two million older adults living in senior care communities throughout the U.S. The technology needs of this demographic are rising in smartphone adoption, social media use, and more. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the need to reach seniors with digital tools that keep them informed, connected, and engaged while experiencing longer periods of isolation during quarantine. Allbridge and K4Connect are delivering these resources to communities of all sizes and care settings through information, communication, and engagement tools for residents, and mass community management tools for staff.
“Together with K4Connect, we are able to reach senior living communities with dynamic digital solutions that empower residents and transform the work day for staff teams. Combining the K4Community senior living resident and staff solutions alongside our industry-leading data network, video, and voice products, makes for a seamless package of enterprise digital solutions these communities need now,” said Craig Snelgrove, EVP of sales for Allbridge.
Allbridge is an end-to-end provider who can support all in-room resident technologies for data, video and voice, scaling to meet changing needs and reducing capital expenditures while freeing staff to focus on other internal IT priorities. In partnership with K4Connect, Allbridge will be reselling three core K4Community products specifically designed for senior living residents and staff:
Digital Signage: Community digital signs displayed throughout campus deliver quality experiences and content, keeping residents, staff and visitors constantly informed.
Insertion TV Channel: Reaching residents directly in their homes through the community TV channel, residents stay up to date on the latest community news, daily information such as menus and activities, as well as critical communications during emergency scenarios.
K4Community Plus (Mobile App): Available for iOS and Android devices, K4Community Plus is a robust resident application, including features for communication (e.g., video calling for both residents and families), engagement (e.g., event sign-ups), information (e.g., community news and a Community Social Feed tool), and more.
K4Community Team Hub: The comprehensive community management staff tool that supports the K4Community solutions through content creation and publishing, resident and family communication, and a variety of productivity tools.
“This is a powerhouse partnership. Joining our K4Community solutions with Allbridge’s network expertise ensures the highest quality digital experiences for the senior living communities we serve. We are now able to reach even more communities with these technologies with the added value of their established success in the hospitality and senior living markets. We’re excited to introduce Allbridge as our first official channel and infrastructure partner, and honored to work with such a talented team of experienced digital innovators,” said K4Connect Vice President of Business Development, Ian Sanders.
Allbridge delivers one connected experience with all data, video, and voice technologies for hospitality, senior living, and healthcare organizations. Currently serving more than one million rooms nationally, Allbridge positions properties for the future by integrating technologies to exceed guest and resident expectations. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina with additional offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For more information please visit www.allbridge.com.
About K4Connect:
K4Connect is a mission-driven technology company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, together with the people, communities and organizations that also serve them. We believe the future of senior living is in enabling Smart Senior Living Communities through tech-based solutions that truly impact the lives of older adults, wherever they live. Our premier solution, K4Community, provides smart products and features across Home, Wellness, and Engagement for residents, and Productivity, Building, and Insight for staff and operators.
Based in Raleigh, N.C., K4Connect is currently serving tens of thousands of senior living residents and staff at over 800 continuing care, independent living, assisted living and memory care communities across the nation. For more information, please visit www.K4Connect.com.
Forte Ventures is the latest investor in K4Connect; supporting the mission-driven technology company that’s creating solutions to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities.
By: Danny Sullivan
July 10, 2020
We talk with VC investor Forte Ventures about its first foray into AgeTech, COVID-19 and the Longevity investment opportunity.
Longevity agetech company K4Connect has announced a $7.7 million finance injection, bringing its Series B VC funding round to a total of $21 million. The North Carolina based firm is a provider of smart technologies for senior living communities and serves thousands of residents at over 800 care homes, independent living and assisted living communities across the USA.
The company will apply the new funds to further accelerate the development and deployment of solutions that address the challenges brought on by COVID-19, which has had far-reaching implications for senior living. Billed as a single “operating system” for senior living communities, the K4Community solution brings together a range of smart products for residents, staff and operators in a single, simple interface.
The new funding round was led by institutional VC firm Forte Ventures. We caught up with Forte partner Louis Rajczi to find out what led his firm to get involved in its first investment in the Longevity sector.
“For K4Connect specifically, it starts with an extremely capable and experienced management team, who have “done this before” with other startup companies, and who have a commitment and belief in their mission to be able to dramatically improve people’s lives,” says Rajczi. “In addition to the team, we believe K4Connect has identified a way to successfully package and sell technology offerings into the senior living market. While the company is still at the early stages, there are clear indications that it is on the right track and fully committed to developing the customer relationships required to broaden the availability of the K4Connect solutions.”
Rajczi also points out the importance of the strong relationships Forte has with a number of K4Connect’s co-investors.
“And we know the strategic partners they have around the table, including AXA Venture Partners,Ziegler Link-Age, and Intel Capital, will bring tremendous value to help the company grow,” he adds. “We believe the combination of all these elements will position the company well for success.”
Rajczi expects the next few years to be both exciting and challenging for K4Connect – even without the extra challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The company is at a stage now where its technology is being deployed at scale and we will soon be able to get detailed feedback from customers, not only on how well the current solutions address their issues, but also on other things they would like to see the technology do for them in the future,” he says. “It is also a time when more and more intelligent, connected consumer devices are coming on to the market that could be incorporated as part of these new solutions.”
In the context of COVID-19, Rajczi believes companies looking at buying AgeTech and care-related technologies are being impacted in the same ways as most other companies.
“Crises like these tend to expose weaknesses and faults in the “normal” way of doing business, and force companies to adapt because the old way of doing business is no longer feasible,” he says. “In some cases, it changes a “nice to have” technology to a “must have” technology, or one that would be considered as part of “next year’s budget” into one that is needed immediately. Any time there is change, new opportunities arise, and I believe investors will identify where these new opportunities are being created – including in the AgeTech sector.”
All companies are having to adapt to accommodate to the changes in the world around them, and Rajczi points out that some will do this more successfully than others.
The Series B will further accelerate the development and deployment of solutions that support senior living residents; today’s most vulnerable population during Covid-19 and beyond.
By: Seth Thomas Gulledge
July 9, 2020
A Triangle technology firm working to provide solutions for senior living and the disabled has announced fresh fundraising – giving it new capital during an unprecedented spike in demand for its services.
On Wednesday, Raleigh-based K4Connect announced a new $7.7 million raise led by Georgia-based Forte Ventures. The company says the new funding officially closes its Series B at $21 million.
The company develops a platform called K4Community that’s designed to provide engagement and wellness features for the residents and staff of senior-living communities. The company, led by CEO and founder Scott Moody, has experienced a windfall opportunity amid the shutdowns related to the pandemic.
In fact, Moody previously said the company had grown nearly 500 percent in just a matter of months earlier this year, due mostly to its product going from a “nice to have” to a “we have to have this.”
With its fresh funding from the Series B, the company said it plans to use the cash to “further accelerate the development and deployment of solutions that support today’s most vulnerable population during Covid-19 and beyond.”
“We are incredibly fortunate in our investor relationships in that they not only believe in our vision but equally value our mission” Moody said of the raise. “Forte Ventures is a prime example of that relationship and we’re proud to welcome them to the bench of our valued investors. With their support, and all of our investors, we’re continuing to accelerate to serve as many older adults through technology as possible.”
The latest raise brings the company’s total venture funding to date to $31 million. The company currently counts over 800 continuing care, independent living and assisted living communities across the country as clients.
Our investor support allows us to continue offering tools to serve and empower senior living communities and their residents, making communication and services more accessible; especially during COVID-19.
By: Eric Hal Schwartz
July 8, 2020
Tech solutions for seniors and those with disabilities developer K4Connect has closed a $21 million Series B funding round after new investor Forte Ventures contributed $7.7 million. The startup plans to use the funds for designing and distributing its technology, a need heightened by the current COVID-19 health crisis.
TECH ACCESS
K4Connect offers tools for making technology more accessible to those who might have difficulties with standard systems, such as older people and those with impaired senses and movement. The company’s K4Community platform, built on the company’s FusionOS operating system, is usually integrated into care centers and assisted living communities, with more than 800 such facilities in the U.S. using some variation of the software. K4Community provides customized features depending on the needs of the client. For instance, K4Community might support voice, video, and text messaging networks for residents, share news and informational updates, run smart home devices, or interact directly with residents to play games or answer questions. Staff can analyze health and other data shared by residents and even automatically update family members about their loved ones. The new round of investment brings the Raleigh-based startup’s total venture funding to $31 million.
“We are incredibly fortunate in our investor relationships in that they not only believe in our vision but equally value our mission. Forte Ventures is a prime example of that relationship and we’re proud to welcome them to the bench of our valued investors,” K4Connect CEO Scott Moody said in a statement. “With their support, and all of our investors, we’re continuing to accelerate to serve as many older adults through technology as possible.”
COVID-19 NEEDS
The coronavirus pandemic has meant limited or no physical visits to many such facilities; this kind of tech is especially crucial. To help communities who may not have the budget for the hardware necessary to use K4Connect’s platform, the startup gave out more than 8,000 Amazon Echo Dot smart speakers to retirement communities in areas with high rates of COVID-19. The smart speakers are part of Amazon’s $5 million worth of devices donated in reaction to the pandemic and come with K4Community built-in. Amazon isn’t alone in its AI philanthropy. Google recently gave 1,000 Nest Hub Max smart displays to retirement communities in Washington State, albeit partly as a pilot program to test a simplified interface for seniors. The adjusted smart displays sent to Merrill Gardens come with immediate access to a contact list for video calls with Google Duo, along with digital notecards explaining how to use the Google Nest Max. The coronavirus has also spurred features in other senior-focused AI, such as voice app developer WellSaid.ai’s COVID-19 screening questionnaire in its My Day for Seniors Alexa skill. There’s plenty of reason to think the use of conversational AI can improve the wellbeing of seniors. Project Zilver and Voice for Loneliness have both published studies showing how, along with keeping people connected by phone and video calls, voice assistants can be comforting companions. K4Connect’s new funding will help it bring that service to even more senior living facilities.
Our investors have continued to support our vision and equally value our mission. The additional funding allows us to keep serving the older adult community, the families, and staff through technology.
By: Chantal Allam
July 8, 2020
RALEIGH — K4Connect, which creates tech solutions for older adults and individuals living with disabilities, has raised an additional $7.7 million led by the Silicon Valley-based Forte Ventures. That officially closes its Series B round with $21 million in its coffers and brings total outside venture funding to date to $31 million.
As part of the investment by Forte Ventures, Louis Rajczi will join the K4Connect’s board of directors.
“We are thrilled to lead this round of funding to support all that K4Connect is doing to serve the older adult community and the senior living industry,” said Louis Rajczi, partner at Forte Ventures, in a statement. “This is a particularly exciting partnership for us as we are passionately behind K4Connect’s vision of improving the lives of the nation’s older adults through innovation. Forte Ventures focuses on opportunities where strategic investment will push industries forward, and K4Connect is clearly leading the innovation movement in the senior living segment.”
Founded in 2013, the Raleigh-based startup has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the Triangle. It currently serves tens of thousands of residents at over 800 continuing care, independent living communities across the nation.
The company tailors a variety of technologies to benefit the residents, staff, and resident families of senior living communities through its flagship solution, K4Community.
K4Community is built upon K4Connect’s patented operating system, FusionOS, an advanced multi-modal edge-cloud architecture and, according to the company, the only of its kind in the senior living industry. It offers a comprehensive suite of solutions. Among them: allowing residents to stay connected through digital communications (e.g., voice, video, messaging); keeping them engaged (e.g., content, virtual engagement, voice-first experiences); and supporting independence through features such as home automation and Resident Check-in.
The K4Community Team Hub also features automated family/guest communications and Hotline for critical communications. Ultimately, the goal is to enable communities to transform into “smart senior living communities,” the company said in its release.
“We are incredibly fortunate in our investor relationships in that they not only believe in our vision but equally value our mission. Forte Ventures is a prime example of that relationship and we’re proud to welcome them to the bench of our valued investors. With their support, and all of our investors, we’re continuing to accelerate to serve as many older adults through technology as possible,” said K4Connect CEO and Co-Founder, Scott Moody.
Additional investors taking part in the round include existing K4Connect investors Sierra Ventures, Intel Capital, AXA Venture Partners, the Ziegler Link•Age Fund, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest, Topmark Partners (formerly Stonehenge Growth Equity Partners) and Traverse.
The software aims to make senior living residents more easily connected and reachable by their health providers, families, and community managers.
By: Zachery Eanes
July 8, 2020
Raleigh-based K4Connect, one of the fastest-growing startups in the Triangle, said Wednesday that it had landed a large injection of cash from investors.
The money, which completes a $21 million round of new cash for the company, comes as K4Connect’s technology has seen a boost in usage because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The startup builds software that integrates smart devices and internet-of-things technology into retirement communities. The goal is to make residents more easily connected and reachable by their health providers and community managers.
Some residential facilities for seniors have become hot spots for COVID-19 outbreaks, which can be particularly dangerous for older people with pre-existing conditions.
In response, the movements of some residents have been restricted to prevent the spread of COVID-19. When residents can’t gather in dining halls or have visitors, technology can become a critical tool for communication between isolated residents and their family members.
“I think we have definitely gone from that nice (service) to have to a must-have,” the company’s CEO Scott Moody said in an interview with The News & Observer.
Moody said K4Connect’s software is added onto smart devices like iPads and Alexa speakers. The startup’s average user is 85 years old, Moody said, and about 85% of residents at K4Connect-partnered communities use their technology on a daily basis.
The company has grown rapidly in the past two years. The startup said in 2018 that it worked with around 60 retirement communities in the U.S. Now, the company provides service to around 800 communities.
Moody, who sold his last startup to Apple for $356 million in 2012, said now is the time to keep investing into the company’s growth.
“When you go into a crisis like this … there’s a defense element and there’s an offense element,” he said. “The defense element is making sure your costs are in line and things are being managed and people are safe at home.”
“The offense,” he added, “is how do we serve better and more?”
Moody said the new money will put the company on the offensive and “expedite a lot what we’re doing in terms of our product development.”
The latest round of funding for K4Connect was led by Forte Ventures in Atlanta, but other investors including Sierra Ventures, Intel Capital and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest fund participated.
