AgePower Tech Search Announces Five Finalists

  MINNEAPOLIS/SAINT Paul (January 8, 2014) – Ecumen and MOJO Minnesota, the organizers of

the inaugural AgePower Tech Search, which is designed to help bring new technology solutions to a

rapidly aging world, have announced the initiative’s five finalists (listed below). Team leaders for the

five technologies will participate in a Demo Day before AgePower judges in Minneapolis/St. Paul on

January 21st. The finalists will vie for an opportunity for a 6-month pilot with Ecumen customers and

employees. The pilot is designed to give inventors valuable user feedback to prepare products for

commercial market expansion.

 Ecumen, a Minnesota-based non-profit company that is among the country’s top 20 largest

nonprofit senior housing and services organizations, and MOJO Minnesota, an innovation

cooperative and advocacy force working to fuel entrepreneurship and a culture of innovation,

launched AgePower in late 2013. The intent of AgePower is to locate, reward and help launch new

high- and low-tech technology and innovation that have a positive, near-term impact on the aging

 AgePower (agepower.org) differs from most “incubators” or “accelerators” in that its focus is on

transforming the future of aging and providing real-life test environments along with access to

business and invention experts in key areas necessary to fueling a successful new venture. AgePower

had 27 submissions from the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Below are snapshots of the

- A-VU Media (avumedia.com): Minnesota-based A-VU seeks to enrich the lives of seniors by

providing them access to all the possibilities of complex media services with easy-to-use

interfaces. A-VU was founded by John Goodman, whose background is in broadband

technology. A-VU partners include Winona Health Clinic and Hiawatha Broadband

Communications. A-VU’s technology provides a HIPAA-secure digital connection from a

person’s home to their physician as well as other media and interconnectivity options, all

utilizing a television screen and simple remote control.

- CareTree (caretree.me): A Chicago-based start-up, CareTree seeks to provide a secure

digital platform with telephony tie-ins for home health caregivers and families to easily share

care information and updates with each other. CareTree says healthcare is a village, but the

village has to be able to easily and securely share and coordinate information. CareTree’s

vision is a single, centralized health record that’s simple to use for all stakeholders (family,

medical and care teams) and HIPAA compliant. CareTree was founded by serial

entrepreneur Carl Hirschman, who previously founded and sold X-Wires Broadband and was

inspired to create CareTree based on his Mom’s caregiving experience.

- ForMyChildren: A Minnesota-California collaboration, ForMyChildren online technology seeks

to go far beyond the safety deposit box and current software to allow parents or

grandparents to easily and securely share important stories, photos, videos, documents,

passwords, legal information and other key information with their spouse, adult children and/or

grandchildren. Founders of ForMyChildren are Michael Wright, former president of publicly-
held company Entegris; film producer Scott Garen; and serial entrepreneur Jeff O’Dell, who

founded and sold August Technologies.

- GO 2 (goodbloodflow.com): A North Carolina company, GO2 is commercializing the CV2.

The CV2 is described as an exciting new wellness product that can effectively, and

inexpensively, increase circulation for nearly everybody. Published medical research has

demonstrated that “treadling” on low-resistance devices such as the CV2 can dramatically

increase the velocity of blood flow out of and into the lower extremities. Co-founders of GO2,

LLC are James Hundley, Jr., co-founder of OrthopaedicList.com, and James Hundley, M.D., a

retired board-certified orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of OrthopaedicList.com.

- Playtabase (playtabase.com): Playtabase is a Minnesota-based company dedicated to

reinventing the world through fun solutions. The company is currently developing a limited

mobility situation inspired, wrist-worn, technology that empowers users to interact with the

electronics around them through gesture alone. Co-founder and Playtabase CEO

Muhammad Abdurrahman Ph.D., was inspired to create the technology after his father

experienced multiple strokes.

About AgePower’s Founding Partners

Ecumen (ecumen.org), headquartered in Shoreview, Minn., is one of the country’s top 20 largest

nonprofit senior housing and services companies. It is empowering individuals to live better, easier

and more fun lives. It has served people for 150 years, and operates a wide array of senior housing

and services for its 10,000+ customers and develops and operates housing for third parties nationally.

MOJO Minnesota (mojominnesota.com) is an innovation cooperative and advocacy force working

to fuel entrepreneurship and reignite Minnesota’s culture of innovation. MOJO includes leading

Minnesota entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, business advisors and engineers

passionate about creating jobs and economic growth through the power of Minnesota-based

innovation-driven startups.

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