The Spritely team was over the moon to be named Emerging Business of the Year in the Canterbury Business awards last week. We got together as a team on Friday, and it was a good chance to reflect on what it means to win the Emerging Business Category this year.
Spritely is a technology start up operating in the healthcare and aged care sectors. When we launched our first commercial product in early 2020, our stated aim was to make seniors healthier, safer, and more connected. We didn’t know then just how acutely important that was going to be.
As the pandemic descended on NZ and lockdowns isolated families from their loved ones, Spritely pioneered new ways to remote manage the health of older people, who remain most at risk of serious health complications from COVID-19.
Within 12 months of launching, we had partnered with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) on multiple projects providing remote health care to vulnerable populations. Throughout this we were well supported by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce for which we remain very grateful.
Spritely continues to enjoy support from some of our earliest customers in Canterbury like Qestral Corporation and Nurse Maude. We commend them for their commitment to innovation and their dedication to the welfare of older people. We are now helping people further afield through our work with large national organisations like St John.
As our emerging start-up continues to grow, our team will be able to help more and more families stay connected with ageing relatives. Our purpose is to create a world where older people can live for longer in their own homes without compromising their health, safety, or social connections.
Our unique product is a great solution for families that want to keep an eye on their loved ones but find it hard to do so because they are unfamiliar with technology. Spritely’s age-friendly touchscreen enables 1-tap video calling, health vitals monitoring and welfare sensors that can alert relatives if there is cause for concern.
The system is currently used by retirement villages and healthcare providers that have a duty of care for older residents and clients.
Organisations like St John trust Spritely’s technology to proactively manage the health of older people who suffer from hypertension. Ensuring they record their blood pressure, take their medication and aren’t deteriorating in a way that goes undetected. This service is designed to reduce ambulance call outs and prevent hospital admissions.
Next year Spritely will be launching a consumer version that families can purchase and give to their relatives for greater peace of mind.
Our companion app will connect them through to loved ones, so they can provide similar support themselves via our age-friendly touchscreen. If there are signs of deterioration, then interventions can be made sooner, and outcomes can be better.