AgeLab research inspires an A I startup

Kiwi Health, founded in October 2024 by MIT alumnus Don Yansen, sells a voice-controlled wristband designed for older adults who find smartphones and smartwatches too difficult to use, per MIT Technology Review.

The wristband lets wearers set reminders, make calls, send texts, and share health data without navigating any screens. AI built into the device interprets voice commands and is specifically tuned to account for how voices change with age. The device also monitors health metrics and automatically alerts caregivers in the event of a fall, according to MIT Technology Review.

Yansen, a serial entrepreneur who holds an electrical engineering degree from MIT (class of 1963) and a master's in physics from Northeastern University, came to the idea through direct experience. He had retired to care for his wife when he participated in a study on caregiving technology at the MIT AgeLab. Hearing study participants describe their struggles with modern devices prompted him to act. "Many older adults can't even use a modern cell phone," he told MIT Technology Review, "and very few people can use something like an Apple Watch."

The AgeLab, which conducts research on how technology can support aging adults and their caregivers, served as the indirect catalyst for the company. Yansen has said his MIT education left him with "the feeling I could solve difficult problems," a disposition he applied to what he sees as a gap in accessible consumer health technology.

No funding figures, employee count, or distribution details are mentioned in the source material. Yansen's stated goal for the product is to "help seniors live the best life that they can."