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Collin Furtado · · 6 min read

Agetech finds new ways to deal with old issues in Asia

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Hi there,

In a few days, I will be turning a year older. Birthdays brought me joy when I was in my 20s, but now that I’m in my 30s, I just end up contemplating my future and what it holds for me.

While I know I shouldn’t be too worried about aging yet, one of my main concerns is how my wife and I will take care of ourselves in our twilight years. I still want to be my own person, without having to depend on anyone for basic things like mobility.

I’m assuming, of course, that we even have a choice. India today has very few care centers for the growing population of older people, which will reach 347 million by 2050.

In line with this, my colleague Elyssa spotlights agetech startups in Asia, particularly in India and Southeast Asia, in our first Big Story. She discusses startups offering services for older adults, ranging from simple tasks such as ordering a cab to complex matters like legacy planning.

These pioneering players face several hurdles in Asia, as talking about aging and end of life is still taboo. For instance, it is commonly expected for children to take care of their parents, and very few older adults are keen to make a will.

In our second Big Story, my colleague Glenn tackles Elon Musk’s recent visit to Indonesia and plan to expand Starlink satellite-based internet services to the public. While this is an alluring prospect for Indonesians, it won’t be an easy feat for Starlink.

Finally, in this week’s AI Odyssey, I look at why OpenAI’s newly launched GPT-4o is making Apple sweat.

Collin


THE BIG STORIES

1️⃣ These Asian startups offer a silver lining to aging issues

Image credit: Made by Tech in Asia using Midjourney

Asia’s older adult population is expected to double by 2050, but some agetech startups are already positioning themselves to serve this market.

2️⃣ Why Elon Musk’s Starlink won’t get an easy pass in Indonesia


AI ODYSSEY


FYI


NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW


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TIA Writer

Collin Furtado

Emerging tech editor at TIA who covers startup sectors as AI, EVs, climatetech, agritech, healthtech, and others. His work comprises of investigative stories, profiles, and visual/data pieces.