Investing in older persons’ wellbeing through smart dementia support

In 2024/25, we announced our first impact investment in the older persons’ wellbeing market via a new, landmark agreement with Ōtepoti Dunedin-based social enterprise, Elli Cares.

The Foundation has provided considerable funding for the business’s award-winning dementia support technology and taken an equity position in the company. The Elli Cares app, which is active in 40 countries, is transforming dementia support through smart technology, providing AI-enabled personalised reminders, real-time location tracking, and support tools for people living with dementia or who have other cognitive challenges and their carers, so that affected people can stay independent for longer.

Selwyn was an early financial supporter of Elli Cares, having selected the business to receive a grant following our inaugural ‘Respectful Ageing’ Innovation Challenge of 2023/24, which was designed to support the development of innovative products and services that would significantly improve outcomes for older people.

Our investment in the Elli Cares app is the first-of-its-kind in terms of impact investing in older people’s wellbeing and will enable the business to both scale and further enhance its technology, as well as expand its reach.

There are currently 70,000 Kiwis living with dementia, but that will increase further as the population ages. So, through our investment, it is hoped that more older people will be supported to age safely in their home environment for longer.