Thames Freeport and Rainmaking seek startups to join the Adult Social Care Accelerator. The accelerator will test and scale the most impactful solutions from across the globe to ease the strain on the UK care system.
Adult Social Care Accelerator Background
Our care system is under strain, struggling to meet the growing volume and complexity of needs. This challenge is only set to intensify as our over 65 population continues to expand and more of those individuals face chronic conditions that require long-term care.
We believe that technology can help to ease this crisis by helping elderly people stay independent for longer and by reducing the burden on carers.
The Adult Social Care Accelerator is an innovation accelerator that tests new technologies with a network of forward thinking care providers. The Accelerator scales the most impactful solutions across the care ecosystem by connecting corporates, local authorities, and the communities we serve.
The accelerator is designed to help you enter the UK adult social care market, finding a first customer with which to trial your solution and providing a path to scale if the initial pilot is successful. The accelerator will run from January to April 2025.
The Challenge Areas
In partnership with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Thurrock Council, Havering London Borough Council we have identified key focus areas for the Accelerator and we’re looking for startups with solutions in these areas:
- Prediction: Using data to better identify people at risk of deterioration, so we can proactively intervene for improved outcomes
- Prevention: Help people to proactively manage their health for a better quality of life and reduced future care needs
- Independence: Support people to live independently, to enable them to stay at home for longer and reduce reliance on home care
Why join the Accelerator?
- Access to customers: by trialling with our network of care providers, you’ll have direct access to customers
- Mentorship and coaching: you’ll have support from experts to localise your product, refine your market entry strategy, and design impactful trials with commercial partners which will lead to scale in the UK
- Real-world feedback: get immediate real-world feedback from customers and end-users
- Enhanced credibility: after working with the accelerator you’ll have run a real world pilot in the UK care system that demonstrates the impact of your solution.
Who is Running the Accelerator?Â
Rainmaking
Rainmaking was founded in 2007 by a small group of entrepreneurs who came together to use their experience to build impactful businesses. In the years that followed, they founded Startupbootcamp, one of the world’s most successful accelerators, to help other founders grow. Over the last decade Rainmaking have successfully delivered over 100 innovation programs in partnership with 200+ corporations and government officials.
Care City
Care City is a not-for-profit innovation centre for healthy ageing and regeneration, based in Barking. Co-founded in 2013 by London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (LBBD) and North-East London Foundation Trust (NELFT), their mission is to support residents of the North East London (NEL) community. Their mission is to support people to live happier and healthier lives.
Thames Freeport
Thames Freeport is a unique and transformative initiative that aims to stimulate trade, foster innovation, support energy transition, and improve people’s lives in London, but primarily the area immediately surrounding the freeport – Havering, Barking & Dagenham and Thurrock.
Who Should Apply?
We’re looking for international startups that:
- Have a product deployed in a market outside the UK
- Are considering the UK as an expansion market and have already started preparation (e.g. investigated UK regulation, begun adapting product for English language, products are CE certified).
- You may have recently raised Series A funding
If you don’t meet these criteria but you can demonstrate strong potential for impact in our challenge areas, don’t be discouraged. We’re reserving some space for solutions that have huge potential for impact but require some incubation, so please apply and we’ll consider each on a case-by-case basis. Similarly, if you are a UK based startup looking to expand your operations you are welcome to apply.
How to Apply
- Fill out the short application form before 6pm GMT January 8th 2025.
- Rainmaking will conduct 30-minute interviews between January 13th and January 17th 2025. Please ensure a team member is available.
- Selected startups will work with us to design and run pilots with test sites within East London between January and April 2025.
Questions?
Email us at asca@rainmaking.io. We’re happy to set up a short chat prior to your application.