It takes more than just capital to take a big idea and make it more than just a thought playing around in someone’s head. To turn a dream into reality, to produce something tangible takes imagination, it takes courage, and most of all it needs a dedicated group of people working hand-in-hand. It also doesn’t hurt to get a few tips from professionals, and people who have followed a similar path.
AIA Group Limited, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group and the parent company of Philam Life, is helping the next big healthcare ideas get pushed out and created for the world to see, through the AIA Accelerator programme, in partnership with Nest, a leading Hong Kong-based full-service innovation accelerator platform.
The mission of AIA Accelerator programme is to transform healthcare through innovation. The programme fostered eight start-ups over 12 weeks and connected them with over 40 industry mentors and potential investors.
Angelo Umali, a Filipino electrical engineer graduate from Stanford and UCLA, is one of the programme participants. As founder of Simple Wearables, Angelo and his team developed a wearable device called the Simple Wave, designed for the elderly and at-risk individuals. The Simple Wave automatically detects a fall and connects the user with a designated emergency contact through its built in phone. It analyses the user’s behaviour and adapts to them and it has a unique design that is user friendly and fashionable.
Angelo was inspired to create the device after worrying about the well-being of his grandmother who lives in the Philippines. He wanted his family to be notified immediately if she were to collapse for any reason or need any help, so he and his team designed the Simple Wave with the goal of giving peace-of-mind to people like him who worry about their elderly or disabled loved ones.
“I envision Simple Wave to go a long way as a platform in protecting the elderly and giving peace of mind to family members. I am thankful to AIA for helping us along the way,” said Angelo Umali.
“We are proud that a fellow Filipino is at the forefront of developing innovative medical technology with the support from our parent company, AIA Group. Philam Life mirrors this initiative by developing innovative healthcare solutions that address the real life needs of our customers,” said Jaime Jose Javier, Jr., Chief Marketing Officer of Philam Life, AIA’s local operating arm in the Philippines.
“Healthcare and protection need not be complicated. Something as simple as acquiring an insurance plan like Health Invest Plus, financially taking care of yourself or using devices like
Simple Wave allow us to be prepared for the worst. We want customers to feel secured knowing that their loved ones can receive the crucial life-saving care at the first sign of an emergency,” said Javier.
To learn more about the AIA Accelerator program and Simple Wearables, please visit www.aia-accelerator.com and www.simplewearables.com. To learn more about Philam Life’s Health Invest Plus, please visit www.philamlife.com
2 minutes