EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
HOW TO CATCH THE INVESTOR’S ATTENTION
The investment community is massively diverse. Investment can come from many sources, whether it is from venture capitalists, crowd funding or simply borrowing from family and friends. In a session in the Connecting Supply and Demand track, delegates — mainly entrepreneurs in this case — were given the chance to gain some valuable insight from a range of investors about how to successfully attract funding
T 22 | AAL FORUM 2014
he session began with a question to Cécile Real of Medevice about how a group can attract attention from investors. Real made it clear that clarity is essential. If you want to
win the confidence of an investor, you must be able to explain the idea, the target market, the steps that need to be taken to get the product out, and the role that the investor will be expected to play in the relationship. “I want to know that the person I’m talking to has thought about the connection between the technology they’re using and the market,” she said. “The technology must be molded to fit the demands of the market, because the market will not adjust itself to fit the technology.” Stephen Johnston of Aging 2.0 then gave
some fascinating insights into the differences between the US and European markets. The
US has tended to put its money into health and wellness, making products that are legitimately desirable for a broad spectrum of ages. Although not specifically designed for older adults, Johnston believed that this strong consumerisation is a more effective strategy, as the products are ultimately more in line with what people want. As he put it, “old people don’t want products designed for old people.” On the other hand, the US government
takes a more backseat approach in terms of its involvement with the ageing space. Johnston recounted that he had never been invited to sit on a panel or appear at a forum in the US as he had in Europe. Top down activities in Europe are in general far superior, with better integrated healthcare, equality, public transport and more innovative business models. All of these assets are there to be taken advantage
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