Amplifon Partners With Startup Accelerator in Europe: Boosting Innovation in the Silver Economy
Amplifon, a hearing services and solutions provider, has been made the main partner of Next Age, the first accelerator in Europe to invest in startups developing products or solutions dedicated to the Silver Economy.
Next Age is part of the CDP Venture Capital National Accelerators Network which now has 18 hubs across Italy to promote and support the growth of young companies specializing in high-potential markets.
Launched by CDP Venture Capital and the AC75 StartUp Accelerator, Next Age aims to boost the growth of startups in the Silver Economy, the sector of products and services dedicated to the over-50s which according to forecasts will be worth 5.7 trillion euros, or one-third of the European GDP, by 2025.
In the Europe of 2060, one in three inhabitants will be over 65. A similar trend of increasing life expectancy and reversal of the population pyramid will be followed by the rest of the developed countries on the planet. The forms of consumption will therefore change and older people will become the engine of the so-called silver economy.
The initiative will allow Amplifon to connect and collaborate with new Italian and international startups operating in the Silver Economy, particularly in the hearing care sector, and to obtain a privileged insight into new technologies and business models.
In return, Amplifon will contribute to the program with its experience and expertise in developing innovative better hearing solutions for the Silver Economy and its vision as an Italian company with a global profile and activities in 25 countries.
“Joining Next Age is part of the innovation path we have pursued for some years now with the aim of leveraging digital technologies and data to offer our customers an increasingly personalized service and develop the best multichannel experience,” said Enrico Vita, CEO of Amplifon. “Partnerships with innovative entities are a key part of this process: in fact, it was from the meeting between an Italian startup, OtoHub, and our digital division that last year we established AmplifonX, our internal startup in which we plan to invest 150 million euros in the 2022-2024 period.”
Based in Ancona, Italy, Next Age plans to select about ten seed and pre-seed startups each year with the aim of offering them access to a structured four-month path, significant investment, and support from accelerator partners, in order to receive guidance on the validation of their business models.
