Abhishek Mohanty on CareFlick’s mission to redefine senior care with AI & compassion

In this interview with Adgully, Abhishek Mohanty, Founder & CEO of CareFlick, shares insights into the platform's innovative approach to senior care, tackling loneliness and isolation through AI-powered companionship. “CareFlick’s long-term goal is to become the global leader in AI-powered senior care solutions, transforming the way seniors experience companionship, care, and well-being,” he says.

Could you share the story behind the inception of CareFlick? What inspired you to start this platform?

The idea for CareFlick emerged from my deep, personal experience in the senior care space. During my six years with Epoch Elder Care as part of the leadership team, I was closely involved in setting up multiple assisted living and dementia care homes across India. I led design, marketing, and even the development of tools like a finance management app for families of seniors. Working so closely with seniors and caregivers, I witnessed first-hand the gaps in mental well-being and care coordination, particularly the devastating impact of loneliness on seniors’ health.

Around the same time, my long-time friend and now co-founder, Himanshu Maharana, was leading AI/ML projects at IBM. As flatmates, we often brainstormed ways to leverage technology to create a meaningful solution. Combining my deep understanding of senior care with Himanshu's expertise in AI, we collaborated to build CareFlick, a platform that reimagines how seniors experience care. Our flagship innovation, YANA (You Are Not Alone), emerged as an AI companion to address loneliness and empower mental well-being among seniors, helping them stay connected, engaged, and supported.

What problem or gap in the market does CareFlick aim to solve for its users?

CareFlick aims to tackle the loneliness epidemic that is silently affecting seniors worldwide. Currently, one in four seniors globally report feeling lonely, and more than three in 10 seniors in residential care experience depression. This emotional isolation isn’t just a quality-of-life issue; it has significant health consequences, increasing the risk of dementia by 50%, stroke by 32%, and heart disease by 29%.

CareFlick’s mission is to address this critical gap in senior care by improving their mental well-being. With YANA, our AI companion, we are providing seniors with personalized, engaging, and empathetic companionship, while also reducing caregiver stress. By blending human-centred AI with actionable insights, CareFlick is creating a solution that doesn’t just manage care, but also enriches lives.

Are there any innovative features or upcoming developments that CareFlick plans to integrate into its platform to improve caregiving services?

Yes, we are continually innovating. Our upcoming developments include advanced predictive analytics to foresee health risks and streamline interventions, further enhancement of YANA’s conversational capabilities for deeper emotional engagement, and tools for seamless coordination between care teams and families. Additionally, we’re exploring integrations with wearables and IoT devices to provide real-time health monitoring and tailored care recommendations.

What regions or markets has CareFlick expanded into?

CareFlick has established a presence in India through partnerships with leaders like Epoch Elder Care, Khyaal, Athulya Senior Care and few others, and we are actively expanding in the US, with two major partnerships in the pipeline. Our solutions are designed to be globally adaptable, making us well-positioned for markets with aging populations and a demand for innovative senior care.

How do you see the caregiving industry evolving in the next few years, and how is CareFlick positioning itself to stay ahead of these trends?

The caregiving industry is shifting toward technology-enabled, personalized care as demographic trends heighten the demand for senior services. We foresee a rise in AI companions, predictive health solutions, and remote care tools. CareFlick is leading this evolution by blending cutting-edge AI with human-centric design, ensuring our solutions like YANA redefine care delivery while staying aligned with future trends.

How does CareFlick ensure its platform remains user-friendly and accessible to both tech-savvy and non-tech-savvy individuals?

Accessibility is at the heart of our design philosophy. CareFlick’s platform is intuitive, with clear navigation and language options to cater to all users. Features like voice commands and YANA’s conversational AI ensure inclusivity for seniors with limited tech skills. Regular user feedback and testing allow us to continuously refine the platform, making it simple, functional, and empowering for everyone involved in caregiving.

What are CareFlick’s long-term goals? Are there any exciting upcoming projects, collaborations, or features?

CareFlick’s long-term goal is to become the global leader in AI-powered senior care solutions, transforming the way seniors experience companionship, care, and well-being. At the heart of our vision is creating a world where no senior feels lonely, and every caregiver feels supported. We aim to expand YANA’s capabilities to offer deeper emotional engagement, predictive health insights, and seamless care coordination across homes, assisted living, and nursing facilities.

We are building digital humans that provide not just companionship but also proactive care recommendations, cognitive engagement as well as emergency management by coordinating with emergency responders such as 911 in the US. Additionally, we are exploring collaborations with wearable tech providers to integrate real-time health data into our platform, enabling predictive care. On the partnership front, we’re seeing growing interest from senior care providers in the US, Europe, and India, with collaborations in progress to bring CareFlick and YANA to new markets. We are also in discussions with insurance providers to amplify our impact while making it affordable.