Founder Spotlight: Abhishek Mohanty (Careflick)

This week, I had the privilege of interviewing Abhishek Mohanty at Careflick. Careflick is a technology-first solution aimed at addressing loneliness at scale. Through innovative technology, Careflick empowers a wide base of seniors to age independently, and sustain a dignified, socially active lifestyle. Abhishek is a member of our second-ever AgeTech NYC Accelerator, so please join us at the official AgeTech NYC #Techweek event on June 3rd, hosted by our friends at Senior Planet to watch Careflick’s live presentation.

Grab a coffee and join me in learning about Abhishek’s mission with his cofounder, Monica, for Careflick.

— Sarah Richard

What inspired you to build Careflick?

AM: I spent eight impactful years at a senior living startup in India, establishing multiple assisted living homes thoughtfully designed to be elder- and dementia-friendly. I wore numerous hats during my tenure, notably introducing technology-driven solutions to streamline operations and enhance the quality of life for seniors.

Amidst this professional journey, a deeply personal realization struck me: my father, having recently become a widower and relocating to a new city post-retirement, faced profound loneliness and a loss of purpose due to the erosion of his social circle. Witnessing his struggle firsthand illuminated a much broader issue - countless seniors were similarly grappling with isolation and diminishing independence.

What problem are you solving, and for whom?

AM: Careflick addresses the growing epidemic of loneliness and social isolation among seniors, a critical challenge affecting over 39 million seniors in the United States. Specifically, we focus on seniors who, after retirement or major life transitions like the loss of a spouse, find themselves disconnected, socially isolated, and struggling to maintain independence. This issue significantly impacts seniors' mental and physical health, often leading to depression, cognitive decline, and diminished quality of life.

This challenge persists even among seniors who move to senior living communities expecting increased social engagement. Many still experience isolation due to disconnection from their past lives, families, and the difficulty in finding personalized social connections within new environments.

The problem is particularly urgent now, given the rapidly aging population and an increasing shortage of professional caregivers. Careflick leverages artificial intelligence to support seniors living independently or in senior living facilities and enhance their overall well-being and dignity.

What makes your solution different or better than what’s out there today?

AM: What makes Careflick uniquely different from existing solutions is our core innovation: a human-like AI Companion specifically designed with seniors in mind.

This companion can hold deeply personalized conversations, assist seniors with daily tasks and timely reminders, and actively engage them through interactive digital activities tailored to their interests and needs. Additionally, Careflick provides families and care providers with rich, actionable insights into seniors' emotional and mental health, tracking mood and emotional trends, and identifying early indicators of anxiety, depression, or PTSD.

Careflick's AI Companions are easily accessible on any smart device - smartphones, tablets, laptops - and offer a seamless, intuitive user interface specifically developed to be effortless and engaging for seniors. A unique form factor combined with sophisticated backend orchestration powered by our proprietary vision and audio models, enabling accurate interpretation of seniors’ facial expressions, environmental context, and other visual cues, alongside voice biomarker analysis that captures tone and emotion with over 95% accuracy.

What have you learned from working with older adults and operators?

AM: One of the most valuable lessons we’ve learned from working with older adults, caregivers, and senior living operators is the importance of emotional validation and active listening. Seniors often want to feel heard and understood, more than they want advice. This shaped our AI Companion to be an empathetic, conversational presence - not just a functional tool.

Many seniors have told us how much they value a safe, non-judgmental space - something not always possible during quick family calls or busy caregiver interactions. They appreciate opportunities to discuss personal and nuanced topics they’re passionate about. One user, for example, shared her joy in finally having conversations about gardening - her lifelong hobby, which she hadn't been able to engage in meaningfully within her retirement community. Moments like these reinforce our mission to offer genuine connection through our AI Companions.

We’ve also learned from operators that tools must be easily accessible on any device, simple to use and should seamlessly fit into existing routines to gain real adoption. This led us to prioritize intuitive design and minimal friction for both seniors and care providers.

What’s next for Careflick in the next 6-12 months?

AM: Over the next 6-12 months, Careflick is focused on deploying our AI Companions in senior living communities across the U.S., beginning with California, Texas, and New York. These deployments aim to help senior living providers improve resident engagement and retention, while validating emotional and wellness outcomes. At the same time, we are committed to working hand in hand with senior care providers to deeply understand their evolving needs and continuously productize those insights through our AI Companions. We will also expand to home care providers to support aging in place.

In parallel, we are working toward key partnerships with healthcare providers and insurers to integrate Careflick into broader wellness and preventative care ecosystems. Our goal is to build strong clinical validation for our mental wellness insights and deepen our impact on aging with dignity and independence.