Covid-19 accelerates production of Israel-based EchoCare’s non-wearable radars for the elderly

Remote senior care monitoring startup EchoCare Technologies has started manufacturing its radar-based, non-invasive solution for elderly people due to a rise in demand following the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. To increase its production capabilities, Echocare announced on Thursday it was initiating an A1 investment round.

The company develops a non-wearable elderly care home system based on radar technology. It automatically detects and alerts users on a variety of emergency or abnormal behaviors at home through its ECHO solution. After successful trials in Japan and Australia, there has been a growing need to look after the elderly from afar ever since lockdowns took place across the world.

"Covid-19 has emphasized the need for solutions like the ECHO system,” said Rafi Zack, EchoCare Co-Founder, CEO, and VP of R&D in a statement. “As elderly people become more isolated as a result of social distancing, there is an increased need to monitor them without the burden of wearables or privacy-invading cameras.”

In Japan and Australia, EchoCare was used with SMK Corporation, a Japanese electronics manufacturer, and Lifeview, an Australian aged care provider. Both trials successfully monitored resident and user status such as personal care time, sleeping time, and breathing ability.

The company’s ECHO system is being installed in Covid-19 departments in Israeli hospitals with internal medicine departments to help monitor respiratory distress among older patients. Its device can be hung from the ceiling so as to not interfere or intrude on any additional respiratory assistance tools if required.

Founded in 2015, EchoCare was established as part of Incubit, Elbit Systems’ technological incubator. Today, it is based in Ness Ziona, Israel.