Litesprite joins inaugural Innovation in Aging accelerator

The digital health entertainment studio is just one of 10 startups selected worldwide to combat social isolation and loneliness in older adults. 

Bellevue, Wash. (May 23, 2022) - Ninety-seven percent of Americans over 50 use their smartphones daily, according to AARP, but how and why are they interacting using these devices?. MATTER, in partnership with the RRF Foundation for Aging (RRF), selected Litesprite for its Accelerating Innovation in Aging initiative for the health entertainment studio’s long-term investment in enabling meaningful, intergenerational connections among older Americans. 

“According to the National Library of Medicine, 40% of older adults reported feeling lonely and 24% were socially isolated,” said RFF President Mary O’Donnell, in the announcement. “The need for innovation in this space is clear, and we are supporting these startups with the tools they need to truly make a difference in older adults’ lives.”

Litesprite’s flagship product Sinasprite reduces feelings of isolation and disconnection, among other mental health conditions, as part of its player-driven world exploration mobile game. 

“Litesprite is excited to continue our work with supporting older adults with MATTER and RRF Foundation for Aging,” said Swatee Surve, CEO, and Founder of Litesprite. “Sinasprite’s multiplayer gratitude mini-game connects a player to their support network, which reduces isolation.”

The Accelerating Innovation in Aging program will run from the end of May to the beginning of July. 

Read the full announcement from MATTER

About Litesprite 

Litesprite, an award-winning digital health entertainment studio, builds games to help people of all ages manage chronic mental health conditions and is a recognized leader in digital therapeutics. We are the first company to build a clinically-validated, family-friendly mental health video game, Sinasprite, complete with several reimbursement pathways. Sinasprite is designed to be a stand-alone self-help tool that can also be integrated into care settings, and it’s the only one recommended by clinics and municipalities nationwide. 

Our “frontier healthcare technology,” garnered more than 25 global health innovation awards, including the first videogame to win a U.S. Surgeon General award and recognition from the U.S. State Department. We have also received financial awards and strategic investments from the U.S. Army, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, AARP, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, SXSW, NexCube, Jumpstart Foundry, and the Livestrong Foundation.

About MATTER

At MATTER, we believe collaboration is the best way to improve healthcare. The MATTER collaborative includes more than 700 current and alumni startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together we are accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.

About RRF Foundation for Aging

For more than 40 years, RRF Foundation for Aging, formerly The Retirement Research Foundation, has been funding programs that support older adults. The Foundation has awarded more than 5,000 grants worth more than $250 million — all dedicated to improving the quality of life for all of us as we age. RRF Foundation for Aging’s grantmaking focuses on four priority areas — caregiving, economic security in later life, housing, and social and intergenerational connectedness. These issues are fundamental to allowing all of us to age where we want to and how we want to. RRF Foundation for Aging was one of the first private foundations to focus exclusively on aging issues and continues to support a range of advocacy, direct service, research, training, and organizational capacity-building efforts, both in Illinois and nationally. Learn more at www.rrf.org.