Hartford Business Journal

HartfordBusiness.com | March 8, 2021 | Hartford Business Journal 7 Startups, Innovation & Technology By Sean Teehan steehan@hartfordbusiness.com A s homebound seniors have felt social isolation amid COVID-19 social distancing requirements, Hartford HealthCare and a tech startup are testing a robot capable of filling the void by connecting them virtually with people and activities. The Cutii robot — made by French company CareClever, which recently established a Hartford presence — is currently being used by a Hartford HealthCare homecare patient, said Eric Smullen, HHC's vice president of operations for community networks. But based on early success, HHC is expanding the pilot program, pairing a second at-home patient with a Cutii robot this month. "This is almost ready for prime time, but it needs to be tested," Smullen said. "The exciting thing that we really liked about Cutii is that it's an interactive platform." Headquartered in the northern French city of Roubaix, CareClever began working with HHC on the Cutii pilot via its participation in the Upward Labs startup accelerator in Hartford. Upward Labs provides advisory and other incubator services to early-stage companies in the age-care and smart-buildings fields, and CareClever was a member of its fall, 2020 cohort. Earlier in 2020 Upward Labs established a partnership with HHC, which agreed to serve as a testing ground for startups developing healthcare-related technology. Using CareClever's Cutii for some patients is one of those pilot programs. "The vast majority of what Cutii is doing [is providing] a way to connect people to other human beings," said CareClever Vice President of Business Development Richard Marshall. A Hartford home? Cutii resembles the shelf-scanning robots that amble around grocery stores and Walmart, but with a computer monitor-like screen. However, Cutii is more than a rolling laptop. The voice-activated product comes pre-loaded with healthy activities to connect users to the outside world, Marshall said. For example, a user looking for physical activity might be connected virtually with a Massachusetts-based Tai chi instructor the company contracts with for live remote classes. In France, where CareClever has also been testing Cutii, activities include virtual museum trips and remote nature walks. Additionally, it has features that allow someone who's fallen to call for help and schedule medical appointments and set reminders. Currently there are 44 Cutii robots operating at 22 locations in France, with about two-thirds of those French medical-technology company considers a Hartford home as local partnerships prove fruitful being used in senior-living facilities, Marshall said. CEO Antoine Bataille co-founded CareClever in 2016 and launched the Cutii product in France in the first quarter of 2020, about six months before the company participated in the Upward Labs accelerator in Hartford, Marshall said. The 13-employee company (including two people based in Hartford) has raised about $6 million in seed funds, Marshall said. Later this year CareClever will embark on a Series A fundraising round to try to raise about $10 million. CareClever's two U.S. employees currently work out of Upward's downtown Hartford coworking space (when they aren't operating remotely) in the Stilts building on Church Street, Marshall said. The company plans to establish permanent U.S. operations, and its participation in Upward Labs and partnership with HHC has put Hartford into a front-runner position, he said. Connecticut's high volume of healthcare systems and facilities offers a strong customer base and makes the state attractive, Marshall said. CareClever's business model hinges on partnering with healthcare companies whose patients and/or residents would use Cutii. It sells the robots for about $6,000 apiece, Marshall said. He's bullish on the technology's future, believing it could eventually generate "tens of millions" of dollars in annual revenue. And Connecticut, he said, might be a decent locus from which to expand in the U.S. "Going forward our specific goal is to partner with an appropriate company here in the U.S. to bring Cutii to market," Marshall said. "There's a lot of reasons to stay [in Hartford]." Eric Smullen A homebound senior uses a Cutii robot to go on a virtual hike. Cutii robots have found a niche providing virtual companionship to people in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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