Companions for later life.
Expressive AI companions for care homes, built on two manifolds: one that understands how everyday capacities develop, and one that gives a character a real inner state.
The idea
The same map, read the other way.
The capacities children gain in the early years (language, sequence, abstraction, the senses) tend to change in later life broadly in the reverse of the order they arrived. Researchers call this retrogenesis. For us, it means the coordinate system we built for ages 3–8 can also describe how a person's everyday capacities change: the same map, read the other way.
The companion
A companion that needs looking after.
A humanoid character with a voice, an animated face and an inner state of its own. Residents talk with it, look after it, and see its happiness reflected back. The point is to feel needed, not only cared for.
Pitched at the right level
Never a test.
Because the companion knows where a resident is on the map, it pitches conversation, activities and reminiscence at a level that suits them. It adjusts as things change, and never makes anyone feel tested.
For care staff
Signals of change, shared with staff.
With the care home's agreement, the companion shares simple signals of change with care staff, such as a resident being quieter than usual this week, so a person can follow up. It doesn't diagnose, and it isn't a medical device.
Safe by design
Five commitments.
A trusted circle.
Contacts are confirmed by the care home. No unverified contacts, no unvetted content.
Always honest about what it is.
The companion always says it’s an AI.
Built for everyone in the home.
Designed to work for residents living with dementia: simple turns, patience, nothing to pass or fail.
Staff stay in charge.
The care home decides what is shared, and with whom.
Not a medical device.
It supports wellbeing and companionship. It doesn’t diagnose, treat, monitor or predict any condition.
Where we're starting
Korea first.
Korea is one of the world's most aged societies. We're starting there, working with care-home operators. Japan, China and Taiwan come next.