ExaWizards, an AI start-up, has concluded a capital and business alliance with Sompo Holdings, Inc.
〜Enhancing measures for dementia care in the super-aging society through
the development of services related to the care technique, “Humanitude®” 〜
ExaWizards Inc. (Representative Director & President: Ko Ishiyama, hereafter “ExaWizards”) and Sompo Holdings, Inc. (Group CEO, Representative Director, President and Executive Officer: Kengo Sakurada, hereafter “Sompo Holdings”) hereby announce the conclusion of a capital and business alliance on joint measures to solve social issues related to care and dementia in the super-aging society.
１．Background and purpose
ExaWizards has been working to solve various social issues, such as the super-aging society, by disseminating the dementia care technique, Humanitude®*, developing “Coaching AI” to make AI learn the skills of experts, helping to nurture employees as a whole, providing AI solutions to industries centering on the medical and care industries, and other appropriate measures.
Sompo Holdings started full-scale implementation of the care business in FY 2015. In addition to the largest-scale senior living business with approximately 25,700 rooms in Japan, it has been actively expanding visiting care businesses including regular visiting and as-needed response services, aiming to help realize “Supporting Japan, a Global Pioneer in Healthy Longevity” and to establish the most trusted care brand in Japan.
This time, the two companies have decided to conclude a capital and business alliance to solve social issues related to care and dementia in the super-aging society by combining ExaWizards’ knowledge on Humanitude® and AI technologies, and Sompo Holdings’ accumulated opinions, etc. of users, families and care staff obtained in the care business.
*ExaWizards is the sole owner of an authorized business license for Humanitude® in Japan.
２．Overview of the business alliance
（1）Measures to introduce the dementia care technique, Humanitude®
ExaWizards is working with the Sompo Care Group in conducting the care business of Sompo Holdings and is commencing measures to introduce Humanitude® in the facilities of the Sompo Care Group, aiming to alleviate dementia behavior and the psychological symptoms of facility users and to reduce the burden on care staff.
（2）Development of services related to Humanitude® training including “Coaching AI”
We are developing an education service encompassing families who support care in addition to care staff. Coaching AI, an education service developed by ExaWizards, analyzes videos, sounds, text data and other appropriate items and extracts the characteristic care skills of experienced caregivers, to help beginners to learn. By visualizing the care skills of experienced caregivers, the service helps to improve the skills of caregivers as a whole. Taking the opportunity of this alliance, ExaWizards will implement joint demonstration experiments with the Sompo Care Group on Coaching AI in the care domain that ExaWizards has developed, and accelerate the commercialization of this service.
（3）Development of services for early detection and prevention of dementia
We will develop services for the early detection and prevention of dementia to help create a society where people can live with peace of mind even after developing dementia.
３．Measures in the future
Taking this opportunity of a capital and business alliance, the two companies will widely implement measures in society to improve the quality of care services for the elderly with dementia, aiming to solve social issues in the super-aging society.
About Humanitude®
Humanitude®, established by two French experts majoring in sports science, Yves Gineste and Rosette Marescotti, in 1979, is a dementia care technique based on comprehensive communication involving perception, emotion and language. The philosophy is based on the questions of “What is a caregiver?” and “What is a human?” and practical techniques based on this philosophy. Currently, the technique has been introduced in over 700 facilities in France and in 10 countries outside France including Japan, where it has been employed since 2012. In the demonstration experiment conducted in Fukuoka City last fiscal year, objective indicators showed that Humanitude® lessened the dementia behaviors and psychological symptoms of care recipients and reduced the care burden on nurses, care specialists and families.
Photo of training on Humanitude®
Dr. Miwako Honda, Head Doctor of Tokyo Medical Center
Overview of Coaching AI in the care industry
Profile of ExaWizards Inc.
Company name: ExaWizards Inc.
Address: 5F, Sumitomo Hamamatsucho Bldg., Hamamatsu-cho 1-18-16, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Founded: February 2016
Representative: Representative Director & President: Ko Ishiyama
Business: Development of AI-enabled services for industrial innovation and solving social problems
URL: https://exawizards.com/
Profile of Sompo Holdings, Inc.
Company name: Sompo Holdings, Inc.
Address: 1-26-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Founded: April 2010
Representative: Kengo Sakurada
Business: Management of P&C insurance companies, life insurance companies, and other companies controlled as subsidiaries pursuant to the Insurance Business Law, and other related operations
URL: http://www.sompo-hd.com/