Only the top 10% of the care professionals who apply are selected
With Singapore’s slowing population growth and the increasing number of citizens aged 65 and above, more and more senior citizens would be seeking health care assistance. Our aging population requires our attention now more than ever. Homage, a Singapore-based startup wants to help by connecting quality healthcare givers to families who need assistance with seniors.
Founded by Gillian Tee, Lily Phang, and Tong Duong in May 2016, the team was inspired to start Homage when they saw an urgent need for in-home care assistance for the elderly. The project resonated especially deeply with Gillian and Lily, who have aging parents at home. Speaking with Tech in Asia, Gillian mentions that Lily has a wealth of experience in healthcare and clinical management. On top of that, their team of clinical care operations staff has over 30 years of combined experience. Gillian herself has spent time working in the U.S., where she founded Rocketrip, a tech platform to reduce corporate travel expenses.
Homage aims to empower and widen the pool of caregivers in order to meet the ever increasing demand. In order to ensure that the best people are sent out there, healthcare workers are carefully vetted through a selection process which includes in-person interviews as well as background and reference checks. Healthcare workers also must hold relevant certifications and qualifications in order to be considered. Only the top 10% of the care professionals who apply are selected.
Users of the platform can choose from different kinds of services ranging from everyday care, home nursing or specialized care. Homage then arranges for the right caregiver based on specific needs of the family or elderly themselves. So far, the company has delivered more than 10,000 hours of in-home caregiving services.
The startup also recently announced that it has secured a seed funding of US$1.2 million from 500Startups, Golden Gate Ventures, and Jungle Ventures-affiliated seed investor, SeedPlus. Homage will use the funding to improve its operation system, such as its matching system that pairs families with the caregiver that fits their needs.
Homage is also keen on expanding their operations to different parts of Southeast Asia, which is a practical move. The whole of Southeast Asia consists of more than 600 million people – translating to plenty of room for the business to grow – as compared to the limited pool of Singapore residents which numbers at more than five million. However, the team is not in a hurry, as they want to ensure that the need for elderly care is first properly met in Singapore.