Listen to the full podcast segment on Mon Carnet by Bruno Guglielminetti (1:20:28)
Émilie Delvoye, Director of Communications at Prompt, talks with Mathieu Lachaîne, CEO of Sentiom, a company focused on the digital transformation of living environments, particularly for seniors and people with disabilities.
They present a solution designed to protect the occupants of residences.
Discover the key passages from the interview
Can you tell us about the solution you developed to protect residents?
It is a smart environment made up of connected objects equipped with non-intrusive sensors—i.e., without cameras or microphones—in order to protect people’s privacy. These objects collect data that is then analyzed by artificial intelligence. The aim is to detect anomalies or deviations from normal habits, which may indicate a need for safety assistance. For example: did the person get up this morning? Did they fall? Do they need help in the toilet or bathroom? The aim is therefore to predict and reduce care needs, intervening only when necessary.
So, precisely, what is the need related to this innovation?
Our society is undergoing a demographic transformation: the number of people losing their independence is increasing by about 5% per year. This is a major societal challenge. At the same time, we are facing a labor shortage in the healthcare sector. These two realities create a “perfect storm” that we wanted to tackle. Our company has a social and environmental mission. Currently, CLSCs provide home care. For example, when a person poses a risk to their own safety—such as turning on the oven and forgetting to turn it off—the appliance is disconnected to prevent accidents. This then requires services to deliver meals daily, which mobilizes a lot of resources.
But beyond the logistical aspect, this approach has negative effects on the individual: they lose cognitive autonomy (because they no longer have to manage their meals) and social autonomy (they no longer go out to do the grocery shopping), and this accelerates their overall decline. Our goal with technology is therefore to provide targeted support, intervening only when necessary, rather than on a permanent basis.
This innovation was born from a combination of my background in cybersecurity and a personal experience. More than ten years ago, I sold my companies, one of which was developing technology capable of managing thousands of simultaneous events and detecting anomalies—a tool designed for cybersecurity. At the same time, my family owned apartment buildings. The idea came naturally: why not apply this technology to the residential environment to improve people’s safety? We quickly met with players in the ecosystem and research centers, and the idea took shape.
Like many people, I have aging relatives. We are a family business, and my 74-year-old father is still involved. We saw a real opportunity to use environmental data to better support people who are losing their independence, while respecting their dignity and independence.
Is there continuity across all these successive projects that led to this particular project or innovation?
Absolutely. When pursuing an ambitious goal, you have to break it down into blocks—like Lego blocks. Each of these blocks represents an innovative project in its own right, with its own ecosystem of partners committed to achieving the objectives, both in terms of delivery and sustainability. The entrepreneurial approach consists of structuring each project so that it can, ideally, function autonomously, including financially. It is often said that it takes ten years to become an overnight success—which is why each block must be able to generate value along the way.
For innovation to come to life, several players must come together: research centers and universities for fundamental research, startups and SMEs for agility and creativity, and large companies that can facilitate market access thanks to their customer base. For our part, we favor projects rooted in real-life settings, often in collaboration with non-profits. Since we receive public funding, we are committed to reinvesting it in initiatives that provide concrete support to the community. A lot of ideas can emerge from a 48- or 72-hour hackathon—and many of our projects could come from that. But the real challenge is operationalization. That’s where it all comes down to: transforming a good idea into a concrete, sustainable solution that is integrated into everyday life. And to achieve this, the entire ecosystem must work together, with an SME well positioned at the heart of the action.
[…] If you want to develop a technological innovation project in partnership, Prompt offers funding and can also put you in touch with companies. We have several programs available on an ongoing basis or through calls for projects, offering the companies and expertise you are looking for.
