Via Community News Service, a VTSU-Castleton internship, for the Rutland Herald
RUTLAND — An app focused on providing care and companionship to seniors and their families launched in Vermont earlier this year.
Tuktu, an artificial intelligence-powered platform, officially debuted on March 1. Founded by technologist and caregiver Rustam Sengupta, the app is designed to connect seniors with vetted, local, non-medical services, including companionship, transportation, housekeeping and personal shopping services. Tuktu has been working with StartUp Rutland’s gBETA Accelerator program, powered by gener8tor.
Sengupta said he started the platform after his father was diagnosed with dementia. It was built to solve a common problem facing many seniors — finding reliable, personalized and affordable care. Tuktu is designed to help match seniors with community members who offer services like overnight care, transportation and companionship.
“There is not enough time in the day to care for both your family and your parents,” Sengupta said in a March 4 press release. “That’s a reality I lived, and it’s a reality shared by countless Vermonters. Tuktu harnesses technology to transform how communities care for each other.”
The app has gained traction across Canada, serving more than 6,000 customers with a network of over 300 care providers, according to the same press release. More than 72% of users returned to the platform within the same month.
Sengupta said Vermonters will benefit from what Tuktu has to offer.
“Rutland is special because it’s a place that has a strong sense of community,” he said. “But it’s very rural and has a profound challenge for support networks, and there’s a lot of people who need help, whether you’re an old person or a young person.”
He said Vermont had the resources and the need for such a program, and the state welcomed the company with open arms.
“The Center for Rural Innovation reached out to us, and they’re one of our investors,” Sengupta said. “They, and we as well, believe that a model like ours, which is a peer-to-peer network, would really work in rural areas, where conventional, big companies won’t be able to play.”
The app uses AI to pair individuals and families in need of care with local, trusted people who provide varying care services. Developers say those services cost 30-40% less than hiring professionals that provide similar services. Every provider undergoes a comprehensive criminal background check and must provide two verified local references to be approved.
Mose Cassaro, director of venture capital for StartUp Rutland, said Tuktu is focused on Vermont but will help make connections farther afield.
“It’s less about where the office might be and more about where these services come out of and who is servicing these folks,” Cassaro said. “It could be somebody who’s looking for support right across the border of Rutland County, but somebody who took that gig is going to do it to earn money. In some ways, this kind of helps connect the state to folks across the country.”