June 28, 2021
With inventory in three counties across South Florida, Upside experienced exponential growth in 2021.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Upside, the only fully managed living option for older adults in the U.S., today announced an oversubscribed $2.25 million seed round, co-led by Triple Impact Capital and Freestyle Capital with participation from Techstars. With more than 1,000 percent growth in revenue and bookings in the first half of 2021, the South Florida-based company will use the funds to support their rapid development, including the upcoming launch of their core technology platform which will enable seamless access to services and easy connectivity to current and prospective Upside members.
As the most recent addition to Upside’s member perks, the technology will provide residents with simplified access to key resources including healthcare and pharmacy services; transportation; grocery delivery, takeout, and meal kits; roommate finders and chat rooms for residents; and local experiences including restaurants, activities, and events. The platform will also allow Upside’s internal team to efficiently manage all member and family engagement. The core platform is set to launch by the end of 2021.
“After originally launching in early 2020, our team took the rest of the year to analyze how the senior living industry was evolving and what our prospective residents would now need in their day-to-day routine,” said Jake Rothstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Upside. “Through this process, we further refined the Upside experience and re-launched in January 2021 from which we’ve seen exponential growth and interest in our mission and services.”
“The launch of our customer-facing technology will take us one step further in our development and allow us to truly engage with our members in a brand new way,” added Peter Badgley, Co-Founder and COO of Upside. “Our goal is to consistently offer a seamless and comfortable experience for our members, from day one when they inquire about our services to move-in day and beyond. With the support of our investors, we have been given the opportunity to do just that while continuing to work toward our mission to positively impact and better people’s lives — particularly as they age.”
Created in response to the lack of sustainable and viable options for independent seniors, Upside has created a brand new category of senior living without laying a single brick. Building a community of like-minded people who live in close proximity, the result is essentially a senior living community in disguise. Residents are placed in vibrant, amenity-rich apartment communities and offered turnkey modern units for individualized aging — as opposed to a communal senior living facility.
Currently, Upside members have access to one-bill simplicity for water, electric, cable, and internet; transportation; grocery delivery; regular housekeeping; a dedicated concierge team; optional companion visits; laundry and dry cleaning; virtual and in-person learning; fitness programming; and more.
Deconstructing senior living, Upside offers individual or social units for up to 70 percent less than the cost of traditional independent senior living. Residents are provided with an end-to-end experience that enables them to “age in proximity” — providing resources that would not be available in a traditional apartment building while serving as an alternative to senior living facilities for those who are hesitant of the challenges those communities often face.
“Living in an Upside residence has exceeded my expectations,” said Fredda Sheib, who moved into her new home managed by Upside in early 2021. “It’s been a great way to meet new people and spark more energy in my life. I wanted to simplify my living situation and Upside has allowed me to do so by providing convenient resources like one-bill simplicity as well as introducing me to a new community of all ages who I can socialize with.”
Upside homes are now available in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Interested senior citizens and their families can reserve a home in their desired location at www.joinupside.com.
Upside is a nationally scalable housing stability platform purpose-built for healthcare. The company partners with health plans and employers to proactively identify and stabilize members and employees experiencing housing instability — connecting them to safe, supportive housing while reducing avoidable emergency care utilization and improving health outcomes. Upside’s model combines dedicated Care Guides — licensed social workers and housing specialists — with AI-supported housing orchestration to deliver measurable results at scale. The platform serves Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, D-SNP, commercial, and employer-sponsored populations across the full housing continuum, from crisis intervention to long-term tenancy support. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Upside is redefining how healthcare organizations address housing as a foundation of care. For more information, visit www.joinupside.com.
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Upside Corporate Headquarters
200 E Las Olas Blvd 14th Floor
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
