[Life Act 3 Companies] 'S-Bridge' Easing Daily Life Inconveniences for Seniors

Jeon Sanghyun, CEO of S-Bridge, Former Samsung C&T Executive

Jeon Sang-hyun, CEO of S-Bridge, which provides the elderly care service company Dusonmoa. The item in his hand is a grip strengthener currently on sale. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

"We will comprehensively provide services that resolve all kinds of inconveniences elderly people face in their daily lives."

SS Bridge is a platform that offers various services and products needed by the elderly. However, the services are not provided through an 'app,' which is the immediate association with the word 'platform.' Instead, it connects various services through the telephone, the medium most familiar to the elderly. On the 7th, we met with Jeon Sang-hyun, CEO of SS Bridge (54), who said, "We judged that the most suitable service form for the elderly should not be non-face-to-face," adding, "Even if somewhat analog, we thought it was appropriate for the elderly to directly make a phone call to request something and receive immediate service."

The core brand of SS Bridge is 'Duso Moa' (Two Hands Together). Its key function is to connect various services provided by startups dedicated to the elderly. CEO Jeon said, "There are quite a few companies that have been established recently or are small in scale and not well known but provide services needed by the elderly in every corner of the world," and "Our core service is to connect these good services and provide total care for the elderly." For example, for children worried about their parents' safety, they connect them to a startup specializing in fall prevention for the elderly.

Jeon, who has been in charge of planning and marketing projects for over 20 years at Samsung C&T and its subsidiary Homeplus, has long harbored a desire to help the elderly live healthy lives. The specific trigger was during his time as an expatriate. His father suffered from Agent Orange syndrome due to the Vietnam War, and it was difficult to keep in touch after Jeon went abroad. Worrying about whether his father's daily life was going well from afar led him to contemplate the necessary support for elderly life after retirement. He said, "Everyone becomes elderly," and "I wanted to prepare for a new life by contributing to activities that help live a healthy third act of life after retirement."

He believes that to achieve a rich 'third act of life,' the issue of loneliness embedded in elderly life must be resolved. Since the government cannot solve this in detail, he believes that services focusing on alleviating loneliness should be supplied in the private sector. He said, "My ultimate dream is to grow enough to create a so-called 'No-No Community' (elderly-to-elderly community)," adding, "I want to acquire campuses of local universities that naturally close due to population decline and develop them into spaces where elderly people can strengthen bonds."

- What kind of company is SS Bridge?

▲ It means to be a smart 'bridge' for seniors. We want to be a bridge for elderly people who are in difficulty or need help. Our company's core brand is 'Duso Moa.' It aims to support the necessary parts whenever elderly people face various life problems.

- You introduced 'Duso Moa' as the core brand. What kind of service is it?

▲ It means to be the 'two hands' for elderly people who need help. It is a brokerage service that connects social workers and care workers as a basic function, and also connects companies that professionally provide various services for the elderly. It can be seen as a comprehensive brokerage platform for the elderly.

- What specific businesses do you operate?

▲ We aim to be a one-stop total platform that connects services, products, and manpower. First, we connect the 'people' who provide services needed by the elderly. We connect home care services that provide companionship or help with household chores. We also operate 'Duso Senior,' a senior-specialized shopping mall. We sell elderly products mainly used by seniors, such as canes and wheelchairs.

- Generally, senior-targeted companies specialize in one service. How about you?

▲ We aim to be a comprehensive platform that provides everything seniors want all at once in one place. In other words, we connect services from related startups that provide specialized services in each field of the senior industry so that they can be seen in one place. It is somewhat similar to a large supermarket where various products, pharmacies, cultural centers, and other services are gathered. However, the difference is that the services we connect are provided through startups.

- Are the services provided via web or app?

▲ To be clear, no. Initially, we thought we should provide services through an app, but after creating one, we received more inquiries by phone. Especially for seniors, there is a digital barrier in accessing apps. Phone calls are the most convenient way for the elderly. The senior industry is centered on analog elements. Even with the advancement of AI, when providing services to the elderly, 'human touch' should be at the center rather than the latest technology. Providing services where they can talk directly builds trust and usage.

- So, when elderly people call Duso Moa and request services, you fulfill them?

▲ Yes.

- What differentiates you from companies providing similar services?

▲ Since we aim to provide comprehensive services, we do not see elderly people as a single demand group. We believe that detailed and different services are needed depending on the elderly's age and health condition. Healthy seniors need services that enrich their daily lives, while older and less mobile seniors need nursing services. We strive not to provide only basic services like accident prevention that merely enable survival. Currently, most elderly services focus only on survival, but we want to break away from that.

- For example?

▲ There is a fall prevention service. Surprisingly, many fall accidents happen at home because modern homes are not elderly-friendly. As people age, they easily fall even over small thresholds. Grab bars need to be installed in places like beds and bathrooms, but since they are not aesthetically pleasing, few homes have them. We connect services from startups that provide fall prevention. They visit the elderly's homes to identify risk factors in advance and remove them or add installations to prevent falls.

- What is the company's aspiration?

▲ We are still a small startup, but ultimately, we want to grow into a comprehensive service company that gathers and provides all services related to the elderly. We want to create various services focusing on solving loneliness among the elderly and build No-No Care communities. We also plan services where so-called active seniors, healthy elderly people, gather to rely on each other, alleviate loneliness, and enrich their daily lives.

Jeonsanghyun, CEO of the elderly care service company Dusonmoa, is holding a money envelope for sale while speaking at the office in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Huh Younghan younghan@

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.