Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves!
Carolina Habel, Granny Vision: We, Caro (32) and Daniel (38), had the idea to connect virtual reality and the senior domain in 2019. After our initial trial runs in private settings and care facilities, we founded Granny Vision. Daniel takes care of the business side with his MBA and I’m responsible for content and customer support.
With VR headsets, we make it possible for seniors to travel, play, learn and relax. Relatives also have the opportunity to include grandparents in family celebrations or everyday situations up close and personal and in 360° through VR.
Granny Vision makes everyday senior life more exciting
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Carolina Habel: As mobility and flexibility become more limited in old age, your scope of action shrinks as does the number of things you experience each day. We make it possible for seniors to travel again, bring old memories back to life and let them be closer to their families. That not only makes everyday life more exciting, but also keeps the brain fit and improves a person’s feeling of self-worth.
The Granny Vision team Carolina Habel… 
… and Daniel Bendlin.
Munich Startup: But that’s nothing out of the box!
Carolina Habel: The few concepts that take a similar approach mostly have a clinical background. Our goal, however, is to give all seniors access to exciting content, and most particularly to private content, which doesn’t exist at all in this form yet.
A major challenge: innovative care concepts
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Carolina Habel: The visiting restrictions in care facilities and cancellation of the two major trade shows due to corona were certainly challenging in terms of sales. But teaching people how to use our product with a video call worked amazingly well.
A general challenge is that only a very small portion of care facilities wish or have the opportunity to introduce new concepts at their facilities. That is rarely because of the budget, but is instead due the attitude towards new and innovative concepts. A songbook from the 70s and an old TV are entertaining enough…
Munich Startup: How is business going?
Carolina Habel: Despite the corona restrictions, we were still able to win over new customers, and what pleases us the most is that our “old” customers are happy and looking forward to new content from us. Our target for 2021 is to boost our customer figures into the three-digit range.
Munich Startup: What do you think about Munich as a startup location?
Carolina Habel: We both feel very much at home here, which is why we always knew that Munich was our top pick as a location.
Munich Startup: Personal or virtual?
Carolina Habel: Virtual as a matter of principle to keep in line with our business model, but there also is nothing like a personal (first) impression. And when a grandma can see her grandson playing on the beach through Granny Vision, that brilliantly connects the virtual with the personal.