Bleta, the 'tablet' designed for seniors that combats the digital divide

Breaking down barriers and mitigating the digital divide that hinders the connection of older people with their environment and with technology. With this objective, Bleta was born in 2021, and not at just any time, but in the midst of the pandemic, which kept hundreds of older people isolated, both in their own homes and, above all, in residences and hospitals.

Faced with this situation, electronic engineers Isabel García, Adrià Roca and Gerard Pinar set out to respond to their isolation through technology. To do this, the three entrepreneurs decided to put at the service of these older people tablets they had available from the project they were then immersed in: Eways, focused on extending the useful life of electronic devices by installing lighter and simpler operating systems.

"We realized that we had many devices that could allow isolated people to communicate," recalls García, now CEO of Bleta. Thus, they started a non-profit campaign, with which they donated more than 650 of their devices and those from companies that chose to participate to residences and hospitals.

Then came the feedback from the residences: users were delighted with the tablets, especially with video calls and the screen size. However, they always needed the support of a worker to use it. "Is there nothing adapted?" they asked the now Bleta team. They looked for it, and there was no option, so they decided to create it themselves.

"We designed a screen with large icons and letters and adapted apps, and the response was brutal," García highlights. There is no longer frustration from not knowing how to use the device and needing help, but autonomy in using it and a desire to do more. Thus, Bleta was officially born in July 2021 at the hands of the three entrepreneurs, and now has a team of eight people.

Since then, Bleta has launched its own tablet, which includes its operating system and support for using it, on devices manufactured by Lenovo with the specifications indicated by the Barcelona startup to facilitate its use for older people, and also for people with reduced vision.

For now, the company has sold about 1,500 tablets, at a price around 300 euros. In addition to selling the devices and with the aim of democratizing its software to continue fighting the digital divide, Bleta offers a free app with its operating system, which can be installed on other devices and which so far has registered more than 75,000 downloads in 20 countries. "It has been very well received, and the goal is to reach 500,000 in 2025."

Bleta, which expects to close this year with a turnover of about 300,000 euros, faces the future with the aim of continuing to increase the users of its tablets at a national level. To do this, it works with residences, town councils and entities, as well as with active aging campaigns to continue breaking barriers and making advanced technology available to everyone, regardless of their age.