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Tech Topics In This Article: Atlanta startups, AgeTech
Greg Hearn, who spent his early career at automotive giants like Cox Automotive and Ford Motor Company, is now shifting gears to tackle a challenge in AgeTech.
In 2024 he founded Petunia, a “highly specialized project management tool” designed to streamline the process of finding assisted living or memory care facilities — a task he found overwhelming while helping his aging parents navigate the system remotely.
Hearn isn’t alone in facing this challenge: 200,000 families each year must navigate the process of selecting elderly care. The current landscape is dominated by lead-generation websites that bombard users with unwanted sales calls, adding to the stress of the decision-making process.
“In a lot of ways, [finding an assisted living facility] is a lot like buying a house or renting an apartment or buying a car,” Hearn said, given the variety of options, the significance of the decision, and the expense involved. But unlike searching for a car or buying a house, those navigating the process on behalf of a loved one don’t have any place to find “structured guidance.”
Petunia aims to change that dynamic. The platform helps users manage documentation, track tours, consolidate information and shield them from the overwhelming flood of sales emails and phone calls that typically accompany the search for care. This helps shield families doing one-off FaceTime tours, exchanging endless emails, and trying to keep track of the entire process through random Google Docs and Sheets to find the right place for their loved ones.
The platform’s B2C model currently offers subscription-based access, with plans to expand to a B2B2C model, allowing users to join through employers and health benefits programs.
Growing Petunia
Hearn picked the name Petunia after the flower that symbolizes hope, perseverance, and are typically “shared as tokens of kindness to new neighbors or friends,” he told Hypepotamus. It is also a name that honors his grandmother, who loved the cartoon Petunia Pig.
After speaking with families in similar situations to him, Hearn launched the Petunia MVP in December 2024. Today, the startup’s business model is B2C and relies on weekly and monthly subscription options. Down the road, Hearn envisions a B2B2C model that allows users to join through employers, health plans, and benefits consultants.
While Petunia is a new venture for Hearn, this isn’t the first time he’s worked in Atlanta’s startup technology ecosystem. He’s been a Strategy & Product Mentor at Techstars Atlanta and works as an advisor to several other startups in town.
As an early-stage founder, Hearn said he has specifically benefited from connecting with the AgeTech Atlanta community. While he works to scale Petunia, Hearn said he is focused on getting more feedback from families using the platform and looking to work with more advisors in the AgeTech and senior living industries.
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