Further, a United States-based artificial intelligence platform for senior living operators has acquired Welbi, a resident experience software company headquartered in Ottawa. The companies announced the transaction on Wednesday, although financial terms were not disclosed. The deal combines technologies that serve more than 8,000 senior living communities and aims to connect the prospect journey with day-to-day resident experiences.
Strategic Rationale
Further helps operators understand what prospective residents are looking for, personalize their sales journey, and convert leads into residents. Welbi gives community teams tools to plan personalized daily activities and track resident engagement after move-in. Together, the two platforms are designed to ensure that what sales teams learn about an incoming resident shapes the support and programs that person receives.
Leadership and Team Expansion
Welbi founder and Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau will continue to lead Welbi's operations under Further, and the existing team will remain in place. The company expects to double its headcount to roughly two dozen employees by the end of the year, with three new hires already completed. Audette-Bourdeau said the partnership gives Welbi access to Further's international team of more than 170 employees and its established position in the senior living market.
Company Background and Growth
Audette-Bourdeau founded Welbi in 2016 after her grandfather suffered a stroke and his health declined in a retirement home. In 2022, Welbi raised a C$3 million seed round backed by Graphite Ventures, MaRS IAF, SoGal Ventures, and Roach Capital. The company had doubled its customer base over the previous 12 months and was serving approximately 1,000 senior care communities before the acquisition.
How the Platforms Will Connect
The senior living industry has traditionally used separate systems for attracting residents and for managing their daily lives after move-in. Further and Welbi intend to close this gap by carrying sales insights into resident programming and feeding resident engagement data back into marketing and sales strategies. The combined platform focuses on three areas: personalizing each person's experience, delivering on brand promises, and improving programs based on what works.
For large operators, the integration is meant to answer a question that occupancy and financial reports cannot address, namely whether the experience being sold is the experience residents actually receive. Operators can track whether brand commitments are being met in individual communities and across entire portfolios. The companies say this visibility helps teams address gaps and replicate successful programs.
Executive Perspectives
Further Chief Executive Officer Wes Fuller said senior living operators have kept prospect and resident experiences in separate worlds, even though they should constantly inform each other. He added that with Welbi, operators can see whether their brand promise is being met in every community and use those insights to grow. Audette-Bourdeau said what teams learn before move-in should shape the experience residents have after they arrive.
The acquisition positions Further and Welbi to serve a broader segment of the senior living market with a more connected technology stack. By linking prospect engagement with resident experience, the companies aim to help operators deliver more consistent, personalized care and build stronger relationships with residents and families. The combined organization will now focus on scaling its platform across more than 8,000 senior living communities.