Karl Ulfers of DUOS
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Karl Ulfers (co-founder and CEO) of DUOS, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of DUOS – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
The idea for DUOS was born out of a deeply personal experience – my family’s decade-long journey navigating the aging process with my grandparents, who are now in their mid-90s. Supporting them with everyday needs like transportation, meals, finding the right assisted living facility, and managing medical care became increasingly complex and fragmented. It wasn’t just hard on them – it created real challenges for our whole family as we tried to coordinate care across a disjointed system.
Like many families, we faced a common yet overwhelming challenge: helping loved ones age with dignity while trying to piece together a patchwork of services that don’t talk to each other. When my grandmother became a fall risk, it brought to light how quickly everyday tasks, like getting to appointments, keeping the fridge stocked, or even mowing the lawn, can shift from routine to potentially unsafe. My dad took on a central role in helping them transition to assisted living, but even with that move, navigating medical appointments and government resources remained a persistent challenge.
That experience inspired me to start DUOS. I wanted to make aging easier. not just for older adults, but for the families and caregivers supporting them. DUOS connects Medicare beneficiaries with personalized support services that empower them to live independently, and ease some of the demands placed on caregivers. Through our technology and care team, we identify the best-fit resource match to resolve individual needs, whether that’s transportation, food access, housing support, or navigating benefits. We work in partnership with health plans to identify and address social determinants of health (SDoH) that are too often the hidden barriers to better health and quality of life.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
As a CEO who’s led several digital health startups, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is realizing that good intentions and dreams aren’t enough to build a healthcare system that can truly deliver better outcomes. My time in several different leadership roles at small venture-backed companies and large payers has taught me that while a noble mission is critical, it must be paired with a deep understanding of how the healthcare system truly works.
When I started DUOS, I wanted to make a meaningful impact for older adults. But I quickly learned that to drive real change, especially in a system as complex as ours, sustainability and economic viability are just as important as vision. You can’t just build for impact, you have to build for scale, for reimbursement, and for long-term survival.
Another major challenge is the reality facing programs like Medicare, with policy changes and funding pressures that make the stakes even higher. To move past endless pilots and deliver solutions that actually reach people, we need to show measurable value, not just for individuals, but for the payers and systems that sustain the programs. That’s the hurdle I keep working to clear – building mission-driven solutions that are not just meaningful, but sustainable.
What does the future hold for DUOS?
The future in front of us is one that will be very challenging – in less than 10 years, we will have more people over 65 than under 18, driven by declining birth rates and tightened immigration regulations. This, coupled with decreases in social services funding, is going to put incredible strain on the already archaic and fragile system of aging in our country. However, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of all innovation, and I am excited for the role DUOS will play.
At DUOS, I see a future where technology doesn’t just inform – it acts. We’re committed to staying at the forefront of AI innovation, not for the sake of hype, but to build real, practical solutions that simplify life for older adults and their caregivers. Earlier this year, we took a major step forward by launching one-click enrollment, making it easier than ever for people to access critical benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, and veterans assistance across all 50 states. That’s the kind of innovation that drives us – tools that remove friction and connect people with the support they’ve earned and deserve.
Looking ahead, our focus remains on closing the gap between need and access. Whether it’s food security, housing support, transportation, or care coordination, access to these services has never been more important. And yet, the systems to get there remain overly complex, especially for older adults. That’s why we’re investing in technology that not only understands intent but takes action on behalf of the user.
We see agentic AI and generative AI as two essential components of that vision. Generative AI helps us personalize information at scale, while agentic AI allows us to turn that information into meaningful actions, applying for benefits, booking transportation, refilling prescriptions. It’s not about chasing trends – it’s about meeting people where they are and building solutions that move them forward.
DUOS is building the infrastructure for aging in the modern era, a future where care is coordinated, resources are accessible, and older adults are empowered to live independently, with dignity.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Minnesota?
Minnesota’s legacy in healthcare, retail, and brand design is now powering a new wave of purpose-driven tech startups. While we don’t have coastal VC density, we have something deeper – founders with real industry insight, a collaborative investor community, and a strong bench of mission-driven talent. At DUOS, we’ve seen the upside of building here – supportive partners, practical innovation, and a culture rooted in solving real problems. The ecosystem is growing, and with more early-stage capital and visibility, Minnesota is poised to become a national hub for thoughtful, high-impact innovation.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
One framework that has consistently guided me is what I call the “four I’s”: intention, integrity, intelligence, and intensity. These traits have shaped how I build teams, make decisions, and lead companies. They’re not just values = they’re daily practices that often make the difference between momentum and misalignment.
Another critical lesson, one that’s become even clearer in my most recent ventures, is the importance of finding true product-market fit. Without it, you’re operating on instinct, strategy decks, and optimism. Real traction only happens when you build something people need, deserve, and can actually use. It’s not enough to have a great idea – your solution must fit seamlessly into people’s lives and the broader system around them.
At DUOS, for example, our one-click enrollment wasn’t born out of a brainstorm – it emerged from real alignment between individual needs and health plan requirements. When your consumer and B2B value propositions are aligned, your mission becomes your growth engine. That’s when scalable impact becomes possible.
And finally, one of the hardest but most important lessons: learn to embrace excellence over perfection. Perfection is a moving target – it can paralyze you. Excellence is about consistency, craft, and resilience. Show up, do the work, keep improving. That’s what builds companies, and character, over time