The Alzheimer’s Association and MATTER select Onward as winner of pitch competition

Companion rideshare service receives funds to advance solution

March 28, 2024, CHICAGO — The Alzheimer’s Association, the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, and MATTER, the premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, announced the winner of the second annual Alzheimer’s Association Pitch Competition. The competition focused on solutions that increase access to quality, person-centered care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease in underserved communities.

Capturing the $15,000 top prize in this year’s competition is Onward for their door-through-door companion rideshare services and transportation management solutions. Onward works to eradicate transportation as a barrier to timely healthcare and reduce caregiver burden. In addition to its monetary award, Onward received a six-month MATTER membership to access exclusive resources to further advance its business.

LumeNeuro was named runner-up in the competition, receiving a $5,000 award for their patented medical device enabling dye-free detection of proteins in the retina of the eye. The simple eye exam identifies proteins that are biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, long before symptoms occur. Ellison Laboratories received the Audience Choice Award, taking home $5,000 in recognition of their solution that assembles a longitudinal patient record helping caregivers manage care and giving providers needed information to inform diagnoses and develop appropriate treatment plans. Other finalists in this year’s competition included SandwYch and The Dementia Inclusive Design Hub at Texas State University.

“Access to quality person-centered care for those disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia is complex, even more so for those living in underserved communities,” said Carl V. Hill, Ph.D., MPH, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. “The innovations presented during this pitch competition prioritize addressing the issue from multiple perspectives, from early detection to the transportation needed to getting patients to their appointments to helping alleviate the caregiving burden and improve care for all that live with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.”

Winners were announced on March 19, 2024 during the second annual Alzheimer’s Association Pitch Competition where the finalists presented their solutions to an esteemed panel of judges, which included: Dr. Carl V. Hill; Dr. Michael Wolf, associate vice chair for research of the Department of Medicine at Northwestern Medicine; and Katie Evans, chief mission engagement officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. Additionally, Dr. Hill gave a keynote address on the need to increase access to quality, person-centered care for underserved people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.

The second annual Alzheimer’s Association Pitch Competition generated 35 submissions from 10 countries. You can watch back the event here:

About Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

About MATTER

At MATTER, we believe collaboration is the best way to improve healthcare. The MATTER collaborative includes more than 800 current and alumni startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together we are accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.