Alzheimer’s Association and MATTER select five finalists for second annual pitch competition

Startups and entrepreneurs with solutions increasing access to quality, person-centered care for underserved people living with Alzheimer’s pitching to industry leaders

February 20, 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, today announced the five finalists for the second annual Alzheimer’s Association Pitch Competition.

The Alzheimer’s Association and MATTER launched the second annual Alzheimer’s Association Pitch Competition this past December, calling on innovators to submit solutions that increase access to quality, person-centered care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease in underserved communities. The competition received 35 submissions from 10 countries and selected five finalists — Ellison Laboratories, LumeNeuro, Onward Health, SandwYch and the Dementia Inclusive Design Hub at Texas State University — to participate.

On March 19, 2024, the finalists will pitch their solutions to a panel of industry experts. The event will feature a dynamic keynote address from Carl V. Hill, PhD, MPH, chief diversity equity and inclusion officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. At the end of the event, the Alzheimer’s Association and MATTER will announce the judges’ picks for first ($15,000) and second ($5,000) place, and the in-person audience will have the opportunity to vote for the third place winner ($5,000). Learn more about the pitch competition and register to attend in-person or receive the live-stream link here.

Meet the finalists:

Ellison Laboratories — Wellington, Florida
Ellison Laboratories improves outcomes for a diverse aging population by providing transparency into healthcare data across care settings by assembling a longitudinal patient record. This helps patients and caregivers manage care and helps providers have the requisite information to devise proper diagnoses and treatment plans. The data is then leveraged to provide user-friendly health summaries, adverse event risk prediction and chronic disease risk predictions, including risk predictions for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

LumeNeuro — Ontario, Canada
LumeNeuro has developed a patented medical device for the dye-free detection of proteins in the retina of the eye, as biomarkers of proteins in the brain, in association with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, long before symptoms occur. Their patented, AI-assisted retinal imaging platform is low cost, non-invasive and broadly accessible. Their solution allows underserved people to obtain an accurate, early biomarker screening and ongoing monitoring, including remotely; and to receive advice on slowing disease progression, with further referrals as needed.

Onward Health — San Leandro, California
Onward’s mission is to eradicate transportation as a social driver of health and alleviate the burden of caregiving. The Onward platform provides door-through-door companion rideshare services and transportation management solutions designed for healthcare. Today, Onward supports thousands of rides each month for partners including the VA Health System, UCSF Health, HonorHealth and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

SandwYch — Austin, TX
SandwYch is dedicated to transforming caregiving solutions by placing a strong emphasis on personalized support for individuals impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. Their engagement platform, led by provider teams, seamlessly integrates with EHR systems, leveraging advanced algorithms to meet the unique needs of patient-caregiver dyads. By customizing care strategies and facilitating access to local, national and informal support networks based on caregiver motivations and social determinants of health, they are committed to reshaping the future of care at home.

The Dementia Inclusive Design Hub at Texas State University — San Marcos, TX
Texas State University is a public, student-centered research institution guided by their unwavering belief in the power of education to transform communities, power economies and re-imagine the world. Their students come from every walk of life, from across Texas, the nation and the world. Their mission in developing the Dementia Inclusive Design Hub is to increase access to quality, person-centered care for underserved people living with Alzheimer’s disease, one click at a time.

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.