Industry
Nonprofit/Charity
Challenge
The Alzheimer’s Association partnered with MATTER to design and deliver two consecutive pitch competitions focused on urgent needs in Alzheimer’s care: early detection and diagnosis, and equitable access to person-centered care.
Results
Collectively the competitions received submissions from more than 20 countries, with 10 startups selected as finalists. The competitions helped the Alzheimer’s Association advance their goals of uniting startups developing groundbreaking solutions and drawing global attention to the innovations across the spectrum of Alzheimer’s care. The inaugural program winner, Neurotrack, secured a pilot program with a large Texas health system as a direct result of their participation. The company offers clinically validated cognitive assessments that enable early detection in primary care.
Access to quality, person-centered care for those disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is complex, even more so for those living in underserved communities. The innovations presented during this pitch competition prioritized addressing the issue from multiple perspectives.
The Challenge
Widespread underassessment and shortage of specialized care for people with dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the fastest-growing health challenges of our time. In 2025, an estimated 7.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, and that number is projected to nearly double to 12.7 million by 2050 if medical breakthroughs do not emerge.
Despite the importance of early detection, action is lagging. Only 16 percent of older adults receive regular cognitive assessments during routine checkups and fewer than half (47 percent) have ever discussed memory or thinking concerns with a healthcare provider. 2 These gaps in detection delay diagnosis and care.
Meanwhile, 55 percent of primary care physicians caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s report that there are not enough dementia care specialists available in their communities. 3 This scarcity further hinders timely diagnosis, referral and support — especially in underserved areas.
These data points highlight a multi-faceted crisis: widespread underassessment in primary care and a shortage of specialized support, creating significant barriers to early intervention, planning and equitable access to quality, person-centered care.
The Approach
Accelerating new solutions through global innovation
The Alzheimer’s Association partnered with MATTER to harness the power of global innovation and accelerate new solutions. Together, we:
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Launched two global pitch competitions that drew applications from more than 20 countries.
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Curated cohorts of 10 startups developing groundbreaking solutions across digital health, diagnostics, transportation and care delivery.
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Provided mentorship and industry connections, pairing innovators with experts from leading pharmaceutical companies, health systems and government agencies.
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Created high-profile showcases where finalists pitched to the Alzheimer’s Association Innovation Roundtable and a panel of esteemed judges, gaining visibility with potential investors, partners and healthcare leaders.
2022-2023 winner
Neurotrack’s clinically validated cognitive assessments and health program enable early detection in primary care workflows. They received a pilot program with a large Texas health system from the pitch competition.
2023-2024 winner
Onward Health’ s door-through-door rideshare services reduce transportation barriers, alleviate caregiver burden and improve healthcare access for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Outcomes
A replicable model for foundations and associations
The Alzheimer’s Association Pitch Competitions shone a bright light on some of the most innovative companies in the space and drew global attention to the opportunity to innovate.
By pairing the Alzheimer’s Association’s mission-driven leadership with MATTER’s innovation infrastructure, these pitch competitions created a replicable model for advancing healthcare solutions. The programs demonstrated how foundations and associations can accelerate progress by convening innovators, providing mentorship and offering catalytic funding to scale solutions that improve lives.
