- 3-2-1 Health Tech
- Posts
- 3-2-1 Alzheimer's
3-2-1 Alzheimer's
Priyanka Vaidya
March 03, 2025
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that presents a significant and growing challenge in global healthcare. As of 2025, it affects millions worldwide, with projections indicating a substantial increase in prevalence over the coming decades. The aging global population largely drives this trend, making Alzheimer’s the 5th leading cause of death for people over 65 years of age.
Alzheimer's represents a market with an urgent need for innovation and immense potential to leverage the latest technological trends. Despite recent progress, there remains a significant unmet need for early diagnostic and effective treatments, creating opportunities for disruptive technologies.
3 startups making an impact in this space:
Company | |||
Location | UK | Canada | US |
Modality | Diagnosis | Diagnosis | Therapeutics |
Descriptor | AI-enabled software for detecting subtle cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's neuropathology based on how people speak. | AI-driven early detection of Alzheimer’s through a simple eye exam. | A breakthrough personalized, closed-loop neuromodulation therapy for Alzheimer’s that works by enhancing neuroplasticity via neurostimulation of key brain networks involved in memory. |
Core Problem | Early detection of Alzheimer’s is needed for effective treatment, but <1% of the population has access to diagnostic tools. | Current methods to diagnose Alzheimer’s are expensive, invasive, and impractical for early detection. | Several pharmaceutical treatments have failed to treat Alzheimer’s effectively and have various side effects, like brain bleeding and swelling. |
Solution | Novoic's Storyteller app captures audio samples of patients retelling stories they've just heard. Advanced algorithms analyze the speech samples, looking for subtle linguistic markers and patterns associated with early-stage Alzheimer's. | RetiSpec is a medical device startup that is focused on the early and accurate detection of Alzheimer’s disease by leveraging existing eye scans that are globally available at familiar point-of-care settings such as Optometrists. | Sinpatica’s novel approach is to look at the disease at the synaptic and functional network level and view it as a disease of neuronal circuit imbalance. |
Product Suite | Storyteller App Speech API Data Dashboard | AI-based solution to analyze data-rich images. Explainable AI: (XAI) is RetiSpec’s AI-based automated Alzheimer’s detection algorithm. | Personalized brain neuromodulation. TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) uses high-powered electromagnetic fields to non-invasively stimulate the brain electrically. |
Regulatory Status | Novoic is working towards commercializing its algorithms as Software-as-Medical-Device (SaMD) for deployment in healthcare systems and clinical trials. | Working towards 510K clearance for hardware and de-novo clearance for software. | FDA granted breakthrough designation in 2022. |
Funding Stage | Seed | Series A | Pre-Seed |
Team | Researchers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. | Biomedical engineers with startup backgrounds in regulated environments. | Scientific co-founders are leading experts in brain modulation and Alzheimer’s. |
Traction | 50+ clinical institutions, including Mayo, UCSF, and John Hopkins. | Research partnerships with clinical institutions, including the University of Minnesota’s Centre for Drug Design. | Pivotal phase 3 trial in 2025. |
2 actionable insights to inspire your strategy:
Digital biomarkers Digital biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease detection leverage data collected from digital devices, such as smartphones, wearables, and sensors, to identify early signs of cognitive and neurological changes. These non-invasive biomarkers can be used for early diagnosis, disease progression monitoring, or cognitive decline prediction. Examples of digital biomarkers are Cognitive biomarkers (memory), behavioral biomarkers (speech analysis), motor biomarkers (gait analysis), and physiological biomarkers (Heart rate variability). | Precision medicine The trend toward precision medicine in Alzheimer’s disease reflects a shift from generalized treatment approaches to personalized strategies based on an individual’s unique genetic, biological, and environmental profile. This approach aims to improve early detection, prevention, and treatment outcomes. Some examples include biomarker-guided treatments, stratifying patient groups using genomics for targeted therapies, and multimodal approaches to create personalized treatment plans. |
1 interesting resource for you:
Could AI identify Alzheimer’s from EHRs? Find out in this podcast episode at Dementia Matters.
And that’s all for today, see you next Monday!
I would love to hear your thoughts. What’s a health tech startup you are excited about?