AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP is an innovation ecosystem bringing together startups, investors, enterprises, and thought leaders to accelerate solutions that make aging easier for everyone. Comprised of more than 670 companies across industries and product categories, the AgeTech Collaborative represents a diverse and growing sector of innovation, tools, and technology designed to meet the needs of the U.S. and global aging population. Many of these innovations address more than traditional aging challenges like mobility, hearing, vision, and cognitive decline by advancing greater accessibility and independence for people of all abilities.
By fostering collaboration between AgeTech innovators and organizations serving people with disabilities—such as state and national disability offices and inclusive investment partners—the AgeTech Collaborative helps bridge the growing intersection between disability innovation and AgeTech.
At the core of this shared mission is human-centered design: creating solutions and technologies that prioritize usability, dignity, and empowerment for every individual.
Among the startups driving this work forward are several developing breakthrough technologies that support people who are blind or have limited vision:
- Soliddd is an optical and vision technology company that has developed a low-vision aid for macular degeneration that provides sight to those areas of the visual field where users previously have been blind. They are currently in pre-clinical testing.
- Haptic is a technology company pioneering the way that users receive information. No longer through sight or sound, Haptic has revolutionized information feedback all through touch and vibrations. Their innovative approach combines tactile interfaces with sophisticated technology, allowing users to receive information (like navigational directions) through intuitive vibrations.
- WeWALK is a smart mobility device designed to enhance independence for people with visual impairments through advanced safety, navigation, and AI features. Their smart sensing cane focuses on upper-body obstacle detection and provides precise turn-by-turn navigation.
These examples highlight how AgeTech and accessibility innovation move forward together, improving quality of life and expanding independence for people with vision loss and other challenges. They represent only a small fraction of the innovators within the AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP, where startups, enterprises, and stakeholders are working to ensure that the future of aging is built for all.
To learn more about the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP and how to apply to join, visit agetechcollaborative.org.
