Roche & Start-Up Nation Central share the vision of enhanced digital health support for Alzheimer’s disease patients and their caregivers. We strive to identify innovative solutions that will make a difference in patients’ lives, enabling prevention, early detection, intervention & monitoring. This is why we founded the “Roche for a better future: Alzheimer’s Innovation Challenge”
Please note: Applications are now closed.
Relevant solutions have applied to the Roche Alzheimer’s Innovation Challenge, ranging from early detection, brain health, monitoring, disease management and support for caregivers.
startups made it to the global showcase event

Neurosteer’s non-invasive brain-monitoring solution for early detection of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other neurological disorders consists of an inexpensive medical-grade wearable device and cloud-based system, provides objective biomarkers and remote real-time assessment of brain activity, and is suitable for mass deployment.
Sensi is an AI-based solution for home care agencies and elder care communities. Sensi provides audio analytics-based insight that helps not only eliminate blind-spots, but also predict and prevent unwanted events from occurring. Sensi’s mission is to enable older adults to age with the respect, confidence and dignity that they deserve.
Shomerosh is a digital data-based tool for early prediction and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. It combines a novel cognitive assessment with personalized preventive recommendations, and enables a long follow-up with a simple, user-friendly and self-administered app.
Brain Network Analysis (BNA) objectively measures a patient’s brain activity in a non-invasive way by using a medical-grade EEG. Our cloud-based AI Algorithm automatically identifies the unique brain patterns of the patient and compares them to an age-matched normative group.
Montfort Brain Monitor (Mon4t) app turns daily life smartphones into medical device, enabling continuous and objective neurological assessment from the comfort of patient’s home. Finally, neurologists can use data to support their clinical decisions, optimize treatment and get alerts for anomalies & deterioration. Mon4t’s digital markers also accelerate drug development and clinical research.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, a term used to describe different brain disorders that affect memory, thinking, behavior and emotion. There are currently estimated to be over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia with significant social and economic consequences.
There is a growing recognition that the process of Alzheimer’s disease begins many years prior to clinically obvious symptoms. Thus the ultimate goal of identifying individuals in the preclinical stages of Alzheimer disease with less invasive, faster and more effective methods, is to facilitate early intervention to delay the clinical syndrome, promote early and optimal management, optimize physical health, cognition, activity and wellbeing.
Ideal functionality:
*You may apply even if your solution does not meet all these functions

Should be self-administered by individuals ideally in the remote environment (e.g. at home). Ready to market solution – an advantage

The solution should be non-invasive

The solution ideally provides advanced analytics calculating a risk score for diagnosis/monitoring

Is ideally based on a daily life device (e.g. smartphone), and does not require proprietary hardware

Advantage: the solution interfaces with and can be connected to medical information systems via FHIR standards.


Foteini is the Global Group Digital Health Leader for Neurosciences and Rare Diseases at Roche Pharmaceuticals. She is a trained neuroscientist. In her role, she and her team set the strategy and implementation for in market digital health solutions that would support patients and physicians in clinical practice to improve outcomes for patients with neurological and rare diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease.
Dr. Glik is the Head of the Cognitive Neurology Clinic at Rabin medical center – Beilinson hospital & a Senior Neurologist in the Department of Neurology. His research focuses on neural networks, ADHD, Dementia and Alzheimer’s, including clinical trials to treat Alzheimer’s disease. He is a neurology lecturer in the medical school at Tel Aviv University and a member in the Israeli Neurological Association.
Dr. Bregman is the director of the Cognitive Neurology Unit at the Tel Aviv Medical Center. She is a senior neurologist, a leading clinician and researcher in the field of cognitive impairment, investigating biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. She has managed, overlooked and carried out many clinical and interventional studies including cross sectional, longitudinal, observational, interventional and database based large scale studies. She is also Co-chair of the Higher Cortical Function scientific panel of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), coordinating clinical research at a European level, assisting the Programme Committee in organizing congresses, assisting the EAN in training neurologists and in supporting continuing medical education.
Nikos is the Senior Venture Architect and Therapeutic Area Lead in Neurology at RoX Health. He is a trained scientist turned entrepreneur. Has worked as co-founder of startups and as a research and strategy consultant. Likes to work in open innovation settings with interdisciplinary teams. He is convinced that digital health improves health and care and empowers patients, caregivers and physicians.
Dr. Yaniv is Co-founder and CEO, Almeda ventures, the first HealthTech focused public R&D partnership.
As a senior manager, skilled physician, and experienced board member, she possesses a highly developed combination of leadership, decision making and business skills. She served as an Executive Director and Chairperson of Accelmed’s Innovation Hub portfolio companies. She is a co-founder of We@healthtech, a program aiming to propel junior women managers to executive positions in the health tech sector by mentoring them and putting them through an eight-month program of lectures and networking events.
Dr. Refael Barkan
Refael is V.P for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Internationalization at Holon Institute of Technology (HIT). He is also the founder of the first academic program in Digital Health (Digital Medical Technologies), serving as a technological “pre-med”. Refael is an M.D. Ph.D. (Brain Science) with a Master’s degree in Computer Science. He is experienced and high-skilled integrator of research, innovation, entrepreneurship and internationalization with a vast knowledge in Digital Health and comprehensive overview of R&D initiatives (as a researcher, entrepreneur and integrator), heading a team of excellent researchers, technologists, economists, entrepreneurs & visionaries, lecturers, mentors and administrators. Refael is a member of 8400 – HealthTech leaders accelerating Israel’s global impact.
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics and the world’s largest biotech company, focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, as well as growing capabilities in the area of data-driven medical insights help Roche deliver truly personalized healthcare.
In Roche, innovation has always been about identifying and seizing opportunities. Despite the great medical progress, there is still a huge need and a growing demand for specific diagnostics and better tolerated therapies. Going forward, Roche intends to again increase its investment in research and development.
For more information, please visit www.roche.com
Start-Up Nation Central is the address for corporations, governments and investors to connect with the Israeli tech ecosystem. We catalyze growth opportunities by bringing Israeli tech innovation to global business and societal challenges. Established in 2013 and headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Start-Up Nation Central is a not-for-profit organization funded by philanthropy.
For more information, please visit www.startupnationcentral.org
RoX Health is a Startup Studio rooted in Roche, based in Berlin, Germany. We turn ideas into healthcare businesses and encourage greater initiative in the healthcare industry. Currently, we focus on certain topics in oncology, neurology and women’s health
For more information, please visit https://roxhealth.com
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