Most startup pitch competitions give founders exposure and a shot at prize money. AgeInnovate, a Nashville-based AgeTech platform, runs its competition more like an investment process.
The winner receives a $25,000 SAFE-note investment (a simple agreement for future equity) from Community Equity Partners, a Knoxville-based firm that backs early-stage companies. Before anyone reaches the stage, Community Equity Partners reviews every application through its investment-vetting process, and the three finalists come out of that review.
This year’s competition drew nearly 40 submissions. Knoxville-based Senior Shield emerged as the winner of AgeInnovate’s 2026 AgeTech Startup Live Pitch Competition, held on Sept. 16 at The Back Corner in Nashville, a partner popup of the Launch Tennessee 3686 entrepreneurial conference. It was AgeInnovate’s first year as an official 3686 partner.
Under the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest projections, adults 65 and older will outnumber children under 18 beginning in 2029. Americans 50 and older generated an estimated $12.5 trillion in economic activity in 2024, equivalent to 43% of U.S. GDP, according to AARP’s 2026 Longevity Economy Outlook. AgeTech, meaning technology built for older adults and the people who care for them, is how a growing number of startups are going after that market.
Senior Shield’s Bet on Incontinence Care
Senior Shield Technologies is developing technology-enabled incontinence care that alerts caregivers when an older adult needs attention. Faster notification can shorten prolonged moisture exposure, which can contribute to skin breakdown and other complications.
“What excites me about Senior Shield is that it addresses a very real, very practical challenge in aging,” said Amy LaGrant, co-founder of AgeInnovate. “Incontinence isn’t the sexiest topic, but for older adults who may not be able to advocate for themselves, technology that can identify changes early can have a tremendous impact on dignity, and quality of life and care. With older adults particularly vulnerable to developing serious infections like sepsis, this is the kind of innovation that can make a meaningful difference.”
Senior Shield co-founder Kareem Elfoulie pitched alongside two other finalists: Quiltt, a Franklin, Tennessee-based platform connecting senior living residents and their families, and SuperSenses, a Marina del Rey, California-based multisensory screening platform designed to identify early signs of cognitive decline.
“Winning this competition is an honor and a big step forward for our team,” Elfoulie said. “Incontinence is something caregivers manage every day, yet few people talk about it. We’re grateful to AgeInnovate, Community Equity Partners and the judges for recognizing why this work matters. The $25,000 investment and the industry connections we make will help us scale Senior Shield and get it into the care settings where it’s needed most.”
Why Community Equity Partners Invested in SeniorShield
Community Equity Partners CEO Eric Dobson was direct about why Community Equity Partners invested in Senior Shield Technologies.
“We backed Senior Shield for a clear reason: a leader who is passionate about the problem with a great business plan and market traction,” Dobson said. “This will impact millions of lives positively and humanely.”
Finalists pitched to four judges: Jeffery A. Williams of Microsoft; Nathan Buttrey of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Office of Innovation; Mary Flipse, chief legal officer and corporate secretary; and Sara Terry, senior vice president at Brookdale Senior Living.
From 200 Cardholders to Nearly 1,400
AgeInnovate launched the competition in 2024, when Wave Therapeutics took the top prize. Last year’s winner, SpendCare, shows what a winning company can do with the investment and the relationships that come with it.
SpendCare makes flexible spending cards for organizations and families that manage benefits and expenses for older adults. PACE programs (Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) and families load funds for approved purchases such as groceries, transportation and gym memberships, and the platform tracks the spending.
Since winning the 2025 competition, SpendCare has grown from about 200 cardholders to nearly 1,400. Spending facilitated through the platform has grown from roughly $100,000 to more than $1 million.
“I can’t pin all of that on one pitch event,” said Perry Halman-Peguillan, co-founder of SpendCare. “But the visibility and credibility that came with winning opened doors faster than we could have on our own, at a stage when trust is hard to earn.”
Why Investing in AgeTech Matters
A caregiver checking on a parent overnight and a family managing a relative’s grocery and transportation budget are the people Senior Shield and SpendCare build for. It’s a market that still draws less investor attention than its size would suggest.
“People are living longer, and the companies that help them live well will be some of the most important businesses of the next decade. The founders building them are already here. We want investors to meet them early, before AgeTech feels obvious,” LaGrant said.
Founders interested in AgeInnovate’s 2027 competition can learn more on the official website.
