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Brain health is one of the most important factors in maintaining quality of life as we age. While many people think of brain health primarily in terms of memory and cognitive decline, it encompasses much more than that. What’s more, research shows that our cognitive well-being is influenced by a wide range of daily habits and lifestyle choices, from the foods we eat and the quality of our sleep to our social connections and physical activity. 

The good news is that supporting brain health doesn't generally require dramatic life changes or herculean efforts. Instead, small, consistent actions can help strengthen cognitive resilience, improve emotional well-being, and promote healthy aging over time. Protecting and strengthening brain health is a lifelong journey, and it's never too early — or too late — to start.

To help people better understand the many ways they can keep their brain in top form, AARP has identified Six Pillars of Brain Health: 

1. Be Social

2. Engage Your Brain

3. Manage Stress

4. Ongoing Exercise

5. Restorative Sleep

6. Eat Right

Together, these pillars reflect a holistic approach to brain health, recognizing that our cognitive health is shaped not only by what happens in our minds, but also by our relationships, physical activity, nutrition, sleep habits and overall lifestyle. 

Across the AgeTech Collaborative™ ecosystem, startups are developing innovative solutions that support each of these pillars, helping older adults build healthier habits, stay connected and live with greater independence and vitality. Below, we highlight some AgeTech Collaborative startups that are making a difference across each of AARP's Six Pillars of Brain Health.

Be Social

Strong social connections can support emotional well-being and cognitive health. Being social can take many forms, like staying in touch with friends and family, volunteering, embracing community activities — even getting a pet! Wherever they’re found, meaningful relationships help reduce isolation and keep the brain active.

• Wyzr is an AI-powered friendship app that helps adults connect through shared interests, activities, events, and health and wellness goals. Designed for people navigating life transitions such as relocation, retirement or empty nesting, Wyzr makes it easier to build real-world relationships in a trusted environment.

• Making new friends after a major life transition can be challenging. Bream is a private community for women 50+ that fosters meaningful connections through small groups, shared interests, and local and virtual experiences, helping members build friendships, find belonging and explore what's next together.

• Vermut is a social app for adults 55+ that helps members build friendships through shared interests and real-world experiences. Its signature Hangouts feature allows members to create and join local activities — like seeing a new movie or meeting up for dinner — making it easy to connect with others and stay engaged.

Engage Your Brain

Staying mentally sharp requires ongoing attention and care. While learning new skills and pursuing new interests are great ways to challenge the brain, today's technology can also help people take a more proactive approach to cognitive wellness. These startups offer personalized tools, coaching and exercises designed to help users better understand their brain health and build habits that support long-term cognitive vitality.

• BetterBrain helps users better understand and improve their brain health through personalized assessments, coaching and action plans. By identifying factors that may affect memory, focus and cognitive performance, the platform provides tailored guidance that helps users actively support and strengthen their cognitive well-being over time.

• Mindr provides personalized coaching and daily activities designed to help adults stay mentally sharp and proactive about their cognitive health. Through a combination of AI-driven guidance and human support, Mindr delivers tailored exercises and lifestyle recommendations that encourage regular mental engagement and healthy brain habits.

• Taking a proactive approach to brain health starts with understanding your risks and building healthy habits. Retain Health helps users do both through its RetainYourBrain™ app, which combines personalized assessments, educational content and ongoing coaching to encourage long-term cognitive wellness.

Manage Stress

Chronic stress can negatively affect memory, mood and overall brain function. Building healthy routines, practicing mindfulness, staying physically active and making time for laughter and relaxation can help bring greater balance to everyday life.

• Sensate is a wellness device and app designed to help users quickly calm their nervous system and reduce everyday stress. Using synchronized sound and gentle vibrations delivered through a device placed on your sternum, Sensate provides an accessible way to relax, reset and find moments of calm in as little as 10 minutes.

• Finding time to unwind can be difficult in a busy world. Sana Health uses immersive audiovisual technology delivered through a wearable mask and headphones to promote relaxation, quiet a busy mind, relieve pain and support overall mental well-being.

• Peace of mind can be a powerful stress reliever for both older adults and their loved ones. Haelo offers a smart ring that provides continuous emergency and fall detection, helping users maintain their independence while giving family members confidence that help can be summoned when it's needed most.

Ongoing Exercise

Physical activity benefits both body and mind. Regular movement can support memory, reasoning, attention and mental well-being while promoting healthy blood flow to the brain. There are lots of ways to get moving, and the best exercise is often the one you enjoy enough to keep on doing.

• Dephy offers wearable mobility technology that helps people stay active and move with greater confidence. With adaptive controls and integrated sensors, Dephy’s Sidekick ankle exoskeleton provides gentle assistance with each step, reducing the effort of walking and helping users remain engaged in the activities and routines they enjoy.

• Getting regular exercise is easier when the activity is enjoyable. Velotric designs electric bikes that make cycling more accessible, comfortable and fun, helping riders stay active while exploring their communities, running errands or just enjoying time outdoors.

• Accelera’s wearable technology is designed to support balance, mobility and confidence in movement. Its Proprio device uses gentle sensory stimulation to enhance body awareness and stability, helping users stay active and engaged in everyday activities.

Restorative Sleep

Quality sleep is essential for brain health. Restful sleep delivers a host of benefits, including more vitality and a boost to your immune system. It also helps support memory, learning, mood and overall cognitive performance, while poor sleep can take a toll on mental sharpness and daily functioning. Making sleep a priority is one of the most effective ways to support long-term brain health.

• A better night's sleep often starts with understanding what's getting in the way. Sleep.ai uses AI-powered sleep analysis and personalized coaching to help users identify the factors affecting their sleep and make meaningful improvements. Through its SleepScore app, the company provides science-backed insights and tailored recommendations designed to help users fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up feeling more refreshed.

• AppScent Medical’s contactless, scent-based medical device is designed to support healthier breathing and more restful sleep. Using AI-powered respiratory monitoring and patented olfactory biofeedback, its SCENTIFIC system provides a non-invasive alternative to traditional sleep technologies, helping users improve sleep without masks, wearables or other intrusive equipment.

• Falling asleep can be one of the biggest challenges to getting restorative rest. Elemind uses wearable neurotechnology to monitor brain activity and deliver precisely timed acoustic stimulation that helps guide the brain from wakefulness into sleep. Designed for drug-free, on-demand use, the system helps users fall asleep faster and improve overall sleep quality.

Eat Right

A brain-healthy diet provides the nutrients your brain needs to function at its best. Making informed food choices, emphasizing wholesome and nutritious ingredients, and developing sustainable healthy eating habits can support cognitive health and overall well-being. The best news: Eating healthy is easier than you think when you have tools and services that simplify both meal planning and access to healthy food options.

• Miils uses AI-powered meal planning and grocery shopping tools to help people make healthier food choices. By providing personalized meal plans, nutritional insights and tailored grocery recommendations, the platform makes it easier to build and maintain healthy eating habits.

• Access to healthy food is an important part of healthy eating. GoGo Technologies helps older adults order groceries, meals, rides and other essential services with a simple phone call — no smartphone or app required. Its grocery and meal delivery services make it easier for people to keep their kitchens stocked and maintain nutritious eating habits while living independently.

• Healthy eating looks different for everyone. EatLove uses AI-powered nutrition technology to deliver personalized meal recommendations, recipes, grocery lists and restaurant suggestions tailored to an individual's health needs, preferences and goals. By taking the guesswork out of meal planning, EatLove makes it easier to turn nutrition guidance into everyday habits.

Brain health is shaped by the choices we make every day, from how we connect with others and manage stress to how we move, sleep and eat. As we recognize Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month this June, it's a reminder that supporting cognitive health is a lifelong journey. Across the AgeTech ecosystem, entrepreneurs are reimagining how people can strengthen healthy habits and access meaningful support, opening new possibilities for living healthier, more active and more connected lives as we age.

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