Manulife and the World Economic Forum’s Early Innovation Program UpLink today announced the winners of the “Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage Challenge” ( Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage Challenge ). This is the third and final challenge in their multi-year collaboration focused on longevity innovation. The competition is open to innovators from Canada and around the world, seeking practical solutions that can improve the health, financial resilience, and social connections of Canadians in the short term, while also fostering a sense of purpose and opportunities across generations.

As Canadians live longer, life becomes more multi-stage, and society needs new solutions to help people achieve a better quality of life throughout these extended stages of life through better health, greater financial resilience, more meaningful social connections, and a stronger sense of purpose. The award-winning team demonstrated innovative approaches to help Canadians cope with longer lifespans, while also supporting caregivers, families, and communities.

The 10 winners of the "Shaping Canada's Longevity Advantage Challenge" are as follows:

• Amical (Quebec City, Canada) provides companionship services driven by AI through a familiar telephone interface, supporting the elderly and patients with cognitive impairments.
• Childfree Trust (USA Mount Juliet) provides estate planning, fiduciary management, and emergency response services for childless individuals and elderly people living alone.
• Clay Financial (Toronto, Canada) helps older Canadians release the equity in their homes through a Home Equity Sharing Agreement (Home Equity Sharing Agreements), without having to take on debt or monthly payments.
• Cosm Medical (Toronto, Canada), utilizes AI, software, and 3D printing to create personalized pelvic floor health devices, helping people maintain a positive and independent lifestyle.
• Idem (Montreal, Canada), developing interactive cognitive aids to support patients with dementia in maintaining independence and coordinating care.
• LINK Plans (Calgary, Canada), helping to expand the coverage of employers' retirement savings plans through financial institutions and payroll service providers.
• MIMOSA Diagnostics (Toronto, Canada): Using portable imaging technology to detect pressure injuries before visible damage appears on the skin.
• Myant Health (Mississauga, Canada): Transforming everyday clothing into tools for continuous health monitoring through smart textile technology.
• Pontosense (Toronto, Canada) utilizes AI-powered wireless sensing technology to detect falls, monitor vital signs, and supports independent living without the need for cameras or wearable devices.
• PragmaClin (St. John's, Canada) has developed a AI neuroassessment platform for patients with Parkinson's disease.

Patrick Graham, President and CEO of Manulife Canada, stated: "Longevity is one of the greatest opportunities of our time, but it also requires us to think about health and financial well-being in different ways. The innovators recognized through this challenge are addressing one of the most significant issues brought about by longevity: how we can maintain our health for longer periods and how we can build greater financial resilience. These are major challenges that require bold ideas to address."

Nearly 40% of Canadians are over the age of 50, and many are balancing the care for their elderly parents and relatives with their own health and financial goals. Meanwhile, a survey on aging in Canada conducted by the Institute on Aging in Canada ( National Institute on Ageing ) with the support of Manulife shows that 43% of older Canadians face a higher risk of social isolation, and only 29% feel that they can afford retirement living. This highlights the need for innovative solutions to improve health, financial resilience, and social connections. This challenge focuses on three key areas: helping people plan for and cope with a longer life, supporting the coordination of prevention and care, and strengthening a sense of belonging and intergenerational connections.

Paul Lorentz, President and CEO of Manulife Financial and Asset Management, stated: "Longevity is reshaping the way people work, save, care for others, and prepare for retirement. Canada has the opportunity to lead in this area by advancing solutions that help people stay healthy, connected, and financially resilient throughout their longer lives. This award-winning team has demonstrated how innovation can transform this opportunity into actions that are meaningful for individuals, families, and communities."

The winning projects will receive access to the UpLink global innovation ecosystem, enabling them to establish connections with enterprises, investors, policymakers, and other partners in order to help accelerate their growth and expand their influence.

The head of the World Economic Forum UpLink John Dutton stated: "Through the World Economic Forum's UpLink and the Global Longevity Innovation Initiative, we are delighted to collaborate with Manulife to discover and promote the development of early-stage projects that help people lead healthier, more financially stable, and more fulfilling lives. With Manulife's support, this new team continues the progress made in previous sessions and highlights how breakthrough solutions can drive transformation in Canada's healthcare, financial, and care systems, enhancing people's ability to plan for and cope with longer lifespans."

The "Shaping Canada's Longevity Advantage Challenge" is built on the多年 of collaboration between Manulife and UpLink. The two parties announced this partnership at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, with the aim of identifying and expanding innovative solutions that will help people lead healthier, more financially resilient, and more fulfilling lives as the global population ages. This challenge continues the success of the "Longevity Prosperity Challenge" held in 2024 ( Prospering in Longevity Challenge ) as well as the " Innovating for Asia 's Demographic Future Challenge " in 2025.

This initiative reflects the efforts of Manulife Longevity Institute ( Manulife Longevity Institute ). The platform focuses on research, intellectual leadership, innovation, advocacy, and community investment to promote thriving development among people at every stage of life. For more information on Manulife's longevity-related initiatives and the work of the Manulife Longevity Institute, please visit manulife.com.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation ( Manulife Financial Corporation ) is a leading international financial services provider headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The company operates under the Manulife brand in Canada and Asia, and primarily under the John Hancock brand in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance, and health solutions to individuals, groups, and businesses. Through its Manulife Wealth and Asset Management business, the company offers global investment solutions, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. By the end of 2025, the company will have over 37,000 employees, more than 106,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers in 25 markets around the globe. The company's shares are traded on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine stock exchanges under the symbol “ MFC ”, and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the symbol “945”. Not all products and services are available in all jurisdictions. For more information, please visit manulife.com.

About Manulife Longevity Institute

The Manulife Longevity Institute is a global platform for research, thought leadership, innovation, advocacy, and community investment, aimed at promoting actions that help people live longer, healthier lives with more financial stability. Largely supported by a dedicated commitment of $350 million, the institute focuses on extending healthy lifespan and enhancing financial resilience for all individuals. As a global leader in insurance, retirement planning, and asset management, Manulife holds a unique advantage in driving this transformation. The institute’s efforts will support Manulife’s impact agenda strategy through investments in growing longevity economy organizations, research collaborations with leading academic institutions and think tanks, and the creation of thought leadership content. In the United States, the institution will operate under the name John Hancock Longevity Institute. The institute’s activities will be guided by a steering committee composed of members from Manulife’s executive team and global leadership, and will be carried forward in partnership with a network of stakeholders and experts dedicated to advancing longevity issues across Canada, Asia, and the United States.

For more information, please visit Manulife.com / Longevity.

About UpLink

UpLink is an early innovation engine of the World Economic Forum, connecting innovators with a sense of mission with the partners, resources, and capital they need to scale their solutions, in order to serve markets and economies that are crucial for a resilient, sustainable, and prosperous world. UpLink envisions a future where profits and mission go hand in hand – innovation drives competitiveness, inclusivity, and long-term value; economic growth benefits humanity and repairs the planet, while resilience becomes the foundation of prosperous, future-oriented economies. For more information, please click here.

Media Contact

Manulife: Emily English