Alz Watch is providing an integrated solution to improve the quality of life of people with dementia. It was founded by co-CEOs Kang Hyun Gu (27) and Kwon Min Ju (23).
The Alz Watch is a wearable, watch-like device for people with dementia. With real-time location tracking, emergency calls, medication reminders, and more, it can improve the safety of dementia sufferers while reducing the psychological burden on their caretakers.
The medication reminder and checklist features for individuals with dementia support independent living. Additionally, the real-time location tracking and emergency call functions help prevent dementia patients from wandering off or getting lost, ensuring their safety and alleviating the psychological burden on caregivers.
CEO Kang said, "Our product is available at approximately 60% lower price than competitor products. You can access essential features for managing the care of people with dementia at an affordable price, which offers a significant cost advantage. The Alz Watch prioritizes the safety of individuals with dementia. It enables real-time monitoring, allowing for the early detection of unsafe behaviors and reducing the risk of accidents. You can track the location and movement of the dementia sufferer in real time, allowing you to prevent dangerous situations such as disappearance in advance. In addition, when an abnormal sign occurs, such as the dementia sufferer veering off course or leaving a safe zone, it immediately sends an emergency notification to the caretaker and medical team to help with their rapid response. By further developing our technology into a data-based monitoring system that can comprehensively manage the habits and risk history of the patients, we plan to enable tailored care plans developed along with caretakers and medical teams."
Alz Watch is a smart care device that combines cost-effectiveness, functionality, and a patient-centered safety management system. It can help improve the quality of life of people with dementia while reducing the psychological and physical burden on their caretakers.
CEO Kwon said, "By eliminating various unnecessary features and focusing instead on location tracking, emergency calls, and features that are essential for home care, we’ve created a product that’s specialized for people with dementia. In addition, electromagnets and neodymium magnets are installed on both sides of the device’s strap, so the flow of electricity is controlled by an RFID tag. Then, the caretaker’s card is required to open the device. This prevents the dementia sufferer from removing the device and wandering off."
CEO Kwon said, "By integrating existing ultra-wideband technology, we plan to improve the accuracy of indoor location tracking and strengthen our user-customized care services," and added, “Beyond technology, this device will solve social problems by taking into account the user’s experience and the public good.”
Alz Watch intends to pursue online sales through its homepage and domestic online marketplaces, as well as offline sales via partner hospitals and care facilities, and by participating in medical device trade shows.
CEO Kwon said, “We are promoting our product through online cafes and communities mainly used by the caregivers of dementia sufferers. We are currently focusing on prototype development and demonstration-based verification. With the support from public institutions and the Campus Town, we’re concentrating on advancing our technology and securing user receptivity. We’re also open to attracting investment through impact investment, early-stage social venture investment institutions, government-led private sector matching, and so on, once the product’s scalability and marketability are better substantiated by demonstration data.”
What made the two co-CEOs decide to start a new company? CEO Kang said, “Living with my grandmother, who had dementia, I recognized the need for a care system that would provide peace of mind to both patients and caregivers. In Korea, the prevalence of dementia in the over-65 population is 10.41%, so approximately one in every ten people over 65 has it. In fact, Korea has surpassed 1 million dementia cases for the first time in its history. Due to the absence of effective treatments, we thought it was necessary to establish an environment for people with dementia. It only takes a few minutes for someone with dementia to wander off or become lost, and when they do, their caretaker has to give up everything to go search for them. The burden of caretaking falls entirely on the family and a small number of care workers, which has made anxiety and a sense of guilt commonplace. We view this as a structural problem, not just an inconvenience. Our goal is to fill this gap with technology and create a minimal safety net.”
Alz Watch is composed of four students from the College of Engineering at Chung-Ang University. Three of them majored in electrical and electronics engineering, while the other studied chemical engineering and material science.
Regarding future plans, CEO Kang said, “We want to enable precise, real-time location tracking indoors by utilizing ultra-wideband technology,” and added, “We plan to start producing and testing prototypes of the Alz Watch at the end of this year.”
Date of Establishment: Pre-startup company
Main Business: The Alz Watch, a device that prevents people with dementia from going missing
Performance: Moved into Chung-Ang University Campus Town in the first half of 2025, passed the final round at the 2025 Hana Social Venture University
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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