The Power Play competition at ICAIR supports healthcare entrepreneurs at all stages of innovation with $50,000 in total prizes.
From VR therapy to smart apparel to improved cancer detection, this year’s Power Play Pitch Competition is spotlighting some of the most innovative solutions in health, rehabilitation and age-tech.
The 2025 finalists, which have just been announced, will compete for $50,000 in seed funding at the International Conference on Aging, Innovation and Rehabilitation (ICAIR) on May 1 and 2. The funds will help fast-track the development and commercialization of their ventures. "Power Play is a gateway for innovation," says Dr. Milos R. Popovic, KITE Research Institute Director and Chair of the ICAIR Organizing Committee. "It’s a unique opportunity to accelerate success in the healthcare space while exhibiting the ground-breaking ideas of the rehabilitation research community."
The finalists are in two categories. The first, The Innovative Concept, is for early-stage ideas that can transform healthcare. The second, The Innovative Start-Up, is open to companies with a product or service that's under development.
The Innovative Concept finalists:
- Arlene Astell from CUE-D
- Joy Lai from The Remindful Project
- Kulmanak Bajaj from Wonder Guard
- Mohammad Alaul Islam from PrIME
- Nevena Musikic from Auryx
- Stephanie DiNunzio from Well-Knit Technologies
- Tiange Li from Urotech
The Innovative Start-Up finalists:
- Deena Al-Sammak from Power of Play Inc.
- Lora Appel from caregiVR
- Haitham Shoman from Qalam Health Solutions
- Marc-Antoine Moinnereau from KAPTICS
- Olga Klushina from Oculum
- Oluwatoni (Toni) Bodunrin from Knee2Me Inc.
- Parisa Agahi from Tression Inc.
- Pascal McCarthy from Parados
- Rachel Bartholomew from Hyivy Health
- Tracey McGillivray from Axtion Independence Mobility Inc.
Previous Power Play winners include ImaginAble Solutions, which creates assistive devices for people with limited motor control, and Caretown HF, a digital tool that supports caregivers of heart failure patients.