AgeInnovate’s 2026 AgeTech Startup Live Pitch Competition takes place on September 16 in Nashville during the Launch Tennessee 3686 entrepreneurial conference. Three finalists will compete for a $25,000 SAFE-note investment from Community Equity Partners. Applications close July 15.

Southeast startups, with Nashville playing a leading role, are building solutions for gaps in eldercare, caregiving and aging-in-place.

Tennessee’s 60-plus population is projected to grow 30% by 2040, the 80-plus population will double, and the state already faces a critical, growing shortage of paid caregivers. Nashville’s $72.1B healthcare ecosystem, with 900-plus companies, provides the backdrop for this kind of innovation.

Nashville-area AgeTech startup SpendCare, winner of last year’s pitch competition, developed a flexible spending card platform for PACE programs, caregivers, and families. Their growth reflects a broader shift in the industry, with AgeTech expanding beyond consumer longevity products into the infrastructure that supports care delivery, benefits administration, and aging-in-place.