The new Longitude Prize on Dementia has been launched, with a series of virtual hackathons open to innovators hoping to win its £1m grand prize by creating a personalised, technology-based tool for people living with dementia.

The prize, which was announced in September this year, will award a total of £4.34m to drive the creation of technological solutions that can bridge the cognitive gaps that develop when a person’s dementia progresses.

Of this, £3.34m will be awarded in seed funding and development grants to the most promising solutions to the prize challenge, with a £1m first prize to be awarded in 2026.

Innovators have until January 2023 to enter their solutions to the prize, which is funded by Alzheimer’s Society and Innovate UK and delivered by innovation prize experts Challenge Works.

The hackathon sessions, taking place on 16 and 23 November, will connect innovators with healthcare experts and people living with dementia, to help them better understand the condition and how they can enter and win the prize.

Ruth Neale, program lead, of Longitude Prize on Dementia at Challenge Works said: “The prize is seeking innovations that use AI and machine learning to learn about a user diagnosed with early-stage dementia and adapt with them as their condition progresses.

“The technology should be designed for the person living with dementia to use themselves and help them keep doing the things that bring them enjoyment and fulfillment so that they can live independently for longer.”

The prize has been designed in collaboration with people living with dementia, who will also be involved in the judging process at every stage. Additionally, wider support will provide innovators with crucial insight and expertise including access to data, collaborations with people living with dementia and dementia organisations in the UK and globally, as well as advice on product design, user experience, and business mentoring.