In March 2025, the Adult Social Care Accelerator welcomed six startups from South Korea to London, including Seven Point One – a startup tackling early dementia screening with an innovative digital solution.
By 2040, an estimated 1.4 million people will be living with dementia in the UK and currently, around a third of those affected remain undiagnosed. Dementia often goes undiagnosed until it’s too late, with loved ones raising the alarm only after noticing significant changes in cognitive function While there is no cure, research shows that certain lifestyle choices can significantly influence quality of life, highlighting the need for detection of at-risk individuals.
The growing need to quickly identify at-risk individuals and refer them to appropriate support services has prompted South Korea–based startup Seven Point One to tackle the complexities of mild cognitive impairment. Alz-Win, their rapid screening tool, is designed to detect early signs of cognitive decline. It forms part of a broader suite of products developed to support cognitive health more holistically. Their product suite includes:
- Alz-Win: a 1-min dementia screening tool using a verbal fluency functions
- An immersive VR solution that offers physical exercise games and activities designed to tackle loneliness and depression
- A health management app that helps users monitor and track their sleeping behaviors, nutrition habits and engage in interactive brain exercises to support cognitive wellbeing
Exploring routes to market
While in London, Seven Point One conducted a usability testing day in partnership with the Independent Living Agency, engaging 20 residents from the London Borough of Dagenham.
Led by founder and CEO Evan Lee, each participant was given 30 minutes to explore three of Seven Point One’s cognitive health solutions. They began by testing a demo version of Alz-Win, assessing its ease of use and cultural relevance for UK users. Many participants found the tool highly valuable and shared their experience with dementia in their own families— and how earlier detection may have helped them.
Participants also reviewed early-stage visuals and features of the health management app, offering constructive feedback, but the clear standout of the session was the immersive VR solution. Enthusiastic responses poured in, with most asking when and where they could purchase it. Participants left feeling energised and inspired—excited to share their experience with friends and encourage them to try it too.
The usability day provided valuable insights into how UK users engage with digital cognitive tools, and highlighted areas where product localisation may be needed to succeed in the UK. It also served as a meaningful community-building experience; participants connected with one another, engaged with the startup and our team, and had the opportunity to discover innovative solutions that may one day transform their lives – or the lives of loved ones.
Connecting with care leaders
During the visit, Evan also met with key players in the UK care ecosystem. He engaged with care home managers from George Brooker, spoke with a GP from a local memory clinic and the Primary Care Network, and connected with a researcher from UCL whose work aligns with Seven Point One’s mission.
These conversations were essential in exploring potential expansion pathways and gaining a better understanding of the UK health and care landscape.
What’s next for Seven Point One
Seven Point One identified several potential market entry pathways that warrant further exploration and gained valuable insights into how health and care services function, across both public and private sectors in the UK. They are now exploring the possibility of conducting a clinical trial in partnership with UCL.
About the Adult Social Care Accelerator
As our over-65 population continues to expand and more of those individuals face chronic conditions that require long-term care, the UK care system faces increased pressure. We believe that technology can help ease this crisis by helping elderly people stay independent for longer and by reducing the burden on carers.
The Adult Social Care Accelerator is an innovation accelerator that tests new technologies from around the world with a network of forward-thinking care providers. The Accelerator scales the most impactful solutions across the care ecosystem by connecting corporates, local authorities, and the communities we serve.