LAS VEGAS — Captify, a startup developing smart glasses that provide real-time captions and translations, won the grand prize in the AgeTech After Dark pitch competition at CES 2026, the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP announced.
The victory highlights Captify‘s technology aimed at improving accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing by delivering live subtitles directly in the wearer’s field of view, enabling fuller participation in conversations and daily environments.
Founded to address hearing loss challenges, Captify’s lightweight, stylish smart glasses feature advanced noise-canceling microphones, real-time captioning, multilingual translation and meeting note-saving functions integrated with an intuitive app. The company positions its product as a breakthrough in inclusive communication.
The award was presented by AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan, and Andy Miller, senior vice president of innovation and product at the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP. The event also serves as a gateway for selected startups to enter the organization’s accelerator program.
Minter-Jordan described the annual competition as “a celebration of creativity,” noting that the five pitching startups addressed real-world issues including mobility, rehabilitation and communication. “These are solutions that can help millions of people live healthier, better and more connected lives,” she said, praising Captify’s winning pitch for making conversations more accessible.
The special AARP AgeTech Summit at CES 2026 was another thoughtful component of the event, where leaders across technology, healthcare, startups, and enterprise shared perspectives on how AgeTech is being designed, scaled, and brought to market. The conversation featured insights from Joshua Di Frances of LG NOVA, Andy Miller of the AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP, Sally Ann Frank of Microsoft for Startups, Sami Hassanyeh of AARP, John R. Luna of EssilorLuxottica, Ken Honeycutt of Samsung Healthcare, and Joe Coughlin of the MIT AgeLab, with moderation by Sidney Collin and Cris Gardner.
During a related “Hot Takes” panel at CES 2026, moderated by Danielle Duplin and featuring tech journalist Edward Baig, Rick Robinson, vice president and general manager of the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP, outlined key trends in impactful innovations: embodied AI such as adaptive robots, assistive tools for better sleep, walking and mobility, and solutions focused on diet and preventive health.
These developments signal a broader shift toward personalized, preventive technologies that promote independence and dignity in aging, Robinson said.
AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with nearly 38 million members, focuses on empowering people 50 and older through health security, financial resilience and personal fulfillment initiatives. The AgeTech Collaborative fosters innovations to support independent and fulfilling aging.
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