a2Collective.ai

What a2Collective.ai does

a2Collective.ai (a2 Collective) is a federally-funded research coordination program representing the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratories (AITC) for Aging Research, established in 2022 with a $40M, five-year commitment from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The program comprises three AITCs centered at Johns Hopkins University (JH AITC), the University of Massachusetts Amherst (MassAITC), and the University of Pennsylvania (PennAITech), with a Coordinating Center managed by Rose Li and Associates, Inc. (RLA). Its core offering is the a2 Pilot Awards, an annual national competition that distributes non-dilutive R&D grant funding of up to $200,000 per project (12-month period) to AI and technology demonstration projects at the intersection of healthy aging, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), and emerging technologies. Awardees additionally receive access to study sites, datasets, multidisciplinary mentorship, eligibility for $10,000 in AWS credits, and pathways to SBIR/STTR grant funding.

The program supplements the pilot funding mechanism with the annual a2 National Symposium (held in Baltimore in 2023, Philadelphia in 2024, Boston in 2025, and Washington, D.C. in 2026), an ongoing webinar series, and AITC Program Advances publication briefs. Across five cohorts, the program has funded over 200 pilot projects spanning cognitive monitoring, neurostimulation, AI-powered exosuits, drug discovery, digital twins, conversational agents, MRI segmentation, speech/audio biomarkers, and ambient in-home intelligence. Cohort 4 data show 96% of pilots incorporate machine learning, 52% focus on cognition-related needs, and 63% target home or independent living settings. The Coordinating Center also collaborates with the University of Southern California on the UAS-CLEAR caregiver study, integrating program-specific questions into a nationally representative panel.

A2 Collective is not a commercial entity and has no pricing model; the $40M is program budget distributed as grants, not revenue. Funding flows exclusively through NIA cooperative agreements (U24AG073094 for the Coordinating Center; P30AG073104, P30AG073105, and P30AG073107 for the three AITCs). The program's continuity beyond the initial five-year window is contingent on NIA renewal, with the next competition cycle dependent on AITC program continuation in mid- to late 2026.

Name

a2Collective.ai

Legal name

Rose Li and Associates, Inc.

Website

https://a2collective.ai

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

a2Collective.ai is a federally-funded research program coordinating $40M in NIA/NIH grants through three university AITCs (Johns Hopkins, UMass Amherst, UPenn) to distribute non-dilutive R&D funding via the annual a2 Pilot Awards competition for AI and technology projects supporting healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aging Research Funding / AgeTech Grants

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Aging research funding
• AI healthcare grants
• AgeTech research
• Pilot award program
• AD/ADRD research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chevy Chase

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. NIA Government Grant Funding: The a2 Collective is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The program has earmarked $40 million to fund promising AI-driven AgeTech projects over five years. The a2 Collective Coordinating Center is funded through NIA grant U24AG073094. Individual AITCs are funded through grants P30AG073104 (JH AITC), P30AG073105 (PennAITech), and P30AG073107 (MassAITC).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The a2 Collective is a federally-funded research coordination program that distributes non-dilutive R&D grant funding (up to $200,000 per project) to AI and technology projects at the intersection of healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease/related dementias (AD/ADRD). The program operates through three AI and Technology Collaboratories (AITCs) at Johns Hopkins University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and University of Pennsylvania, supported by a Coordinating Center managed by Rose Li and Associates, and hosts the annual a2 National Symposium.

Product overview

The a2 Collective is a research funding and coordination organization representing the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratories (AITC) for Aging Research program. It operates as a platform comprising three AITC Collaboratories centered at Johns Hopkins University (JH AITC), the University of Massachusetts Amherst (MassAITC), and the University of Pennsylvania (PennAITech), coordinated by Rose Li and Associates. The core offering is the a2 Pilot Awards competition, which distributes non-dilutive R&D funding to AI and technology projects supporting healthy aging and AD/ADRD care. The program supplements funding with the annual a2 National Symposium for networking and knowledge sharing, and publishes AITC Program Advances briefs showcasing funded research. The $40 million program, funded by the National Institute on Aging over five years, has funded five cohorts of pilot projects totaling over 130 projects across various AI and AgeTech focus areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• a2 Pilot Awards: National pilot project competition providing non-dilutive R&D grant funding to promising technology demonstration projects at the intersection of AI, healthy aging, or AD/ADRD
• a2 National Symposium
• JH AITC
• MassAITC
• PennAITech

Products and services

• a2 Pilot Awards A national pilot project competition providing non-dilutive R&D grant funding of up to $200,000 per project over one year to promising technology demonstration projects at the intersection of AI, healthy aging, and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). Open to private companies, research organizations, tech startups, and traditional NIH/NIA investigators.
• a2 National Symposium Annual national symposium bringing together innovators, academics, and industry leaders to showcase AI- and technology-enabled innovations improving the lives of older Americans, including those with AD/ADRD. Features keynotes, panel discussions, awardee presentations, and pitch competitions.
• Johns Hopkins AITC (JH AITC) One of three Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratories for Aging Research, centered at Johns Hopkins University, providing pilot awardees with study sites, datasets, and mentorship from industry and university experts.
• Massachusetts AI & Technology Center for Connected Care in Aging & Alzheimer's Disease (MassAITC) One of three AITCs centered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, supporting AI and technology projects for healthy aging with resources and multidisciplinary mentorship.
• Penn Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Healthy Aging (PennAITech) One of three AITCs centered at the University of Pennsylvania, providing pilot awardees with resources, translational services, and mentorship for AgeTech innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ pilot projects funded across 5 cohorts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability15 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rose Li and Associates, Inc. (RLA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManages the a2 Collective Coordinating Center, which coordinates activities across the three AITCs. RLA provides program management, communications, and logistical support for the collective.
• Johns Hopkins University (JH AITC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Aging Research (JH AITC), one of three AITCs in the network. Provides research infrastructure, faculty expertise, and clinical environments for pilot projects.
• University of Massachusetts Amherst (MassAITC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Massachusetts AI & Technology Center for Connected Care in Aging & Alzheimer's Disease (MassAITC). Provides research infrastructure, faculty expertise, and clinical environments for pilot projects.
• University of Pennsylvania (PennAITech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Penn Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Healthy Aging (PennAITech). Provides research infrastructure, faculty expertise, and clinical environments for pilot projects.
• University of Southern California (USC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe a2 Collective Coordinating Center collaborates with USC on the UAS-CLEAR study, adding questions about use of emerging AI and technology solutions to a caregiver research study. The Understanding America Study provides a nationally representative online panel.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Alzheimer's Association:
• ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health): ARPA-H is a federally-funded health research agency that distributes non-dilutive R&D funding for high-risk, high-reward biomedical projects. It operates at a much larger scale than a2Collective but shares the federal-grant-distribution model and targets transformative health research.

Direct peers

• Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation: The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is a venture philanthropy organization that funds translational AD research and drug discovery. It is the most directly comparable peer to a2Collective, applying a similar grantmaking model specifically aimed at accelerating AD/ADRD therapeutics and diagnostics through seed-stage funding.
• NIA IMPACT Collaboratory: The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is a sister NIA-funded program focused on embedding pragmatic clinical trials of non-pharmacologic interventions into healthcare systems for older adults. It shares a2Collective's funder (NIA), mission focus on aging research, and distributed multi-institutional structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@a2collective/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/A2-Collective-108092465069430
• Xx.com/a2_collective
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a2collective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about a2Collective.ai