This challenge Kickstarts additional investments through the new ADA Innovation Fund
CHICAGO, June 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) celebrates its 85th anniversary, it continues to fuel transformative progress in the fight to end diabetes—and increasingly, obesity. This year’s Innovation Challenge, held during the ADA’s 85th Scientific Sessions, highlighted bold ideas driving the future of diabetes treatment and support.
Five visionary finalists presented their innovations on the main stage before a panel of expert judges and a live audience. Three outstanding winners were selected for their potential to revolutionize diabetes care: Kihealth, MYNERVA, and Kayothera, INC.
“One of the biggest things we’ve learned in our 85 years is that in the fight to end diabetes, every new bit of knowledge, every advancement in treatment, every novel idea matters. We’re proud to support these innovators as they help shape a future free of diabetes and all its burdens,” said Elle Uh, the ADA’s chief strategy officer and chief of staff.
This year’s winners and finalists included:
Winner: Kihealth—A diagnostic test to measure the rate of beta cell death through a liquid biopsy, providing patients and clinicians with a clear view of metabolic health and an earlier window into disease development.
Winner: MYNERVA—An AI-driven neuroprosthetic smart sock for diabetes-related neuropathy to reduce pain and regain stability.
Winner: Kayothera, INC—A first-in-class antagonist of the undruggable retinoid pathway to treat and potentially reverse type 2 diabetes.
Finalist: BioDynamik, Inc.—An orthopedic-driven angiogenesis to restore perfusion for the healing of recalcitrant ischemic ulcers.
Finalist: Generated Health—A chatbot combining AI-driven automation and human-like empathy with a simple text-based platform designed to support both patients and health care teams.
The Innovation Challenge occurs at a critical time. Over 38 million Americans live with diabetes and about 125 million live with obesity. To meet these interconnected epidemics head-on, the ADA is launching the ADA Innovation Fund, a venture philanthropy fund designed to advance the ADA’s mission by investing in innovative, high-impact companies developing diabetes, obesity, and other comorbidity-related solutions. Leveraging the ADA’s 85-year history of funding hundreds of millions of dollars in innovative research grants, these investments aim to continue to accelerate mission-critical scientific breakthroughs, reduce health disparities, and promote sustainable health care solutions.
About the ADA’s Scientific Sessions
The ADA’s 85th Scientific Sessions, the world’s largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention, and care, will be held in Chicago, IL, on June 20–23. Thousands of leading physicians, scientists, and health care professionals from around the world are expected to convene both in person and virtually to unveil cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations, and advances toward a cure for diabetes. Attendees will receive exclusive access to thousands of original research presentations and take part in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on social media using #ADASciSessions.
About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to end diabetes and helping people thrive. This year, the ADA celebrates 85 years of driving discovery and research to prevent, manage, treat, and ultimately cure—and we’re not stopping. There are 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Through advocacy, program development, and education, we’re fighting for them all. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383). Join us in the fight on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn). To learn more about how we are advocating for everyone affected by diabetes, visit us on X (@AmDiabetesAssn).
SOURCE American Diabetes Association
