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Awake Labs
Techstars '21Toronto, CA · Founded 2015 · 4 employees on LinkedIn · 2 known investors
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Awake Labs provides a digital platform combining smartwatch, mobile, and web dashboard technologies to measure stress in real-time for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The company aims to improve quality of life and mental health support for this underserved population.
Also known as Awake Labs Inc.
Investors · 2
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Awake Labs is a Toronto-headquartered technology company that builds wearable-enabled remote monitoring technology for children and adults with cognitive disabilities — including intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), autism and brain injuries — and for the care teams that support them. The platform pairs a smartwatch app with a mobile app and a web dashboard to measure physiological arousal in real time, flagging stress and other strong emotions such as anger or excitement in their early stages.
The smartwatch app runs on Samsung Galaxy and Fitbit watches and uses a clinically validated algorithm developed by scientists at Holland Bloorview. It establishes a personalized baseline for each wearer and reports changes against it. Data travels from the smartwatch to the mobile app and web dashboard over Wi-Fi. The mobile app, available on iOS and Android phones and tablets, shows a current state (Neutral, Mild, Moderate, Strong), a daily timeline of hourly intensity, and notification history; notifications are sent when a distinct change in arousal persists for five minutes, with a second alert after ten minutes. The web dashboard aggregates arousal data into time-series and scatterplot views so care teams can identify triggers and patterns and incorporate objective data into support plans.
The company positions its product as assistive or enabling technology intended to reduce the use of intrusive measures, increase independence and improve quality of life, while noting it is one tool among others rather than a complete solution.
Business model
Awake Labs sells its platform primarily to care organizations, which deploy the smartwatch, mobile app and dashboard as an added component of their existing support services. Engagements can begin with small, flexible pilot programs before broader rollout, and the company also works with individuals, families and payers; individuals and families without an organizational sponsor can join a waitlist. Demos are booked directly through the company website.
Traction
The company's website states the platform is trusted by more than 25 care organizations. It expanded a pilot program with Catalight in January 2023. Third-party data estimates annual revenue under $1M and roughly four employees as of August 2026.
Latest developments
In January 2023 Awake Labs announced the expansion of its pilot program with Catalight. As of August 2026 third-party data lists the company at approximately four employees with estimated annual revenue under $1M, and the company's website states the platform is trusted by more than 25 care organizations.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Awake Labs operates in digital health and assistive/enabling technology for the intellectual and developmental disability sector, a population it describes as often overlooked. It is a small company serving more than 25 care organizations and is a Techstars alum through the UnitedHealthcare Accelerator.
Awake Labs' smartwatch algorithm is described as clinically validated and developed by scientists at Holland Bloorview. The product is built specifically for the I/DD and cognitive disability care context — direct support professionals, families, behavior analysts and clinicians in community living, day programs and home and community based services — combining personalized baselines, early-stage arousal notifications and aggregated dashboard analytics rather than general consumer wellness tracking.
Technology
A three-part platform: a smartwatch app compatible with Samsung Galaxy and Fitbit watches that measures physiological arousal using a clinically validated algorithm developed at Holland Bloorview; an iOS and Android mobile app that displays real-time state and sends early-warning notifications after five and ten minutes of sustained change; and a web dashboard presenting aggregated arousal data in time-series and scatterplot graphs. Data moves from watch to app and dashboard via Wi-Fi. Reported tooling includes Wix, WordPress, Wix eCommerce, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Google Cloud, Sentry and Stripe.
Go-to-market
The company partners with care organizations that implement the technology as part of their existing services, using small, flexible pilots as an entry point and a book-a-demo motion on its website. It maintains a waitlist for individuals and families, and has pursued accelerator and partnership channels including Techstars/UnitedHealthcare and Catalight.
Care organizations serving children and adults with cognitive disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism and brain injuries, along with the direct support professionals, families, behavior analysts and clinicians on those care teams; also individuals, families and payers in Canada and the United States.
Geography
Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario (192 Spadina Ave, #300), with a US address in Dover, Delaware. The team is fully remote. The company works with individuals, families, care organizations and payers across Canada and the United States.
History
The company was founded in 2015. An earlier University of Toronto Entrepreneurship listing describes an Awake Labs app called Reveal, associated with the Creative Destruction Lab, that aggregated information from a caregiver network and applied machine learning to measure therapy progress. Awake Labs completed the 2021 UnitedHealthcare Accelerator powered by Techstars in Minneapolis, and in January 2023 announced an expansion of its pilot program with the California-based social enterprise Catalight. The current platform is used by more than 25 care organizations.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Founder mafia
3 people who came through Awake Labs went on to found or lead other companies.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsAwake Labs announced the expansion of its pilot program with Catalight, a California-based social enterprise working with people with developmental disabilities.
Awake Labs completed the 2021 UnitedHealthcare Accelerator powered by Techstars in Minneapolis.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Awake Labsawakelabs.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Awake Labs do?
- Awake Labs builds a smartwatch, mobile and dashboard platform that monitors stress in real time for people with cognitive disabilities.
- Who are Awake Labs's investors?
- Awake Labs's investors include Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), Techstars.
- Where is Awake Labs headquartered?
- Awake Labs is headquartered in Toronto, CA.