Note: This post is by Aaron Friedman, a Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner Solutions Architect with Amazon Web Services, and Dario Rivera, a Healthcare and Life Sciences Solutions Architect with AWS. 

If you’re reading this post, then there is a high probability that you know someone who has been affected by type 2 diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation, an estimated 415 million people around the world live with diabetes.

The Alexa Diabetes Challenge, sponsored by Merck & Co., calls on innovators to experiment with creating holistic voice-enabled solutions that are designed to improve the lives of those with type 2 diabetes.

With this pioneering challenge, innovators have a unique opportunity to help navigate uncharted territory: experimenting with and developing new solutions for those managing a chronic condition. Communicating through voice, rather than just on a screen, has the potential to make it easier to empower patients to change habits and improve their overall well-being. 

This challenge will allow innovators like you to draw on both Merck’s expertise in drug development, epidemiology, medication adherence, observational research, and patient education programs and Amazon’s expertise in connected devices and voice interfaces. 

Five finalists will be chosen to receive $25,000 each and advance to the Virtual Accelerator. At the end of the Virtual Accelerator, finalists will present their prototypes in person to the judges at Demo Day. Following Demo Day, the judges will select a grand prize winner to receive $125,000.

Check out the Amazon Web Services blog to learn more, and visit the Alexa Diabetes Challenge website to submit a concept.

The Alexa Diabetes Challenge is powered by Luminary Labs.