As countries in Asia adapt to demographic shifts, individuals may no longer follow a linear three-stage life of education, work and retirement. Instead, the multi-stage life witnesses frequent and non-linear transitions between working, learning, caring, and recreation across longer lives. For instance, in Japan, 64% of workers are likely to return to the workforce after retiring. While longer, multi-stage lives bring new opportunities, they also bring increased challenges. Across Asia, older adults are often caregivers for their peers, putting them at higher risk of physical injury and emotional strain. Meanwhile, China’s retirement savings gap is projected to reach $119 trillion by 2050, making extended career breaks and longer retirements unaffordable for many. To ensure long-term financial security, well-being and purpose, UpLink has partnered with Manulife to fundamentally rethink traditional approaches to savings, insurance, healthcare, and workforce participation.
In line with the World Economic Forum’s Longevity Economy Principles, this challenge calls for solutions that empower individuals of all ages to stay financially stable, proactively manage their health and remain engaged in their communities. We encourage submissions from organizations that address longevity through a multigenerational lens and impact their customers through channels including but not limited to B2B, B2C and B2G. In a world where life paths are increasingly fluid, we need new strategies to help people maintain vitality, adaptability and purpose throughout their lives.
The focus areas of this challenge include:
- Multigenerational financial resilience
- Equitable healthy ageing
- Lifelong fulfilment
See the FOCUS AREAS tab for a detailed description of each of these focus areas.
Selection criteria
I. Business viability
- Financially viable business model: Solution has a clear strategy to develop a sustainable business model and revenue approach for Asian markets and demonstrates an ability to fundraise from investors, government and philanthropic funders.
- Product-market fit: Solution can demonstrate how it fits customer needs with evidence in the Asian market context, and with reference to the size of the problem it seeks to address.
- External risk: Solution has a plan to manage risks and uncertainties associated with achieving their desired outcomes.
- Governance, team and operating models: Solution should have a legal entity attached to the project or technology and have a diverse leadership team with the right capacity and skillset to deliver on the project’s mission. The operating model should show the extent to which the project has achieved financial viability and sustainable revenue streams or has a vision and plan for achieving it.
II. Intention to deliver impact
- Positive and sustainable social impact: Solution supports the Asia longevity agenda in the long term, delivering impact that outlasts the length of the challenge and working to address age, gender, racial and/or wealth inequality with respect to one of the challenge focus areas.
- Impact measurement, management and verification: Solution has a clear metric or series of metrics to measure its impact. The metric(s) should be tracked transparently and apply relevant, robust standards.
III. Solution innovation and replicability
- Innovative nature of solution: Solution demonstrates innovation concerning its product or service technology, offering, pricing, partnerships, or business model.
- Proof of concept and replicability: Solution can provide evidence, for example from experiments or pilot projects, that the product or service is implementable across markets in Asia.
IV. Geographic scope
- Market focus: Solution must have a clear focus on Asia, either by being based in the region or having a strong strategy for implementation and scaling within Asian markets.
Benefits for selected Top Innovators
Approximately 10 submissions will be selected as winners, recognized as Top Innovators, and become part of the UpLink Innovation Ecosystem, a curated programme designed for Founders, CEOs, Executive Directors, etc., which provides:
- Access: Opportunity to participate in selected World Economic Forum and partner-led events, projects, and communities.
- Visibility: Global exposure via the Forum’s and UpLink’s digital media channels.
- Connections: Strategic introductions to selected organizations in the Forum’s and UpLink’s network.
- Targeted support: Including programming and support on technical, business, and operational matters.
Awards:- Manulife will give C$200,000 in prize money split among three of the top ten winners.
Deadline:- 28-04-2025
