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In South Korea, which has entered a super-aged society, dementia remains a vague fear and heavy burden for individuals and society. Due to negative perceptions of dementia, many hesitate to visit hospitals even when symptoms appear, or conceal the diagnosis from family members.

However, research is accumulating that appropriate management can positively impact the prognosis of dementia. Especially, appropriate intervention during the pre-dementia stage of mild cognitive impairment (a state where cognitive functions like memory are objectively impaired but daily life can be independently maintained) has been reported in some studies to delay the progression of dementia. Therefore, the importance of early detection and prevention is emphasized.

SILVIA Health, a startup in the age-tech sector, directly challenges this social issue by developing management solutions using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to aid in dementia prevention. Their goal is to efficiently support prevention and management by innovating existing diagnostic and management systems with an integrated solution that encompasses all pre-cognitive impairment stages. SILVIA Health is creating a standard for comprehensive brain health management, connecting early detection (Screening), personalized prevention (Wellness), and digital therapy (Rx). They envision a society where cognitive impairments, which can affect anyone, are conquered, allowing people to age healthily and without fear of aging.

SILVIA Health was founded based on the awareness of problems experienced by Koh Myung-jin, CEO of SILVIA Health, during medical school, observing a close family member worried about aging and cognitive decline. It took a significant amount of time to visit the hospital, and even after receiving a diagnosis, there were few options to verify early cognitive changes or manage them in daily life. Koh stated, “Many around me only sought medical help after symptoms became apparent, and there were few tools to comfortably check early signs,” adding, “I wanted to change the structure where post-diagnosis management is entirely left to individuals and families.” This experience led Koh to a personal mission: “to create an environment where anyone can check and manage cognitive health in daily life.”

From Early Detection to Treatment…A Comprehensive Solution


SILVIA Health's three-step core solution integrates the entire cycle of brain health management: 'Detection-Management-Treatment.' The core is shifting the paradigm of cognitive health management from 'test-centered' to 'management-centered' in daily life.

SILVIA Screening is an early detection service that captures risk signals through an AI-based cognitive screening test that can be completed in five minutes. It detects subtle changes in brain functions such as attention, memory, and processing speed, and identifies risk signals faster and more conveniently than existing tests (MMSE, MoCA). Instead of simple scores, it analyzes digital data from speaking or drawing activities to provide a report. It is designed to be introduced in public and private sectors, such as medical institutions, insurance companies, and welfare centers, via smartphones, tablets, and kiosks. It is scheduled for beta release at the end of this year and official launch in January 2026.

Additionally, SILVIA Health offers SILVIA Station to health centers to facilitate easy screening for cognitive decline. Users perform tasks assessing various brain functions for about 10 minutes, and the results are sent via KakaoTalk. If cognitive decline is detected, they are connected to health centers and dementia care centers.


SILVIA Wellness is an app-based personalized management program for users identified with risk factors during screening. It offers over 400 multi-domain intervention contents designed by clinical neuroscience experts. The key differentiator is its sustainability. Based on risk factors, it immediately connects to programs such as cognitive training, physical exercise, emotional management, and sleep improvement to effect real health behavior changes. SILVIA Health continuously enhances the service through joint verification with university hospitals.

SILVIA-Rx is a digital therapeutic software under development aimed at supporting the management of patients with mild cognitive impairment. It helps them perform cognitive-exercise integrated training at home using a tablet for 12-24 weeks following a doctor's prescription. It is designed to enable continuous professional management support outside the hospital, allowing doctors to automatically collect and monitor patient change data. It has been designated as an innovative medical device by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and is preparing for item approval next year.

AI-Based Personalization…Realizing Sustainable Management


The differentiation point of SILVIA Health is AI-based personalization and ensuring sustainability. AI analyzes patterns of cognitive function decline, improvement speed, behavior patterns, and preferences to recommend customized training content and adjusts difficulty in real-time with a leveling system. Koh emphasized, “To be helpful in symptom management, it must be done consistently, but if it's too easy or difficult, interest is lost. By adjusting according to individual differences and progress, we prevent users from giving up and help them continue participating.”

Particularly, cognitive training content analyzes not only the results but also the process of execution. For example, in a clock drawing test, it quantitatively measures execution ability, judgment, and structured thinking ability by analyzing how quickly it was drawn and in what order.

Vision for a World Unafraid of Aging


Founded in 2020, SILVIA Health has recorded over 150,000 app downloads since its service launch, showing steady growth. Koh stated, “The actual demand for preventive management is proven as users maintain a high long-term usage rate.” The company is also expanding its service range through partnerships with companies and institutions like Coway and the Korea Racing Authority. Its technological capabilities have been recognized, being selected as a participating company in research projects by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

SILVIA Health plans to obtain item approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for 'SILVIA-Rx' by next year to commercialize the digital therapeutic device and attract Series A investment based on this. It is also preparing to enter the global market by collaborating with local partners to meet the demand in rapidly aging countries like the United States and Japan.

The growth of SILVIA Health has been significantly supported by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA). SBA provided key development foundations such as ▲app field verification through the Magok Smart City Living Lab ▲international patent applications for core technologies through IP voucher support ▲advancement of the risk selection AI engine through AI technology commercialization support. Additionally, SILVIA Health is participating in SBA's super-gap open innovation promotion support program. This program is a support project aimed at enhancing the external promotion and marketing capabilities of super-gap selected companies through effective promotional support.

Koh Myung-jin stated, “The ultimate goal of SILVIA Health is to create a world unafraid of aging. We focus on popularizing technology that extends healthy lifespan, providing technology and services based on clinical and data evidence. We aim to expand the prevention-centered brain health ecosystem and contribute to creating an environment where everyone can maintain cognitive health in daily life.”

IT Donga Reporter Kim Ye-ji (yj@itdonga.com)

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