Research & Grants

Innovation Fund

The American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) Innovation Fund is a venture philanthropy fund to accelerate the next generation of diabetes and cardiometabolic innovation, turning scientific promise into solutions for the millions of people who need them.

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Female Asian medical researcher looking at desktop computer screen

About the Fund 

Through the ADA’s Innovation Fund, we will invest in innovative companies developing therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, and digital health solutions across the diabetes and cardiometabolic landscape.  

The ADA’s Innovation Fund invests at the intersection of innovation and impact, with a focus on solutions that advance the standard of care for people living with diabetes and related conditions. The goals of the fund are: 

  • Breakthrough science: Person-centered therapies, diagnostics, devices, and digital health technologies with the potential to change care.
  • Health access: Innovations that expand health care access and address disparities for communities disproportionately impacted by diabetes, obesity, or both.
  • Sustainable impact: Innovations that are scalable to serve a broad range of people living with diabetes, obesity, or other cardiometabolic conditions. 

Investment Criteria 

The ADA's Innovation Fund's criteria include, but are not limited to: 

  • Mission alignment: Align with the ADA's mission, addressing critical needs in prevention, management, treatment, and a cure.
  • Stage and type: Innovative companies (Series A funding rounds or later) across the full continuum of diabetes and cardiometabolic innovation—from prevention and early detection through management, treatment, and cure, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related conditions.
  • Impact potential: Investments should have the potential to significantly improve health outcomes and expand access to care.
  • Financial viability: While prioritizing mission-driven impact, the ADA’s Innovation Fund also focuses on market-rate returns to sustain and expand the ADA’s mission-critical impact.

By the Numbers

Take a look at the ADA's commitment.

The ADA has a rich history in supporting people with diabetes and advancing research. With the prevalence of diabetes and cardiometabolic conditions, we must continue to strengthen this commitment.

85

years of scientific leadership in diabetes and cardiometabolic health 

$1B

in research funding committed since 1952 

40M+

Americans living with diabetes, and hundreds of millions more affected by obesity and related conditions