Inside the Caregiving Moonshot: Richard Lui Is Calling Innovators to Build for the Backbone of Health
Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Richard Lui, Chief Impact Officer for StartUp Health’s Caregiving Moonshot, shares the personal journey that sparked his mission to transform the global care economy. He explains why caregiving must become a core pillar of every health innovation strategy and why now is the moment for more founders, investors, and leaders to join this movement.
The Challenge
Caregiving touches every corner of the health experience. It shows up in Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, mental health, and countless other conditions. Caregivers are the invisible workforce holding families, patients, and health outcomes together, yet they are too often overlooked.
The numbers tell a powerful story. There are 100 million caregivers in the United States, which represents up to 30 percent of the population. Globally, caregiving accounts for an estimated $10 to 20 trillion of economic activity. That is nearly one fifth of worldwide GDP. Despite this immense impact, caregivers are frequently left without training, support, or recognition.
For Lui, the issue became personal when his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. His career in journalism was reaching new heights at NBC News in New York when he got the call from his dad. Something immediately shifted. He realized his life would need to change and that his personal identity as a journalist would need to expand to include his identity as a caregiver.
He describes the moment simply: he took the pill. As painful as the journey can be, he talks about the joy that accompanies caring for someone you love. That combination of hardship and meaning fuels many Health Transformers across the StartUp Health community. It certainly refueled his purpose.
Why a Caregiving Moonshot
Lui calls caregiving an umbrella moonshot because every disease journey eventually needs it. Caregivers are the vital second beat in every product or service designed to improve health. Their involvement determines whether treatments work, whether patients recover, and whether technology is truly adopted in homes and communities.
As he puts it, caregiving is the killer app.
The more that founders, investors, and health system leaders focus on supporting caregivers, the more likely new health solutions will succeed. Better caregiving means better health outcomes, stronger adherence, fewer hospitalizations, and more sustainable business models. That reality applies far beyond clinical care. Consumer brands, employers, robotics companies, and retail organizations all have a role to play in making caregiving safer, smarter, and more human.
A Culture Shift in Motion
Lui believes large-scale change starts with storytelling. His films Sky Blossom and Unconditional reached millions and helped close the cultural gap around caregiving. They spotlighted the strength of young people caring for parents, veterans, and loved ones while navigating their own lives and dreams. As he says, the caregivers featured in those stories represent the next greatest generation.
By making caregiving visible, these narratives are unlocking empathy, dignity, and urgency. Yet the cultural shift is only the beginning. The next challenge is a financial one. The care economy will not evolve without investment, new infrastructure, and more companies building real solutions.
Building a Thriving Care Economy
StartUp Health’s Caregiving Moonshot exists to support those founders who are building for the last three feet of care. In living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms around the world, families are doing the work that props up health systems. That is where the next wave of innovation must flourish.
Lui sees an emerging global focus on sizing and strengthening the care economy. When he travels through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, he asks one simple question: how do you measure the care economy? The answers reveal which countries are investing with intention and which are still at the beginning of their journey. The United States, in his view, is right in the middle, which means there is enormous room for leadership and momentum.
The business case is clear. When caregiving is supported, every intervention becomes more valuable. He uses PayPal and eBay as an analogy. eBay became eBay because it invested in the infrastructure that made the marketplace functional at scale. Caregiving is that same enabling infrastructure for every disease area and every health innovation.
But founders cannot do this work alone. They need peers who can share networks, best practices, and emotional support. They need investors who recognize that opportunities exist not only in hospitals and clinics, but also in living rooms. They need staying power, since breakthroughs in healthcare rarely happen in twelve weeks. Which is precisely why StartUp Health exists.
A Call to Innovators Everywhere
Lui sees a new wave of entrepreneurs who have experienced caregiving personally and feel called to address the gaps they encountered. Many come with successful careers, proven co-founders, and passion from lived experience. Yet too often their progress stalls because the market is not built to support them. StartUp Health is committed to changing that.
The Caregiving Moonshot is inviting world-class innovators to take on one of the largest and most meaningful opportunities in health. Caregiving is universal. Every family will need support at some point. Building for caregivers creates value that touches every life.
As Lui says, if you want a challenge, this is the place to focus. It is a business opportunity and an inspiring opportunity. It is hard work in service of the people who do the hardest work in our health system every day.
Listen on StartUp Health NOW
Join Us at Apollo House During JPM Week
Apollo House is StartUp Health’s summit for visionaries who are building the future of health in the age of superintelligence. During JPM Week in SF, we will bring together founders, investors, researchers, policymakers, and partners who share a commitment to solving the world’s biggest health challenges.
If you believe in the power of collaboration, community, and exponential innovation, we invite you to be part of this important conversation and help accelerate progress for humanity.
Join StartUp Health
An exclusive global community for the bold decision makers, thought leaders, funders, and innovators transforming the future of health
Network Plans for Everyone in the Ecosystem: If you're a decision maker, thought leader, funder, or industry stakeholder – this is where the global health ecosystem comes together to learn from experts, share insights, build relationships, explore partnerships, and shape what’s next in health. Join today, no application necessary.
Health Moonshot Plans for Startups & Scaleups: If you're a founder or CEO building a digital health, biotech, or life sciences company, our Health Moonshot Communities are designed for collaboration, coaching, and strategic growth at every stage. Our communities include: Alzheimer’s & Brain Health, Cardiometabolic & T1D, Food as Medicine, Mental & Behavorial Health, and more. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit. Learn more and apply today.
Follow us on LinkedIn for daily updates on Health Moonshots.
Published: Dec 19, 2025
Produced by Nicole Kinsey
