A Singapore govt-backed hackathon produced an AI app for caregivers — and it's working
Source: Vulcan Post
CareCompass, an AI-powered app born from a Build for Good hackathon, has registered 500 users since launching in November 2024. The tool helps first-time caregivers navigate subsidies and services by generating personalised guides from a few simple inputs.
Singapore's Build for Good initiative — run by Open Government Products in partnership with the Singapore Government Partnerships Office — is proving that citizen-led hackathons can produce real, scalable tools. One of its success stories is CareCompass, an AI-powered app that helps first-time caregivers navigate the maze of subsidies, local services, and support resources available in Singapore. Users answer a few questions about their care recipient, and the app generates a curated guide tailored to their specific situation.
Launched in November 2024, CareCompass has registered around 500 users and served over 2,000 total users. It recently merged with Heartbeat, another Build for Good project focused on senior isolation, to create a more holistic caregiving platform. The team behind CareCompass secured S$20,000 in accelerator funding from Build for Good and worked with the Agency for Integrated Care and DementiaSG to validate the platform against real caregiver needs. Pilot programmes are planned in Braddell Heights and Punggol.
Why it matters for Singapore: This is a rare example of a government-citizen co-creation model that actually ships. OGP's approach — short hackathon, structured accelerator, real agency connections — produced a working AI product in months rather than years. As Singapore's population ages, tools like CareCompass that simplify access to fragmented social services could have outsized impact.