In the early 1980s, Alan was working in oil exploration with Schlumberger. While demanding and very exciting, he realised that to make a greater impact, he needed to broaden his business perspective. INSEAD provided that opportunity.
“INSEAD broadened my business knowledge and exposed me to the dynamic cycle of technology innovation,” Alan recalls. “I learned the power of teamwork and the importance of drawing from complementary backgrounds to drive innovation.” This global mindset set the stage for a career, characterised by riding the waves of emerging technologies.
After INSEAD and thanks to his experience at Hewlett Packard, Alan embraced the creative disruption of entrepreneurship. His move to Montreal in the 1990s marked a defining shift from executive to entrepreneur. It was there, while raising his children, that Alan helped build wireless networks across four continents, pioneering open competition in telecommunications.
“Moving to Montreal to build wireless networks was a defining moment,” Alan says. “I was at the centre of the mobile revolution. Entrepreneurship truly had the potential to change lives on a global scale.”
After his success in wireless, Alan entered venture capital, co-founding investment funds that backed purpose-driven entrepreneurs worldwide. But a personal mission soon took shape. When his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he saw first-hand the challenges older adults face. This led him to AgeTech Capital, a private market investment firm focused on scaling innovative technology solutions for healthier, wealthier, and more fulfilling aging.
“My journey into AgeTech began almost a decade ago when I became interested in how AI could be applied to neuroscience,” Alan explains. His work with Envisage, a Canadian AgeTech initiative, deepened his understanding of the global demographic shift and the need for innovation in elder care. This mission aligned with his belief in entrepreneurship as a force for good.
At the core of Alan’s work is a desire to reimagine aging. AgeTech Capital was founded to deliver strong financial returns and powerful well-being outcomes, combining capital and expertise to scale affordable solutions that improve the quality of life for aging populations. “I believe technology, when harnessed ethically, can be one of the most transformative levers to improve well-being and positively impact lives,” Alan shares.
Instead of viewing aging as a time of decline, Alan sees it as a time of growth and contribution. “We live in a society that reveres youth and fears aging, but we need to rethink what it means to age. Science has gifted us 30 years of additional life expectancy and we owe it to ourselves to see it as an opportunity to continue contributing, learning, and living with purpose,” he notes. AgeTech Capital is committed to shifting societal attitudes toward aging, embracing an age-diverse society, and delivering creative solutions that strengthen communities and businesses alike.
As a long-time donor and volunteer at INSEAD, Alan is committed to giving back to the institution that shaped his worldview. “INSEAD instilled in me a sense of responsibility, not only to achieve financial success but to use that success to make a positive impact on society,” Alan reflects. His support for INSEAD is driven by a desire to see the next generation of entrepreneurs embrace socially conscious, purpose-driven missions.
Alan MacIntosh’s story shows how global perspective, purposeful action, and innovative thinking can lead to profound impact. His work through AgeTech Capital will help shape the future of aging, ensuring that older generations can live healthier, wealthier, and more fulfilling lives. For Alan, the mission is clear: to leverage technology to enable everyone to age differently, with dignity, purpose and a strong sense of community.
