Daily routines such as brushing teeth, preparing meals, and getting ready for work can be challenging for individuals who need cognitive support. For many people with developmental disabilities, autism, or other cognitive challenges, completing everyday tasks typically requires additional guidance and structure. 

MapHabit is a digital platform that visually maps routines, breaking complex tasks into manageable steps that build users’ confidence and independence. 

Founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Matt Golden and co-founder Stuart Zola, a former Emory University neuroscientist, the company has developed technology that enables users, caregivers, and therapists to easily create visual task guides using photos, short videos, and prompts. Those guides are then used to help individuals through each step of a routine. The platform draws on established cognitive and behavioral research, showing that task analysis, visual cues, and structured routines can help individuals learn and retain daily living skills. 

From Family Challenge to Startup 

The idea for MapHabit grew from a challenge Golden saw within his own family. His cousin with Down syndrome often needed help completing everyday routines, and family members created visual guides using photos and written instructions to help her move through tasks independently. After trying different methods for months, the visual approach proved remarkably effective. 

“When we tried the visual method, she was able to learn the routine within a couple of days,” Golden said. Additionally, it was “more accessible and affordable than in-person support. That’s when we realized this approach could help many more families.” 

Golden also had an uncle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease whose caregiver faced similar challenges navigating daily routines. Those two experiences reinforced a broader insight: Many families were already creating visual support on their own, but no scalable digital solution existed to make that approach accessible to everyone. 

How It Works 

A typical routine on the platform might include getting ready for the day, preparing for school, or heading to work. The app allows users to break an activity into simple steps, such as choosing clothing, packing a bag, or completing morning hygiene tasks. Users check off each step as they complete it, reinforcing habits and reducing reliance on constant reminders from caregivers. This form of task analysis taps our procedural memory, also known as the “muscle memory” of the brain, and allows people to build routines faster and more organically. 

The platform is designed so that individuals, caregivers, and therapists can create and customize it to fit individual needs. 

From Prototype to Market 

Over the span of seven years, the platform has evolved through multiple iterations informed by user feedback and research. Early versions of MapHabit focused primarily on individuals with dementia. However, the team discovered that caregivers and individuals with disabilities achieve faster outcomes and adopt mobile technology more frequently in daily life. That shift in adoption patterns prompted the team to refocus its strategy. 

Today, MapHabit’s primary users include individuals with developmental disabilities and autism, as well as therapists, educators, and caregivers who support them. Community-based organizations, healthcare providers, managed care organizations, schools, and individual families use the platform. 

Building a Startup With Support From ATDC 

As the company grew, in 2019, MapHabit joined the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech’s statewide startup accelerator, now part of the Office of Commercialization’s broader venture support ecosystem. 

Golden said the ATDC community has played an important role in helping the company move from an early prototype to a growing business. 

“ATDC gives founders access to experts, mentors, and other entrepreneurs who have faced similar challenges,” he said. “When you run into a roadblock, there’s usually someone who has experienced it before and can help you move forward faster.” 

Through ATDC, MapHabit gained access to coaching, office space, networking opportunities, and industry connections that helped the company refine its strategy, accelerate commercialization, and strengthen its approach to grants. Through ATDC’s Small Business Innovation Research program, MapHabit received guidance on preparing competitive funding applications and identifying new non-dilutive funding opportunities. 

“ATDC helped us become more aware of resources and how to position our applications, so they have a stronger chance of getting funded,” Golden said. 

Funding and Growth 

Since launching commercially in 2020, MapHabit has secured research funding from the National Institutes of Health and raised several million dollars from investors and strategic partners. The company generates revenue across healthcare, education, and community-based organizations, while continuing to expand its reach. 

Looking Ahead 

Today, MapHabit continues to refine its platform and is leveraging AI in more aspects of the user experience. For Golden, the impact of the technology remains closely tied to the insight that inspired the company’s creation. Through ATDC and Georgia Tech’s broader commercialization ecosystem, founders like Golden can transform early insights into technologies that improve everyday life. 

“We’re trying to give individuals the tools to do things on their own,” he said. “That sense of independence is incredibly important.”