The American Heart Association has selected five finalists for its 2026 Health Tech Competition, a global initiative designed to accelerate health technologies that improve cardiovascular and brain health care. The competition, hosted by the Association's Center for Technology & Innovation, received a record number of submissions from health technology companies worldwide. Following a rigorous multi-stage review by volunteer experts across healthcare, science, and industry, five finalists were chosen for their potential to transform how cardiovascular and brain health conditions are prevented, diagnosed, and treated.
The finalists will present their solutions in the Health Innovation Pavilion during Scientific Sessions 2026, the Association's flagship event for cardiovascular science. Scientific Sessions will take place Nov. 6-9 at McCormick Place in Chicago, with competition pitches scheduled Nov. 7-8 and winners announced Nov. 8.
The 2026 finalists are: HEARTio (Pittsburgh, Pa.), developing investigational AI software that analyzes a standard ECG to estimate obstructive coronary artery disease without dyes, radiation, incisions, or catheters; MEGI (Chicago, Ill.), an AI-powered digital health platform focused on women's heart health, maternal care, and hypertension management; MedRhythms (Portland, Maine), a digital health and neurotherapeutics company that combines sensors, software, and music to help people improve walking and mobility after neurological injury or disease; Seerlinq (Bratislava, Slovakia), which estimates cardiac filling pressure non-invasively from a short fingertip PPG measurement at home, catching deterioration in heart failure patients weeks before hospitalization; and Vascudyne (St. Paul, Minn.), bioengineered blood vessels that regenerate into the patient's own tissue, offering coronary bypass patients a graft without leg-vein harvest and children with congenital defects an implant that grows with them.
The competition is designed for emerging companies with clinically informed and validated technologies, early evidence of impact, and a viable path to scale. Finalists are selected for solutions that may engage patients, support clinicians, and demonstrate the potential to improve cardiovascular and brain health outcomes across diverse care settings. Final presentations will be evaluated based on clinical evidence, scientific innovation, and market need.
"Too many promising health technologies never reach the people who could benefit from them most," said Lee A. Shapiro, J.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association and managing partner and co-founder at 7wireVentures. "The American Heart Association's Health Tech Competition highlights solutions that are grounded in science, informed by real-world needs, and designed to improve care for people at risk for or living with cardiovascular and brain health conditions."
A panel of expert volunteer judges will review the finalists' business and science presentations. The competition's importance lies in bridging the gap between innovation and adoption. By providing a platform for emerging companies to showcase their technologies to industry leaders, investors, and clinicians, the American Heart Association aims to accelerate the translation of promising solutions into clinical practice. This initiative not only addresses barriers to adoption but also fosters a culture of innovation that prioritizes patient impact. As cardiovascular and brain health conditions remain leading causes of death and disability worldwide, the need for effective, scalable solutions is urgent. The 2026 Health Tech Competition finalists represent a diverse array of approaches, from AI-driven diagnostics to bioengineered implants, each with the potential to significantly improve outcomes. The event also underscores the Association's commitment to advancing health equity by supporting technologies that can reach diverse populations. For more information, visit ahahealthtech.org/aha-health-tech-competition-2026. Additional resources include the Association's news releases on the Global health tech competition aims to accelerate innovation improving cardiovascular and brain health, the Houston-based medical technology company wins overall global health tech competition at Scientific Sessions 2025, and Finalists named in global health technology competition to advance heart and brain health. The original release is available on www.newmediawire.com. Connect with the American Heart Association at heart.org and stroke.org.
