The American Heart Association has selected five finalists for its 2026 Health Tech Competition, a global initiative designed to accelerate innovations 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 prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiovascular and brain health conditions.
The finalists will present their solutions in the Health Innovation Pavilion during Scientific Sessions 2026, the Association's flagship event for cardiovascular science, taking place Nov. 6-9 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Competition pitches are scheduled for Nov. 7-8, with winners announced Nov. 8.
The 2026 finalists are: HEARTio (Pittsburgh, Pa.), developing 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 combining sensors, software, and music to 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 significance lies in its potential to bridge the gap between innovation and adoption, ensuring that breakthrough technologies reach patients and clinicians who need them. By showcasing these solutions, the American Heart Association aims to drive progress in cardiovascular and brain health, ultimately reducing the global burden of these conditions. For more information, visit ahahealthtech.org/aha-health-tech-competition-2026. Additional resources include the news release Global health tech competition aims to accelerate innovation improving cardiovascular and brain health, and updates are available on heart.org and stroke.org.
