American Heart Association

10/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/13/2026 11:17

Health tech competition finalists advance solutions for heart and brain health

Health tech competition finalists advance solutions for heart and brain health

American Heart Association competition finalists will present market-ready technologies at Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago

DALLAS, Oct. 13, 2026 - Promising health technologies can face significant barriers to adoption, limiting their impact on patients and clinicians. The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, has selected five finalists for its 2026 Health Tech Competition, to help accelerate innovations that improve cardiovascular and brain health care.

Hosted by the American Heart Association Center for Technology & Innovation, the global competition received a record number of submissions from health technology companies around the world. Following a rigorous multi-stage review by American Heart Association volunteer experts across healthcare, science and industry, five finalists were selected for their potential to improve how cardiovascular and brain health conditions are prevented, diagnosed and treated.

The five finalists will present their solutions in the Health Innovation Pavilion during Scientific Sessions 2026, the Heart Association's flagship global event for the latest research and clinical advancements in cardiovascular science. Scientific Sessions will take place Nov. 6-9 at McCormick Place in Chicago, with competition pitches scheduled Nov. 7-8 and the winners announced Nov. 8.

The 2026 finalists are:

  • HEARTio, Pittsburgh, Pa. - HEARTio is developing investigational AI software that analyzes a standard ECG to estimate obstructive coronary artery disease, the leading cause of heart attacks, without dyes, radiation, incisions or catheters.
  • MEGI, Chicago, Ill. -MEGI is an AI-powered digital health platform focused on women's heart health, maternal care and hypertension (high blood pressure) management.
  • MedRhythms, Portland, Maine - MedRhythms is a digital health and neurotherapeutics company that combines sensors, software and music to help people improve their walking and mobility after a neurological injury or disease.
  • Seerlinq, Bratislava, Slovakia - Seerlinq estimates cardiac filling pressure non-invasively from a short fingertip PPG measurement at home, catching deterioration in heart failure patients weeks before hospitalization and giving clinicians time to adjust therapy.
  • Vascudyne, St. Paul, Minn. - Vascudyne bioengineered blood vessels that regenerate into the patient's own tissue, giving 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 several criteria, including:

  • Clinical evidence: How strong is the supporting clinical or pilot data?
  • Scientific innovation: How innovative is the science or technology?
  • Market need: How well does the solution address a meaningful 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, an investment firm headquartered in Chicago. "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.

Saturday, November 7

Moderator: Sharon Langshur, MD, Principal Consultant at Cullom, Inc

  • Catherine Liao, Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, CONNEQT Health
  • Michael V. McConnell, MD, MSEE, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine
  • Bernado Perez-Villa, MD, MSc, VP Medical Affairs, Hello Heart
  • Eric D. Peterson, MD, MPH, FAHA, Vice Provost & Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Professor of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  • Lee H. Schwamm, MD, FAHA, Associate Dean for Digital Strategy & Transformation, Yale School of Medicine
  • Lisa Suennen, Managing Partner, American Heart Association Ventures
  • Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD, FAHA, 2023-2024 American Heart Association Volunteer President, Director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and the Simon H. Stertzer, MD, Professor of Medicine and Radiology at Stanford University
  • Orson Xu, Assistant Professor, Columbia University

Sunday, November 8, 2026

Moderator: Sharon Langshur, MD, Principal Consultant at Cullom, Inc.

  • Asif Ali, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Director, Cena Research Institute
  • Craig Beam, President, Beam & Associates
  • Alan Go, MD, Director, Solutions through Technology and Advanced Analytics Research (STAR) Group; Associate Director (Cardiovascular, Kidney & Metabolic Health Research) at Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
  • Robert A. Harrington, MD, FAHA, Cardiologist and also serves as the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University
  • Star Jones, lawyer/TV personality, Divorce Court, National Volunteer, American Heart Association
  • Gennaro Maida, MS, CEO and Chief Medical Information Officer, Denovo Innovations Group
  • Ken Nelson, Partner, Med Tech Innovators Advantage Fund
  • Lee Shapiro, JD, Chairman of the Board, American Heart Association, Managing Partner, 7wire Ventures

To learn more about the competition, finalists and event details, visit ahahealthtech.org/aha-health-tech-competition-2026. Selection as a finalist does not constitute an endorsement, certification or validation of a company, product, clinical claim or commercial offering by the American Heart Association.

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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173

Karen Springs: [email protected]

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

American Heart Association published this content on October 13, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 13, 2026 at 17:17 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]