The American Heart Association has announced five finalists for its 2026 Health Tech Competition, a global initiative designed to help promising health technologies overcome barriers to adoption and reach patients and clinicians more quickly. The competition, hosted by the American Heart Association Center for Technology & Innovation, received a record number of submissions from health technology companies worldwide. 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 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., 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 their walking and mobility after a 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, 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 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.”
For more details about the competition, finalists, and event, visit the 2026 Health Tech Competition page. Additional resources include the American Heart Association news release Global health tech competition aims to accelerate innovation improving cardiovascular and brain health and Houston-based medical technology company wins overall global health tech competition at Scientific Sessions 2025. The original release is available on www.newmediawire.com.
