The American Heart Association has named five finalists for its 2026 Health Tech Competition, a global initiative designed to accelerate health technologies that improve cardiovascular and brain health. The selection, announced by the Association's Center for Technology & Innovation, comes after a record number of submissions from health technology companies worldwide and a rigorous multi-stage review by volunteer experts across healthcare, science, and industry.
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 to estimate obstructive coronary artery disease from a standard ECG without dyes 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 using sensors, software, and music to improve walking and mobility after neurological injury; Seerlinq (Bratislava, Slovakia), which estimates cardiac filling pressure non-invasively from a fingertip PPG measurement to catch heart failure deterioration weeks before hospitalization; and Vascudyne (St. Paul, Minn.), bioengineered blood vessels that regenerate into patients' own tissue for coronary bypass and pediatric congenital defects.
The competition targets emerging companies with clinically informed and validated technologies, early evidence of impact, and a viable path to scale. Finalists are evaluated on clinical evidence, scientific innovation, and market need. As Lee A. Shapiro, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association and managing partner at 7wireVentures, noted, "Too many promising health technologies never reach the people who could benefit from them most." The competition aims to highlight solutions grounded in science and real-world needs.
This initiative matters because it addresses a critical gap in translating promising health technologies into clinical practice. By providing a platform at Scientific Sessions, the Association helps bridge the divide between innovation and adoption, potentially accelerating access to new tools for preventing, diagnosing, and treating cardiovascular and brain health conditions. The finalists' solutions could significantly impact patient care, from earlier detection of heart disease to improved mobility after stroke.
For more information on the competition, finalists, and event details, visit www.newmediawire.com. Additional resources include the Association's news release 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 American Heart Association provides further information at heart.org and stroke.org.
