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 care. The announcement, made by the Association's Center for Technology & Innovation, comes as many promising health technologies struggle to reach the patients and clinicians who need them most.
The competition received a record number of submissions from health technology companies worldwide. After 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—HEARTio, MEGI, MedRhythms, Seerlinq, and Vascudyne—will present their solutions during the Health Innovation Pavilion at 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 finalists represent a diverse range of approaches. HEARTio, based in Pittsburgh, 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, from Chicago, offers an AI-powered digital health platform focused on women's heart health, maternal care, and hypertension management. MedRhythms, of Portland, Maine, combines sensors, software, and music to help people improve walking and mobility after neurological injury or disease. Seerlinq, headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, estimates cardiac filling pressure non-invasively from a short fingertip PPG measurement at home, potentially catching deterioration in heart failure patients weeks before hospitalization. Vascudyne, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, bioengineers blood vessels that regenerate into the patient's own tissue, providing coronary bypass patients with a graft that avoids leg-vein harvest and giving children with congenital defects an implant that grows with them.
The competition is aimed at 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. "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."
The implications of this competition extend beyond the finalists themselves. By spotlighting these innovations, the American Heart Association aims to bridge the gap between development and adoption, ultimately improving outcomes for patients with heart and brain conditions. The event also serves as a platform for connecting entrepreneurs with investors, clinicians, and industry leaders. Previous competitions have yielded successful outcomes, such as the Houston-based medical technology company wins overall global health tech competition at Scientific Sessions 2025, demonstrating the potential for such initiatives to launch impactful solutions.
For more information about the competition, finalists, and event details, visit the 2026 Health Tech Competition page. Additional resources include the news release Global health tech competition aims to accelerate innovation improving cardiovascular and brain health and the announcement of Finalists named in global health technology competition to advance heart and brain health. The original release is available on www.newmediawire.com.
