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 finalists, selected from a record number of submissions, will present their solutions at 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.
The competition, hosted by the American Heart Association Center for Technology & Innovation, aims to address the significant barriers that promising health technologies face in reaching patients and clinicians. The five finalists are HEARTio, MEGI, MedRhythms, Seerlinq, and Vascudyne. HEARTio is developing AI software that analyzes a standard ECG to estimate obstructive coronary artery disease without invasive procedures. MEGI offers an AI-powered digital health platform focused on women’s heart health, maternal care, and hypertension management. MedRhythms combines sensors, software, and music to help people improve walking and mobility after neurological injury or disease. Seerlinq estimates cardiac filling pressure non-invasively from a fingertip PPG measurement at home, potentially catching heart failure deterioration weeks before hospitalization. Vascudyne bioengineers blood vessels that regenerate into the patient’s own tissue, providing grafts for coronary bypass patients and growing implants for children with congenital defects.
“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 finalists will present their business and science pitches on Nov. 7-8, with winners announced Nov. 8. A panel of expert judges will evaluate them based on clinical evidence, scientific innovation, and market need. The competition is intended for emerging companies with clinically validated technologies and a viable path to scale. Additional resources about the competition and past winners are available through the American Heart Association’s news releases, including 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. For more information on the American Heart Association, visit heart.org or stroke.org.
