The American Heart Association has selected five finalists for its 2026 Health Tech Competition, a global initiative designed to accelerate innovations that improve cardiovascular and brain health care. The announcement, made by the Association's Center for Technology & Innovation, underscores a critical challenge in health care: promising technologies often struggle to reach patients and clinicians, limiting their real-world impact.
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 will present their solutions in the Health Innovation Pavilion during Scientific Sessions 2026, the Association's flagship global event for cardiovascular science, taking place Nov. 6-9 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
The 2026 finalists are HEARTio, MEGI, MedRhythms, Seerlinq and Vascudyne. HEARTio is developing investigational AI software that analyzes a standard ECG to estimate obstructive coronary artery disease without dyes, radiation, incisions or catheters. 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 short 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.
These innovations matter because they address significant barriers to adoption and aim to improve outcomes across diverse care settings. The competition is designed for emerging companies with clinically informed and validated technologies, early evidence of impact and a viable path to scale. Final presentations will be 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 announcement extend beyond the competition itself. By spotlighting these technologies, the American Heart Association hopes to accelerate their development and adoption, ultimately reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke, which remain leading causes of death globally. The finalists will pitch their solutions on Nov. 7-8, with winners announced Nov. 8. A panel of expert judges will review the presentations. For more information, visit the competition page. Additional resources include news releases on the competition's aims, the 2025 winner, and previous finalists. The American Heart Association continues its mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, with more information available at heart.org and stroke.org.
