Hosted by the American Heart Association Center for Technology & Innovation, the competition seeks technologies capable of changing how conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure are prevented, detected and treated. The program is positioned at the intersection of biomedical research, clinical medicine, data science and health-system operations. By connecting innovators with clinicians, researchers and investors, the Association aims to shorten the distance between a validated prototype and a tool that can be deployed at scale, particularly in communities where limited access, workforce shortages and rising costs continue to delay care.

The need for scalable cardiovascular technologies is underscored by the global burden of disease. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, while health systems are confronting increasing demand for care and persistent shortages of trained personnel. Digital tools can help address those pressures by collecting physiological data outside conventional clinics, identifying risk patterns earlier and supporting clinicians with continuously updated information. Remote monitoring devices, for example, can transmit blood pressure, heart-rate or other patient measurements for analysis between visits. Artificial intelligence systems may then detect trends or abnormalities, although their clinical usefulness depends on the quality of the data, the reliability of the algorithms and the ability of medical teams to act on the results.

Five finalists will present their technologies at Scientific Sessions 2026, the American Heart Association’s flagship international meeting for cardiovascular science and clinical advancement. The event will take place Nov. 6–9 at McCormick Place in Chicago, with the finalists scheduled to deliver live pitches Nov. 7–8. The winner will be announced Nov. 9. Before reaching the stage, applicants will be evaluated on the maturity of their technology, the strength of available clinical or pilot data, the viability of their business model and the potential to improve outcomes across different care settings. Applications remain open through Sept. 18, and the five finalists are scheduled to be announced Oct. 10.

The competition’s emphasis on clinical validation distinguishes it from many startup contests that focus primarily on technical novelty, investment potential or rapid market growth. A health technology intended for cardiovascular care must function within complex clinical workflows, where decisions can have immediate consequences. Developers may need to demonstrate that a system produces accurate measurements, limits false alarms, protects patient information and performs consistently across different populations and devices. They must also show how clinicians will interpret its outputs, how patients will be engaged and how the technology can integrate with electronic health records, telehealth platforms or existing monitoring systems without creating additional burdens for already strained care teams.

Artificial intelligence is likely to be an important component of many emerging health technologies, but the Association’s criteria reflect the growing recognition that algorithmic performance must be evaluated in context. A model that performs well in a controlled dataset may behave differently when exposed to incomplete records, inconsistent measurements or populations that were underrepresented during development. Clinical validation can reveal whether an algorithm improves diagnosis, treatment selection, adherence or patient outcomes rather than merely predicting a condition. For cardiovascular and brain health applications, the most meaningful evidence may include reductions in hospitalizations, faster treatment after stroke, improved blood-pressure control or earlier identification of heart failure deterioration.

“For more than a century, the American Heart Association has been at the intersection of science, research, clinical expertise and innovation to drive improvements in cardiovascular and brain health,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Through the Health Tech Competition, we continue that work by helping advance evidence-based solutions that address today’s most pressing health challenges and reach people where they live, work and receive care.” The statement reflects the program’s focus on extending care beyond hospitals and specialist offices. Technologies that can support patients at home, in workplaces or in under-resourced communities may be especially important when transportation, cost or geography limits access to traditional services.

The competition is also part of the Health Innovation Pavilion at Scientific Sessions, where scientific findings, clinical tools and commercial technologies will converge before an audience of researchers, physicians, entrepreneurs and investors. That setting gives finalists an opportunity to explain not only what their products do, but also how they were tested and how they could be incorporated into routine care. A successful system might combine wearable sensors, mobile applications, cloud-based analytics and clinician dashboards, but each component must contribute to a clear clinical objective. The value of a connected platform is ultimately measured not by the volume of data it generates, but by whether that information leads to earlier intervention, better decisions or healthier lives.

Previous Association programming has highlighted the growing global appetite for health technologies that can improve heart and brain health. The organization has recognized innovators working to address unmet clinical needs and has used its competition platform to bring young companies into contact with potential partners. By emphasizing evidence-based care, the 2026 program seeks to encourage responsible commercialization rather than the rapid deployment of unproven tools. This approach may also help investors and health systems distinguish between technologies that merely promise disruption and those with measurable clinical, operational or public-health benefits.

Applications and the full terms and conditions for the 2026 Health Tech Competition are available through the American Heart Association’s Center for Technology & Innovation. The finalists’ appearance at Scientific Sessions will offer a public test of how effectively emerging companies can translate technical innovation into practical care. As artificial intelligence, connected devices and remote monitoring become increasingly embedded in medicine, the competition illustrates a broader shift in health technology: the decisive question is no longer whether a system can generate sophisticated data, but whether it can produce trustworthy evidence and deliver meaningful improvements for patients with cardiovascular and brain conditions.

Subject of Research:
Health technology innovation, artificial intelligence, digital health, remote patient monitoring, cardiovascular disease and brain health.

Article Title:
American Heart Association Opens 2026 Health Tech Competition to Accelerate Cardiovascular and Brain Health Innovation

News Publication Date:
August 18, 2026

Web References:
https://ahahealthtech.org/aha-health-tech-competition-2026/
https://ahahealthtech.org/
https://professional.heart.org/en/meetings/scientific-sessions
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/houston-based-medical-technology-company-wins-overall-global-health-tech-competition-at-scientific-sessions-2025
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/finalists-named-in-global-health-technology-competition-to-advance-heart-and-brain-health

References:
Fahim YA, Hasani IW, Kabba S, Ragab WM. “Artificial intelligence in healthcare and medicine: clinical applications, therapeutic advances, and future perspectives.” European Journal of Medical Research. 2025;30(1):848. doi:10.1186/s40001-025-03196-w. PMID: 40988064; PMCID: PMC12455834. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40988064/

Keywords:
American Heart Association, Health Tech Competition 2026, cardiovascular health, brain health, artificial intelligence, digital health, remote patient monitoring, health innovation, clinical validation, stroke, heart failure, hypertension, Scientific Sessions 2026, medical technology, health care technology.

The 2025 Health Tech Competition serves as a pivotal platform where the convergence of scientific rigor and clinical innovation is put under the spotlight. Health technology companies worldwide are invited to demonstrate their products and technologies designed to prevent, diagnose, or treat a range of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, stroke, heart failure, and other related disorders. This competition does not merely celebrate new ideas but emphasizes the viability and impact of these solutions in practical healthcare settings, focusing on tangible improvements in patient outcomes.

This year’s cohort of finalists exemplifies a remarkable diversity of technological approaches, each targeting unique aspects of cardiovascular health challenges. Brainomix, based in Oxford, England, utilizes advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to enhance stroke diagnosis precision and facilitate timely, evidence-based treatment decisions. Through their AI-powered software, they aim to reduce diagnostic ambiguity and accelerate intervention times, which are critical in stroke management where every minute counts.

Complementing this, Cambrian Health from San Francisco leverages AI to construct platforms that ensure the seamless execution of clinical best practices directly at the point of care. Their system focuses on embedding clinical workflows with decision support tools to enhance adherence to treatment protocols, thereby improving overall healthcare quality and consistency.

From Boston, Lumia introduces wearable technologies targeting patients suffering from orthostatic intolerance and chronic blood flow disorders. These wearables are engineered to provide continuous physiological monitoring, delivering real-time data and enabling dynamic patient management outside traditional clinical environments. Such devices hold promise not only in augmenting patient quality of life but also in furnishing clinicians with actionable insights for personalized treatment plans.

Noah Labs, positioned in Berlin, pioneers the transformation of voice signals into digital biomarkers, a novel approach enabling earlier detection of cardiometabolic diseases. This innovative technology harnesses subtle changes in voice patterns linked to underlying physiological and metabolic shifts, presenting a non-invasive and scalable screening method with profound implications for early intervention strategies.

PolyVascular, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is dedicated to developing minimally invasive therapeutic solutions specifically tailored for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. By focusing on reducing the frequency of open-heart surgeries through innovative catheter-based interventions, PolyVascular aims to significantly improve long-term outcomes and quality of life for affected children.

The finalists will present their innovations live during the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. These presentations will be critically evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges, emphasizing the validity of the prototype or product’s functioning in real-world settings, the scientific rigor underpinning the validation studies, and the overall impact on patient outcomes driven by technological innovation.

The evaluation process is meticulous, weighing evidence-based research integration and the ability of the technology to meaningfully shift clinical paradigms. The judging panel comprises a blend of seasoned academic cardiologists, clinical innovators, venture capital experts, and even media personalities extensively involved in cardiovascular advocacy. This diverse expertise ensures a comprehensive assessment reflecting scientific credibility, clinical utility, and market potential.

Aside from monetary or material awards, the winner gains entry to the Center for Health Technology & Innovation’s Innovators’ Network—a consortium designed to foster collaboration among entrepreneurs, clinicians, researchers, and payers. This network offers unprecedented opportunities to collectively overcome practical obstacles in clinical outcome studies, facilitate science-to-technology translation, and generate the robust evidence necessary for widespread clinical adoption and reimbursement success.

Moreover, members of the Innovators’ Network can leverage access to the American Heart Association’s comprehensive digital libraries, containing rigorous, evidence-based scientific guidelines and clinical recommendations essential for guiding the development of digital health technologies. This symbiosis between guideline development and technology advancement exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to healthcare innovation where regulatory and clinical pathways are intertwined.

Robert A. Harrington, M.D., FAHA, a far-reaching leader in cardiovascular medicine and past president of the American Heart Association, reflects on the competition’s broader significance. He stresses that the Center’s mission is not only to accelerate innovation but to foster an ecosystem where these solutions can be rapidly validated, scaled, and integrated into patient care effectively. Through consortium efforts, developers are empowered to tackle some of the most complex challenges in cardiovascular disease by leveraging collective insights and resources.

The Health Tech Competition and the broader Center initiatives are indispensable in addressing systemic barriers that historically delay the translation of cutting-edge research into practical therapies. As cardiovascular diseases continue to claim millions of lives annually, embracing technological innovation while maintaining rigorous scientific validation remains pivotal. This unique synergy between advanced technology, clinical expertise, and supportive networks creates a fertile environment for breakthroughs that could transform the landscape of cardiovascular health.

For those interested in following this transformative journey in cardiovascular innovation, the Health Tech Competition represents a beacon of progress and hope. The finalist showcase at Scientific Sessions 2025 promises to reveal technologies that could redefine cardiovascular diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment paradigms, propelling the field into a new era of precision and patient-centered care. Through initiatives like this, the American Heart Association exemplifies sustained leadership in driving meaningful change, catalyzing technologies that hold the promise of saving countless lives globally.

Subject of Research: Development and evaluation of innovative health technologies targeting cardiovascular and stroke patient outcomes.

Article Title: Bridging Innovation and Practice: The American Heart Association’s 2025 Health Tech Competition Finalists Unveil Next-Gen Cardiovascular Solutions

News Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Web References:

• https://ahahealthtech.org/aha-health-tech-competition-2025
• https://newsroom.heart.org/news/5-health-technology-start-ups-finalists-in-global-heart-disease-solution-competition

References:

• Circulation Journal, AHA official research (https://doi.org/10.1161/cir.0000000000001303)

Keywords: Cardiovascular innovation, heart disease, stroke, artificial intelligence, wearable health tech, digital biomarkers, pediatric cardiology, clinical adoption, health technology competition