The American Heart Association recognized two health technology companies with top honors at its Health Tech Competition during Scientific Sessions 2026, underscoring the critical role of innovation in moving promising technologies from concept to real-world care for cardiovascular and brain health.
MedRhythms, based in Portland, Maine, received the Best Business, Audience Choice and Best Overall awards for its digital health and neurotherapeutics solution that combines sensors, software and music to help people improve walking and mobility after stroke or other neurological injury or disease. The at-home, prescription therapy uses foot-worn sensors to track walking and software that adjusts music’s rhythm to the person’s movement, with the goal of improving walking speed and quality.
Vascudyne, based in St. Paul, Minn., received the Best Science award for its bioengineered blood vessel technology. The grafts are being developed to provide alternatives to harvesting a patient’s leg vein for coronary bypass surgery and to create grafts for children with congenital heart defects that have the potential to grow with them. The company uses human donor cells to grow tissue before removing the cells and leaving behind a collagen framework designed to allow the patient’s own cells to populate it after implantation.
Hosted by the American Heart Association Center for Health Technology & Innovation, this year’s competition received a record number of submissions from health technology companies around the world. Following a rigorous multi-stage review by American Heart Association volunteer experts across healthcare, science and industry, five finalists were selected for their potential to improve how cardiovascular and brain health conditions are prevented, diagnosed and treated.
“The Health Tech Competition gives us a close look at technologies designed around real challenges facing patients and clinicians,” said Lee Shapiro, JD, chairman of the board of the American Heart Association and managing partner of 7wire Ventures. “This year’s winners demonstrated the attributes essential to advancing health technology: strong scientific evidence, meaningful business potential and innovative ways to address the challenges of those in need.”
The other finalists were HEARTio, Pittsburgh, Pa., developing investigational AI software that analyzes a standard ECG to estimate obstructive coronary artery disease without dyes, radiation, incisions or catheters; MEGI, Chicago, Ill., an AI-powered digital health platform focused on women's heart health, maternal care and hypertension management; and Seerlinq, Bratislava, Slovakia, which estimates cardiac filling pressure non-invasively from a short fingertip PPG measurement at home, catching deterioration in heart failure patients weeks before hospitalization.
“Millions of people are living with walking difficulties after stroke, yet many have limited access to effective rehabilitation once they leave the clinic,” said Brian Harris, founder and chief executive officer of MedRhythms. “Our solution brings a personalized, music-based therapy into the home, using foot sensors and tailored rhythmic cues to improve walking and ambulation. This recognition helps raise awareness of the need stroke patients face and supports broader access for patients who could benefit from these therapies.”
“Heart surgeons have always had to choose between living tissue harvested from the patient and off-the-shelf materials that can’t heal or grow,” said Zeeshan Syedain, PhD, chief executive officer and co-inventor of Vascudyne. “Our bioengineered vessel is both, ready on the shelf and designed to become the patient’s own living tissue. For adults, that could mean bypass surgery without harvesting a leg vein; for children with congenital heart defects, an implant that grows with them. Winning the Best Science award is a meaningful recognition of the science behind it as we advance our clinical trials.”
A panel of American Heart Association volunteer judges reviewed the finalists’ business and science live presentations in the Health Innovation Pavilion during the two-day competition. Finalist presentations took place Nov. 7-8 at McCormick Place in Chicago during Scientific Sessions 2026, the American Heart Association’s flagship global event for the latest research and clinical advancements in cardiovascular science. To learn more about the Health Tech Competition, visit ahahealthtech.org/aha-health-tech-competition-2026.
For additional context on the competition’s evolution, the American Heart Association has previously highlighted how Health tech competition finalists advance solutions for heart and brain health and how a Global health tech competition aims to accelerate innovation improving cardiovascular and brain health. The 2025 winner was recognized when a Houston-based medical technology company wins overall global health tech competition at Scientific Sessions 2025.
Selection as a finalist or winner does not constitute an endorsement, certification or validation of a company, product, clinical claim or commercial offering by the American Heart Association. For more information, visit heart.org and stroke.org.
