Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 10, 2025
Heart Association Honors Health Tech Pioneers Transforming Cardiovascular Care
TLDR
- PolyVascular and Brainomix gained competitive advantage by winning the American Heart Association's Health Tech Competition, securing access to its Innovators' Network for business growth.
- The competition evaluated health technologies based on validity of prototypes, scientific rigor of research, and impact on patient outcomes through innovative solutions.
- These winning technologies improve cardiovascular and brain health outcomes, bringing life-changing care directly to patients where they live, work, and play.
- PolyVascular developed a minimally invasive valve that expands with children, reducing repeated open-heart surgeries for congenital heart disease patients.
Impact - Why it Matters
This development matters because cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting nearly half of American adults despite medical advances. The winning technologies address critical gaps in care delivery - particularly for vulnerable pediatric populations who face repeated traumatic surgeries and stroke patients where timely intervention is crucial. By recognizing and accelerating these innovations through the Association's extensive network, these solutions can reach patients faster, potentially saving lives, reducing healthcare costs, and improving quality of life for millions. The competition's focus on real-world implementation ensures that promising laboratory discoveries actually translate into clinical practice, addressing the longstanding challenge of getting effective treatments to the people who need them most.
Summary
At the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans, two pioneering health technology companies emerged as winners in the organization's prestigious Health Tech Competition, showcasing groundbreaking innovations designed to tackle the staggering statistic that nearly half of U.S. adults live with cardiovascular disease or stroke. Houston-based PolyVascular claimed the overall business category victory for its revolutionary minimally invasive valve technology that can expand over time to grow with children suffering from congenital heart defects, potentially eliminating the need for repeated open-heart surgeries. Meanwhile, Oxford-based Brainomix secured the science category award for its cutting-edge AI-powered software that enhances stroke diagnosis and treatment decisions through precision medicine approaches.
The competition, described by judge Star Jones as "our own version of Shark Tank," featured five finalists presenting digital solutions addressing critical clinical problems including heart failure, hypertension, congenital heart defects, and other cardiovascular and brain health challenges. Other notable finalists included Boston's Lumia with wearable solutions for orthostatic intolerance, Berlin's Noah Labs transforming voice into digital biomarkers for earlier disease detection, and San Francisco's Cambrian Health building AI-powered platforms to ensure clinical best practices at point of care. All solutions were rigorously evaluated based on validity, scientific rigor, and impact criteria by a distinguished panel of medical experts, venture capitalists, and industry leaders from institutions including Yale, Stanford, and Cleveland Clinic.
Both winning companies will join the American Heart Association's Center for Health Technology & Innovation Innovators' Network, gaining access to a powerful consortium connecting entrepreneurs, providers, researchers, and payers to accelerate innovation in cardiovascular and brain health. The competition represents the Association's commitment to bridging the gap between advanced care and real-world implementation, emphasizing the critical need to deliver health solutions where people "live, work and play." This recognition not only validates the scientific merit of these technologies but also opens doors to significant partnerships and implementation opportunities that could transform patient care pathways globally.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, Heart Association Honors Health Tech Pioneers Transforming Cardiovascular Care
