The American Heart Association (AHA) has selected eight startups to participate in its Heart and Brain Health Accelerator, a specialty track within the 2026 MedTech Innovator Accelerator. The companies, chosen from a competitive global pool, represent early- and mid-stage medical technology startups developing solutions for cardiovascular and brain health.
Through this collaboration with MedTech Innovator, AHA Ventures and Studio Red aim to identify innovations that improve patient outcomes, expand access to care, and address critical gaps in heart and brain health. The selected companies will receive mentorship, coaching, and capacity building customized to their focus areas.
“Novel approaches to tackling today’s most pressing challenges are what will drive us forward in addressing the age-old challenges of improving heart and brain health,” said Lisa Suennen, managing partner of American Heart Association Ventures. “Through the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator, we are connecting high-potential companies with the expertise, resources and networks needed to bring more trustworthy, rapid and impactful product and service advancements to patients and the clinicians who care for them.”
The 2026 cohort includes Cerevia Neurosciences, developing a non-invasive neuromodulation platform for cognitive function in dementia; Chambertech, creating a minimally invasive hybrid ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation; Envera Medical, focusing on a neurovascular balloon catheter for intracranial embolization; Eupnoos, using acoustic breath biomarkers to detect heart failure and lung injury; Flux Robotics, developing magnetically guided systems for navigating arteries; Lucentia, turning routine CT scans into virtual CCTA for heart disease detection; OMINI, a portable point-of-care platform for monitoring chronic diseases like heart failure; and Prima Medical, offering AI-guided treatment for pulsed field catheter ablation.
The cohort was selected by an AHA advisory committee based on innovation, clinical impact, and potential to improve patient care. As program members, they also join the MedTech Innovator program, gaining access to networking, funding, and visibility. They qualify for the MedTech Innovator Competition Finals at The MedTech Conference on October 18-21, 2026, in Boston, and are included in the inaugural MTI Index.
Additional resources include information on startups chosen to drive improvements in women’s heart and brain health, available at the AHA newsroom. The AHA continues to fund research and advocate for health equity, supported by over 35 million volunteers globally.
