The American Heart Association's annual Health Tech Competition at Scientific Sessions 2025 named Houston-based PolyVascular as the overall winner for developing minimally invasive solutions for children with congenital heart disease. This competition serves as a live forum for health care innovators to present digital solutions for treating or preventing cardiovascular diseases and stroke, which affect nearly half of U.S. adults according to the American Heart Association. Finalists addressed clinical problems including heart failure, hypertension, congenital heart defects and other pressing issues in cardiovascular, brain and metabolic health, with solutions evaluated based on three key criteria: validity of the working prototype, scientific rigor of validation research, and impact on improving patient outcomes through innovative technology.
PolyVascular's winning technology features a minimally invasive valve that can be expanded over time to grow with the child, potentially dramatically reducing the need for repeated open-heart surgeries. Henri Justino, M.D., co-founder of PolyVascular, stated that this technology has the potential to dramatically reduce the need for repeated open-heart surgeries, bringing hope to families and children living with congenital heart defects. The implications of this innovation are substantial for pediatric cardiology, as congenital heart defects remain a leading cause of birth defect-related infant illness and death, and current treatment often requires multiple invasive surgeries as children grow.
Brainomix of Oxford, England was awarded best in the science category for developing AI-powered software to improve stroke diagnosis and treatment decisions. Both companies will be invited to join the Association's Center for Health Technology & Innovation Innovators' Network, a consortium that connects entrepreneurs, providers, researchers and payers to advance innovation in cardiovascular and brain health. Additional information about the competition is available at https://ahahealthtech.org/aha-health-tech-competition-2025.
Other finalists included Lumia from Boston, delivering wearable solutions for people with orthostatic intolerance and chronic blood flow disorders; Noah Labs from Berlin, transforming voice into a digital biomarker for earlier intervention in cardiometabolic diseases; and Cambrian Health from San Francisco, building an AI-powered platform that ensures clinical best practices are executed at the point of care. The competition judging panel included medical experts, venture capitalists, and health technology leaders who evaluated the potential of these innovations to transform cardiovascular and brain health care delivery. This recognition highlights Texas's growing role in health technology innovation, particularly in addressing complex pediatric medical challenges through engineering and medical collaboration.
