American Heart Association’s Center for Health Technology and Innovation and MedTech Innovator Collaborate to Launch the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator

Photo: Patrick Wayte, MBA, Senior Vice President, Center for Health Technology and Innovation, American Heart Association; Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association; and Paul Grand, Chief Executive Officer, MedTech Innovator.

The collaboration will increase the success of medical technology startups focused on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and secondary prevention of heart and brain health-related diseases.

LOS ANGELES – December 7, 2023 – MedTech Innovator, the world’s largest accelerator of medical technology companies, announced that the American Heart Association’s Center for Health Technology and Innovation (CHTI) and MedTech Innovator (MTI) have collaborated to create the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator within MTI’s global competition and accelerator. The Accelerator, launched on November 11 at the Association’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, will source, evaluate, mentor, and boost the visibility of companies with novel medical technologies and devices, health technologies, or digital health solutions focused on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment secondary prevention of heart and brain health-related diseases and conditions.

“MedTech Innovator is proud to work with the American Heart Association to establish the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator within our industry-leading medical technology accelerator. Innovations in diagnostics, digital solutions, and devices to address cardiac disease have been well-represented since our start in 2013. This new partnership with the Association’s Center for Health Technology and Innovation will help us provide even more support and expertise from across the American Heart Association ecosystem in our mission to improve patient care and quality of life by improving the success rate of transformative startups,” said Paul Grand, founding CEO of MedTech Innovator. 

Each year, a committee of experts, key opinion leaders, and clinicians associated with the Association’s CHTI Health Tech Advisory Group will select the Heart and Brain Health Tech Accelerator cohort of five startups, which will operate within MTI’s flagship US market-focused accelerator. The American Heart Association will provide science, evidence, and its strong network of clinical and related experts to enhance MTI’s best-in-class global ecosystem, consisting of thousands of industry stakeholders who provide guidance and open their networks to the startups in the highly selective accelerator, which annually receives thousands of applications. As part of the broader cohort of more than 60 startups in MTI’s annual program, the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator cohort will receive mentorship and access to corporate executives from leading medical technology manufacturers, investors, providers, payers, patients, FDA, DoD, and other stakeholders. They will be featured at North America’s largest medical technology conferences and join an exclusive peer network of over 600 medical technology startups worldwide. 

“The American Heart Association is committed to supporting heart and brain health technology innovators. This collaboration will identify best-in-class technology that accelerates the innovation of new solutions for patients and providers of care,” said Patrick Wayte, senior vice president at the American Heart Association Center for Health Technology and Innovation. As part of the American Heart Association, the Center collaborates with innovative companies to connect entrepreneurs, providers, researchers, and payers to accelerate novel health outcomes.

The American Heart Association and MedTech Innovator have committed to running the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator for the next three years, starting with the 2024 MTI Accelerator cohort. All early-to mid-stage medical device, diagnostic, and digital health companies with solutions focused on heart and brain health that have raised up to a Series C are encouraged to apply. Preferably, applicants will have prototypes and minimally some proof-of-concept evidence, as well as the financial runway remaining to execute during the program from June to October 2024. Startups will not need to relocate, as the accelerator combines a series of in-person events with a virtual program. MTI is a non-profit, and there are no fees or equity payable for participation. Applications are now open at https://medtechinnovator.org/apply with a January 31, 2024, deadline, and applications received before the end of 2023 will receive priority review.

About MedTech Innovator

MedTech Innovator is the world’s largest accelerator of medical technology companies. Its mission is to improve human health by accelerating the growth of companies transforming care. MedTech Innovator has been a catalyst for groundbreaking healthcare solutions, reviewing nearly 10,000 applicants and fostering the growth of 613 companies that have collectively raised over US$ 7.2 billion in follow-on funding and introduced 287 products to the market, transforming the lives of millions.

For more information about MedTech Innovator, its annual programs, portfolio of industry-leading startups, and insights on trends, visit MTI’s website, follow them on LinkedIn, and subscribe to its monthly newsletter.

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For MedTech Innovator:
Joe Duraes
Pazanga Health Communications
jduraes@pazangahealth.com
(917) 687-6419