Houston's PolyVascular Wins American Heart Association Health Tech Competition with Pediatric Heart Valve Innovation

Houston-based PolyVascular was named the overall winner of the American Heart Association's annual Health Tech Competition at Scientific Sessions 2025, earning top honors for developing minimally invasive solutions for children with congenital heart disease. The competition recognizes innovative health technologies that could help address cardiovascular disease and stroke, which affect nearly half of U.S. adults according to the American Heart Association.

The Health Tech Competition serves as a live forum for health care innovators to present digital solutions for treating or preventing cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Finalists addressed clinical problems including heart failure, hypertension, congenital heart defects and other pressing issues in cardiovascular, brain and metabolic health. Solutions were 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. This innovation represents a significant advancement in pediatric cardiac care, addressing one of the most challenging aspects of treating congenital heart conditions in growing children. The technology could transform treatment protocols for thousands of children born with heart defects each year.

This is a tremendous honor for PolyVascular - we're especially proud to bring hope to families and children living with congenital heart defects, said Henri Justino, M.D., co-founder of PolyVascular. Our technology has the potential to dramatically reduce the need for repeated open-heart surgeries. The emotional and physical toll on children and families facing multiple surgeries represents a significant healthcare challenge that this innovation aims to address.

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.

For Texas, PolyVascular's achievement highlights the state's growing prominence in medical innovation and healthcare technology development. The win positions Houston as a significant player in pediatric cardiac innovation and demonstrates Texas's capacity to produce world-class medical technologies that address critical healthcare challenges. The recognition also signals potential economic benefits for the state's healthcare technology sector, attracting attention from investors and healthcare providers seeking cutting-edge solutions.

The implications of PolyVascular's technology extend beyond immediate patient care to broader healthcare system impacts. By reducing the need for multiple complex surgeries, the innovation could lower healthcare costs, decrease hospital stays, and improve quality of life for pediatric patients and their families. This advancement represents the type of medical innovation that could establish new standards of care in pediatric cardiology while positioning Texas companies at the forefront of healthcare technology development.