Powerful Medical became the first company to win both the Best Science Startup and Overall Winner titles at the prestigious American Heart Association (AHA) Health Tech Competition during the 2024 Scientific Sessions in Chicago. This recognition highlights Powerful Medical’s innovative contributions to cardiovascular healthcare, with PMcardio, their AI-powered clinical platform, revolutionizing diagnostics and care coordination, including the detection and rapid management of acute heart attacks.
The AHA Health Tech Competition spotlights cutting-edge innovations addressing the challenges of cardiovascular disease diagnostics and treatment. Competing alongside other startups, Powerful Medical captivated the expert judges panel—comprising leading physicians, scientists, and industry executives—through a compelling demonstration of PMcardio and the remarkable performance of its OMI AI ECG model.
PMcardio, a CE-certified Class IIb EU MDR medical device, has become a trusted tool for over 57,000 clinicians globally. Powered by AI trained on millions of medical records, the platform delivers fast and accurate analysis of 12-lead ECGs for 39 cardiovascular conditions. Since its launch, it aided in the detection and management of over 1.1 million patients in 16 European countries, streamlining workflows and enhancing clinical outcomes.
“Our technology enables more precise detection of acute heart attacks, with the potential to prevent over 12,000 excess deaths annually in the US,” said Dr. Robert Herman, Chief Medical Officer of Powerful Medical. “By ensuring equitable access to accurate diagnostics, our solution is designed to deliver the same high-quality care in any healthcare setting, regardless of patient demographics.”
At the AHA 2024 Scientific Sessions, Powerful Medical highlighted its clinical research in AI-driven cardiovascular care:
- Gender disparities in cardiac care (Dr. Timea Kisova)
- AI-powered smartphone diagnostics (Dr. Robert Herman)
- Cath lab activation solutions (Dr. Robert Herman)
- External validations of PMcardio (Dr. Richard G. Bach, Dr. Sara Diaz Saravia)
“Winning both titles reflects our vision to build a healthcare system rooted in value-based care and equity. PMcardio is transforming cardiovascular diagnostics, ensuring that patients in any setting—urban or rural, privileged or underserved—receive timely, high-quality care,” said Martin Herman, CEO of Powerful Medical.
The AHA Health Tech Competition’s rigorous two-pitch format evaluated companies on both scientific impact and business scalability. Powerful Medical impressed the judges with its demonstrated efficacy and a scalable business model addressing global cardiovascular challenges, including high rates of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment for heart attacks.
Joining a distinguished roster of past winners, Powerful Medical has further solidified its position as a leader in healthcare innovation. With a robust deal pipeline, ongoing clinical studies, and its FDA De Novo clearance on the horizon, PMcardio is preparing for its US. expansion, supported by a $25 million Series A funding round.
Photo: Nancy Brown, CEO of American Heart Association; Felix Bauer (COO), Martin Herman (CEO), Dr. Robert Herman (CMO) of Powerful Medical, Star Jones, attorney, TV host, and AHA national volunteer, credit: Charlie Hall
For more information visit: www.powerfulmedical.com
Powerful Medical, founded in 2017, is a deep-tech company revolutionizing cardiovascular care through AI-driven solutions. Its flagship product, PMcardio, interprets 12-lead ECGs to diagnose 39 cardiovascular conditions, including acute myocardial infarctions. At the core of the platform is the OMI AI ECG model, which identifies critical heart attack subgroups, ensuring accurate and timely diagnoses, even in challenging cases.
The company's care coordination platform enhances patient management by streamlining workflows, enabling faster triage and referrals, and fostering collaboration among healthcare providers, hospitals, and first responders.
Powerful Medical's innovations have been validated through international clinical research and featured in peer-reviewed publications. The company has received recognition from Google for Startups, Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe, and the European Innovation Council Accelerator, securing €7.5 million in funding.