MedTech Innovator this week announced five early-stage medtech startups as finalists for its 2025 Grand Prize competition.
The companies will compete for a $350,000 non-dilutive award at The MedTech Conference, Oct. 5-8 in San Diego.
Each finalist receives $25,000 and will pitch their value propositions and answer questions from a panel of industry experts before the audience votes to select the winner.
The 2025 early-stage finalists are:
- Armor Medical (Atlanta): Maternal aRMOR, a non-invasive monitoring system to detect early hemorrhage.
- Luminoah (Charlottesville, Virginia): A closed-loop enteral nutrition system with real-time data for chronic disease care.
- Rivanna Medical (Charlottesville, Virginia): AI-enabled imaging for point-of-care spinal interventions and musculoskeletal trauma.
- STENTiT (Eindhoven, Netherlands): A resorbable scaffold designed to open arteries and trigger reconstruction from within.
- SutureTech (Durham, N.C.): RapidFix, a soft tissue staple made from suture material.
Illustration from Armor Medical
Image courtesy of Rivanna Medical
Image courtesy of STENTiT
Image courtesy of SurtureTech“We’re thrilled to partner with AdvaMed for the 11th year in a row to showcase the world’s most exciting emerging medtech companies to the senior leadership of the medtech industry,” Medtech Innovator’s Paul Grand said. “Holding our Showcase and Finals at The MedTech Conference ensures our accelerator graduates are front and center on the industry’s biggest stage, giving our entrepreneurs premiere visibility with the healthcare leaders and decision-makers who could become their future partners.”
Samay — the grand prize winner of last year’s program — is developing an AI-driven acoustic resonance platform for respiratory care and management.
Related: MedTech Innovator announces 65 startups for its 2025 cohort
Four companies will also compete for the Execution Award, presented by AdvaMed Accel and MedTech Innovator. The $25,000 award recognizes leadership teams that have shown strong execution of their innovation plans.
The Execution Award finalists are:
- LightHearted AI Health (London): LightScope, an AI-powered laser-based device for heart disease diagnosis.
- Sinaptica Therapeutics (Cambridge, Massachusetts): A noninvasive neuromodulation therapy for Alzheimer’s, with two Phase 2 trials completed.
- VQ Biomedical (Apex, N.C.): A minimally invasive catheter that diffuses oxygen into the bloodstream for patients with respiratory failure.
- Wavelet (New Haven, Connecticut): A noninvasive fetal EEG system to detect fetal distress in real time.
This year’s MTI Accelerator included 64 companies selected from thousands of applicants, with input from more than 500 subject matter experts. Participants received mentoring and access to MTI’s network of manufacturers, investors, providers, and payers. All companies in the 2025 cohort will be showcased at The MedTech Conference.
MTI said four companies will also compete in the Mid-Stage Finals and Value Award Competition at the MedTech Strategist Innovation Summit, scheduled for Nov. 19-21 in San Diego.
Tune in to this week’s episode of DeviceTalks Weekly for an interview with MedTech Innovator’s Paul Grand.
