Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular Innovation: 6 Early-Stage Startups to Watch in 2026
DealBio tracks early-stage cardiovascular health startups across Europe and North America. These six startups are approaching heart care through measurement, clinical decision-making, targeted treatment and repair.
- Medtech
- Diagnostics
- Digital Health
- Therapeutics
- Cardiovascular Disease
DealBio tracks early-stage cardiovascular health startups across Europe and North America. These six startups are approaching heart care through measurement, clinical decision-making, targeted treatment and repair.
Cardiovascular care depends on timely information, from recognizing coronary artery disease to interpreting ultrasound studies and monitoring changes that may affect heart rhythm. Many of these measurements are already part of clinical practice, creating opportunities to improve how they are collected and used.coronary artery disease
The innovation extends into research and treatment. More information can be extracted from routine trial recordings, targeted medicines are being developed for disease-linked immune mechanisms, and new devices are designed to preserve the function of patients’ own heart valves. This group brings those distinct approaches together around better-informed decisions and more precise interventions.
At a Glance
- MatterDecoderSwitzerland2025Compact functional heart scanning
- MEDIRAPPSwitzerland2023Heart ultrasound interpretation and reporting
- APTA TherapeuticsGermany2025Autoantibody-targeting medicines, including heart failure
- elyte diagnosticsAustria2023Home potassium monitoring
- arterioscopeAustria2025ECG analytics for cardiovascular trials
- AorticPhlexDenmark2025Aortic valve repair
Developing quantum-sensor heart scanners to assess coronary artery disease
- Country
Switzerland- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Diagnostics
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
Why MatterDecoder stands out
MatterDecoder emerged from applied quantum-sensing research at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). An Innosuisse-backed collaboration brings together FHNW, CSEM and University Hospital Basel to develop compact quantum sensing for cardiac assessment.
Founder Clément Javerzac previously co-founded photonics startup Miraex and led an applied quantum computing group at FHNW. The connection between sensing research, engineering expertise and a clinical partner gives the startup a practical foundation for bringing the technology into medical use.
What MatterDecoder is building
MatterDecoder is developing a compact, radiation-free heart scanner intended to help clinicians assess coronary artery disease within minutes. Its approach uses quantum sensing to examine cardiac function in a more accessible format than conventional specialist equipment.
The system is designed to give doctors useful functional information when deciding whether a patient needs further cardiovascular investigation.
02
MEDIRAPP
Helping cardiologists measure, interpret and report heart ultrasound studies
- Country
- Switzerland
- Founded
- 2023
- Sector
- Digital health
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why MEDIRAPP stands out
MEDIRAPP reached an important regulatory milestone in August 2026 when its EchoRapp software received Class IIa CE marking under the EU Medical Device Regulation for post-acquisition echocardiography workflow. It has also received more than CHF 1 million in Innosuisse support.
EchoRapp originated in cardiologist Schlomo Aschkenasy’s clinical practice. Clinical use described by cardiologist Olaf Franzen and an image-analysis research collaboration with Zurich University of Applied Sciences connect the product to established cardiac imaging routines.
What MEDIRAPP is building
MEDIRAPP develops EchoRapp, software that helps cardiologists measure echocardiograms (ultrasound images of the heart), interpret findings against clinical guidance and prepare reports.
The system connects with imaging and patient-record software. It reduces work around measurement and documentation while keeping the cardiologist responsible for the final clinical interpretation.
Developing DNA-based medicines to neutralise harmful autoantibodies
- Country
Germany- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Biotech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
Why APTA Therapeutics stands out
APTA Therapeutics combines acquired clinical-stage research with proprietary DNA aptamer technology. Its candidate rovunaptabin has been studied in post-viral conditions, with a 30-patient reCOVer trial showing improvement in fatigue measures. The startup also holds a granted US patent covering aptamers for autoantibody-associated diseases.
The Charité/BIH spinout is collaborating with CIBIT on an investigator-initiated study and with Fraunhofer SCAI on data-driven patient selection. Co-founders Oliver von Stein and physician Axel Mescheder bring nucleic-acid drug development and clinical-development experience.
What APTA Therapeutics is building
APTA Therapeutics develops aptamers, short strands of DNA designed to bind specific molecular targets. Its medicines aim to neutralise harmful autoantibodies, immune proteins that react with the body’s own receptors.
The acquired candidate rovunaptabin is being developed for heart failure and post-viral conditions, including Long COVID. This positions the startup in a targeted therapeutic field alongside the group’s cardiac measurement and device technologies.
Developing home potassium tests for people with heart or kidney disease
- Country
- Austria
- Founded
- 2023
- Sector
- Diagnostics
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why elyte diagnostics stands out
elyte diagnostics has advanced its optical potassium-testing system through several prototype iterations. A human study of the monitoring approach was presented at the National Kidney Foundation’s 2026 meeting, adding a clinical research milestone to the technology’s development.
The team works with Graz University Hospital, Graz University of Technology and the Medical University of Graz. Co-founder Thomas Pieber’s clinical background and Austrian pre-seed support bring research and product-development expertise together around a defined patient need.
What elyte diagnostics is building
elyte diagnostics is developing a handheld system that measures potassium from a finger-prick blood sample placed on a test strip. The optical reader is intended to let people with heart or kidney disease check potassium levels at home.
Potassium plays an important role in the electrical activity controlling heart rhythm. Easier testing could help patients and care teams follow changes between appointments and make monitoring part of ongoing treatment.
Analyzing existing ECGs to reveal treatment-response patterns in heart-drug trials
- Country
- Austria
- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Digital health
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why arterioscope stands out
arterioscope is commercialising cardiovascular signal-analysis research from Graz University of Technology. Its research-use software has reached MVP stage and is working with its first US pilot customers. The startup is also supported by Science Park Graz.
The startup has also secured non-dilutive public support and won the 2026 Styria Innovation Award in the digitalisation category. Its founding team combines scientific machine learning, electrical engineering and business development.
What arterioscope is building
arterioscope uses AI to analyse electrocardiograms (ECGs), recordings of the heart’s electrical activity, that are already collected in clinical trials.
Its software explores patient groups, changes over time and possible treatment-response patterns. The aim is to give biopharma researchers more information from existing cardiovascular trial data without introducing another measurement procedure.
Developing a support ring to repair leaking aortic heart valves
- Country
Denmark- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Medtech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
- Founders
Why AorticPhlex stands out
AorticPhlex builds on aortic-valve biomechanics research by founder Mariam Abdi Noor. An Aarhus University report describes an early pig study in which the valve-support ring preserved natural aortic dynamics.
The project also won a pitch award at Nordic Innovation Fair 2024. The founder developed the technology during her doctorate and went on to research at Aarhus University Hospital, connecting the device concept to cardiac research and surgical needs.
What AorticPhlex is building
AorticPhlex is developing a support ring intended to help surgeons repair a leaking aortic valve while preserving the patient’s own valve. Aortic regurgitation occurs when the valve does not close properly and blood flows backwards into the heart.
The ring is designed to support the valve’s natural shape and movement, offering a repair-oriented approach for patients with severe leakage.
Deal Sourcing for Investors
Looking for More Startups Like These?
DealBio helps investment teams discover, research, and monitor early-stage healthcare and life sciences startups aligned with their investment criteria.
Investment perspective
Cardiovascular innovation is increasingly being built around information clinicians already need. Heart imaging, electrical recordings and circulating potassium each reveal a different aspect of cardiovascular function. Making those measurements easier to access, interpret or reuse creates opportunities to improve decisions without necessarily replacing established clinical procedures.
Another theme is specialization. Some new products focus on a single point in the care pathway, such as assessing coronary disease or managing valve leakage. Others apply more targeted biology to conditions that involve the heart, or help researchers detect response patterns in data already collected during trials. These approaches offer different paths to impact, from clinical workflow adoption to therapeutic development and new surgical techniques.
The group also highlights the role of hospitals and academic research in early cardiovascular technology. Clinician-founded software, university-derived sensors and devices, and study-linked diagnostics each draw on specialist insight. The opportunity is to turn that expertise into tools and treatments that fit the needs of patients, care teams and research organisations.
Methodology
DealBio selected these six early-stage startups for their distinct contributions to cardiovascular assessment, monitoring, research and treatment. The selection includes tools aimed directly at heart care as well as therapeutics with a defined heart-failure development programme.
DealBio builds its Startup Briefs using publicly available startup materials, ecosystem sources, market references and professional profiles.