cardiovascular-health
(5)
Novartis Cut Away an Empire to Bet on Five Ways of Making Medicine
The Swiss giant spent years shedding businesses until only innovative medicines remained. Now its growth depends on turning five scientific platforms into treatments that health systems will pay for - and patients can actually reach.
AliveCor
AliveCor is a Mountain View, California digital health company that pioneered the personal, FDA-cleared electrocardiogram (ECG). Its Kardia line of pocket-sized devices lets people record a medical-grade ECG on a smartphone in about 30 seconds, while AI algorithms screen for atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias. Combining hardware, a subscription care service, and enterprise cardiology programs, AliveCor has recorded well over 160 million ECGs for millions of users and works with clinicians, employers, health systems, and pharmaceutical researchers.
Vena Vitals
Vena Vitals is an Irvine, California medical-device startup building a soft, skin-worn sticker sensor that continuously measures blood pressure without a cuff or an arterial line. Spun out of UC Irvine biomedical engineering research, its VeriTrack system uses a patented wrinkled-metal capacitive pressure sensor to capture beat-to-beat data with accuracy validated against arterial lines in operating rooms across the country. Founded in 2019 by Ray Liu, Michelle Khine, and Josh Kim and backed by Y Combinator, the company is pursuing FDA clearance to bring continuous, noninvasive blood pressure monitoring first into hospitals and later into homes.
CorVista Health
CorVista Health is a medical technology company applying machine learning to cardiovascular diagnostics. Its FDA-cleared CorVista System is a non-invasive, point-of-care device that captures cardiac and hemodynamic signals and analyzes them in the cloud to assess the likelihood of coronary artery disease and pulmonary hypertension - delivering results in minutes, without radiation, contrast, injections, fasting, or exercise. The company aims to shorten the path from symptoms to diagnosis so patients can be treated earlier.
Hello Heart
Hello Heart is a Menlo Park-based digital health company exclusively focused on cardiovascular health. Founded in 2013, it offers an AI-powered mobile app paired with a connected blood pressure monitor and smart pill box that helps members understand, track, and improve their heart health. Deployed through employers, health plans, and Medicare Advantage programs, Hello Heart has served users at 150+ Fortune 500 companies and government organizations. Independent peer-reviewed studies - including a JAMA study of 28,000+ participants - show that 84% of high-risk users reduced blood pressure over three years, with average medical cost savings exceeding $1,700 per enrolled member per year. The company has raised $148.5 million in total funding, most recently a $70 million Series D in May 2022.