—Armor Medical wins $350,000 Grand Prize to advance maternal aRMOR, non-invasive, real-time monitoring to detect early hemorrhage, empowering healthcare providers to save lives, enhance workflow efficiencies, and reduce the cost of care—
—Wavelet named Execution Award Winner by MTI and AdvaMed Accel—
—Luminoah wins Best Video Award—
LOS ANGELES & SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MedTech Innovator (MTI), the world’s largest and most impactful accelerator for medical technology startups, today announced the winners of its 2025 Grand Prize, Execution Award, and Best Video Award at The MedTech Conference powered by AdvaMed, the largest annual gathering of medtech leaders in North America.
Armor Medical received the $350,000 non-dilutive Grand Prize in the Early-Stage Competition, selected in real time by a live audience of industry leaders following pitches from the five finalists. The other finalists Luminoah, Rivanna Medical, STENTiT, and SutureTech, each received $25,000.
“We are honored to be named the MedTech Innovator Grand Prize winner,” said Kelsey Mayo, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Armor Medical. “For me, this moment is especially meaningful as it represents resilience: the ability to absorb pressure, bend, and emerge stronger. That is the story of Armor Medical, and it is also the story of so many mothers and families touched by postpartum hemorrhage, who inspire us and keep us laser-focused on our ‘why.’ This recognition is a testament to the creativity, grit, and unshakable belief of our team, and it also belongs to the MTI community of mentors, sponsors, and peers whose encouragement has propelled us forward. Together, we are working to make birth safer for all mothers, everywhere.”
The competition finals took place at The MedTech Conference in San Diego, with finalists presenting their value propositions and answering questions from a panel of industry experts.
“Congratulations to Armor Medical for winning this year’s Grand Prize,” said Paul Grand, founder and CEO of MedTech Innovator. “Armor Medical’s win shows that sophisticated medtech industry leaders recognize the value proposition of this game changing maternal health innovation. Each of our finalists demonstrated the remarkable innovation happening across the medtech ecosystem. We’re proud to provide our platform to help bring these life-changing technologies to patients.”
Wavelet was named winner of the MedTech Innovator Execution Award & Virginia Rybski Memorial Award, presented jointly by MedTech Innovator and AdvaMed Accel. The Execution Award recognizes strong leadership teams with value-adding innovations and a proven ability to execute their plans to improve patient care. The award includes a $25,000 prize and was determined by a live audience vote.
“Wavelet winning the MedTech Innovator Execution Award marks a defining milestone for our company,” said Liz Golden, co-founder and CEO of Wavelet. “The accelerator propelled us into the spotlight, helped us engage with strategic visionaries, and accelerate fundraising. We are deeply grateful to MTI and the mentors who guided us on this journey.”
Luminoah won the Best Video Award and $10,000 after competing against three other finalists in a live audience vote. All 64 MTI cohort companies were eligible to participate in the competition, which spotlights creative and compelling storytelling from medtech innovators.
This year, MTI tapped over 500 subject matter experts to evaluate thousands of applicants and mentor the 64 best-in-class companies selected for its flagship, four-month, U.S. market-focused accelerator program. Featuring 45 early-stage and 19 mid-stage medical device, diagnostic, and digital health companies from around the globe, the 2025 cohort received unparalleled mentoring, networking, and access to MTI’s world-leading ecosystem of manufacturers, investors, providers, payers, and patients.
Applications are now open for MTI’s 2026 cohort. Startups developing transformative medical technologies are encouraged to apply at medtechinnovator.org/apply.
About MedTech Innovator
MedTech Innovator is the world’s largest accelerator of medical device, digital health, and diagnostic companies. Its mission is to improve human health by accelerating the growth of companies transforming patient care. MTI has been a catalyst for groundbreaking healthcare solutions, sourcing nearly 14,000 applicants and fostering the growth of over 700 graduates. Alumni have collectively raised $10 billion in follow-on funding and introduced 400+ products to the market, improving the health of millions worldwide. For more information about MedTech Innovator, its annual programs, portfolio of industry-leading startups, and insights on trends, visit MTI’s website, follow MTI on LinkedIn, and subscribe to its monthly newsletter.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Jenna Kane
Health+Commerce
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