HMH Emerge Program Announces Winners of 2025 Pitch Competition

The HMH Emerge Program, a jointly-run pitch competition by Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) and Choose New Jersey helping global health tech startups establish and scale U.S. operations in New Jersey, has announced three innovative companies as winners of support and guidance through their growing stage.

Using rigorous, venture-informed vetting of business and entrepreneurial fitness, HMH Emerge enables and empowers international health startups to bring their innovations to the United States. The program facilitates high-impact growth through piloting, mentorship, and investment.

The winning companies, as selected by the HMH Emerge Board of Directors, are:

• Directed Systems - A UK-founded, U.S.-focused company with an FDA-cleared clinical intelligence platform for the OR and ICU. Its system guides clinicians in stabilizing patients by actively monitoring cardiovascular instability, turning real-time data into actionable decisions.
• Biobeat - An Israel-based company revolutionizing hypertension management with its ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) patch. Worn on the chest, the device provides seamless, 24-hour monitoring to reduce patient anxiety and simplify clinical workflows.
• Quanbio - The N.J.-headquartered company’s Concordio platform offers a non-invasive solution for early cardiovascular disease detection. Using light, it assesses vascular function in under three minutes, delivering over 25 biomarkers and an AI-powered severity score.

The winners were selected for their transformative solutions addressing significant cardiovascular health challenges. The companies will receive a combination of financial support, clinical support through trials or studies, business model refinement, and internal piloting measures to position them for, or help them expand in, the U.S. provider market.

“The three companies selected by HMH Emerge have packaged innovative products with aligning missions and values to address issues in cardiovascular health care,” said Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, Hackensack Meridian Health’s president of Academics, Research and Innovation. “We’re eager to witness the potential of these groups in the marketplace, while most importantly observing their impact on improving patient care in a clinical environment.”

Choose New Jersey, the state's leading nonprofit economic development organization, leverages its partnership with HMH by connecting global talent with New Jersey’s robust healthcare ecosystem through marketing expertise and comprehensive, concierge business services.

“The magnitude of technological innovation and patient-centric focus presented throughout the competition has been nothing short of incredible,” said Bill Noonan, Chief Business Development Officer at Choose New Jersey. “We are honored to provide service and guidance to these companies as they establish or expand U.S. operations and integrate into New Jersey’s healthcare and life sciences ecosystem.”

The level of partnership, depth of piloting, and degree of investment are decided on a case-by-case basis with each company, tailored to each situation’s most mutually beneficial outcome.

Through non-disclosure agreements and other trust and security measures, HMH Emerge ensures intellectual property (IP) protection spanning the entire program and beyond.

In 2024, HMH Emerge selected two Ireland-based companies, Spiorad and Neurobell, for their cardiovascular and neurological tech innovations in health care. Those business relationships continue—as will those for the 2025 winners—forming a valuable network of connections between all parties for continued future benefit.

“For the second year since its inception, HMH Emerge is fostering new ideas and innovations, weighing both market and clinical value,” said Sandra Powell-Elliott, the chief innovation officer for Hackensack Meridian Health who leads the network’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization. “The discussions have been invaluable for all parties involved, and help our colleagues overseas gain a foothold in the American market.”

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