HeartHero

HeartHero, a Denver-based company founded in 2016, is focused on developing and manufacturing advanced automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for both public and in-home use. The company's mission is to improve survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by making life-saving technology more accessible, portable, and affordable. Since its inception, HeartHero has raised a total of $9.61 million over seven funding rounds, with its latest Series C round closing in January 2024. Key investors include Copic, PIC Investment Group, and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

The company was founded by Gary Montague, whose extensive background in emergency medicine directly shaped HeartHero's vision. Montague served as a Scout Sniper Corpsman with the U.S. Marine Corps and later as an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant before joining the CIA as a Senior Medical Officer. An experience during a CIA operation, where a portable and robust AED was critically needed, inspired him to create a next-generation device.

HeartHero’s flagship product, the Elliot AED, is engineered to be exceptionally user-friendly, lightweight, and compact. Weighing just 1.3 pounds (590 grams), it is significantly smaller and lighter than the average AED. It operates on commercially available batteries, a deliberate design choice to reduce cost and improve accessibility compared to devices requiring expensive, proprietary batteries. The Elliot AED provides step-by-step voice and visual prompts, CPR coaching, and is both waterproof and dustproof. It features a dedicated button for pediatric use, utilizing the same set of pads for both adults and children. A key feature is its connectivity; through a mobile app, users can monitor the device's status, manage a network of devices, and automatically alert emergency services during an event. In November 2020, the Elliot AED received its CE Mark, permitting sales in Europe and other accepting countries, and is currently pursuing FDA approval in the United States.

The company targets both consumer and institutional markets, aiming to place AEDs in homes where the majority of cardiac arrests occur, as well as in businesses and public spaces. The business model centers on the direct sale of the Elliot device, which was priced at 795 euros for pre-orders in Europe. The company's strategy emphasizes affordability and ease of use to penetrate the home market, which has been traditionally underserved by heavier, more expensive AEDs. HeartHero also collaborates with the American College of Cardiology to conduct research and identify at-risk populations who would benefit most from having an in-home AED.

Keywords: automated external defibrillator, AED, sudden cardiac arrest, medical device, personal defibrillator, portable AED, home AED, emergency medical equipment, cardiac health, telehealth, connected device, remote patient monitoring, Gary Montague, Elliot AED, first aid, life-saving technology, public access defibrillation, CPR support, cardiac arrhythmia, medical technology, health-tech