HeartSmart

HeartSmart addresses one of the biggest challenges in heart failure research — the lack of reliable models to study and treat cardiac fibrosis, a key driver of disease progression. The company has developed a miniaturized heart tissue model composed of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells that uniquely mimics the dynamic stiffening of cardiac tissue seen in fibrosis.

Their breakthrough innovations include SupraGel, a tunable biomaterial that replicates progressive tissue stiffness, and a high-precision tissue platform that enables reproducible measurement of contraction force — the hallmark of cardiac function. Together, these technologies allow highly predictive drug testing for cardiac fibrosis, offering pharmaceutical partners a scalable, easy-to-use, and cost-effective preclinical tool.

Led by a multidisciplinary team of experts in engineering, biomaterials, and stem cell biology, HeartSmart sets a new standard for modeling human heart disease and accelerating the development of effective antifibrotic therapies.