South Korea medical technology company developing a transbronchial RF ablation system with a conforming electrode for peripheral lung cancer awarded USD 175,000 Grand Prize at the 2026 MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Showcase & Grand Finals in Singapore
LOS ANGELES & SINGAPORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Innovation—MedTech Innovator (MTI), the world’s largest accelerator of medical device, digital health, and diagnostic companies, today announced Ardens Lifescience as the 2026 MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Grand Prize Winner, awarding the company USD 175,000 cash prize for its transbronchial radiofrequency (RF) ablation system with a conforming electrode for peripheral lung cancer.
The announcement was made at the MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Showcase & Grand Finals in Singapore, where four finalists – Ardens Lifescience, BaiYi Healthcare Technology, Eyes of AI, and Physiologas Technology – competed before an audience of industry leaders, investors, healthcare stakeholders and innovators. Following the finalist presentations and a live Q&A with a panel of medtech executives, the audience selected Ardens Lifescience as the 2026 Grand Prize Winner. The three runners-up each received USD 10,000.
“We are incredibly honored to be named the 2026 MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Grand Prize Winner,” said Alex Park, CEO of Ardens Lifescience. “This recognition is a significant milestone for our team. I believe we were able to become the winner because all of you resonated with and supported our mission to offer more effective, yet less invasive, treatments for patients suffering from lung cancer. With an even greater sense of responsibility, Ardens’ teams will do our best to bring CAROL to the world quickly to provide hope to many lung cancer patients.”
“Ardens Lifescience is advancing an important innovation in the treatment of peripheral lung cancer,” said Paul Grand, founder and CEO of MedTech Innovator. “Its conforming radiofrequency ablation technology has the potential to overcome key limitations of existing treatment approaches, enabling more precise tumor targeting while preserving healthy lung tissue. As earlier detection creates new opportunities to intervene, innovations like CAROL could play an important role in expanding less invasive treatment options for patients. We congratulate Ardens on this well-deserved recognition as our 2026 Asia Pacific Grand Prize Winner.”
The 2026 Grand Finals marked the culmination of MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific’s four-month accelerator program, which brought together 20 promising medical technology companies selected from more than 680 applications across the region and beyond. Representing a diverse range of healthcare technologies, the cohort featured innovations spanning medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, artificial intelligence, surgical technologies, and other emerging areas of healthcare.
The Grand Finals judging panel included Aditya Vaidya, General Manager, Asia Pacific – Heart Recovery, Johnson & Johnson, Santosh Nair, Head of Data & AI Portfolio, Siemens Healthineers, and Esther Kong, Manager, Innovation Research, B.Braun Medical Industries.
In addition to the Grand Prize and runner-up awards, several honors were presented to recognize outstanding achievements among the 2026 cohort:
EnterpriseSG STARTUP SG Grant (SGD 50,000): BaiYi Healthcare Technology, China
Blue Goat Cyber Cybersecurity Award (USD 25,000): mediVR Inc., Japan
Dovetail Regulatory Award (USD 25,000): Lumino Medison, South Korea
Best Video Competition Award (USD 5,000): Ardens Lifescience, South Korea
Throughout the four-month accelerator, participating companies received tailored mentorship, strategic guidance, and opportunities to engage with leading medtech corporations, investors, healthcare stakeholders, and industry experts. Through MedTech Innovator’s global network, the program connected companies with the expertise, partnerships, and resources needed to support clinical development, commercialization, and international growth.
Now in its eighth year, MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific has established a strong regional platform for identifying and advancing promising medical technology companies, fostering collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem, and connecting innovators with strategic partners and market opportunities across Asia Pacific and beyond.
MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific’s 2026 program partners include Johnson & Johnson, B.Braun Medical Industries, Siemens Healthineers, Blue Goat Cyber, Dovetail, Cambridge Consultants, The Mullings Group, and Enterprise Singapore joining as a 2026 partner to support regional expansion and innovation initiatives.
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 more than 20,000 applicants and fostering the growth of 933 graduates. Alumni have collectively raised $12 billion in follow-on funding, seen 66 acquisitions, and introduced 600+ products to the market, improving the health of millions worldwide. For more information about MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific, 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.
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Media Contact:
Bernice Tan
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