What if a wearable could recognize a stroke before you even realize it’s happening? Symptoms can be subtle, and assessments subjective.

That’s the idea behind Alva Health’s wrist-worn device—technology designed to detect stroke symptoms in real time and speed up access to emergency care. Now, with a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, the Dallas-based startup is advancing toward bringing that innovation to market.

In an announcement, Alva Health said an NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IIB grant will support continued development of the company’s AI-powered wearable, which monitors motor asymmetry and other symptom “signatures” indicative of stroke. The technology is designed to alert caregivers and emergency responders within moments of symptom onset to help eliminate delays in stroke treatment.

According to the American Heart Association, stroke remains a leading cause of death and long-term disability in the U.S., with more than 795,000 strokes and 240,000 transient ischemic attacks—or mini-strokes—occurring annually.

Alva Health said the funding will help it scale product development, expand technical and clinical validation, and prepare for a 510(k) submission for initial commercialization.

Alva’s CEO and co-founder Sandra Saldana says the funding brings the company “one step closer to ensuring that stroke symptoms never go unnoticed—and that patients receive care when every second counts.”

In a statement, Saldana called the award an endorsement of the company’s scientific progress and the “urgent need” for early stroke detection solutions for high-risk patients and their families. The company says its mission is to help them “prevent disability, live independently, and bring peace of mind to their families.”

AlvaHealth was co-founded by CEO Sandra Saldana (left) and Chief Medical Advisor Kevin Sheth, MD [Photos: AlvaHealth]

Grants help pave the way for commercialization

The company said the Phase IIB grant builds on its earlier Phase I and II awards and is intended to help bridge the gap between research and commercialization by leveraging third-party investment.

Founded in 2017 by Saldana and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kevin Sheth, Alva Health operates in Dallas and New Haven, Connecticut. Another co-founder is Chief Technical Advisor Dr. Hitten Zaveri, the innovator behind the core technology Alva is developing, the company said. The company is a Yale University spinout and a graduate of Techstars, and said its device has gained early traction through pilot deployments in senior living communities and remote patient monitoring studies.

Alva Health was recently named a Catalyst 2025 Finalist by the CTIA Wireless Foundation, recognizing its use of 5G and advanced wireless technology to address critical challenges in American communities.

Stroke-detecting wrist wearable [Photo: Alva Health]

The company noted that America’s Seed Fund, powered by the NSF, awards more than $200 million annually to startups and small businesses working to transform scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups in nearly all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development and help de-risk technology for commercial success.

Last year, Alva Health also received grant funding from the Dallas-based American Heart Association in its EmPOWERED to Serve Business Accelerator pitch competition, which supports efforts to address health inequities in underserved communities.

Saldana, one of 10 finalists in the contest, received $12,000 from the association.

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