Pittsburgh healthtech startup beats out 100,000 competitors to win prestigious $1M Hult Prize

A Pittsburgh startup has earned international prestige — and $1 million to go with it. 

Korion Health, an at-home heart and lung screening company that was No. 5 on Technical.ly’s 2024 RealLIST Startups, was awarded the prestigious Hult Prize last week in London. Out of a field of 100,000 teams, cofounders Anna Li and Akshaya Anand were one of six to reach the finals, and then won the final pitch competition. 

The startup’s focus on healthcare advancements combined with its Pittsburgh roots helped land the win, according to Li. 

“I think the authenticity carried through and they understood that not only was our team deeply committed to changing the system, we also were uniquely positioned to do so,” Li told Technical.ly. 

An annual competition, the Hult Prize recognizes startups around the world committed to solving social issues. Korion Health was the only 2024 finalist from the United States. The other five: quantum chemistry startup Xatoms in Canada, remote speech therapy startup Lothgha in Egypt, energytech startup ProtonCraft in India, cervical cancer screening startup HerLens in Indonesia and coffee waste recycling startup Bean Around in Ireland. 

Up against that field, Li wasn’t expecting to win, and she even double-checked the card naming the winner when she came on stage to accept. But she thinks the mission stood out. 

“I think [the win] also speaks to the ubiquity of difficulty accessing healthcare, and a growing frustration in the public at the opacity of the process,” Li said. “A competent champion for patient’s rights and accessibility is something that resonates with just about everyone — and that’s what I hope to be.”

The Korion Health team is celebrating in Paris, but is eager to get to work with the new funds.

“Keep calm, carry on, the world has lots of problems to solve,” said Anand, cofounder and CTO.

They’ll start with working on FDA clearance for their USB-compatible stethoscope, “so we can unlock the ability to sell and start getting some revenue to be more self-sustaining,” Li said. 

‘Pittsburgh has contributed nearly everything for my success’

Both tech and non-tech communities in her home city helped Li bring Korion Health this far, she said.

“My incredible neighbors in Greenfield, who come from humble roots and may not understand what the heck I do, but are always ready to support me,” Li said. “Whether it’s watching my dog Winston, making me a bowl of chili when I don’t have time to cook for myself, dropping off snacks or just providing a hug.”

Li’s parents immigrated to the US from China, which Li said shapes who she is and how she approaches her work. She’s very transparent about her failures, even listing them publicly on her website. In her downtime, she’s pursuing the world of science fiction authorship, and is currently on the hunt for a place that will publish her story. 

A graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University-University of Pittsburgh Computational Biology Ph.D. Program, Li’s graduation is still four years away, in 2028. But that program has provided a world of support, too. 

Not just those connected to the program, but throughout the entire tech ecosystem. Outside of Pittsburgh, universities like the University of Maryland rallied behind the startup with funding and mentorship support.

Locally, Laura Ohlund of LifeX mentors the Korion Health team connecting them with opportunities, and Nilo Medical Consulting Group is helping them get FDA clearance by trading babysitting hours for help. 

“Pittsburgh has contributed nearly everything for my success,” Li said. “It’s not the kind of new and shiny like Seattle or Austin is, but it’s got a deep sense of authenticity and resilience that I really connect with.”