Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) and Fogarty Innovation have joined forces to create a unified platform dedicated to advancing transformative healthcare technologies. The partnership was officially announced on Monday, October 27, during TCT 2025 in San Francisco.
CRF has long been a leader in cardiovascular care, hosting major conferences and engaging many of the field’s top experts. Fogarty Innovation focuses on broad healthcare advancements, supporting early-stage companies, educating providers, and collaborating with industry and government partners.
The merger aims to give emerging cardiovascular startups immediate access to experienced executives, expanded business opportunities, and other resources to help innovative solutions thrive and improve patient care.
CRF founder and veteran interventional cardiologist Martin B. Leon, MD, announced the merger on stage alongside CRF President and CEO Juan F. Granada, MD, and Fogarty Innovation CEO Andrew Cleeland.
Leon highlighted the challenges facing cardiovascular care: “Costs are rising, outcomes remain uneven, and access to advanced therapies is limited in many areas. Even where technology is advanced, our system often rewards volume over value. If we continue down this path, sustainability is at risk.”
“This is a pivotal moment for our field, for CRF, and for our community,” Granada said. “One challenge we’ve faced is that while we drive innovation and support innovators, we haven’t always been able to shape where that innovation goes. We took this seriously and began building a platform to help guide the future.”
The executives stressed that the partnership is the result of years of collaboration, not a sudden decision. CRF and Fogarty Innovation have cultivated a strong relationship based on mutual respect, working together on initiatives like the TCT MedTech Innovation Forum, which they hope to continue successfully in the future.
Both organizations will retain their names, with Fogarty Innovation serving as CRF’s official “West Coast innovation hub” moving forward.
