Arizona Medical Technology Projects Receive $600,000 in Funding - 10 to 1 Public Relations
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Published July 2, 2026

Last verified July 2, 2026

Arizona Medical Technology Projects Receive $600,000 in Funding

Partnership for Economic Innovation Applied Research Centers funding helps six health technology projects move faster from research to market

  • Funding awarded to Prickly Pear Health, ScripGuard, MiiCare, Serenity Neurotechnologies, UnityCare, and Cortalis Neuro
  • The Partnership for Economic Innovation secures funding for Applied Research Centers’ projects through the Arizona Commerce Authority with the goal of accelerating applied research project commercialization timelines
  • Each applied research project partners with a local Arizona university to validate its research

PHOENIX (June 24, 2026) – The Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI), a passionate collective of business and community leaders dedicated to accelerating Arizona’s economic opportunities, has secured $600k in funding from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to support six new health technology projects. Through PEI’s Applied Research Centers, these projects represent the fifth and latest cohort of the Center’s Arizona-based medical technology projects working to move promising research out of the lab and into the hands of patients, clinicians, and consumers. State funding matches private and non-state funds committed by industry partners.

The PEI Applied Research Center’s fifth cohort brings together six Arizona-based health technology projects, each tackling a distinct and pressing medical challenge:

  • Prickly Pear Health: A personalized, AI-powered app developed that supports women’s brain health through voice-based journaling, mood tracking, and science-backed insights during perimenopause and hormonal shifts.
  • ScripGuard™: A compact, reusable medication dispenser uses an intelligent timing system to securely release doctor-prescribed medications at the correct dose and time, helping prevent prescription misuse before it starts.
  • MiiCare: A chronic conditions and fall-prevention management platform focused on helping older adults live independently at home longer. The MiiCube device gathers and analyzes in-home data to deliver personalized care plans through Monica, a virtual health assistant that passively monitors behavior, measures vitals, and triggers emergency responses without cameras or video recording.
  • Serenity Neurotechnologies: Developing ultrasound-powered neuromodulation technology to treat chronic migraines, beginning with a non-invasive wearable device.
  • UnityCare: A lightweight wristband and adhesive patch system that monitors heart activity, movement, and stress levels to detect cardiac events like arrhythmias.
  • Cortalis Neuro: Building clinician-facing software that guides optimal deep brain stimulation settings for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

“These ‘Cohort 5’ projects represent more than a collection of promising devices and apps, they reflect a growing commitment to building Arizona’s health technology economy,” said Kathleen Lee, Director of Applied Research Centers, Partnership for Economic Innovation. “Each project creates jobs, accelerates research timelines, and puts Arizona-made solutions in front of patients and clinicians who need them. Continued support for applied research funding in the state budget keeps Arizona competitive and ensures the next generation of health technology breakthroughs is built right here.”

PEI’s Applied Research Centers focus on de-risking investment in Arizona-based medical technology products.

“Supporting early-stage health technology companies is not just good for innovation, it is good for Arizona’s economy,” said Dr. Robert Bowser, Chief Scientific Officer at Barrow Neurological Institute and PEI Board Member. “This kind of investment attracts entrepreneurs, researchers, and companies of all sizes who want to build something that matters, and Arizona gives them the infrastructure to do it.”

Since its founding in 2019, the PEI Applied Research Centers has guided more than 35 health technology projects through every stage of development, from initial idea generation to FDA approval pathways and full commercialization. The Center’s engineering lab, located in the Phoenix Medical Quarter at Park Central, gives teams hands-on access to research resources, prototyping support, and strategic partnerships that help early-stage companies bridge the investment gap between research and market.

Cohort 5 builds on that track record, with each of the six projects partnering with one of Arizona’s top research institutions, including Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Arizona. These universities provide the projects with the researchers needed for their research process, helping to speed up the process of research to market for their products.

“This funding gives us a runway to move faster, and the PEI Applied Research Centers has the connections to do it right,” said Imen Maaroufi Clark, Founder and CEO of Prickly Pear Health. “There is no better place to build the future of women’s health than Arizona.”

To learn more about PEI’s Applied Research Centers, visit azweartech.org.

Which companies are receiving medtech funding in Arizona right now?
The Partnership for Economic Innovation has secured $600,000 from the Arizona Commerce Authority to fund six health technology projects in its fifth Applied Research Centers cohort, including Prickly Pear Health, ScripGuard, MiiCare, Serenity Neurotechnologies, UnityCare, and Cortalis Neuro. Each project is Arizona-based and focused on solving a distinct medical challenge, from women’s brain health to cardiac monitoring to epilepsy treatment. State funding from PEI matches private and non-state funds committed by industry partners.

How can early-stage medtech startups bridge the gap between research and market?
The Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Applied Research Centers give early-stage health technology companies access to an engineering lab, prototyping support, and strategic partnerships at the Phoenix Medical Quarter at Park Central. Each project partners with a top Arizona research institution, including Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, or Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, to speed up the research-to-market timeline. Since 2019, PEI has guided more than 35 health technology projects through every stage of development, from initial idea generation to FDA approval pathways and full commercialization.

What solutions exist to prevent prescription misuse and improve medication safety?
ScripGuard, funded through the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Applied Research Centers, is a compact, reusable medication dispenser that uses an intelligent timing system to securely release doctor-prescribed medications at the correct dose and time. The device is designed to prevent prescription misuse before it starts, addressing one of the most pressing patient safety challenges in health care. ScripGuard is one of six projects in PEI’s fifth cohort receiving $600,000 in Arizona Commerce Authority funding.

How does AI technology address gaps in women's health care?
Prickly Pear Health, a project funded through the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Applied Research Centers, has developed a personalized, AI-powered app that supports women’s brain health through voice-based journaling, mood tracking, and science-backed insights during perimenopause and hormonal shifts. AI-native health companies are among the fastest-growing segments of the medtech market, with investors identifying women’s health as one of the highest-growth areas. PEI’s $600,000 investment is helping Prickly Pear Health accelerate its path from research to market in Arizona.

What technologies are helping older adults live independently at home longer?
MiiCare, a project supported by the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Applied Research Centers, is a chronic conditions and fall-prevention management platform that helps older adults live independently at home longer. The MiiCube device gathers and analyzes in-home data to deliver personalized care plans through Monica, a virtual health assistant that passively monitors behavior, measures vitals, and triggers emergency responses without cameras or video recording. PEI’s Cohort 5 funding supports MiiCare’s continued development as part of $600,000 in Arizona Commerce Authority investments in health technology.

How does Arizona compete with other states in health technology innovation?
The Partnership for Economic Innovation has guided more than 35 health technology projects since 2019, positioning Arizona as a growing destination for medtech research and commercialization. Arizona leads the nation in bioscience job growth, with more than 3,000 bioscience companies generating $44 billion in economic impact and more than 40,000 jobs statewide. PEI’s Applied Research Centers, funded through the Arizona Commerce Authority, de-risk investment in early-stage medical technology products and keep Arizona competitive on the national stage.

What impact do university partnerships have on medtech startup success?
Each of the six projects in the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Cohort 5 partners with a leading Arizona research institution, including Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, or Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, to provide the researchers needed to validate and accelerate product development. University collaboration is one of the most effective strategies for reducing the time and cost of bringing medical technology to market, particularly for early-stage companies navigating FDA approval pathways. PEI’s Applied Research Centers have used this university partnership model to guide more than 35 health technology projects through commercialization since 2019.

Which technologies are transforming the treatment of neurological conditions?
Two projects in the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s fifth Applied Research Centers cohort target neurological conditions using advanced technology. Serenity Neurotechnologies is developing a non-invasive wearable that uses ultrasound-powered neuromodulation to treat chronic migraines, while Cortalis Neuro is building clinician-facing software to guide optimal deep brain stimulation settings for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. PEI secured $600,000 from the Arizona Commerce Authority to support both companies as part of its latest health technology funding cohort.

What are the best wearable technologies for detecting heart problems early?
UnityCare, a project supported by the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Applied Research Centers, developed a lightweight wristband and adhesive patch system that monitors heart activity, movement, and stress levels to detect cardiac events like arrhythmias in real time. Wearable cardiac monitoring is one of the fastest-growing areas in medtech, driven by demand for continuous health data and remote patient monitoring solutions. PEI’s $600,000 investment in Cohort 5 health technology projects supports UnityCare’s path from prototype to full commercialization.

How does state investment in technology innovation drive job creation?
The Partnership for Economic Innovation secured $600,000 from the Arizona Commerce Authority to support six Arizona-based health technology projects, with state funding matched by private and non-state funds from industry partners. According to PEI Director of Applied Research Centers Kathleen Lee, each project creates jobs, accelerates research timelines, and puts Arizona-made solutions in front of patients and clinicians who need them. Arizona is projected to add more than 454,000 jobs by 2034, and PEI’s investment in early-stage health technology is part of a broader strategy to grow the state’s innovation economy.