Korion Health, a startup led by Anna Li, an MD/PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, won the $1 million Hult Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious social entrepreneurship competitions, on Sept. 6.
The company is developing an electronic stethoscope that allows patients to monitor their health at home and relay the information to their doctors. Heart and lung diseases remain the leading causes of death worldwide, and Korion aims to expand access to care.
Li, the company’s chief executive officer and cofounder, is studying computational biology in a joint program at Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University.
“I'm humbled every day by the generosity and support of those in my life, much of which I feel I don't deserve, and I think the best I can do is continue paying it forward and multiply their generosity in the world,” Li said. “Ultimately, it is the people who have gotten me this far, and who will continue to give me the courage to go on, despite the uncertainty and stress in building a startup, during a joint medical-PhD program no less.”
The competition began with more than 9,400 entries. Li and Akshaya Anand, the company's chief technology officer, progressed through the rounds of competition and spent the past several weeks in the global finals at Ashridge House near London.
"Korion Health is the latest example of a social enterprise that will positively impact the world based on an innovative idea, hard work, and the ability to prove that it is possible to do well by doing good in business," said Lori van Dam, chief executive officer, Hult Prize.