Realheart and the EIC Accelerator: An Artificial Heart Delayed

Scandinavian Real Heart, known as Realheart, is developing a total artificial heart that copies the human one: two atria and two ventricles, with valves between them. The company in Västerås, Sweden, founded in 2007 by the physician Azad Najar and two partners, is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market and has no product sales.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,500,000 towards ArtOfHeart, a €38.2 million project that ran from April 2022 to March 2026 and included a "GLP animal trial, clinical trial preparatory activities and first-in-man (EFS) trial". The project ended without a human implant. In August 2026 Realheart's board set a new goal: to be ready for the first human implantation in February 2028.

Where Realheart Stands Today

Realheart's H1 2026 report says it demonstrated seven-day survival in animals in 2025, and that collaborating physicians at Sahlgrenska University Hospital have ethical approval for chronic studies. Of its three goals for 2026, two are on track: a higher production rate and progress towards a 10-day animal implantation. The third, six-month reliability of the full system, has slipped to the first quarter of 2027 because it "has proven more time-consuming than initially anticipated". The group lost SEK 24.0 million in the first half of 2026 and had SEK 40.0 million in cash; it "does not generate its own positive cash flow and is thus dependent on external financing".

The Technology: A Heart That Pumps Like One

According to CORDIS, the Realheart TAH weighs 2.5 kg, runs 12 hours on a battery and is connected by cable to a controller worn on a belt. The CORDIS report says it "produces only one fifth of the blood damage compared to the product in current clinical use" in lab tests. Two peer-reviewed lab studies followed. In April 2026 a study in Artificial Organs of the left pump found "approximately half the level of hemolysis" of the only FDA-approved artificial heart in wide clinical use, according to the H1 2026 report. In September 2026 a study of the complete devices in Scientific Reports, announced by Realheart and reported by News-Medical, found "about six times less hemolysis than the comparator device" and preserved function of von Willebrand factor, a marker of bleeding risk.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised a GLP animal trial, clinical trial preparation and a first-in-man early feasibility study. The CORDIS report, covering October 2023 to March 2025, says animal results "are similar to those achieved by market competitors prior to them initiating clinical trials". No human was implanted before the project closed.

1. Animal studiesDeliveredSeven-day survival.
2. Lower blood damageDeliveredPeer-reviewed, in vitro.
3. Full-system reliabilityNot yetNow Q1 2027.
4. First-in-man trialMissedTarget now Feb 2028.

What Has Happened Since the Award

The Money

Realheart funds itself through share issues. The rights issue in January 2026 was 70% subscribed, including guarantees, and raised about SEK 49 million before costs. The EIC award was "grant first"; we found no EIC Fund investment. CORDIS lists a €38.2 million total budget, of which the EU grant is €2.5 million; how the rest was funded is not broken down.

Why Europe Should Care

Realheart says there is only one FDA-approved artificial heart in wide clinical use. The EIC funded Realheart's attempt to reach patients within four years. The goal has moved to 2028, and the company needs more capital to get there.

The Verdict

Scandinavian Real Heart has not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on company reports and press releases and EU project data, linked throughout.