A doctor holding an artificial heart model. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
A new bet on early heart failure detection and why women’s health is at the center.
Updated
December 23, 2025 12:36 PM
A doctor holding an artificial heart model. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Heart disease does not always announce itself clearly, especially in women. Many of the symptoms are ordinary, including fatigue, shortness of breath and swelling. These signs are frequently dismissed or explained away. As a result, many women are diagnosed late, when treatment options are narrower and outcomes are worse. That diagnostic gap is the context behind a recent investment involving Ultromics and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Venture Fund.
Ultromics is a health technology company that uses artificial intelligence to help doctors spot early signs of heart failure from routine heart scans. It has received a strategic investment from the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Venture Fund.
The focus of the investment is a long-standing blind spot in cardiac care. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF, affects millions of people worldwide, with women disproportionately impacted. It is one of the most common forms of heart failure, yet also one of the hardest to diagnose. Studies even show women are twice as likely as men to develop the condition and around 64% of cases go undiagnosed in routine clinical practice.
Ultromics works with a tool most patients already experience during heart care: the echocardiogram. There is no new scan and no added burden for patients. Its software analyzes standard heart ultrasound images and looks for subtle patterns that point to early heart failure. The goal is clarity. Give clinicians better signals earlier, before the disease advances.
“Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is one of the most complex and overlooked diseases in cardiology. For too long, clinicians have been expected to diagnose it using tools that weren't built to detect it and as a result, many patients are identified too late,” said Ross Upton, PhD, CEO and Founder of Ultromics. “By augmenting physicians' decision making with EchoGo, we can help them recognize disease at an earlier stage and treat it more effectively.”
The stakes are high. Research suggests women are twice as likely as men to develop the condition and that a majority of cases are missed in routine clinical practice. That delay matters. New therapies can reduce hospitalizations and improve survival, but only if patients are diagnosed in time.
This is why early detection has become a priority for mission-driven investors. “Closing the diagnostic gap by recognizing disease before irreversible damage occurs is critical to improving health for women—and everyone,” said Tracy Warren, Senior Managing Director, Go Red for Women Venture Fund. “We are gratified to see technologies, such as this one, that are accepted by leading institutions as advances in the field of cardiovascular diagnostics. That's the kind of progress our fund was created to accelerate.”
Ultromics’ platform is already cleared by regulators for clinical use and is being deployed in hospitals across the US and UK. The company says its technology has analyzed hundreds of thousands of heart scans, helping clinicians reach clearer conclusions when traditional methods fall short.
Taken together, the investment reflects a broader shift in healthcare. Attention is shifting earlier—toward detection instead of reaction. Toward tools that fit into existing care rather than complicate it. In this case, the funding is not about introducing something new into the system. It is about seeing what has long been missed—and doing so in time.
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How startups can use nostalgia marketing to build trust, spark loyalty and stand out with storytelling, vintage design and emotional connections.
Updated
November 27, 2025 3:26 PM
Vintage beer pong posters showcasing colorful, diverse designs from different eras in one collection. PHOTO: FREEPIK
Turning the subtle power of nostalgia into meaningful marketing.
Think of nostalgia as a time machine for brands—it doesn’t just take people back; it brings their emotions forward. And emotions sell. For those who are unfamiliar, nostalgia marketing is a strategy where brands use elements from the past—like familiar sights, sounds, or stories—to evoke warm memories and emotional connections with their audience.
This emotional pull isn’t just anecdotal—research shows its real impact: according to The Team and Forbes via The Drum, 80% of millennials and Gen Z are drawn to brands tapping into nostalgia, while 92% of consumers say nostalgic ads feel more relatable. And for startups competing in noisy markets, this is a goldmine.
In this article, we’ll explore why nostalgia marketing can be a game-changing strategy for your company.
Out of all the popular marketing methods—like influencer partnerships or attention-grabbing ad campaigns—nostalgia is unique because its impact starts intrinsically, in the brain. By triggering the release of dopamine, a reward-system neurotransmitter, Nostalgia evokes feelings of warmth, happiness and comfort. Consequently, people don’t just remember a moment—they relive it. Take, for instance, your favorite cereal brand bringing back childhood cartoon characters or using retro fonts and colors. You might choose it over a healthier breakfast option simply because it reminds you of the mornings you enjoyed as a kid. Similarly, speaking of stirring fond memories, Coca-Cola has mastered this effect, using classic holiday ads, vintage packaging, and iconic imagery. Those associations make people see Coke as more than a drink—it’s a familiar feeling they’re willing to pay extra for.
New marketing campaigns can spark curiosity but often trigger skepticism—especially when audiences lack prior connection to the brand. Nostalgia marketing breaks down this barrier by tapping into familiarity, using retro jingles, vintage fonts, pastel colors, or familiar packaging that immediately resonate. This recognition builds an emotional connection and trust with the brand. More importantly, it fosters social connectedness by making consumers feel part of a larger community—giving that reassuring “others remember this too” feeling. As a result, this sense of belonging reduces loneliness, strengthens warmth and trust, and encourages word-of-mouth sharing, naturally amplifying the campaign’s reach and impact.
While luxury brands can afford massive campaigns, startups and small businesses can tap into nostalgia as a cost-effective storytelling tool. In a world where marketing often chases the “next big thing”—from AI to futuristic tech—nostalgia offers the opposite: a chance to revisit the past. More importantly, nostalgia allows brands to stand out in a crowded, fast-scrolling feed by delivering something comfortingly familiar with a fresh twist. Think of Polaroid: in an age where smartphones boast crystal-clear cameras, it wins hearts with pastel hues, a vintage lens, and the tactile charm of instant prints—selling not just images, but a moment that feels straight out of the past.
The same principle worked brilliantly for Tiffany & Co., whose 185-year-old brand refresh featured Jay-Z and Beyoncé in a Breakfast at Tiffany’s-inspired campaign, blending timeless charm with contemporary star power and racking up millions of views. In essence, when done right, nostalgia doesn’t just market a product—it invites people to relive a story they already love.
Nostalgia resonates across generations speaking to diverse audiences. For Millennials, it’s a chance to relive the cultural touchpoints of their youth, while Gen Z approaches it with curiosity, eager to explore eras they never experienced firsthand. This crossover creates a unique marketing sweet spot: one group is driven by memory, the other by discovery. Pokémon proves this power by keeping lifelong fans engaged through retro trading cards while introducing younger audiences to its history. Similarly, Nike used nostalgia to bridge two different generations by reissuing retro classics, keeping both longtime fans and new sneakerheads excited. By appealing to both memory and curiosity, brands can create lasting connections that keep different generations engaged at once.
Nostalgia can be your startup’s non-cliché marketing mantra. Imagine a small bookstore that offers handwritten recommendation cards designed like vintage library checkout slips. This simple touch invites customers to slow down and rediscover the joy of reading. Or picture a local coffee shop serving drinks in mugs inspired by classic diner ware, evoking comforting memories of simpler times. Overall, the lesson is clear: combining nostalgic design with stories that connect people to shared moments creates emotional warmth and trust. Thoughtful nostalgia turns everyday products into meaningful experiences—building loyal communities eager to return.