Junkosha, pioneers of sophisticated fluoropolymer application technologies, has concluded its highly successful third Technology Innovator of the Year Award through a live stream YouTube ceremony held on June 17, 2026. Up first was Dr. Vishal Gupta of Anchor Balloon Inc., who won the late phase Award and $25,000 for an innovative patented balloon catheter designed to be placed in difficult or hard to reach lesion sites. The second Award, for the early phase category – a new classification for this year – saw Peter Besselink of Memory Metal Holland BV receive a trophy and an initial $10,000 for his technological solution for creating medical steerable guidewires. He will receive a further $15,000 upon recognition of commercial viability in four years’ time.
Anchor Balloon is the medical-device startup behind the patented AngioLock Balloon — a “zip-line” catheter designed to stabilize and simplify precise stent delivery in complex coronary anatomy. AngioLock addresses a fundamental limitation in interventional medicine: maintaining sufficient support to deliver therapeutic devices through challenging vascular anatomy. By temporarily locking onto the guidewire and creating a stable delivery platform, the technology has the potential to improve procedural success, reduce complications, expand treatment options for complex patients and enhance efficiency across interventional specialties. Its applications extend beyond cardiology, positioning it as a potentially transformative platform technology in endovascular care.
Dr. Vishal Gupta, MD, MPH, Founder & CEO, Anchor Balloon, Inc. says: "I am deeply honored to receive the Junkosha Technology Innovator of the Year Award. AngioLock was conceived in the cath lab to solve a real challenge in complex coronary procedures: helping stents reach difficult blockages more reliably. This recognition belongs to the patients who inspire better solutions and to the interventionalists who work every day to find a way forward. I am grateful to Junkosha and the judges for recognizing innovation that started with patients in mind."
Since its inception in 2021, the spirit of the Award remains unchanged – to endorse as many technology innovators as possible through this unique Award program. For its third installation, the Award recognized Peter Besselink, Memory Metal Holland BV, with the first Award dedicated to strong early phase ideas for its technological solution for creating medical steerable guidewires. The distal end of a guidewire can be shaped mechanically with an actuation mechanism at the other end. Such steerable guidewires will have a major benefit for navigating guidewires through the human body during operation. By shaping the distal end inside the body, it can more easily take turns when reaching complex junctions.
“We are honored to be recognized by Junkosha’s early phase Award category, which reflects the significant work we have put into developing an innovative solution for creating medical steerable guidewires," explains Peter Besselink, Founder and Managing Director of Memory Metal Holland B.V. "Our focus has always been on helping physicians extend their operating range through steerable guidewires, all the while reducing procedure time for the benefit of the patient. This recognition reflects the dedication of our team, in collaboration with Demcon, and our commitment to solving real operational challenges for steerable guidewires."
Joe Rowan, Chairperson of the Award, concludes: “The scale and quality of this year's winners reflect an industry that continues to evolve. What stood out to myself and the judges were not just the product innovations themselves, but also the desire to develop solutions that improve lives, solve meaningful technical challenges and create lasting societal value. The winners represent an alignment with the core of the Junkosha mission “Enabling Technology Innovators,” which is a commitment to contribute to our society for a better future. We congratulate Anchor Balloon and Memory Metal Holland on these remarkable achievements and look forward to witnessing their continued success.”
You can watch the Award ceremony here.