The American magazine TIME has published its annual list of the best inventions for 2026. According to Startupticker.ch, three products with Swiss roots made the list: the Hilo blood pressure monitor, the Helpany Paul care assistant and a urine-based fertiliser developed by VunaNexus. The distinction says something about an editorial team's view, not about the clinical or commercial effectiveness of these products, so it is worth looking at what each one does and what has actually been established.

How TIME compiles its list

Published for more than 25 years, the list brings together nominations from TIME's editors and correspondents around the world as well as applications submitted online. Products are judged on several criteria, including originality, effectiveness, ambition and impact, with particular attention to health, artificial intelligence and green energy. The 2026 edition features 300 inventions and 100 special mentions, ranging from consumer devices to AI tools and medical treatments. It is an editorial selection: it replaces neither an independent study nor a regulatory assessment.

Hilo: continuous blood pressure monitoring at home

Designed and marketed by Aktiia, Hilo is presented as one of the first continuous blood pressure monitors intended for home use. The stakes are described as follows: around half of adults in the United States suffer from hypertension, which increases the risk of stroke and heart attack but often remains without symptoms.

The device has two components. A slim bracelet, fitted with an optical PPG sensor, tracks blood pressure continuously. A cuff, which is cleared by the US FDA and CE-certified, is used to periodically recalibrate the bracelet's readings. This methodological point matters: the source specifies that the certification applies to the cuff, without detailing the regulatory status of the bracelet itself. The system also tracks sleep and physical activity, and an app is meant to help users identify behaviours that may affect their blood pressure. “Being recognised among TIME's best inventions is an immense honour and a powerful confirmation of our mission,” said Stefan Petzinger, CEO of Hilo by Aktiia.

VunaNexus: from urine to fertiliser, a research spin-off

VunaNexus is the example most directly rooted in academia. The company was founded in 2022 as a spin-off of the VUNA research project, led by Eawag. It turns human and animal urine into resources using a patented on-site treatment process.

The urine is collected through separating toilets or waterless urinals. The system stabilises it through biological nitrification, filters out micropollutants, then pasteurises and concentrates it. Two products come out of it: reusable water and Aurin, a certified NPK liquid fertiliser made from the recovered nutrients.

The process is no longer confined to the laboratory. In 2023, around 70 toilets at the Paris headquarters of the European Space Agency were replaced with models that channel urine to a treatment facility in the basement. According to the source, Paris will begin installing treatment units next spring in the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul district, which is already equipped with hundreds of urine-diverting toilets. The following figure remains a projection: “By the middle of next year, we will have a treatment capacity of around 8,000 litres of urine per day,” says David de Chambrier, the company's CEO.

Helpany Paul: detecting fall risk by radar, without a camera

Helpany Paul is a ceiling-mounted device that combines radar and artificial intelligence. It is intended for senior residences, where it is meant to help prevent falls and monitor residents' well-being without a camera or microphone. The starting point: falls are the leading cause of injury among older people in the United States, many technologies only step in after the accident, and camera surveillance intrudes on privacy.

Installed like a smoke detector, Paul continuously analyses movement patterns such as gait, mobility, sleep, activity level and habits. It thus looks for subtle changes that may signal an increased risk of falling or a decline in health, then alerts care staff. The device is part of a broader platform, with a dashboard and an app for staff, residents and families, as well as tools to assess compliance with care plans, staffing needs and the delivery of care. “We wanted to create a solution that people would agree to install even in their most intimate living spaces,” explains Sandro Cilurzo, CEO and inventor of Paul.

On effectiveness, the source claims that Paul has helped reduce falls “by up to 72%” in residences across several US states, including Arizona and Pennsylvania. This is a maximum observed in certain facilities, presented without details of method, duration or comparison group: an encouraging result, but not equivalent to a published clinical study.

What the distinction says, and what it does not

The three products are not at the same stage. Hilo is already on the market and relies on a certified cuff. VunaNexus has been operating at a pilot site since 2023 and is preparing a rollout at the scale of a neighbourhood. Helpany Paul is in service in American residences, with results announced by the source but not yet publicly documented using a known method. For Swiss innovation, the value of this list lies mainly in the diversity of the fields covered, from home health to wastewater treatment. To judge their real impact, broader usage data and independent evaluations will be needed.

Sources