WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced an expansion of its TOPx HHS Tech Sprint prize pool from $2 million to $3.8 million, citing strong public interest and high submission quality.
The agency awarded $3.7 million from the expanded fund to 40 Phase 2 winning teams that developed working artificial intelligence prototypes utilizing federal open data to address Lyme disease and complex chronic illnesses.
The national competition originally received 171 submissions, with 46 teams selected to advance to Phase 2. Innovators designed tools across three challenge categories—Lyme Innovation, Invisible Illness, and Cost of Illness—aimed at improving disease detection, enhancing care coordination, and bringing visibility to the human and economic costs of chronic conditions.
Two entries earned the competition’s $1 million Grand Prizes: Health Worth and LasaClinical: Reducing the Diagnostic Delay in Women’s Health. HHS also awarded $200,000 to each of five First Place winners, $50,000 to six Second Place winners, and $15,000 to 27 Impact Award recipients. An additional $50,000 in People’s Choice Awards will be awarded later this year following public voting and final approval.
The initiative advances directives outlined in President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, Eliminating Disease-Carrying Pests and Restoring Enjoyment of the Great Outdoors, which instructed HHS to build on the Lyme Moonshot through research and prize challenges.
“Americans living with Lyme disease and other complex chronic illnesses deserve answers, and we are making their search a priority,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.. “Through the Lyme Disease Moonshot and TOPx, the Trump Administration is challenging scientists and innovators to turn AI and federal data into practical tools for patients and doctors. Our goal is clear: shorten the path to diagnosis, improve care, and help patients reclaim their health.”
Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brian Christine noted that the winning prototypes offer a promising avenue to help patients navigate care and assist clinicians in understanding their needs.
Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, Director of National Health Communications for the Office of the Surgeon General and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy, added that TOPx combines lived patient experiences, open data, and AI to help families communicate their healthcare needs and make the costs of invisible illnesses clear.
The TOPx Challenge is led by the HHS LymeX Innovation Accelerator alongside the National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health and the Federal Chief Data Officers Council. Submissions were reviewed by nonfederal expert evaluators and federal reviewers according to established published criteria.
