EXCLUSIVE: Aclarion CEO Looks To Bigger AI Medtech's Playbook To Reverse Fortunes

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

• CEO Brent Ness outlined a 2026 execution plan focused on reimbursement, evidence, and adoption.
• Monetization is underway through UK coverage, cash-pay usage, and paid trials.
• Scanner expansion is seen as a key lever to broaden market reach.

Aclarion Inc.'s stock has plunged nearly 98% over the past year, putting the spotlight back on the artificial intelligence-driven medical imaging company almost four years after it went public. Despite the steep decline, Aclarion is now attempting to follow a path similar to HeartFlow, an AI medtech firm focused on cardiac imaging, that went public just months ago with significantly higher quarterly revenue and greater investor visibility.

In an exclusive interview with Stocktwits, CEO Brent Ness said Aclarion is already generating revenue. In this interview, edited for clarity, Ness explained how the Broomfield, Colorado-based company is working to regain investor confidence after a prolonged period of decline.

HeartFlow's Playbook Offers Guidance For Aclarion

Ness compared Aclarion's strategy to that of advanced imaging companies such as HeartFlow, noting that the“raw material data” comes from imaging centers, is processed in the cloud, and is delivered to physicians in a clinically meaningful report.

Under this structure, imaging centers generate raw data that is processed through Aclarion's platform and translated into clinically meaningful reports for physicians. Ness said customer acquisition and technology development are expensive, but delivering a cloud-to-customer scan has a“nice margin profile.”

He said investors should look at HeartFlow“as a proxy business” when thinking about Aclarion's economic profile. HeartFlow's platform uses AI to generate personalized three-dimensional models of the heart, helping make coronary artery disease more screenable, diagnosable and manageable.

Aclarion went public in April 2022, while HeartFlow made its market debut in August 2025. Over the past six months, HTFL has shed about 1.3% to keep its market capitalization at $2.45 billion, while ACON has slumped by nearly 60%, with its valuation hovering just above $3 million. 

HeartFlow's quarterly revenue has increased from $26.8 million in the first quarter of 2024 to $46.3 million in the third quarter of 2025, while adjusted losses narrowed slightly, from $15.6 million to $14.8 million over the same period. 

Aclarion had approximately $21 million in cash at the beginning of January, giving the company a funding runway through 2028.

A Big Market With Room To Scale

Ness said Aclarion's opportunity spans a large patient population, noting that approximately 266 million people worldwide live with chronic low back pain. He said the company's addressable market spans multiple layers of care, including spinal fusion surgeries, non-fusion procedures, and pain management, collectively increasing the potential number of scans over time.

According to a MarketsandMarkets report, the global AI in medical imaging market is projected to reach $4.54 billion by 2029, up from $1.65 billion in 2024, reflecting a 22.4% compound annual growth rate. The report said growth is driven by the rising adoption of AI software that improves diagnostic accuracy, streamlines workflows, and helps providers manage increasing imaging volumes.

On potential near-term catalysts, Ness said the company is focused on reimbursement progress and expanding access.“We're currently in the market only with Siemens scanners. If you see Philips scanners, Canon scanners, GE scanners coming on board, then that will increase the penetrable market size significantly.”

Early Monetization Gains Ground

Ness said Aclarion is generating revenue from multiple sources, including reimbursed Nociscan scans in the UK, cash-pay usage, and paid clinical trials that compensate the company for use of its technology.

He said the UK, particularly London, has played a key role because insurance coverage reduces financial friction for physicians and patients, thereby supporting higher utilization and growth in scan volume.

Ness said clinical trials are also generating revenue, with some studies paying Aclarion to use Nociscan to evaluate spine treatments and biologics. He said this allows evidence generation to function as an income stream rather than a pure cost center, helping offset operating expenses and reducing reliance on capital markets during key development milestones.

Aclarion Clarity Trial And Reimbursement Pathway

Ness said Aclarion's national randomized Clarity trial is central to its U.S. reimbursement strategy. The trial is designed to enroll up to 300 patients, with physicians blinded or unblinded to Nociscan results. It will measure outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery, with additional follow-up at 24 months.

Since it is a post-market study and not an FDA approval trial, he said the study includes an early-stop design, meaning enrollment could be halted if outcome separation becomes statistically significant, potentially accelerating discussions with insurers.

Ness said that a 2025 paper by an independent PhD healthcare economist found Nociscan reduced costs by about $1,700 per patient, strengthening the case for payer adoption. He added that nearly $2.2 billion is spent each year in the U.S. on fusion revision surgeries, and said reducing that figure is a significant opportunity for payers.

ACON vs HTFL: Which Stock Is Getting Higher Retail Interest?

On Stocktwits, Aclarion's retail sentiment was 'bearish' amid 'extremely low' message volume, a sharp shift from 'extremely bullish' sentiment a year ago. HeartFlow's sentiment was also 'bearish' with 'normal' message volume, down from 'neutral' levels last year.

ACON sentiment and message volume as of February 4 | Source: Stocktwits HTFL sentiment and message volume as of February 4 | Source: Stocktwits

One user said they were accumulating Aclarion shares and watching closely for a pickup in trading volume, adding that“a fast double is very possible.”

Another Stocktwits user said HeartFlow's momentum would likely persist only if the company continues to show consistency quarter to quarter, adding that operational execution needs to tighten meaningfully and that sustained improvement could help validate the long-term thesis.

Up until the end of January, HTFL notched a more than 15% jump in watchers on Stocktwits over a three-month period, while ACON saw a merely 2.7% rise in followers, indicating stronger growth in retail investor interest for Heartflow. Message volume for HTFL doubled over the same period, while ACON witnessed a 25% drop. 

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

MENAFN04022026007385015968ID1110694020