Emergency Care Holdings (ECH), created by Bridgefield Capital to bring together and grow leading companies in emergency medical products, unveiled Heartstream, a new, independent company focused on developing life-saving emergency care technologies.
Heartstream was formed after ECH acquired the Philips Emergency Care business from Royal Philips. This marks the official start of ECH and its plan to focus solely on investing in emergency care.
Heartstream has a history of over 100 years in cardiac monitoring and 40 years in defibrillator technology. Its portfolio includes innovations from companies like Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies, and the original Heartstream, founded in 1992. Over the years, Heartstream has introduced key innovations, including the first 12-lead ECG algorithm, the first biphasic defibrillation waveform (now an industry standard), and the first defibrillator approved by the FDA for over-the-counter use, making them more widely available in places where sudden cardiac arrest occurs.
Now, as an independent company under the ECH umbrella, Heartstream continues to manufacture and sell trusted emergency medical equipment like HeartStart AEDs, Tempus and Intrepid patient monitoring systems, and integrated software solutions. The company will operate under a multi-year licensing agreement to use the Philips brand.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a major public health issue, with nearly 72% of incidents happening outside the hospital, and survival rates under 10%. Despite this, fewer than 1% of households have access to a defibrillator.
With a renewed focus and investment, Heartstream aims to make AEDs more available in public places and homes. The company also plans to grow globally, improve its supply chain, create more connected and digital care solutions, and enhance customer service, partnerships, and education.
Executive Statement
According to Ryan Landon, CEO of Heartstream, at Heartstream, our mission is to meaningfully increase cardiac arrest survival rates, improve clinical outcomes in emergency care environments, reduce costs for health systems, and ease burdens on healthcare professionals. They have a long history of providing market-leading solutions for AEDs, professional defibrillators, and remote patient monitors, delivering life-saving innovation where and when it is needed most. They strive to make working with us simple, smooth, and effortless for first responders and partners worldwide.