Louth business Heart Rhythm International plans to add 30 UK hospitals to its network by 2029 and plots global expansion.
Irish cardiac technology firm Heart Rhythm International has announced a major international expansion that will create 20 new jobs and generate an estimated €3m in additional revenue over the next three years.
As part of this growth strategy, the company is rebranding as Heart Rhythm International (HRI) and will initially target the UK healthcare market.
“We’re managing our expansion step by step, focusing initially on the UK market. However, we are already discussing partnerships and opportunities with healthcare providers in the US and Australia/New Zealand”
The Louth-based business, previously known as Heart Rhythm Ireland, plans to add 30 UK hospitals to its network by 2029, extending its cardiac care platform to approximately 50,000 additional patients.
Following the UK expansion, the company intends to enter the healthcare markets in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Advancing cardiac care through technology
Heart Rhythm International operates a cloud-based cardiac rhythm management platform that provides real-time access to patient cardiac device information.
The system delivers accurate and actionable data to both patients and medical teams, improving patient outcomes by enabling timely clinical decisions and more coordinated care.
“Every 20 seconds someone receives a cardiac implant, but the systems supporting their care haven’t kept pace,” said Robert Kelly, CEO of HRI.
“HRI was set up to change that, by operating at the center of a unique ecosystem, supporting patients, hospitals, clinicians, and cardiac device manufacturers.”
The platform also gives patients secure access to their information anytime and anywhere, facilitating the sharing of critical data with healthcare providers during emergencies.
The company is currently developing artificial intelligence and predictive analytics capabilities to further enhance the system, with the goal of supporting earlier insights and more personalised cardiac care.
Established presence in Ireland
HRI already maintains a significant presence in Ireland, supporting over 65,000 patients and more than 50 cardiac hospitals nationwide.
The company works with leading healthcare institutions including the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Bon Secours Health System, Beaumont Hospital, Mater Private Network, University Hospital Galway, Blackrock Health, and Cork University Hospital.
For more than 15 years, HRI has served as Ireland’s national electronic health record for cardiac devices, maintaining a registry of over 100,000 implant procedures and nearly one million clinical follow-up records.
International research partnerships
Alongside its commercial expansion, HRI is actively contributing to international research and innovation projects.
The company is a partner in Project CARAMEL, a €12m initiative funded under the EU Horizon Europe program, which is developing AI-powered predictive models for cardiovascular risk in women aged 40 to 60.
HRI is also an industry partner in the new Health Frontiers Technology Innovation Centre (HF-TIC), led by Ulster University and supported by €9.1 million in PEACEPLUS funding. Both initiatives reinforce HRI’s leadership in AI-driven digital health innovation on an international scale.
Growth strategy
With its expansion, HRI expects to grow its team to 30 personnel in the coming years. The company’s platform was built on scalable, cloud-based infrastructure in partnership with IBM, allowing for rapid deployment by healthcare providers worldwide.
“We’ve already demonstrated how we can enhance cardiac care in Ireland by supporting over 65,000 patients and working with more than 50 hospitals nationwide. Now, we’re bringing that capability overseas,” Kelly explained.
“A key strength of our system is that it was built on scalable, cloud-based infrastructure in partnership with IBM, allowing it to be rapidly deployed by healthcare providers anywhere in the world.”
Kelly added: “We’re managing our expansion step by step, focusing initially on the UK market. However, we are already discussing partnerships and opportunities with healthcare providers in the US and Australia/New Zealand. We believe there is real opportunity for HRI to grow, to support more patients and doctors overseas, while helping advance cardiac care internationally in the years ahead.”
Main image at top: Robert Kelly, CEO, Heart Rhythm International
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
