GE Healthcare acquires maker of maternal-infant monitoring tech – Monica Healthcare

Monica Healthcare tech

GE Healthcare has acquired UK-based fetal monitoring company Monica Healthcare for an undisclosed amount. GE has distributed Monica’s Novii Patch System — a wireless, single-use maternal and fetal heart rate monitor — since the device’s 2015 launch, and executive leadership from both companies expects the deal to expand GE’s digital product offering while providing a global infrastructure for Monica technology.

Spun out of the University of Nottingham in 2005, Monica Healthcare uses advanced electrophysiological technology based on over 25 years of research. In 2015, Monica launched the Novii Wireless patch system that can monitor fetal and maternal heart rates, as well as uterine activity in patients with a higher BMI. Data is collected, analyzed, and wirelessly transmitted via Bluetooth to a fetal monitor, a feature that allows patients greater mobility during childbirth.

“At GE Healthcare, we are committed to improving the healthcare experience across care areas, including childbirth,” Tammy Noll, GM of GE Healthcare’s Maternal-Infant Care Division, said in a statement. “Through this acquisition, we will combine the incredible expertise and mobile-digital innovation from the Monica team with GE Healthcare’s longstanding industry leadership and customer focus–all with the goal of bettering maternal and infant care for parents worldwide.”

According to a recent report by Grandview Research, the global market for fetal and neonatal care equipment currently is valued at $6.7 billion and is expected to expand by nearly 8 percent by 2025.